69th Meijin Match Game 7

[Black "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Challenger"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Meijin"]
[Event "69th Meijin-sen, Game 7"]
[Date "June 21st and 22nd 2011"]
1.P7g-7f     00:00:00  00:00:00

The furigoma for this final game resulted in three tokins, giving challenger Moriuchi 
the black pieces. A small moral victory, as black has a significant winning rate in 
the head-to-head between these players.

2.P3c-3d     00:00:00  00:00:00
3.P2g-2f     00:02:00  00:00:00
4.P8c-8d     00:02:00  00:04:00
5.P2f-2e     00:03:00  00:04:00
6.P8d-8e     00:03:00  00:05:00
7.G6i-7h     00:03:00  00:05:00
8.G4a-3b     00:03:00  00:08:00

For the third time in this match the Yokofudori opening. Habu said after the game 
that he had planned to play this if he ended up with the white pieces.

9.P2e-2d     00:05:00  00:08:00
10.P2cx2d    00:05:00  00:08:00
11.R2hx2d    00:05:00  00:08:00
12.P8e-8f    00:05:00  00:14:00
13.P8gx8f    00:05:00  00:14:00
14.R8bx8f    00:05:00  00:14:00
15.R2dx3d    00:05:00  00:14:00
16.B2b-3c    00:05:00  00:19:00
17.R3d-3f    00:06:00  00:19:00
18.S3a-2b    00:06:00  00:23:00
19.P*8g      00:09:00  00:23:00
20.R8f-8e    00:09:00  00:28:00
21.R3f-2f    00:09:00  00:28:00
22.K5a-4a    00:09:00  00:39:00

Moving the king to 5b is the more popular way of playing nowadays, but Habu prefers 
to move the king to 4a.

23.S3i-4h    00:18:00  00:39:00
24.S7a-6b    00:18:00  00:47:00
25.P3g-3f    00:20:00  00:47:00
26.G6a-5a    00:20:00  01:02:00
27.N2i-3g    00:22:00  01:02:00

Moriuchi can also opt for a more positional Yokofudori by moving the king to 5h, but 
instead chooses the super quick New Yamasaki Style variation. This leads the game 
into very sharp positions, but as Takahashi (9-dan) explains, these type of violent 
positions are good to play when there is a lot of pressure as there is on Moriuchi 
in this game. After all, in sharp positions there is no choice but to go all in, so 
there is no time to think about long strategic decisions, feeling the pressure 
mounting all the time, often leading to a mistake.

28.P*8f      00:22:00  01:51:00
29.P8gx8f    00:26:00  01:51:00
30.R8ex8f    00:26:00  01:52:00
31.P3f-3e    00:26:00  01:52:00
32.R8f-8e    00:26:00  01:54:00
33.N8i-7g    00:29:00  01:54:00
34.R8ex3e    00:29:00  02:46:00
35.R2f-2e    00:37:00  02:46:00
36.R3e-3d    00:37:00  02:48:00
37.N3g-4e    00:39:00  02:48:00
38.B3c-4b    00:39:00  03:00:00
39.P*2d      01:07:00  03:00:00
40.P*8g      01:07:00  03:03:00
41.G7hx8g    01:08:00  03:03:00
42.P*2c      01:08:00  03:03:00
43.P2dx2c+   01:25:00  03:03:00
44.G3bx2c    01:25:00  03:04:00
45.N7g-6e    01:49:00  03:04:00
46.P*2d      01:49:00  03:06:00
47.R2e-2f    01:59:00  03:06:00
48.P*3f      01:59:00  03:17:00

Diagram 1

This is a new move. Before this, 48.N3c was played here, but after 49.R4f Habu 
said that he had no confidence in the white position. The pawn drop on 3f blocks 
the path of the rook to 4f and was a move that Habu had prepared at home.

49.P*3h      02:34:00  03:17:00
50.P6c-6d    02:34:00  03:28:00
51.N6ex5c+   04:33:00  03:28:00

The sealed move and played after almost two hours of thought. In the press room,
 51.P*8b was expected, but after 52.Px6e Px8a+ N3c N*1e G1d there is no good way 
to continue for black.

52.S6bx5c    04:33:00  05:04:00
53.N4ex5c+   04:34:00  05:04:00
54.B4bx5c    04:34:00  05:04:00
55.S*4e      04:34:00  05:04:00

Diagram 2

56.R3d-3e    04:34:00  05:10:00

No choice. White cannot afford to exchange the rooks here, because his position 
is much weaker against rook drops. Also, 56.R3b Rx3f Rx3f Sx3f is followed by R*8b 
next and good for black.

57.S4e-5d    04:43:00  05:10:00
58.B5c-7a?   04:43:00  05:11:00

Immediately after the game, Habu suggested 58.B6b here. This just seems to invite 
59.S6c+, but after 60.B7a the black rook is also in danger, so black has to move 
quickly. For example, 61.Bx2b+ Gx2b Rx2d is answered by B4d, which is unclear after 
Rx4d Px4d Bx2d R3c Bx3c+ Gx3c R*7a N*6a because white also has a good square for a 
rook drop on 8i.

