13th Ryu-O Match Game 7
Black: Fujii Takeshi, Ryu-O
White: Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger
13th Ryu-O sen, Game 7, December 25th and 26th 2000
1.P7g-7f 1/1 0/0
2.P3c-3d 0/1 2/2
3.P6g-6f 4/5 0/2
4.P8c-8d 0/5 4/6
5.R2h-6h 1/6 0/6
6.S7a-6b 0/6 4/10
7.P1g-1f 3/9 0/10
8.P1c-1d 0/9 6/16
9.S3i-3h 2/11 0/16
10.K5a-4b 0/11 8/24
11.S7i-7h 1/12 0/24
12.K4b-3b 0/12 2/26
13.S7h-6g 3/15 0/26
14.G6a-5b 0/15 4/30
15.K5i-4h 9/24 0/30
16.P5c-5d 0/24 18/48
17.K4h-3i 8/32 0/48
18.S6b-5c 0/32 33/81
19.P4g-4f 9/41 0/81
20.P7c-7d 0/41 4/85
21.K3i-2h 15/56 0/85
22.P8d-8e 0/56 26/111
23.B8h-7g 0/56 0/111
24.P2c-2d 0/56 0/111
A small surprise. Habu has had the most success with quick fights
against Fujii, but for this decisive seventh game he decides to play
the left Mino, a slow opening system. He also played this in game 4,
and even though Fujii won that game, Habu did not think this was
because of the opening. Also, despite his good results with the
quick attack, it was always Fujii who ended up in the better position
after the opening. It must have been very hard for Habu to decide
what to play...
25.G6i-5h 43/99 0/111
26.K3b-2c 0/99 6/117
27.P3g-3f 1/100 0/117
28.S3a-3b 0/100 0/117
29.P2g-2f 0/100 0/117
30.R8b-7b 0/100 49/166
31.R6h-7h 5/105 0/166
32.P4c-4d 0/105 1/167
33.G5h-4g 24/129 0/167
34.G5b-4c 0/129 13/180
35.N2i-3g 12/141 0/180
36.S5c-4b 0/141 16/196
37.R7h-8h 2/143 0/196
38.N8a-7c 0/143 33/229
39.S6g-5f 86/229 0/229
40.S4b-3c 0/229 25/254
41.S3h-2g 3/232 0/254
42.B2b-3a 0/232 57/311
43.G4i-3h 2/234 0/311
Fujii plays this type of opening so well. He has so much confidence
in his ability to play these slow games well that from a psychological
point of view only, Habu's choice of the left Mino can be criticised.
Also from a shogi technical point of view, things have already taken
a wrong turn for Habu. Black has completed his Silver Crown castle and
the difference in the strength on the head of the king is already
enough to make this position a strategic victory for black.
44.P9c-9d 0/234 11/322
Things would have been alright if white could play 44.K1b here, to
make a Silver Crown himself. However, after 45.P6e S2c P8f Px8f Bx8f
R8b Bx3a+ Rx8h+ +Bx4a black has a big advantage.
45.P6f-6e 42/276 0/322
46.P5d-5e 0/276 20/342
Habu decides to force the issue as he has no moves to improve his
position. His only chance is to break through in the centre, developing
some of his idle pieces. This will be hard, since Fujii's position is
almost perfect.
47.B7gx5e 40/316 0/342
48.G4c-5d 0/316 2/344
49.P4f-4e 3/319 0/344
50.P4dx4e 0/319 9/353
51.B5e-6f 13/332 0/353
52.S3c-4d 0/332 18/371
53.P*4f 5/337 0/371
54.B3a-2b 0/337 15/386
55.P4fx4e 19/356 0/386
56.S4d-5e 0/356 0/386
57.S5fx5e 0/356 0/386
58.G5dx5e 0/356 0/386
59.B6fx5e 0/356 0/386
60.B2bx5e 0/356 0/386
61.R8h-9h! 0/356 0/386
It is moves like this that show Fujii's special talent. Only few players
would even think of this move. Black is behind in material and with
this move he also gives up the initiative. Fujii has calculated that
white can do nothing with the move that is given and that the weakness
of 2d, combined with the terrible position of the rook on 7b and the
knight on 7c are more important. Perfect judgement: black has a clear
advantage.
