64th Meijin Match Game 6
[Black "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Meijin"]
[White "Tanigawa Koji, Challenger"]
[Event "64th Meijin-sen, Game 6"]
[Date "June 15th and 16th 2006"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:03:00
3.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:03:00
4.G4a-3b 00:00:00 00:04:00
5.G6i-7h 00:00:00 00:04:00
6.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:09:00
7.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:09:00
8.B2bx8h+ 00:01:00 00:11:00
9.S7ix8h 00:04:00 00:11:00
10.S3a-2b 00:04:00 00:11:00
11.S3i-3h 00:09:00 00:11:00
12.S2b-3c 00:09:00 00:13:00
13.P4g-4f 00:11:00 00:13:00
14.S7a-6b 00:11:00 00:16:00
15.S8h-7g 00:12:00 00:16:00
16.P6c-6d 00:12:00 00:23:00
17.S3h-4g 00:12:00 00:23:00
18.S6b-6c 00:12:00 00:23:00
19.K5i-6h 00:12:00 00:23:00
20.G6a-5b 00:12:00 00:48:00
21.G4i-5h 00:22:00 00:48:00
22.P1c-1d 00:22:00 01:09:00
23.P1g-1f 00:24:00 01:09:00
24.P9c-9d 00:24:00 01:13:00
25.P9g-9f 00:24:00 01:13:00
26.K5a-4b 00:24:00 01:14:00
27.P6g-6f 00:30:00 01:14:00
28.S6c-5d 00:30:00 01:24:00
29.S4g-5f 00:39:00 01:24:00
30.P4c-4d 00:39:00 01:32:00
31.P3g-3f 00:45:00 01:32:00
32.P7c-7d 00:45:00 01:39:00
33.N2i-3g 00:56:00 01:39:00
34.K4b-3a 00:56:00 01:43:00
35.K6h-7i 01:08:00 01:43:00
36.G5b-4c 01:08:00 02:06:00
37.R2h-4h 01:18:00 02:06:00
38.K3a-2b 01:18:00 02:29:00
39.K7i-8h 02:32:00 02:29:00
40.N8a-7c 02:32:00 02:42:00
41.P4f-4e 02:36:00 02:42:00
42.N7c-8e 02:36:00 03:00:00
For the second time in this match the Kakugawari with tempo loss,
but this time with reversed colors. In the first game, Tanigawa played
a quick attack by bringing a silver to 4f followed by the pawn push to
3e. Moriuchi plays the most thematic position: the "normal" reclining
silver. Compared to the normal Kakugawari reclining silver, black has
the advantage of the extra move, while white has the advantage of being
able to attack by moving the knight to 8e. Because of this thematic value,
this position has been played in professional game numerous times. When
looking at the final result, white has won most of the games, but when
looking at content of the games, black gets out of the opening with an
advantage more often.
43.S7g-8f 02:38:00 03:00:00
44.P6d-6e 02:38:00 03:15:00
45.B*7c 02:56:00 03:15:00
46.R8b-8a 02:56:00 03:26:00
47.P4ex4d 02:56:00 03:26:00
48.S3cx4d 02:56:00 03:27:00
49.P*4e 02:57:00 03:27:00
50.S4d-3c 02:57:00 03:27:00
51.P6fx6e 02:58:00 03:27:00
52.P9d-9e 02:58:00 04:04:00
The sealed move and still in known territory. The alternative is 52.P3e,
after which 53.B4f+ B*8b is inviting the sennichite (Bx8b+ Rx8b B*7c R8a
B4f+ B*8b etc.). However, even with white, going for sennichite is not
Tanigawa's style. Attacking is his trade, but in this position there are
two ways to attack: 52.P9e and 52.P7e. After 37 minutes, Tanigawa decided
to play P9e.
53.P9fx9e 03:01:00 04:04:00
54.P7d-7e 03:01:00 04:30:00
55.S8fx7e 03:12:00 04:30:00
56.R8a-7a 03:12:00 04:33:00
57.B7cx8d+ 03:16:00 04:33:00
58.R7a-8a 03:16:00 04:33:00
59.+B8d-7c 03:19:00 04:33:00
60.P3d-3e!? 03:19:00 04:36:00
This is a new move. Here, 60.R7a +B6d (it is important to defend the silver
on 7e or white can attack strongly with Rx7e Px7e B*6f) P3e P2d had been
played before, and was considered good for black. Playing 60.P3e with the
rook still on 8a has the important advantage of being able to use the rook
in attack (on 7a this is almost impossible). With the knight on 8e, it looks
like the rook is blocked, but if black attack with P2d like in the variation
above, white will get pawns in hand, making an edge attack with P*9h Lx9h P*9g
possible. Then white opens the rook file to the king and getting a lance or
knight in hand in the process. The white attack will be difficult to stop then.
61.P8g-8f 05:33:00 04:36:00
Moriuchi realizes that this is a crucial moment in the game and takes 134
minutes for his move. Rather than attacking immediately, he judged that
removing the dangerous knight on 8e has priority.
62.P3ex3f 05:33:00 04:57:00
63.P8fx8e 05:34:00 04:57:00
64.P3fx3g+ 05:34:00 04:57:00
65.+B7cx3g 05:34:00 04:57:00
66.P*7d 05:34:00 04:57:00
67.S7e-8f! 05:55:00 04:57:00
This allows a knight fork, but if 67.S6f, then 68.P*9h Lx9h N*8f is good for
white. At the 61st move, Moriuchi has decided that it is vital to make the
head of the king strong and he sticks to his plan despite losing material.