59.P*8b      06:35:00  05:11:00
60.R3e-8e    06:35:00  05:46:00
61.R2fx3f    06:36:00  05:46:00
62.N*4d      06:36:00  05:47:00
63.R3f-4f    06:51:00  05:47:00
64.R8ex8b    06:51:00  05:58:00

The obvious 64.Rx8g+ is answered by 65.Px8a+ and it is hard to find a good attack 
against the black king, while black simply threatens +Px7a followed by Sx4c+. Habu 
added that the biggest problem is that black can play S3g at any time after which 
the black king has a lot of space to run.

65.P*8c      07:34:00  05:58:00
66.R8bx8c    07:34:00  05:59:00
67.P*8d      07:34:00  05:59:00
68.R8cx8d    07:34:00  06:29:00
69.P*8e      07:34:00  06:29:00
70.R8dx8e    07:34:00  06:30:00
71.P*8f      07:34:00  06:30:00
72.R8e-2e    07:34:00  06:32:00
73.S5dx4c+   07:34:00  06:32:00
74.P*4e      07:34:00  06:41:00

Diagram 3

75.B8hx4d!   07:34:00  06:41:00

Habu's reaction to this move in the post-mortem analysis seems to suggest that he 
overlooked it or underestimated it at the very least. The normal 75.R6f is answered 
by 76.N*9e G7g P*8g and the black bishop becomes a target. Sacrificing the bishop 
before it becomes a target for attack is very good here.

76.B7ax4d    07:34:00  06:48:00
77.R4f-5f    07:34:00  06:48:00

This is a mating threat.

78.P*5e      07:34:00  07:32:00
79.R5f-3f    08:07:00  07:32:00

This is again a mating threat.

80.P*3e      08:07:00  07:45:00
81.R3f-1f!   08:07:00  07:45:00

Diagram 4

Again, the obvious 81.R6f is not good because of 82.P6e Rx6e B*5d. However, 81.R1f 
works perfectly because black now both threatens +Sx4d and P*2f.

82.B4d-6b    08:07:00  08:11:00

White wants to play 82.R2i+ +Sx4d +Rx1i and now +S4c is answered by G3c, but after 
B*5d L*4b +S5c the black promoted silver is too strong. Moving the bishop away to 
6b is a defense only move, indicating the black has the advantage here.

83.P*2f      08:09:00  08:11:00
84.B*6e      08:09:00  08:12:00
85.N*5c      08:13:00  08:12:00
86.K4a-3a    08:13:00  08:13:00
87.+S4c-4d   08:13:00  08:13:00
88.P4e-4f    08:13:00  08:17:00
89.P6g-6f    08:20:00  08:17:00
90.B6e-7d    08:20:00  08:18:00
91.P7f-7e    08:24:00  08:18:00
92.B7d-5b    08:24:00  08:18:00
93.P2fx2e    08:24:00  08:18:00
94.G2c-3c    08:24:00  08:18:00
95.+S4dx3c   08:27:00  08:18:00
96.N2ax3c    08:27:00  08:20:00
97.G4i-5h    08:28:00  08:20:00
98.N*3f      08:28:00  08:25:00
99.R*8b      08:30:00  08:25:00
100.S*2g     08:30:00  08:36:00
101.R1f-2f   08:49:00  08:36:00
102.S2gx3h+  08:49:00  08:39:00

Or 102.Nx4h+ Gx4h +S3f N*4d B4c G*4a and black wins.

103.S4h-3i!  08:50:00  08:39:00

Diagram 5

This nice defensive silver tesuji give Moriuchi the Meijin title. White has to 
capture this silver, but this slows down the attack too much.

104.P2dx2e   08:50:00  08:41:00
105.R2f-1f   08:55:00  08:41:00
106.+S3hx3i  08:55:00  08:46:00
107.R8bx8a+  08:55:00  08:46:00
108.S*2g     08:55:00  08:56:00
109.N*5d     08:57:00  08:56:00
110.B5b-6c   08:57:00  08:56:00
111.N5dx6b+  08:57:00  08:56:00
112.B6cx8a   08:57:00  08:56:00
113.B*7f     08:57:00  08:56:00
114.R*5d     08:57:00  08:56:00
115.+N6bx5a  08:57:00  08:56:00
116.S2gx1f+  08:57:00  08:56:00
117.G*4c     08:57:00  08:56:00
118.K3a-2a   08:57:00  08:56:00
119.G*3b     08:57:00  08:56:00
120.K2a-1b   08:57:00  08:56:00
121.G4cx3c   08:57:00  08:56:00
122.S2bx3c   08:57:00  08:56:00
123.G3bx3c   08:57:00  08:56:00
Resigns      08:57:00  08:57:00

Final Diagram

The easy mating threat is S*2c and because black can take the rook on 5d at any
time, there is no proper defense. White can try one more check with 124.R*4i, 
but there is no follow-up after 125.K6i. Habu took one minute to compose himself 
before resigning his Meijin title to Moriuchi. He fought hard to get back from 3-0 
down, but it was not enough as Moriuchi takes his sixth Meijin title. Moriuchi and 
Habu have a stronghold on the Meijin title with either of them winning the title 
in the last ten years. In Meijin title matches their head-to-head is 3-3 and their 
overall title match tally against each other is dead even at 6-6. The childhood 
rivals don't give each other an inch and this rivalry is set to continue for a while.