19th Zen Nihon Pro Tournament Game 2
Black: Tanigawa Koji, 9-dan
White: Moriuchi Toshiyuki, 8-dan
19th Zen Nihon Pro Tournament
Game 2
April 3rd 2001
1.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00
3.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
4.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:00:00
5.P2f-2e 00:00:00 00:00:00
6.P8d-8e 00:00:00 00:00:00
7.G6i-7h 00:00:00 00:00:00
8.G4a-3b 00:00:00 00:00:00
9.P2e-2d 00:00:00 00:00:00
10.P2cx2d 00:00:00 00:00:00
11.R2hx2d 00:00:00 00:00:00
12.P8e-8f 00:00:00 00:00:00
13.P8gx8f 00:00:00 00:00:00
14.R8bx8f 00:00:00 00:00:00
15.R2dx3d 00:00:00 00:00:00
16.B2b-3c 00:00:00 00:00:00
17.R3d-3f 00:00:00 00:00:00
18.S3a-2b 00:00:00 00:00:00
19.P*8g 00:08:00 00:00:00
20.R8f-8e 00:08:00 00:00:00
21.R3f-2f 00:08:00 00:00:00
22.K5a-4a 00:08:00 00:00:00
23.K5i-6h 00:09:00 00:00:00
24.S7a-6b 00:09:00 00:00:00
25.S3i-3h 00:14:00 00:00:00
26.P7c-7d 00:14:00 00:00:00
27.P3g-3f 00:14:00 00:00:00
28.N8a-7c 00:14:00 00:00:00
29.N2i-3g 00:19:00 00:00:00
30.G6a-5a 00:19:00 00:00:00
31.P4g-4f 00:20:00 00:00:00
32.P7d-7e 00:20:00 00:00:00
33.B8hx3c+ 00:46:00 00:00:00
34.N2ax3c 00:46:00 00:00:00
35.P3f-3e 00:46:00 00:00:00
36.P*2e 00:46:00 00:00:00
37.R2f-1f 00:47:00 00:00:00
38.R8e-8d?! 00:47:00 00:03:00
With the Meijin match starting very soon, it is clear that Tanigawa has
studied the R8e Yokofudori extensively. Moriuchi of course knows this and
has prepared even harder as can be seen from the time he used so far. This
is the first move for which he took some time. It is hard to judge this move.
It seems to lose material without compensation if Tanigawa would have played
it correctly. On the other hand, both players were not very talkative about
this stage of the game in the post mortem analysis. It is not unlikely that
there are some hidden variations in this position that both players want
to keep secret. Still, Fukuzaki (8-dan) wondered if 38.P*3f Rx3f B*5d wasn't
better here.
39.P3e-3d 01:06:00 00:03:00
40.R8dx3d 01:06:00 00:03:00
41.B*5f 01:06:00 00:03:00
42.R3d-5d 01:06:00 00:03:00
43.P*3d 01:07:00 00:03:00
Now white loses the knight on 3c, which seems to be good for black.
44.B*2h 01:07:00 00:03:00
45.L1i-1h?! 01:16:00 00:03:00
Here Tanigawa didn't like 45.P*2c Gx2c Px3c+ Gx3c Nx2e G2d P*2c Gx2e Px2b+
K5b, but it might have been better than the game move.
46.B2h-1i+ 01:16:00 00:06:00
47.P3dx3c+?! 01:17:00 00:06:00
Well, if Tanigawa didn't like it on the previous move, he is not very likely
to play it now. Still, 47.P*2c Gx2c Px3c+ Gx3c B4e R8d Nx2e G2d P*2c Gx2e
Px2b+ K5b looks like a good alternative.
48.S2bx3c 01:17:00 00:07:00
49.B5f-4e 01:17:00 00:07:00
50.R5d-8d 01:17:00 00:23:00
51.G4i-3i? 01:45:00 00:23:00
This looks like a clear mistake. 51.R3f (suggested by Naito) seems to be
the right move. After 52.P*3d 53.Nx2e black seems to have a good position.
For example, 54.S4d P*3c G2b is followed by Bx3d or Rx3d. It is interesting
that in the post-mortem analysis the analysis of this variation stopped
after 53.Nx2e. This variation is so short that both players will have seen
it. Still, neither Tanigawa nor Moriuchi was prepared to say anything about
this variation. Fukuzaki suggests that they might be keeping something back
that they can use in future games.
