81st Kisei Match Game 2
[Black "Fukaura Koichi, Challenger"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Kisei"]
[Event "81st Kisei-sen, Game 2"]
[Date "June 18th 2010"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
This game was played in the Hotel New Awaji in Hyogo Prefecture, which hosted a game
from the Kisei match for the 15th consecutive year. This started in the year after
the great earthquake in the Hanshin-Awaji area in 1995, to commemorate the rebuilding
process. The first Kisei match that was played was between Habu, who was the holding
all seven major titles, and challenger Miura. Habu lost that game and end up losing
the match and his perfect set of titles. Interestingly, this has been the start of
a string of bad results at the New Awaji, because Habu has lost five games here and
won only one. Habu is playing in his 100th title match, and he is so experienced in
playing at this level that he will not be bothered much by such a statistic, but it
is remarkable that a player who wins so much loses so many games at the same venue.
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00
3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:00:00
4.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:03:00
5.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:03:00
6.P8d-8e 00:01:00 00:03:00
7.G6i-7h 00:01:00 00:03:00
8.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:04:00
9.P2e-2d 00:01:00 00:04:00
10.P2cx2d 00:01:00 00:05:00
11.R2hx2d 00:01:00 00:05:00
12.P8e-8f 00:01:00 00:06:00
13.P8gx8f 00:01:00 00:06:00
14.R8bx8f 00:01:00 00:06:00
15.R2dx3d 00:01:00 00:06:00
16.B2b-3c 00:01:00 00:06:00
17.R3d-3f 00:01:00 00:06:00
18.S3a-2b 00:01:00 00:07:00
19.K5i-5h 00:02:00 00:07:00
20.K5a-4a 00:02:00 00:11:00
21.P*8g 00:06:00 00:11:00
22.R8f-8e 00:06:00 00:11:00
23.R3f-2f 00:06:00 00:11:00
24.S7a-6b 00:06:00 00:11:00
25.G4i-3h 00:07:00 00:11:00
26.G6a-5a 00:07:00 00:13:00
27.S3i-4h 00:07:00 00:13:00
28.P7c-7d 00:07:00 00:32:00
29.P3g-3f 00:07:00 00:32:00
30.N8a-7c 00:07:00 00:34:00
31.N2i-3g 00:07:00 00:34:00
32.P1c-1d 00:07:00 00:38:00
33.B8h-7g 00:18:00 00:38:00
34.P*2e 00:18:00 00:43:00
35.R2f-2i 00:21:00 00:43:00
36.P7d-7e 00:21:00 00:44:00
37.B7gx3c+!? 00:31:00 00:44:00
Habu said after the game that he intended to play the Yokofudori opening, but he
didn't expect that the game would be so wild. Until here, the players have followed
their 7th game of the Osho match. There Fukaura played the quiet 37.P8f, but here
he plays the bishop exchange 37.Bx3c+, which is much sharper.
38.N2ax3c 00:31:00 00:46:00
39.P3f-3e 00:31:00 00:46:00
40.P*3f 00:31:00 01:03:00
White cannot defend against the attack on the head of the knight with 40.R8d because
of 41.P3d Rx3d B*5f.
41.N3gx2e 00:36:00 01:03:00
42.N3cx2e 00:36:00 01:03:00
43.R2ix2e 00:36:00 01:03:00
44.P7ex7f 00:36:00 01:04:00
45.P*7d 00:58:00 01:04:00
46.N7c-6e 00:58:00 01:12:00
47.N*3d 01:04:00 01:12:00
We are still well before the lunch break, but this knight drop marks the start of
the endgame.
48.P3f-3g+! 01:04:00 01:39:00
This is an important move. If white plays 48.P*2d immediately, then 49.Nx2b+ Px2e
+Nx3b Kx3b P3d is a mating threat and white has no chance to counter attack because
a move like R*2i is answered by G3i. Therefore, after 49.Nx2b white has to take
back with 50.Gx2b, but then Rx2d leaves white without pawns in hand, so he must
drop the bishop in defense to keep the rook out. We will see later why 48.P3g+
changes all this.
49.G3hx3g 01:07:00 01:39:00
50.P*2d 01:07:00 01:39:00
51.N3dx2b+ 01:40:00 01:39:00
52.P2dx2e 01:40:00 02:01:00
53.+N2bx3b 01:40:00 02:01:00
54.K4ax3b 01:40:00 02:01:00
55.P3e-3d 01:40:00 02:01:00
56.N*2a 01:40:00 02:06:00
57.P3d-3c+ 02:12:00 02:06:00
58.K3bx3c 02:12:00 02:15:00
59.P7d-7c+ 02:12:00 02:15:00
60.R*2i 02:12:00 02:28:00
61.P*3i 02:36:00 02:28:00
The reason why 48.P3g+ is important is that black cannot play 61.G3i here. Dropping
a pawn on 3i is a solid defense, but now black can no longer drop a pawn on the
third file against the white king, so the white king is now a little safer. However,
it is still quite exposed, so this position is far from clear.
