11th Ryu-O Challenger match Game 3
Black: Fujii, 6-dan
White: Habu, 4K
11th Ryu-o challenger match, Game 3, September 14th 1998
1.P7g-7f 2/2 0/0
2.P8c-8d 0/2 2/2
3.P6g-6f 6/8 0/2
4.P3c-3d 0/8 2/4
5.R2h-6h 1/9 0/4
6.S7a-6b 0/9 2/6
7.S3i-3h 1/10 0/6
8.K5a-4b 0/10 2/8
9.P1g-1f 1/11 0/8
10.K4b-3b 0/11 2/10
11.S7i-7h 6/17 0/10
12.P5c-5d 0/17 2/12
13.S7h-6g 11/28 0/12
14.P8d-8e 0/28 3/15
15.B8h-7g 0/28 0/15
16.B2b-3c 0/28 1/16
17.G6i-5h 25/53 0/16
18.K3b-2b 0/53 33/49
19.P4g-4f 2/55 0/49
20.L1a-1b 0/55 23/72
21.S6g-5f 20/75 0/72
22.K2b-1a?! 0/75 5/77
An interesting idea. Habu sacrifices a pawn to make a strong anaguma castle.
Although this might not be objectively the best plan, it is an interesting
psychological choice. The "Fujii system" is a opening strategy to make it
difficult for the Ibisha side to build an anaguma. Now that white can complete
his anaguma, Fujii might feel a little uneasy. The normal continuation would
have been 22.P5e S4e R8d.
23.S5f-4e 0/75 0/77
24.G4a-3b 0/75 0/77
25.S4ex5d 13/88 0/77
Fujii prefers to take this pawn over the pawn on 3d. The reason is that he
wants to make it difficult for white to develop the silver on 6b.
26.S3a-2b 0/88 20/97
27.K5i-4h 10/98 0/97
28.G6a-5a 0/98 30/127
29.K4h-3i 2/100 0/127
30.G5a-4a 0/100 8/135
31.S5d-4e 5/105 0/135
32.R8b-8d 0/105 8/143
33.K3i-2h 20/125 0/143
34.G4a-3a 0/125 2/145
35.G5h-6g 23/148 0/145
36.B3c-4b 0/148 24/169
37.R6h-8h 2/150 0/169
38.S6b-5c 0/150 0/169
39.P5g-5f 5/155 0/169
40.B4b-2d 0/155 20/189
41.R8h-4h 10/165 0/189
42.S5c-4d 0/165 6/195
43.S4ex3d 5/170 0/195
44.S4d-3e 0/170 6/201
45.S3d-2e 1/171 0/201
46.B2d-4b 0/171 0/201
47.R4h-8h 6/177 0/201
48.R8d-4d? 0/177 12/213
This is a mistake and Habu even calls it the losing move. White having lost a
pawn is not that important in this position, but that white does not have a
pawn in hand is a major problem. Habu wants to get a pawn as soon as possible.
Of course 48.Sx4f would be bad after 49.B6h R4d P*4e Rx4e S3f R4d P*4e, but
48.B6d was the right move to win back the pawn. This looks very dangerous after
49.P6e 50.Bx4f 51.R7h, since the black bishop has no squares and 52.P7d P5e
does not help. However, after 52.P*3f P*4g Bx3g+ Nx3g N3c black has a very
strong attack and good compensation for the bishop. The fact that such a
risky variation was Habu's only alternative is an indication that his opening
pawn sacrifice did not pay off. From now, black has a clear advantage.
49.B7g-6h 9/186 0/213
50.B4b-6d 0/186 26/239
51.P5f-5e 6/192 0/239
52.N2a-3c 0/192 0/239
53.P4f-4e 27/219 0/239
54.R4dx4e 0/219 0/239
55.S2e-3d 2/221 0/239
56.R4ex5e 0/221 0/239
57.P*5f 4/225 0/239
58.R5e-5d 0/225 0/239
59.S3dx3c+ 1/226 0/239
60.S2bx3c 0/226 0/239
61.B6hx3e 0/226 0/239
62.P*3f 0/226 0/239
63.N*5e! 18/244 0/239
The pawn advantage has become a knight, but black has to be careful. If he
would have played the obvious 63.S*5e here, then 64.S*4d! would have given
white very good chances. After 65.Sx5d Sx3e white has a very strong attack and
after 65.Sx4d Sx4d black has lost a move.
