70th Kisei Match Game 1
Black: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger
White: Goda Masataka, Kisei
70th Kisei-sen, Game 1, June 12th 1999
1.P7g-7f 0/0 0/0
2.P8c-8d 0/0 11/11
3.P2g-2f 2/2 0/11
4.P8d-8e 0/2 0/11
5.B8h-7g 0/2 0/11
6.P3c-3d 0/2 0/11
7.S7i-8h 1/3 0/11
8.G4a-3b 0/3 0/11
9.G6i-7h 1/4 0/11
10.B2bx7g+ 0/4 0/11
11.S8hx7g 0/4 0/11
Tanigawa plays his favourite Kakugawari opening. He is almost unbeatable
in this opening, and the press room was very interested to know if Goda
had prepared something for this opening.
12.S3a-4b 0/4 0/11
13.S3i-3h 3/7 0/11
14.S7a-7b 0/7 4/15
15.P9g-9f 3/10 0/15
16.P9c-9d 0/10 1/16
17.P4g-4f 7/17 0/16
18.P6c-6d 0/17 0/16
19.P1g-1f 6/23 0/16
20.P1c-1d 0/23 1/17
21.P3g-3f 3/26 0/17
22.S7b-6c 0/26 1/18
23.N2i-3g 6/32 0/18
24.S6c-5d 0/32 11/29
25.K5i-6h 5/37 0/29
26.P4c-4d 0/37 3/32
27.G4i-5h 12/49 0/32
28.G6a-5b 0/49 1/33
29.S3h-4g 5/54 0/33
30.K5a-4a 0/54 0/33
31.K6h-7i 0/54 0/33
32.K4a-3a 0/54 7/40
33.S4g-5f 3/57 0/40
34.P7c-7d 0/57 1/41
35.P6g-6f 14/71 0/41
36.N8a-7c 0/71 8/49
37.P2f-2e 7/78 0/49
38.S4b-3c 0/78 2/51
39.P4f-4e 27/105 0/51
40.P4dx4e 0/105 0/51
41.P3f-3e 0/105 0/51
42.S3c-4d 0/105 0/51
43.P1f-1e 1/106 0/51
44.P1dx1e 0/106 6/57
45.P2e-2d 1/107 0/57
46.P2cx2d 0/107 0/57
47.P7f-7e 0/107 0/57
48.P7dx7e 0/107 0/57
49.R2hx2d 0/107 0/57
50.P*2c 0/107 2/59
51.R2d-2i 0/107 0/59
A well-known position which has been played maybe a hundred times before. The
conclusion is that there are still many difficult variations, but that black
has the better chances. White can only weather the storm of black's attack
and hope he will get a chance to counter.
52.B*3h? 0/107 148/207
With all respect, this shows that Goda did not do any homework for this match.
Using almost two and a half hours of a total of five hours to play a new but
bad move in a position that has been analysed to the bone is a big
disappointment. The consensus is that white's best chance is 52.G6c P*1b Lx1b
B*1a B*2b Bx2b+ Kx2b Px3d. Black has a very good attack then.
53.R2i-2h 22/129 0/207
54.B3h-4i+ 0/129 0/207
55.P*7d 0/129 0/207
56.P1e-1f 0/129 0/207
For a moment it was thought that Goda was aiming for sennichite here after
56.+B3i R1h +B2i R4h +B3i R1h etc. However, black can avoid this sequence
by playing R4g instead of R1h, which gives him good winning chances after
+B3h Px7c+ +Bx4g Sx4g. After the game, Goda said that he never had any
intention to go for sennichite.
57.P7dx7c+ 3/132 0/207
58.R8b-8a 0/132 0/207
Goda must have counted on the problems black has with his rook. P1g+ is of
course a threat, but there is also the problem that the rook has to keep
defending the gold on 5h.
59.+P7c-7b! 12/144 0/207
Tanigawa finds a brilliant sequence to get out of trouble. It is usually
better to use the tokin sideways, so this is a hard move to play. However,
in this case Tanigawa is looking at the bigger picture.
60.R8a-4a 0/144 5/212
61.B*7d! 22/166 0/212
Attack and defence as will become clear at the next move.
62.R4a-4b? 0/166 33/245
Natural move, but wrong. White's best chance would have been 62.G6c Bx6c+
Sx6c +P6b P1g+ +Px6c +Px2h +P5b R8a Lx1a+. Objectively, white is still
losing, but the game is much closer than after 62.R4b.
63.S5f-6g! 18/184 0/245
Nice move to show Goda's failed strategy. This move not only defends the
gold on 5h, it also clears the path of the bishop on 7d. Black now threatens
to win the horse on 4i by R2i next (the bishop on 7d is covering the square
3h now).
64.G5b-4c 0/184 4/249
White can safe the horse with 64.P1g+ R2i +B1f, but then N*2f is decisive.
White can not defend the vital square 3d (G5b-4c is met with Lx1g).
65.R2h-2i 3/187 0/249
66.+B4ix5h 0/187 0/249
67.S6gx5h 0/187 0/249
68.P7e-7f 0/187 0/249
69.S7gx7f 2/189 0/249
70.R4bx7b 0/189 0/249
71.P*7e 0/189 0/249
72.P1f-1g+ 0/189 0/249
73.P3ex3d 2/191 0/249
74.+P1g-1h 0/191 11/260
75.B7d-8c+ 3/194 0/260
76.R7b-4b 0/194 0/260
77.L1ix1h 2/196 0/260
78.L1ax1h+ 0/196 0/260
79.R2i-2e 0/196 0/260
80.P*3f 0/196 9/269
81.R2e-1e 1/197 0/269
82.P*1d 0/197 0/269
83.R1ex1h 1/198 0/269
84.P3fx3g+ 0/198 0/269
85.L*3c 0/198 0/269
86.K3a-2b 0/198 6/275
87.L3cx3b+ 4/202 0/275
88.R4bx3b 0/202 0/275
89.P*2d 0/202 0/275
90.P2cx2d 0/202 0/275
91.R1hx1d! 1/203 0/275
92.G*1c 0/203 10/285
92.L*1c Rx2d L*2c B*1a is also bad.
93.N*1e! 5/208 0/285
Tanigawa shows his superior endgame skills to finish this game.
94.L*2c 0/208 2/287
95.B*1a 0/208 0/287
96.K2b-1b 0/208 0/287
97.B1ax4d+ 1/209 0/287
98.G4cx4d 0/209 1/288
99.G*1a 0/209 0/288
Resigns 0/209 0/288
Time: 03:29:00 04:48:00
After both 100.Kx1a Nx2c+ Gx1d +Nx3b or 100.K2b Gx2a K1b (Kx2a Rx1c+) P3c+
Rx3c S*2b there is no defence.
A model performance by Tanigawa who must be very pleased with the superiority
he showed in this game. Titleholder Goda, on the other hand, is already in
big trouble and must win game two to stay in this match.