59th Meijin Match Game 7
Black: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger
White: Maruyama Tadahisa, Meijin
59th Meijin-sen, Game 7, June 21st and 22nd 2001
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
So far all games in this Meijin match have been won by black, so the
furigoma of this final game was awaited with anticipation. The pawns
fell lucky for Tanigawa. The question here is: kakugawari or yokofudori?
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:04:00
3.P2g-2f 00:02:00 00:04:00
4.P8c-8d 00:02:00 00:04:00
5.P2f-2e 00:04:00 00:04:00
6.P8d-8e 00:04:00 00:04:00
7.G6i-7h 00:04:00 00:04:00
8.G4a-3b 00:04:00 00:04:00
9.P2e-2d 00:05:00 00:04:00
10.P2cx2d 00:05:00 00:04:00
11.R2hx2d 00:05:00 00:04:00
12.P8e-8f 00:05:00 00:04:00
13.P8gx8f 00:05:00 00:04:00
14.R8bx8f 00:05:00 00:04:00
15.R2dx3d 00:05:00 00:04:00
Yokofudori it is. Maruyama has gotten quite a beating with white in
this match. After his bad loss in the second game, he hasn't played
his favorite yokofudori anymore. However, in the replay of the third
game and in the fifth game he didn't fare much better in the kakugawari
opening, so it seems natural that he returns to his favorite opening
in this all-deciding game.
16.B2b-3c 00:05:00 00:04:00
17.R3d-3f 00:20:00 00:04:00
18.S3a-2b 00:20:00 00:05:00
19.P*8g 00:56:00 00:05:00
20.R8f-8e 00:56:00 00:05:00
21.R3f-2f 00:56:00 00:05:00
22.K5a-4a 00:56:00 00:05:00
23.K5i-6h 01:01:00 00:05:00
24.S7a-6b 01:01:00 00:06:00
25.S3i-3h 01:14:00 00:06:00
26.G6a-5a 01:14:00 00:08:00
27.P3g-3f 01:15:00 00:08:00
28.P7c-7d 01:15:00 00:08:00
29.N2i-3g 01:23:00 00:08:00
30.N8a-7c 01:23:00 00:38:00
31.P4g-4f 01:34:00 00:38:00
32.R8e-5e 01:34:00 01:04:00
This position is amazingly popular in professional play. There are more
than 30 examples of professional games with exactly this development.
33.P4f-4e 01:45:00 01:04:00
34.R5e-5d 01:45:00 01:10:00
35.B8hx3c+ 01:46:00 01:10:00
36.N2ax3c 01:46:00 01:10:00
37.P6g-6f 01:46:00 01:10:00
38.P7d-7e 01:46:00 01:26:00
Both players follow the first game of the Kisei match between Habu
and Goda, which was played on the 16th. So far, the game is a copy
of that one.
39.B*8c 03:03:00 01:26:00
The first new move. Habu played 39.Px7e here, but Tanigawa said he
didn't like this move and wanted to play more positive.
40.N3cx4e!? 03:03:00 01:59:00
A surprise for everyone including Tanigawa. Of course this is not
a real sacrifice as after Nx4e B*4f white has the double threat of
Bx5g+ and Bx1a+. However, giving up material and having the black
knight on the good square 4e for free makes this a difficult move
to play. It's hard to say if Maruyama's judgment is correct.
41.N3gx4e 03:37:00 01:59:00
42.B*4f 03:37:00 02:00:00
43.G4i-5h 05:06:00 02:00:00
Tanigawa took no less than 89 minutes for this move, showing that
he was completely surprised by Maruyama's knight move. There are
a number of alternatives here which also look good like B4g+ or
P*4b. Tanigawa chooses the most aggressive way to attack.
44.B4fx1i+ 05:06:00 02:00:00
45.P*2c 05:06:00 02:00:00
46.S2b-3a 05:06:00 02:10:00
47.N*3c 05:14:00 02:10:00
48.K4a-5b 05:14:00 04:45:00
Time for Maruyama to have a long thought. No less than 155 minutes
for this move. Of course he wasn't thinking so long about this move,
but more about the development after his next move.