68.N*6f 05:55:00 04:58:00
69.G7h-7g 05:59:00 04:58:00
70.N6fx5h+ 05:59:00 05:43:00
71.R4hx5h 05:59:00 05:43:00
72.P7d-7e 05:59:00 05:43:00
This is the move that Tanigawa counted on. 73.Px7e P*7f, 73.Sx7e Rx8e P*8f
Rx7e Px7e P*7f are both good for white.
73.R5h-2h! 06:18:00 05:43:00
Not taking the pawn on 7e, but moving this rook to the perfect place for a
counter attack is very good judgment by Moriuchi. Black has a slight advantage
here.
74.P7ex7f 06:18:00 06:27:00
75.G7gx7f 06:19:00 06:27:00
76.P*3d 06:19:00 06:27:00
77.N*5e! 07:03:00 06:27:00
Normally, this is a bad move. It forces white to play G4c-4b, where the gold
is better placed than on 4c. However, as Abe commented: "It is not easy to win
at the highest level by just playing moves that look good". The "correct" way
of playing is 77.P1e, but then 78.Sx4e Sx4e B*6g is good for white.
78.G4c-4b 07:03:00 06:36:00
79.P1f-1e 07:18:00 06:36:00
Now the variation above is difficult to play for white, because 80.Sx4e P*4c
gives black a strong attack. From a professional point of view, there is no
relation between N*5e and P1e, so this is not good shogi. However, being able
to rise above the theory is the way of master players.
80.P*4f? 07:18:00 07:16:00
Tanigawa is starting to lose his way. He felt for most of the game that white
had enough attacking options and that opportunities would naturally present
themselves, but here he realized that Moriuchi has made it very difficult for
him to find good moves. Tanigawa didn't like 80.Px1e because of 81.P*1b 82.Lx1b
83.P*1c, but after the game Moriuchi pointed out that white can take the pawn on
1c with the knight and the position would still be very difficult. For example
83.Nx1c P*1d Nx2e Rx2e B*6i and white is better. Tanigawa admitted that he never
looked at Nx1c very closely as it seems the weaken the king position too much.
If white would have played 80.Px1e, Moriuchi said that he intended to play P*1b
Lx1b P3e. The move that Tanigawa played, 80.P*4f is not particularly good, forcing
black to put the promoted bishop on a good square, but it is not the decisive
mistake in this game.
81.+B3gx4f 07:28:00 07:16:00
82.G*3e 07:28:00 07:19:00
83.+B4f-4g 07:37:00 07:19:00
84.B*4f? 07:37:00 07:29:00
Here 84.Px1e was the move to keep this game going.
85.R2h-2i 07:56:00 07:29:00
86.P1dx1e 07:56:00 07:53:00
It seems like Tanigawa had been playing with two different things in mind. First,
finding the right time to play Px1e and second, to take the knight on 5e. In the
end, he fails to execute either plan correctly. 86.Sx5e would fail to Px1d here
after which the black attack can't be stopped. However, by dropping the bishop
on 4f, white has no way to attack the black king anymore, so black can more or
less attack at will.
87.P*1b 08:13:00 07:53:00
88.L1ax1b 08:13:00 07:53:00
89.P*1c 08:13:00 07:53:00
90.L1bx1c 08:13:00 07:54:00
91.P*3f 08:17:00 07:54:00
92.G3ex4e 08:17:00 07:58:00
93.P*4c 08:17:00 07:58:00
94.G4b-5b 08:17:00 08:01:00
95.P*1d 08:37:00 08:01:00
96.L1cx1d 08:37:00 08:01:00
97.N*2f 08:37:00 08:01:00
98.P*9h 08:37:00 08:30:00
99.N2fx1d 08:42:00 08:30:00
100.K2b-1b 08:42:00 08:30:00
101.P*1c 08:45:00 08:30:00
102.N2ax1c 08:45:00 08:30:00
103.P3f-3e 08:50:00 08:30:00
104.G4ex5f 08:50:00 08:33:00
105.+B4gx5f 08:50:00 08:33:00
106.B4fx5e 08:50:00 08:40:00
107.+B5fx5e 08:50:00 08:40:00
108.S5dx5e 08:50:00 08:40:00
109.P3ex3d 08:50:00 08:40:00
Resigns 08:50:00 08:41:00
Resigning looks a bit early, but after 110.Sx3d P*3c white has no defense even
though it will take black another move to make a mating threat. However, white
has no way to set up a strong attack against the black king, so after thinking
a little about it, Tanigawa resigned. With this convincing win, Moriuchi
defends his Meijin title for the second time in a row. His total tally is
now four Meijin titles, which puts him on course to become the next Lifetime
Meijin, an honorary title that only the great players have held. Habu also
has four Meijin titles at the moment, so it would be interesting to see
childhood rivals Moriuchi and Habu play for the right to become the next
Lifetime Meijin next year. Tanigawa is already Lifetime Meijin and will
regret the single loss with the black pieces in the first game. However,
it looked like Moriuchi was just a little too strong for him this time.