19th Ryu-O Match Game 4
[Black "Watanabe Akira, Ryu-O"]
[White "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"]
[Event "19th Ryu-O sen, Game 4"]
[Date "November 29th and 30th 2006"]
1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:01:00
3.P2g-2f 00:02:00 00:01:00
4.P5c-5d 00:02:00 00:01:00
5.P2f-2e 00:07:00 00:01:00
6.R8b-5b 00:07:00 00:01:00
The Gokigen Nakabisha is not a surprise, but Sato's new strategy is.
7.G4i-5h 00:20:00 00:01:00
8.P9c-9d 00:20:00 00:19:00
9.S3i-4h 00:49:00 00:19:00
10.P9d-9e 00:49:00 00:22:00
11.K5i-6h 00:49:00 00:22:00
12.B2bx8h+ 00:49:00 00:36:00
13.S7ix8h 00:49:00 00:36:00
This "Sato special" is almost unthinkable. Pushing the edge pawn followed
by the bishop exchange with white gives black no less than 4 extra moves!
Especially having all the generals still on their initial squares while black
has already developed three of them, makes this very hard to play for a
Furibisha specialist. Still, Sato's strategy is not so strange. It is very
unusual to start the fight early in a two-day match and especially Watanabe
likes to play quietly on the first day. However, if he plays quietly in this
position, the extra moves will have little influence. On the contrary, the
early push of the edge pawn will give white important pressure on the black
king. To avoid this, Watanabe is almost forced to attack early to make the
most of his extra moves. This all sounds good in theory, but unfortunately
for him, Sato has been a little over-optimistic. There is a way for Watanabe
to get a material advantage without opening the position.
14.S3a-2b 00:49:00 00:36:00
15.K6h-7h 01:13:00 00:36:00
16.S2b-3c 01:13:00 00:40:00
17.P3g-3f! 01:13:00 00:40:00
The problem. There is no good defense against the threat P3e Px3e B*5f. For
example, according to Fujii (9-dan), 18.G3b is unplayable, because the combination
of G3b and S3c is too heavy. The white plan is to play R2b followed by S4d and with
the gold on 3b this is no longer possible, condemning white to a waiting game.
18.G7b also defends, but then black can play the climbing silver attack S3g-S2f,
and white will not have time to move into a proper castle before the black
attack starts (S6b-K6a-K7a-K8b takes four moves, while the black king is already safe).
Sato decides to allow the promotion of the bishop as the best of all evils, but
Watanabe can build a very strong position after that.
18.K5a-6b 01:13:00 00:59:00
19.P3f-3e 01:21:00 00:59:00
20.P3dx3e 01:21:00 01:08:00
21.B*5f 01:22:00 01:08:00
22.G4a-3b 01:22:00 01:56:00
23.B5fx8c+ 01:22:00 01:56:00
24.S7a-7b 01:22:00 01:56:00
25.+B8c-6e 01:30:00 01:56:00
26.K6b-7a 01:30:00 01:58:00
27.P4g-4f 01:33:00 01:58:00
28.K7a-8b 01:33:00 02:00:00
29.S8h-7g 01:38:00 02:00:00
30.S7b-8c 01:38:00 02:22:00
31.K7h-8h 01:39:00 02:22:00
32.G6a-7b 01:39:00 02:22:00
33.G6i-7h 01:39:00 02:22:00
34.P4c-4d 01:39:00 02:34:00
35.S4h-3g 02:20:00 02:34:00
36.G3b-4c 02:20:00 02:47:00
37.P*3f 02:22:00 02:47:00
38.P3ex3f 02:22:00 03:00:00
39.S3gx3f 02:22:00 03:00:00
40.R5b-2b 02:22:00 03:03:00
41.P6g-6f 02:30:00 03:03:00
42.P7c-7d 02:30:00 03:06:00
43.+B6e-4g 02:36:00 03:06:00
44.P6c-6d 02:36:00 03:19:00
45.G5h-6g 02:43:00 03:19:00
46.G4c-5c 02:43:00 03:21:00
47.L9i-9h 03:00:00 03:21:00
48.G5c-6c 03:00:00 03:27:00
49.K8h-9i 03:00:00 03:27:00
50.N8a-7c 03:00:00 03:31:00
51.S7g-8h 03:01:00 03:31:00
52.P5d-5e 03:01:00 03:48:00
Black is clearly better, but it is hard to find a good way to continue.
For example, 53.P5f is not good after 54.Px5f +Bx5f P*5h! and Rx5h B*6i
R3h P*3g wins for white. Watanabe sealed the next move, which is a nasty
one.
53.R2h-3h! 03:43:00 03:48:00
54.R2b-3b 03:43:00 03:53:00
55.R3h-2h 03:49:00 03:53:00
This looks like a waste of time, because white can just move back with
56.R2b after which we have the same position as before the sealed move.
