20th Ryu-O Match Game 1
[Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"]
[White "Watanabe Akira, Ryu-O"]
[Event "20th Ryu-O sen, Game 1"]
[Date "October 16th and 17th 2007"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
Again Watanabe and Sato meet in a title match. Last year's Ryu-O match was
a classic and the Kisei match was also a hard fought battle, so expectations
were high for this match. This being said, Sato doesn't have a good season so
far. Coming into this match his winning percentage for the season was exactly
50%, well below his career average. By the way, Watanabe didn't do much better
with a winning percentage of 55% percent. With two players uncertain about
their condition, the first game of a title match gets extra weight.
2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:01:00
3.S7i-6h 00:02:00 00:01:00
4.P3c-3d 00:02:00 00:02:00
5.P6g-6f 00:02:00 00:02:00
6.S7a-6b 00:02:00 00:03:00
7.P5g-5f 00:02:00 00:03:00
8.P5c-5d 00:02:00 00:04:00
9.S3i-4h 00:02:00 00:04:00
10.S3a-4b 00:02:00 00:04:00
11.G6i-7h 00:03:00 00:04:00
12.G4a-3b 00:03:00 00:04:00
13.K5i-6i 00:03:00 00:04:00
14.K5a-4a 00:03:00 00:04:00
15.G4i-5h 00:03:00 00:04:00
16.G6a-5b 00:03:00 00:05:00
17.S6h-7g 00:03:00 00:05:00
18.S4b-3c 00:03:00 00:05:00
19.B8h-7i 00:09:00 00:05:00
20.B2b-3a 00:09:00 00:05:00
21.P3g-3f 00:10:00 00:05:00
22.P4c-4d 00:10:00 00:06:00
23.G5h-6g 00:12:00 00:06:00
24.P7c-7d 00:12:00 00:08:00
25.B7i-6h 00:17:00 00:08:00
26.G5b-4c 00:17:00 00:37:00
27.K6i-7i 00:21:00 00:37:00
28.B3a-6d 00:21:00 00:50:00
29.N2i-3g 00:22:00 00:50:00
30.K4a-3a 00:22:00 00:50:00
31.K7i-8h 00:31:00 00:50:00
32.K3a-2b 00:31:00 00:52:00
33.R2h-3h 00:34:00 00:52:00
34.P8d-8e 00:34:00 00:56:00
35.P2g-2f 00:51:00 00:56:00
36.S6b-5c 00:51:00 01:02:00
The Morishita System of the Yagura opening is deeply analysed and the high
pace with which this game developed showed that both players had prepared this.
Up until here the position is the same as the 3rd game of the Kisei match,
where Watanabe played the silver to 7c, which is more aggressive than the silver
on 5c. With the silver on 5c, white can keep the bishop on the long diagonal,
which makes it hard for black to attack.
37.P1g-1f 01:00:00 01:02:00
38.P1c-1d 01:00:00 01:10:00
39.S4h-5g 01:33:00 01:10:00
40.B6d-7c 01:33:00 01:11:00
41.L9i-9h?! 01:36:00 01:11:00
It is likely that Sato meant this as a small psychological jab. Watanade really
likes to change the Yagura into an Anaguma if there is no good way to attack.
Giving him a taste of his own medicine is probably the reason behind 41.L9h.
However, here it backfires, as Sato never gets the chance to move into the
Anaguma and the lance on 9h just becomes a liability.
42.S3c-2d 01:36:00 01:35:00
43.P4g-4f 01:40:00 01:35:00
44.N2a-3c 01:40:00 01:42:00
45.S5g-4h 03:02:00 01:42:00
46.P9c-9d 03:02:00 02:37:00
47.S4h-4g 03:39:00 02:37:00
48.P9d-9e 03:39:00 02:43:00
49.P2f-2e 03:43:00 02:43:00
Sato decides to start the attack, but the main reason for this is that he
didn't have any other good moves. Black wants to move into the Anaguma, but
49.K9i is met strongly with 50.B6d! and now 51.S8h is answered with P8f and
51.P6e with B7c followed by a counter attack against the pawn on 6e, which
is very weak because black cannot move a silver to 6f.
50.N3cx2e 03:43:00 03:50:00
51.N3gx2e 03:45:00 03:50:00
52.S2dx2e 03:45:00 03:50:00
53.R3h-2h 03:47:00 03:50:00
54.P2c-2d 03:47:00 04:07:00
55.N*3g 03:56:00 04:07:00
The fork 55.N*6e comes to mind, but after 56.B6d Nx5c+ Bx5c there is not much
that black has achieved, while white can play the strong attack N*9d followed
by N*8f. This is the same type of attack that white plays in the game and there
is becomes clear that the lance on 9h is an extra problem because it is attacked
by a knight on 8f.