64.P3fx3g+ 0/244 2/241
65.S3hx3g 0/244 0/241
66.S3c-4d 0/244 0/241
67.B3e-7i 1/245 0/241
68.S4dx5e 0/245 0/241
69.P5fx5e 0/245 0/241
70.B6dx5e 0/245 0/241
71.P*5f 3/248 0/241
72.B5ex3g+ 0/248 2/243
73.K2hx3g 0/248 0/243
74.P*3f 0/248 1/244
75.K3g-4g 4/252 0/244
76.P*5g 0/252 9/253
77.S*3e 8/260 0/253
78.S*4d 0/260 16/269
79.S3e-4f 2/262 0/269
80.P8e-8f?! 0/262 0/269
Habu is now already a bishop behind, and his attack is not strong enough. He
desperately tries to create something, but this only helps black. The aim is
81.Px8f? N*8g and if black does not answer 80.P8f, then Px8g+ Rx8g S*7h.
However, in the latter variation black simply plays Rx8a+ and wins.
81.P1f-1e? 10/272 0/269
This is very dangerous and gives white strong counterchances. After the simple
81.P*4e S3c Bx5g, black wins easily.
82.S*4e 0/272 10/279
83.S4fx5g 8/280 0/279
84.P*5e 0/280 0/279
85.P1e-1d 3/283 0/279
86.P1cx1d 0/283 0/279
87.P*1c 5/288 0/279
88.L1bx1c 0/288 0/279
89.P5fx5e 1/289 0/279
90.S4dx5e 0/289 2/281
91.P*5f 0/289 0/281
92.R5d-4d? 0/289 6/287
The final mistake. 92.N*3e is the only move to stay in the game. After 93.K5h
S5ex5f Sx5f Sx5f Bx3e seems to be good for black, but after S*5g things are
not that clear. Best seems 93.K3h R4d! Px5e P3g+ Nx3g S3f and white seems to
have a strong attack even though the situation is still unclear. This is
clearly better than the game.
93.K4g-5h! 0/289 0/287
Cool defense.
94.S4e-4f 0/289 0/287
95.S5gx4f 2/291 0/287
96.S5ex4f 0/291 0/287
97.B7ix4f 0/291 0/287
98.R4dx4f 0/291 0/287
99.B*5e 0/291 0/287
Fujii calculated accurately that this kills white's attack and that he can
easily win from there.
100.R4f-4d 0/291 0/287
101.P*4e 0/291 0/287
102.P*5d 0/291 0/287
103.P4ex4d 0/291 0/287
104.P5dx5e 0/291 0/287
105.P4dx4c+ 0/291 0/287
106.G3bx4c 0/291 0/287
107.R*8b 3/294 0/287
108.S*2b 0/294 2/289
109.R8bx8a+ 3/297 0/289
110.N*2a 0/297 0/289
111.P*3b 0/297 0/289
112.G3ax3b 0/297 0/289
113.S*4a 0/297 0/289
Suddenly all black's material advantage is put in attack. White has no more
defense.
114.G3b-4b 0/297 0/289
115.S*3b 0/297 0/289
116.P3f-3g+ 0/297 1/290
117.N2ix3g 0/297 0/290
118.P*3a 0/297 0/290
119.S3bx4c+ 1/298 0/290
120.G4bx4c 0/298 0/290
121.S4a-5b= 0/298 0/290
122.G4c-3c 0/298 0/290
123.P*3d 0/298 0/290
124.G3cx3d 0/298 4/294
125.N*4c 0/298 0/294
126.S*4b 0/298 0/294
127.G*4a 0/298 0/294
Fujii: "Only here I thought I was winning". A little too modest?
128.B*5c 0/298 3/297
129.G4ax4b 0/298 0/297
130.B5cx4b 0/298 0/297
131.S5b-4a+ 0/298 0/297
132.B*3f 0/298 0/297
133.S*4g 0/298 0/297
134.B3fx4g+ 0/298 0/297
135.K5hx4g 0/298 0/297
136.P*4f 0/298 0/297
137.K4g-5h 0/298 0/297
138.P8fx8g+ 0/298 0/297
139.R8hx8g 0/298 0/297
140.P*8f 0/298 0/297
141.R8g-8h 0/298 0/297
142.S*7i 0/298 0/297
143.R8h-7h 0/298 0/297
144.P8f-8g+ 0/298 1/298
145.R7hx7i 0/298 0/298
146.B4b-2d 0/298 0/298
147.N4cx3a+ 0/298 0/298
148.P4f-4g+ 0/298 1/299
149.K5hx4g 0/298 0/299
150.B2dx7i+ 0/298 0/299
151.+N3ax2a 0/298 0/299
Resigns 0/298 0/299
Time: 04:58:00 04:59:00
A game dictated by Fujii, who is in great form and can hopefully play a good
match against Tanigawa in his first appearance in a title match.