In normal one day games this would certainly happen because black has
the advantage so there is no reason for white to shy away from move
repetition, but in this special case it is hard for white to play
56.R2b because Watanabe had all night to think of a better way to
attack the white position. Quite a cunning plan for a 22-year old...
56.R3b-3a 03:49:00 03:57:00
Sato doesn't want to know what Watanabe found out the previous night
and decides to get out of the move repetition. Now black can develop
his only inactive piece (the silver on 3f) and further improve his
position. This being said, black is still far from winning this one.
57.S3f-3e 04:01:00 03:57:00
58.S3c-3d 04:01:00 04:06:00
59.S3ex3d 04:02:00 04:06:00
60.R3ax3d 04:02:00 04:06:00
61.P*3f 04:02:00 04:06:00
62.B*4i 04:02:00 05:10:00
63.P7f-7e 04:48:00 05:10:00
64.P7dx7e 04:48:00 05:22:00
65.P2e-2d 04:48:00 05:22:00
66.P4d-4e 04:48:00 05:32:00
67.P2dx2c+ 04:56:00 05:32:00
68.P6d-6e 04:56:00 05:54:00
69.+P2c-3c 05:04:00 05:54:00
70.N2ax3c 05:04:00 05:55:00
71.R2h-2b+ 05:04:00 05:55:00
72.S*5h 05:04:00 05:56:00
73.+B4gx5h 05:06:00 05:56:00
74.B4ix5h+ 05:06:00 05:56:00
75.S*6a 05:09:00 05:56:00
76.P*8f 05:09:00 06:16:00
77.G6g-7g 05:38:00 06:16:00
78.P6ex6f 05:38:00 07:21:00
79.P*6h! 05:48:00 07:21:00
The initial comment for this move was "uncharacteristically weak spirited".
Being over-defensive is not Watanabe's game and this looked like being
over-defensive. In the press room the variation 79.Sx7b+ Sx7b S*5b G6b
P*6c was analyzed, which seemed winning for black. However, after Gx5b
+Rx5b S*6a things are not so easy. Watanabe had looked at 79.Sx7b+ Sx7b
S*5b G6b S4c=, but didn't like P6g+ +Rx6b +Px7h Gx7h S*7a (or G*7a).
Actually, this was the variation that Sato had also looked at and hoped
Watanabe would choose when he thought for an hour about 78.Px6f. Instead
of a risky slugfest where one mistake can lead to disaster, Watanabe
decided to use some timely defense, knowing that the white attack is
bound to run out of steam. "Uncharacteristically weak spirited" had better
be replaced by "cool headed defense".
80.N7c-6e? 05:48:00 07:40:00
An important mistake. White still has some fighting chances after 80.Px8g+
G7gx8g B*6e even though black still seems to be winning after +Rx1a P*2a +R1b.
81.G7gx8f 06:03:00 07:40:00
82.N6ex5g+ 06:03:00 07:45:00
83.S6ax7b+ 06:10:00 07:45:00
84.S8cx7b 06:10:00 07:45:00
85.G8fx7e 06:10:00 07:45:00
86.B*5f 06:10:00 07:52:00
87.S*8d 06:17:00 07:52:00
88.S*8c 06:17:00 07:58:00
Sato has been trying everything to keep his position together and seems to
have succeeded. The bishop on 5f, the promoted bishop on 5h and the rook on
3d all work in defense and it seems hard for black to find a way through...
89.P*7d! 06:21:00 07:58:00
Great finish. This shuts out two major pieces from the defense. 90.Bx7d
fails to 91.G*6b (possible because the rook on 3d no longer attack the
silver on 8d), while 89.Rx7d is answered by the same variation as in the
game: 90.G*8a Kx8a Sx8c+ (Sx8c Gx7d).
90.G6cx7d 06:21:00 07:59:00
91.G*8a 06:23:00 07:59:00
92.K8bx8a 06:23:00 07:59:00
93.S8dx8c+ 06:23:00 07:59:00
94.G*8b 06:23:00 07:59:00
95.+S8cx7b 06:23:00 07:59:00
96.G8bx7b 06:23:00 07:59:00
97.S*6c 06:23:00 07:59:00
Resigns 06:23:00 07:59:00
And black wins after 98.Gx6c Gx7d or 98.S*8c Sx7b+ Sx7b S*8c or 98.G7d-7c
Sx7b+ Gx7b P*7c. Watanabe needed a comeback from behind in the third game
to get back in this match, but in this game he showed why he is the Ryu-O
titleholder. A perfect win in which he outclassed Sato. This match is now
back to a best-of-three. Winning the next game is going to be very important,
but the momentum seems to have swung Watanabe's way. Can Sato take it back?