61st Meijin Match Game 1
[Black "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Meijin"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[Event "61st Meijin-sen, Game 1"]
[Date "April 17th and 18th 2003"]
1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00
Four pawns give Meijin Moriuchi the black pieces in this first game of
the long awaited match between the two childhood rival Habu and Moriuchi.
Habu had to climb a mountain to become Meijin challenger, coming from
behind in the A class and needing two play-off games against Fujii and
Sato to make his first appearance in the Meijin match in six years.
To get the title, he will need to turn things around against Moriuchi
as he has lost their last six encounters.
2.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:02:00
3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:02:00
4.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:05:00
5.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:05:00
6.P8d-8e 00:01:00 00:13:00
7.G6i-7h 00:01:00 00:13:00
8.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:17:00
9.P2e-2d 00:02:00 00:17:00
10.P2cx2d 00:02:00 00:18:00
11.R2hx2d 00:02:00 00:18:00
12.P8e-8f 00:02:00 00:22:00
13.P8gx8f 00:02:00 00:22:00
14.R8bx8f 00:02:00 00:22:00
15.R2dx3d 00:02:00 00:22:00
16.B2b-3c 00:02:00 00:25:00
17.R3d-3f 00:02:00 00:25:00
18.K5a-4a 00:02:00 00:33:00
19.P*8g 00:14:00 00:33:00
20.R8f-8e 00:14:00 00:34:00
The R8e-Yokofudori is no surprise. Some thought that Habu also might give
the Shikenbisha a try with white, but he usually only plays the ranging
rook when he is ahead in a match or feels that he has some psychological
advantage over his opponent.
21.R3f-2f 00:14:00 00:34:00
22.S3a-2b 00:14:00 00:36:00
23.K5i-6h 00:15:00 00:36:00
24.P7c-7d 00:15:00 01:28:00
25.P3g-3f 00:21:00 01:28:00
26.S7a-6b 00:21:00 01:40:00
27.S3i-3h 00:55:00 01:40:00
28.N8a-7c 00:55:00 01:50:00
29.N2i-3g 00:55:00 01:50:00
30.G6a-5a 00:55:00 01:59:00
31.P4g-4f 00:56:00 01:59:00
32.R8e-5e 00:56:00 02:46:00
33.P4f-4e 01:04:00 02:46:00
34.R5e-5d 01:04:00 03:01:00
35.B8hx3c+ 01:05:00 03:01:00
36.N2ax3c 01:05:00 03:01:00
37.P6g-6f 01:05:00 03:01:00
38.R5d-5e?! 01:05:00 03:16:00
A surprise. The position after 37.P6f has been played many times at the
professional level. To be exact, there are 27 games with this position,
with black winning 15 of them. The biggest game is probably the final
game of the 59th Meijin match between Tanigawa and Maruyama. Maruyama
played 38.P7e and successfully defended his Meijin title after 39.B*8c
Nx4e! Nx4e B*4f. 38.R5e looks strange, but there is actually one game
with this move. In the early days of this variation (three years ago),
Horiguchi Kazushiza and Kimura played a game in the C1 Junisen with
38.R5e. The game continued with 39.P3e Nx4e Nx4e Rx4e B*3d and black
won. Two months later, the same players played another game with this
variation and this time Kimura improved the white play with P*2d, which
from then on became the main move in this position.
39.P3f-3e 03:12:00 03:16:00
40.P*3f?! 03:12:00 04:15:00
A new move, but definitely not prepared by Habu. Habu actually wanted
to play 40.Nx4e, but had no confidence in the position after 41.Nx4e
Rx4e P*2c S3a N*2d. At this point in the post-mortem analysis, the
players were told about the Horiguchi-Kimura game. Both Moriuchi and
Habu were stunned that they had spent so much time on a position that
had been played before. By the way, an interesting alternative to
40.P*3f is 40.P*2e and after 41.Nx2e Nx4e, white threatens to play
P*2d next. However, Habu probably didn't like 41.R4f (or R3f).