49.N3c-2a+ 05:14:00 04:45:00
50.P*2e 05:14:00 04:46:00
51.R2f-2g 05:41:00 04:46:00
No choice. 51.Rx2e L*2d R3e P*3d +Nx3a Gx3a N3c+ Px3e P2b+ Gx2b
+Nx2b N*4f S4g P*8b is good for white.
52.+B1i-5e 05:41:00 07:05:00
53.R2gx2e 06:16:00 07:05:00
Now this is the right move. With the bishop on 5e, the variation
above no longer works. After 54.L*2d R3e P*3d +Nx3a Gx3a black can
now play Nx5c+! and gets a big advantage after Rx5c Rx5e B*3c N*4d P2b+.
54.+B5ex6f 06:16:00 07:07:00
Maruyama has seen this all in advance, because he used only two
minutes for this move.
55.P2c-2b+ 06:37:00 07:07:00
56.S3ax2b 06:37:00 07:08:00
57.+N2ax2b 06:50:00 07:08:00
58.G3bx2b 06:50:00 07:42:00
59.G7h-7g 06:54:00 07:42:00
60.+B6f-4d 06:54:00 07:42:00
61.S*3e 06:59:00 07:42:00
And black has the upper-hand after 62.P*2d Rx2d +Bx7g Nx7g Rx2d
Sx2d. At least, that was the opinion of the professionals in
the press room (including Sato Yasumitsu and Kubo).
62.L*2c! 06:59:00 08:04:00
Brilliant move that shows why Maruyama is the Meijin. For the
second time Tanigawa completely overlooks a move by his opponent.
He also thought that white had to play P*2d here. After L*2c,
suddenly things get very complicated. Black's attack is slowed
down, giving white the chance for a strong counter. Moreover,
this lance invites the following mistake.
63.P*2d? 07:39:00 08:04:00
The natural way to try and refute the previous lance drop, but
63.Sx4d was better. Then 64.Rx4d R3e P*3d Nx5c+ Sx5c R7e S*6d
P*4e R5d R7d and the position is unclear.
64.+B4dx4e 07:39:00 08:04:00
65.P2dx2c+ 07:40:00 08:04:00
66.N*6e 07:40:00 08:04:00
67.P*4d 07:51:00 08:04:00
68.P4cx4d 07:51:00 08:11:00
69.+P2cx2b 08:06:00 08:11:00
70.+B4ex3f 08:06:00 08:18:00
This is a mating threat: +Bx5h K7h G*6g etc. Now white is dictating
the pace of the game.
71.G*4c 08:06:00 08:18:00
72.K5bx4c 08:06:00 08:20:00
73.R2e-2c+ 08:06:00 08:20:00
74.K4c-5b 08:06:00 08:33:00
75.S3h-4g 08:06:00 08:33:00
76.N6ex5g+ 08:06:00 08:34:00
77.G5hx5g 08:07:00 08:34:00
After 77.K7h black the black promoted rook gets exchanged against
the bishop after +B4e.
78.R5dx5g+ 08:07:00 08:42:00
79.K6hx5g 08:07:00 08:42:00
80.N*6e 08:07:00 08:43:00
81.K5g-6f 08:35:00 08:43:00
82.+B3fx4g 08:35:00 08:43:00
83.R*3b 08:35:00 08:43:00
84.G*4b 08:35:00 08:44:00
Resigns 08:36:00 08:44:00
It's hard to call this a blunder, but Tanigawa resigns a little too
early. He didn't see that things are not that easy after 85.G6g. For
example, white loses after the natural 86.S*5g Kx7e G*8e K7d N7g+
L*5f! (threatening mate). The right way to win for white is 86.+B4h
N*5g Nx5g+ S3d G*6e K7g +N6g K8h +B6f L*7g S*5d and there is no good
way to attack the white king. Maruyama had seen this variation, but
when he showed it to Tanigawa after the game, Tanigawa clearly showed
disappointment about not having tried a little longer. Anyway, despite
an up and down performance in this title match, Maruyama finally
manages to defend his title. Tanigawa must have a final game complex,
as he has now lost seven matches in row where the final game had to
decide the winner, including three Meijin matches.