62.N*4e 02:36:00 02:29:00
63.+P7cx6b? 03:09:00 02:29:00
After the game, Fukaura admitted that he regretted this move the most. Correct was
to move the gold out with 63.G4f. For example, 64.N6ex5g+ Sx5g Rx3i+ B*6f B*4d (or P4d)
P*3d K3b S4h and the position is still unclear.
64.N6ex5g+ 03:09:00 02:29:00
65.S4hx5g 03:09:00 02:29:00
66.N4ex3g+ 03:09:00 02:29:00
The difference is that this is now a mating threat (after B*4i). The point is that
white doesn't take the pawn on 3i with Rx3i+. If white removes this pawn, the king
would be in grave danger because P*3d is now possible.
67.S*4h 03:28:00 02:29:00
No choice, but Fukaura himself said that having to answer the knight promotion with
this silver drop was "strange".
68.+N3gx4h 03:28:00 02:42:00
69.S5gx4h 03:28:00 02:42:00
70.P*3g! 03:28:00 02:42:00
Doesn't look so powerful, but this is a very important move to close in on the black
king. If now 71.+Px5a then 72.R5e B*5g B*4i Kx4i G*3h K5h Gx4h Kx4h R2h+ leads to mate.
71.B*6f 03:35:00 02:42:00
72.S*5e! 03:35:00 03:11:00
Again the right decision. White wants to keep the rook file open, but 72.P4d Sx3g
is unclear.
73.N*4e 03:40:00 03:11:00
74.K3c-3d 03:40:00 03:18:00
75.S4hx3g 03:40:00 03:18:00
76.S5ex6f 03:40:00 03:21:00
77.P6gx6f 03:40:00 03:21:00
78.B*2g! 03:40:00 03:28:00
This threatens both B*4i and Bx4e+ and it is now finally clear that white has the
better position. However, Fukaura is not ready to throw the towel yet.
79.S*4f 03:57:00 03:28:00
At first, Fukaura thought that 79.S4f was possible here, but here he saw that after
80.R5e Sx5e B*4i K5g G*5h K5f B4e+ K6e +Bx5e black is lost.
80.B*4i 03:57:00 03:32:00
81.K5h-5g 03:57:00 03:32:00
82.R8ex4e 03:57:00 03:32:00
83.P*5h 03:59:00 03:32:00
Fukaura shows his toughness by finding a way to complicate things for Habu. White is
still winning here, but things are far from easy.
84.R2ix1i+ 03:59:00 03:34:00
85.S*5f 03:59:00 03:34:00
86.R4e-7e 03:59:00 03:39:00
87.P*2h 03:59:00 03:39:00
Here Fukaura thought that there may be a chance, but neither in the press room nor in
the post-mortem analysis a variation was found that looked promising for black. For
example, 87.+Px5a +Rx3i (not L*5d which is answered by N*5e) P6e or the mating threat
87.N*3f, which can be answered by K3c +Px5a L*5d are all possible alternatives, but
none of them held up in the analysis. This is not to say that there wasn't anything
for black here, but it was definitely very difficult and impossible to find in byoyomi.
88.N*4e 03:59:00 03:44:00
89.S4fx4e 03:59:00 03:44:00
90.B2gx4e+ 03:59:00 03:44:00
91.N*4f 03:59:00 03:44:00
92.K3d-3c 03:59:00 03:44:00
93.S5fx4e 03:59:00 03:44:00
94.R7ex4e 03:59:00 03:44:00
95.G*2c 03:59:00 03:44:00
96.K3cx2c 03:59:00 03:44:00
97.B*3d 03:59:00 03:44:00
98.K2c-3b 03:59:00 03:44:00
99.B3dx4e 03:59:00 03:44:00
100.L*5e 03:59:00 03:44:00
101.N*5f 03:59:00 03:44:00
102.G5ax6b 03:59:00 03:44:00
It is a clear sign of the complicated nature of this endgame that only here Habu
was convinced that he would win this game.
103.R*8a 03:59:00 03:44:00
104.G*3e 03:59:00 03:45:00
105.B4e-2c+ 03:59:00 03:45:00
106.K3bx2c 03:59:00 03:45:00
107.R8ax2a+ 03:59:00 03:45:00
108.K2c-3c 03:59:00 03:46:00
109.+R2ax1a 03:59:00 03:46:00
110.L5ex5f 03:59:00 03:46:00
111.K5gx5f 03:59:00 03:46:00
112.N*6d 03:59:00 03:46:00
Resigns 03:59:00 03:46:00
Mate after 113.K6e B*5f K7e S*7d K8d (or K8f) G*8e or 113.K5e G4e Kx4e S*4d K3f G*3e,
so Fukaura resigned here. Habu improves his record at the New Awaji to 2-5, but more
importantly takes a 2-0 lead in the series. He now has a chance to win the match in
straight games with the black pieces, which is certainly unexpected against an opponent
he has had so much trouble with in the past.