56.N*9d 03:56:00 04:25:00
57.N3gx2e 04:36:00 04:25:00
58.P2dx2e 04:36:00 04:25:00
59.P3f-3e 05:00:00 04:25:00
60.P3dx3e 05:00:00 04:42:00
61.R2hx2e 05:00:00 04:42:00
62.P*2c 05:00:00 04:42:00
63.R2ex3e 05:00:00 04:42:00
64.P*3d 05:00:00 04:48:00
65.R3e-3i 05:10:00 04:48:00
66.S5c-4b 05:10:00 05:21:00
67.R3i-2i 05:16:00 05:21:00
68.S4b-3c 05:16:00 05:37:00
69.S4g-3f? 05:35:00 05:37:00
White has moved his silver into the castle, waiting to get a pawn in hand before
starting a strong attack with N*8f. Sato is too careful here about giving white
the pawn he wants. The right way of playing here was to start an edge attack,
because this is where the white position is weak. After 69.P1e Px1e P*1d N9c
Lx1e S2d P1c+ Lx1c P*1d Lx1d Lx1d black has a strong attack coming from the edge,
so white cannot throw everything he has in his own attack.
70.S3c-2d 05:35:00 05:42:00
71.L1i-1h 06:16:00 05:42:00
A very professional way of playing. Sato thinks that Watanabe has no way of
improving his position, so he plays a pass move to force Watanabe to weaken his
position. However, in this position Watanabe still can do something.
72.N8a-9c! 06:16:00 06:16:00
After the game Watanabe admitted that he wasn't sure about this move, but that
it was the only move that could be played in this position. Sato thought that
this knight on 9c was a weakness, but after Watanabe played it, he was not so
sure anymore.
73.P9g-9f 06:44:00 06:16:00
74.P8e-8f 06:44:00 06:57:00
75.P8gx8f 06:45:00 06:57:00
76.P9ex9f 06:45:00 06:57:00
77.P*9e 06:48:00 06:57:00
78.B7cx9e 06:48:00 06:58:00
79.L9hx9f 06:48:00 06:58:00
80.B9ex8f! 06:48:00 07:00:00
An important bishop sacrifice. 80.Nx8f would be met with 81.G8g or 81.P*8g and
the white attack runs out of steam.
81.P*8g 07:15:00 07:00:00
No choice. 81.Lx9d fails to 82.Bx7g+ Kx7g N*8e K8f Lx9d P*9e L*8a and black cannot
stop the white attack.
82.B8fx7g+ 07:15:00 07:11:00
83.B6hx7g 07:22:00 07:11:00
84.P*8f 07:22:00 07:11:00
85.P8gx8f 07:23:00 07:11:00
86.P*8g 07:23:00 07:25:00
87.G7hx8g 07:24:00 07:25:00
88.P*8e 07:24:00 07:25:00
89.L9fx9d 07:34:00 07:25:00
90.N*9e 07:34:00 07:25:00
91.S*9f 07:38:00 07:25:00
92.N9ex8g+ 07:38:00 07:25:00
93.S9fx8g 07:42:00 07:25:00
94.P8ex8f 07:42:00 07:25:00
95.B7gx8f 07:42:00 07:25:00
96.S*9f 07:42:00 07:26:00
97.G6g-7g 07:46:00 07:26:00
98.S9fx8g+ 07:46:00 07:27:00
99.G7gx8g 07:46:00 07:27:00
100.S*8e 07:46:00 07:27:00
101.P*8c 07:47:00 07:27:00
102.R8bx8c 07:47:00 07:31:00
103.P*8d 07:48:00 07:31:00
104.R8cx8d 07:48:00 07:31:00
105.S*9e 07:48:00 07:31:00
106.S8ex8f 07:48:00 07:32:00
107.G8gx8f 07:48:00 07:32:00
108.P*8g!? 07:48:00 07:43:00
Interesting choice. The obvious attacking move here is 108.B*9i. After 109.Kx9i
Rx8f Sx8f G*8g R2h N8e white wins, but 109.K7h Rx8f Sx8f Bx6f+ P*6g G*8h K6h G*5g
K5i +Bx6g R2h G7h P*6i is not so clear although white seems to have the upper hand
after P3e next. Watanabe had seen this, but he was not sure that the white attack
was winning. 108.P*8g is also not so clear, but it gives black more freedom of choice
and more freedom in a position like this means that a mistake is also more likely.
109.K8h-7h? 07:50:00 07:43:00
Watanabe had prepared himself for a long fight after 109.Kx8g P*8e G9f R8a (G*8f K7h
Gx9f Sx8d B*5h P*2e gives black a strong counter attack) P*8b Rx8b P*8c R4b P*3c
followed by N*2e and the position is still far from clear. Instead, Sato stumbles over
the first hurdle. After 109.K7h, the game is over very quickly.
110.R8dx8f 07:50:00 07:44:00
111.S9ex8f 07:50:00 07:44:00
112.B*5h 07:50:00 07:44:00
113.N*7i 07:57:00 07:44:00
114.G*8h 07:57:00 07:45:00
Resigns 07:57:00 07:45:00
After 115.K7h G*7h is mate and 115.K6h Bx3f+ is attacking the king from both sides
and there is no defence while the white king cannot be mated. The confidence boost
that both players needed from this first game is for Watanabe, who wins the opening
game with the white pieces.