62.P8e-8f 0/356 35/421
63.P2f-2e 21/377 0/421
64.P2dx2e 0/377 12/433
65.G4g-5f 3/380 0/433
66.B5e-2b 0/380 6/439
After 66.Px8g+ Gx5e +Px9h P*2d Kx2d G4d black wins. Moves like B*6a
B*4f and B*2b are all winning and white can not defend them all.
67.P4e-4d 4/384 0/439
68.B2bx4d 0/384 13/452
69.G5f-4e 2/386 0/452
70.R7b-4b! 0/386 0/452
Habu tries to make the most of it. Activating the rook is much more
important here than saving the bishop.
71.G4ex3d? 41/427 0/452
Based on a strange calculation error in a position that occurs 16 moves
later. This Tanigawa-like attacking move is not good. If Fujii would
have played in his character, he would have won easily after the
simple 71.R4h Bx9i+ Gx3d Kx3d P3e K3c G*3d K2b P*2c K1b Rx4b+ Gx4b
S*3a. Now Habu suddenly gets some counter chances.
72.K2cx3d 0/427 1/453
73.S*4e 0/427 0/453
74.K3d-2c 0/427 4/457
75.P*2d 0/427 0/457
76.K2c-1b 0/427 0/457
77.G*2c 1/428 0/457
78.S3bx2c 0/428 0/457
79.P2dx2c+ 0/428 0/457
80.K1bx2c 0/428 0/457
81.P*4c 2/430 0/457
82.R4b-5b 0/430 2/459
83.S4ex4d 2/432 0/459
84.R5bx5g+ 0/432 1/460
85.S*2d 15/447 0/460
86.K2c-3d 0/447 11/471
87.S2d-3e 0/447 0/471
A change of plan. On the 71st move, Fujii had calculated that he would
win here with B*2b. However, after the simple Kx2d white has no good
continuation.
88.K3d-2c 0/447 0/471
89.B*4b 1/448 0/471
90.G4ax4b? 0/448 4/475
The losing move. If Habu would have had a little more time, he might
have found the correct 90.P*3c which keeps his position alive. After
91.Bx8f+ B*5i +Bx5i +Rx5i B*8f B*1g Kx1g +Rx1g S*1h P1e white can still
fight on. In the end one could say that the reason for Habu's loss is
not this move, but the fact that he had to use so much time in the
opening and middle game that he did not have enough time left to
take his chance here. It has taken 7 games, but Fujii's opening
superiority has finally decided the issue.
91.P4cx4b+ 0/448 0/475
92.B*6f 0/448 2/477
93.P8gx8f! 11/459 0/477
Tanaka Torahiko (9-dan) was very impressed by this move. Fujii needs
this pawn to make his attack work and takes 11 minutes to make sure
that Habu can do nothing nasty in the meantime.
94.K2c-1b 0/459 2/479
95.P*2d 3/462 0/479
96.G*2b 0/462 0/479
97.S4d-4c= 8/470 0/479
Threatens mate and there is no defence, so Habu just plays some moves
to make it all look a little better for him in the final position.
98.+R5gx3g 0/470 0/479
99.G3hx3g 1/471 0/479
100.B*3i 0/471 0/479
101.K2h-2i 0/471 0/479
Resigns 0/471 0/479
Time: 07:51:00 07:59:00
A memorable victory for Fujii, who becomes the first Ryu-O title
holder to defend his title twice in a row. Even Habu admitted after
the game that he had too many bad positions in this match to have
a real chance of taking the title. After two Habu-Fujii matches,
the Fujii system is as strong and healthy as ever and the Ibisha
players will need to come up with something good to break it down.