61st Meijin Match Game 4 (Replay)
[Black "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Meijin"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[Event "61st Meijin-sen, Replay Game 4"]
[Date "May 19th and 20th 2003"]
1.P7g-7f 07:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 07:00:00 06:58:00
3.P2g-2f 07:00:00 06:58:00
4.P8c-8d 07:00:00 06:58:00
5.P2f-2e 07:00:00 06:58:00
6.P8d-8e 07:00:00 06:58:00
7.G6i-7h 07:00:00 06:58:00
8.G4a-3b 07:00:00 06:58:00
9.P2e-2d 07:00:00 06:58:00
10.P2cx2d 07:00:00 06:58:00
11.R2hx2d 07:00:00 06:58:00
12.P8e-8f 07:00:00 06:58:00
13.P8gx8f 07:00:00 06:58:00
14.R8bx8f 07:00:00 06:58:00
15.R2dx3d 07:00:00 06:58:00
16.B2b-3c 07:00:00 06:58:00
17.R3d-3f 07:00:00 06:58:00
18.K5a-4a 07:00:00 06:58:00
19.P*8g 07:01:00 06:58:00
20.R8f-8e 07:01:00 06:58:00
A Chuza Yokofudori. This very complicated opening usually requires a
lot of difficult decisions that take a long time. Because both players
only have two hours for this very important game, this becomes more a
game of Russian roulette. Who will make a mistake?
21.R3f-2f 07:01:00 06:58:00
22.S3a-2b 07:01:00 06:58:00
23.K5i-6h 07:01:00 06:58:00
24.S7a-6b 07:01:00 06:59:00
25.P3g-3f 07:01:00 06:59:00
26.P5c-5d 07:01:00 07:00:00
27.S3i-3h 07:02:00 07:00:00
28.P5d-5e 07:02:00 07:01:00
29.S3h-3g 07:03:00 07:01:00
30.P7c-7d 07:03:00 07:02:00
31.S3g-4f 07:04:00 07:02:00
32.N8a-7c 07:04:00 07:04:00
33.N2i-3g 07:09:00 07:04:00
34.G6a-5b!? 07:09:00 07:05:00
Highly unusual. This gold usually goes to 5a to avoid a rook drop with
check later in the game. It is highly likely that Habu prepared this at
home. It is unclear from this game if this is a good move, but it
definitely seems playable.
35.B8h-6f 07:17:00 07:05:00
36.P7d-7e 07:17:00 07:08:00
37.S7i-8h 07:32:00 07:08:00
38.P7ex7f 07:32:00 07:22:00
39.P*7d 07:37:00 07:22:00
40.N7c-6e 07:37:00 07:22:00
41.R2f-2i 07:38:00 07:22:00
Habu has started the attack, but Moriuchi does not seem to worry. He just
plays another waiting move.
42.P*2f 07:38:00 07:56:00
43.G4i-4h 07:47:00 07:56:00
44.B3c-4d 07:47:00 08:01:00
Habu returns the favor with a couple waiting moves himself. He felt that
his position would collapse if he opened the game to quickly and decided
to wait instead. Having patience in an explosive position like this might
have been the reason for his victory.
45.S4f-4e 08:00:00 08:01:00
46.B4d-5c 08:00:00 08:04:00
47.S4e-5d 08:04:00 08:04:00
48.B5c-6d 08:04:00 08:06:00
49.K6h-7i? 08:08:00 08:06:00
A mistake. Aono gives 49.P7c+ and after 50.Sx7c P*7e white loses the
knight on 6e, while 50.Bx7c is answered by P8f (which can no longer be
taken by the bishop), also aiming at the knight on 6e. 49.K7i is played
with the idea that a future Bx8f is no longer a check, but probably more
played from a positional perspective than out of thorough calculation.
50.P5e-5f 08:08:00 08:13:00
51.P5gx5f 08:09:00 08:13:00
52.N2a-3c 08:09:00 08:14:00
With this knight as an extra attacking force, Habu believed that his
attack was unstoppable.
53.P7d-7c+ 08:36:00 08:14:00
Too late, but black has little else. The white threat P*5c can not be
defended in any other way.
54.S6bx7c 08:36:00 08:15:00
55.P*7e 08:38:00 08:15:00
56.R8ex7e! 08:38:00 08:19:00
The difference. After 57.Bx7e Bx7e, the gold on 4h is attacked.
57.G4h-3h? 08:38:00 08:19:00
Played immediately, but the final mistake. The only way to fight was
57.P*7g. Moriuchi feared 58.P*5c, but after Px7f R8e Sx6e Rx6e N7g the
black king has some important space on the left to run away. Things are
far from easy in that position.
58.P*5g 08:38:00 08:31:00
59.B6fx7e 08:55:00 08:31:00
60.B6dx7e 08:55:00 08:31:00
61.R*8a 08:57:00 08:31:00
Looks like a good check, but...
62.G5b-5a 08:57:00 08:36:00
Simple and strong. The black rook attack has almost no power.
63.G3h-4h 08:57:00 08:36:00
64.P5g-5h+ 08:57:00 08:40:00
65.G4hx5h 08:57:00 08:40:00
66.N6e-5g+ 08:57:00 08:41:00
67.G5h-5i 08:57:00 08:41:00
68.S7c-6b! 08:57:00 08:44:00
Very strong. This not only takes away all worries of a sudden death,
but it forces black to use a vital pawn in his attack.
69.P*7c 08:57:00 08:44:00
70.B*2d 08:57:00 08:49:00
71.P8g-8f 08:58:00 08:49:00
The difference of the extra pawn becomes clear after 71.P*2e Nx2e Nx2e
+Nx6g and black can not defend against this check with a pawn drop (and
N*3e B5g+ simply wins for white).
72.+N5g-5h 08:58:00 08:50:00
73.G7h-6h 08:58:00 08:50:00
74.+N5hx5i 08:58:00 08:50:00
75.P7c-7b+ 08:58:00 08:50:00
76.+N5i-5h 08:58:00 08:52:00
77.K7i-7h 08:58:00 08:52:00
78.B2dx6h+ 08:58:00 08:52:00
79.K7h-8g 08:58:00 08:52:00
80.P*8e 08:58:00 08:53:00
81.+P7bx6b 08:59:00 08:53:00
Moriuchi decides to be mated. 81.+Rx8e prolongs the game, but also
means that the final position will look like a completely one-sided
victory for black.
82.+B6hx8f 08:59:00 08:53:00
Resigns 08:59:00 08:53:00
Mate after 83.K9h G*8g Sx8g +Bx8g Kx8g G*8f K8h S*8g K7i B5g+. A grueling
game in two stages that finally ended at 1:38 in the morning. The
press conference of the new Meijin started at 3:30 and the party after
the game ended at 4:50. A long day to end a short match that gives Habu
his 4th Meijin title, his first in seven years. Moriuchi will be very
disappointed to not win a single game in this match. It seems that after
his loss in the second game he more or less lost hope of keeping his
title. I guess that is what Habu does to you, even if you are the Meijin.