41.P3e-3d 05:33:00 04:15:00
Very sharp. The natural move is 41.Rx3f, but Moriuchi probably didn't
like the mobility of his rook after 42.Nx4e Nx4e Rx4e.
42.B*3e 05:33:00 04:45:00
43.P3dx3c+ 06:09:00 04:45:00
No way back. 43.Rx3f Bx5g+ is good for white.
44.R5ex5g+ 06:09:00 05:12:00
45.K6h-6i 06:09:00 05:12:00
46.B3ex2f 06:09:00 05:12:00
47.+P3cx3b 06:10:00 05:12:00
48.K4ax3b 06:10:00 05:13:00
49.S7i-6h 06:15:00 05:13:00
50.+R5g-5d 06:15:00 05:31:00
51.P*3c 06:21:00 05:31:00
52.K3b-4b 06:21:00 06:50:00
53.N*4f 06:56:00 06:50:00
54.+R5d-6d 06:56:00 06:53:00
55.P3c-3b+ 07:01:00 06:53:00
56.K4bx3b 07:01:00 06:59:00
57.N3g-2e 07:01:00 06:59:00
58.P3f-3g+ 07:01:00 07:02:00
59.P*3d 07:10:00 07:02:00
60.K3b-4b 07:10:00 07:02:00
61.P3d-3c+ 07:19:00 07:02:00
62.S2bx3c 07:19:00 07:10:00
63.N2ex3c+ 07:34:00 07:10:00
64.K4bx3c 07:34:00 07:10:00
65.S*3d?! 07:34:00 07:10:00
Better might have been 65.G*3d. The difference is that after 66.K4b,
black has P4d. It is hard for white to take this pawn with the bishop.
66.K3c-4b 07:34:00 07:12:00
67.B*1f 07:53:00 07:12:00
Moriuchi goes for the white rook. 67.P4d is now not good because of
68.Bx4d Sx4c+ Kx4c B*3d K3c and the black attack seems over.
68.N*3a 07:53:00 07:46:00
69.G*3c 07:56:00 07:46:00
70.K4b-5b 07:56:00 07:46:00
71.S3dx4c= 07:56:00 07:46:00
72.K5b-6a 07:56:00 07:46:00
73.S4c-5d+ 07:56:00 07:46:00
74.K6a-7b 07:56:00 07:46:00
75.+S5dx6d 07:56:00 07:46:00
76.+P3gx3h 07:56:00 08:05:00
77.P*5b? 08:21:00 08:05:00
A very sharp endgame, but black seemed to have the upper hand. However,
this is a serious error of judgment that turns the tables. Moriuchi
was completely taken by surprise by 76.+Px3h. He only expected 76.Px6d.
If he would have seen 76.+Px3h, he would probably have found the correct
77.+Sx7c. Then both 78.Sx7c R*2b S*6b G4b and 78.Kx7c G4b! +Px4i Gx5a
are good for black. Activating the gold on 3c adds a lot of strength
to the black attack.
78.G5a-4a 08:21:00 08:06:00
79.B1fx3h? 08:21:00 08:06:00
Again 79.+Sx7c would have been the right move.
80.P6cx6d 08:21:00 08:07:00
81.P*3b 08:21:00 08:07:00
82.S*4h 08:21:00 08:12:00
83.P3bx3a+ 08:29:00 08:12:00
84.S4hx4i= 08:29:00 08:12:00
85.N*8d 08:29:00 08:12:00
86.K7b-8c 08:29:00 08:18:00
87.B3hx4i 08:31:00 08:18:00
88.G*7a 08:31:00 08:23:00
89.B4i-1f 08:50:00 08:23:00
90.R*3i 08:50:00 08:24:00
91.K6i-5h 08:50:00 08:24:00
92.R3ix8i+ 08:50:00 08:28:00
Resigns 08:50:00 08:28:00
After 92.G7i +Rx8g, white is threatening mate with S*4g K6i N*5g etc.
A big win for Habu, who ends the six game losing streak against Moriuchi
with white, coming from behind. It will be interesting to see how this
will have an impact on the rest of the match.