52.S3c-3d 01:45:00 00:54:00
53.P*3c 01:48:00 00:54:00
54.G3b-4b 01:48:00 01:05:00
55.G3i-2i 02:07:00 01:05:00
56.+B1ix2i 02:07:00 01:06:00
57.S3hx2i 02:07:00 01:06:00
58.S3dx4e 02:07:00 01:07:00
59.N3gx4e 02:10:00 01:07:00
Here black seems to be doing allright. The promoted bishop is gone, the
attacking base on 3c looks pretty dangerous and the knight seems to be
in a perfect position.
60.K4a-5b! 02:10:00 01:24:00
This early escape is well judged. White now soon gets the upper hand.
61.R1f-3f 02:14:00 01:24:00
62.B*4g 02:14:00 02:00:00
63.R3f-3g 02:29:00 02:00:00
64.G*6i 02:29:00 02:14:00
65.K6h-7g 02:29:00 02:14:00
66.G6ix7i 02:29:00 02:14:00
67.G7hx7i 02:31:00 02:14:00
68.B4g-5h+ 02:31:00 02:15:00
69.P3c-3b+ 02:41:00 02:15:00
70.+B5h-5i 02:41:00 02:19:00
71.K7g-7h 02:50:00 02:19:00
72.+B5ix3g 02:50:00 02:27:00
73.+P3bx4b 02:51:00 02:27:00
74.G5ax4b 02:51:00 02:27:00
75.S*3a 02:53:00 02:27:00
76.G4b-3b 02:53:00 02:47:00
White really wants to play 76.+B5i followed by Rx8g+, but after 77.B*6h
white's attack is stopped.
77.B*9e 02:57:00 02:47:00
78.R*4h 02:57:00 02:52:00
79.G7i-6h 02:58:00 02:52:00
80.R8d-9d 02:58:00 02:57:00
81.G*3h 02:58:00 02:57:00
82.+B3gx3h 02:58:00 02:57:00
83.S2ix3h 02:59:00 02:57:00
84.R9dx9e 02:58:00 02:57:00
85.G*4b 02:58:00 02:57:00
86.K5b-6a 02:58:00 02:57:00
87.B*8c 02:58:00 02:57:00
88.S*7b 02:58:00 02:58:00
89.B8c-4g+ 02:58:00 02:58:00
90.R4hx4g+? 02:58:00 02:58:00
So far Moriuchi has been attacking very well. Here he could have immediately
decided the game with 90.G*8h K6i B*3f!. Worse than not seeing it, Moriuchi
saw B*3f just after he played 90.Rx4g+. For the rest of the game he was
convinced that he had given it all away.
91.S3hx4g 02:58:00 02:58:00
92.G3bx3a 02:58:00 02:58:00
93.N4ex5c+ 02:58:00 02:58:00
94.G3ax4b 02:58:00 02:58:00
95.+N5cx4b 02:58:00 02:58:00
96.P*5a 02:58:00 02:58:00
97.R*4a 02:58:00 02:58:00
In the press room the professionals started looking for winning variations
for black. Here 97.N*7d was considered stronger, but both players had seen
that this is not good after 98.G*8h Kx8h B*3c which loses the promoted knight
(Tanigawa) or 98.B*4d G*5b Px5b R*4a S*5a Nx6b+ Kx6b R5a+ K5c (Moriuchi).
Especially the last variation is impressive. Moriuchi must have been in a
state of panic here, but he still had enough state of mind to coolly calculate
this dangerous variation. Despite his earlier mistake, Moriuchi's lead is
just enough to win.
98.P*8f 02:58:00 02:59:00
99.G*5b 02:59:00 02:59:00
100.K6a-7a 02:59:00 02:59:00
101.G5bx6b 02:59:00 02:59:00
102.K7a-8b 02:59:00 02:59:00
103.S*8d 02:59:00 02:59:00
104.P8fx8g+ 02:59:00 02:59:00
105.K7h-6i 02:59:00 02:59:00
106.B*2f 02:59:00 02:59:00
107.G6bx7b 02:59:00 02:59:00
108.K8bx7b 02:59:00 02:59:00
109.S*8c 02:59:00 02:59:00
110.K7b-7a 02:59:00 02:59:00
111.R4ax5a+ 02:59:00 02:59:00
112.S*6a 02:59:00 02:59:00
Resigns 02:59:00 02:59:00
No mate and no defence. After the game both players looked like they had
lost. Especially Moriuchi looked close to tears. He really thought he had
thrown the game away, but in the end there was no real chance for Tanigawa
to win. Surprisingly, Moriuchi takes a 2-0 lead against "Mister Zen Nihon
Pro". He needs only one more win from three games to win this tournament.