22nd Asahi Open Match Game 1
[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[White "Fukaura Koichi, Asahi"]
[Event "22nd Asahi Open, Game 1"]
[Date "April 7th 2004"]
1.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00
3.P7g-7f 00:02:00 00:00:00
4.P8c-8d 00:02:00 00:01:00
5.P2f-2e 00:03:00 00:01:00
6.P8d-8e 00:03:00 00:01:00
7.G6i-7h 00:03:00 00:01:00
8.G4a-3b 00:03:00 00:01:00
9.P2e-2d 00:03:00 00:01:00
10.P2cx2d 00:03:00 00:01:00
11.R2hx2d 00:03:00 00:01:00
12.P8e-8f 00:03:00 00:01:00
13.P8gx8f 00:03:00 00:01:00
14.R8bx8f 00:03:00 00:01:00
15.R2dx3d 00:03:00 00:01:00
16.B2b-3c 00:03:00 00:01:00
17.R3d-3f 00:03:00 00:01:00
18.S3a-2b 00:03:00 00:01:00
19.P*8g 00:03:00 00:01:00
20.R8f-8e 00:03:00 00:01:00
Asahi titleholder Fukaura decides to play the R8e Yokofudori
in this opening game. He is playing in front of his home
crowd as he is from Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture, where
this first game was being played. A win would be very nice
in his hometown, but he is playing the best...
21.R3f-2f 00:04:00 00:01:00
22.K5a-4a 00:04:00 00:02:00
23.K5i-6h 00:08:00 00:02:00
24.P7c-7d 00:08:00 00:05:00
25.P3g-3f 00:15:00 00:05:00
26.P*2e 00:15:00 00:11:00
27.R2f-2h 00:16:00 00:11:00
28.P*8f 00:16:00 00:12:00
29.P8gx8f 00:31:00 00:12:00
30.R8ex8f 00:31:00 00:14:00
31.B8hx3c+ 00:31:00 00:14:00
32.N2ax3c 00:31:00 00:14:00
33.P*8h 00:31:00 00:14:00
34.N8a-7c 00:31:00 00:19:00
35.P3f-3e 00:40:00 00:19:00
36.R8fx7f 00:40:00 00:27:00
37.B*5e 00:52:00 00:27:00
38.B*9e?! 00:52:00 01:19:00
Fukaura spent 52 minutes on this move, but it is nicely countered
by Habu. Fukaura should have played the simple 38.G6b. Then after
39.P3d N4e P*2c Gx2c P*2d Nx5g+ Kx5g N6e K6h (K5f R*5f loses the
bishop) B*5g K6i Bx2d+ it looks like black is still ahead after
S4h N5g= Sx5g +Bx5g Bx9a+, but "having no pawns seems painful" (Habu).
39.P*7g 01:09:00 01:19:00
40.R7f-3f 01:09:00 01:23:00
41.R2h-3h 01:13:00 01:23:00
42.R3fx3h+ 01:13:00 01:44:00
43.S3ix3h 01:13:00 01:44:00
44.N3c-4e 01:13:00 01:44:00
45.P6g-6f! 01:42:00 01:44:00
Habu recognizes the importance of stopping the knight from jumping
to 6e. 45.P4f is the normal move here, but after 46.P*3g Nx3g Nx3g+
Sx3g N6e the move R*4g next is very strong and hard to defend against.
45.P6f stops the trouble with the knight and also allows a future G6g,
which strengthens the center and improves the wall formation on the
7th and 8th files.
46.B9e-8d 01:42:00 01:54:00
47.R*2a 02:12:00 01:54:00
48.G3b-3a 02:12:00 02:01:00
49.R2ax2b+ 02:12:00 02:01:00
50.G3ax2b 02:12:00 02:14:00
51.B5ex2b+ 02:12:00 02:14:00
52.K4a-5b 02:12:00 02:14:00
53.+B2bx1a 02:15:00 02:14:00
Black now has three pieces for one. White must act quickly or his
material deficit will lead to an easy loss.
54.N7c-6e 02:15:00 02:15:00
55.S*4f 02:16:00 02:15:00
56.P*3g 02:16:00 02:19:00
57.N2ix3g 02:19:00 02:19:00
58.N4ex3g+ 02:19:00 02:19:00
59.S3hx3g 02:20:00 02:19:00
60.R*2i 02:20:00 02:19:00
Habu was worried about 60.P2f (because Sx2f fails to R*2i), but after
P6e P2g+ P6d Px6d N*5e black still has the upper hand. For example,
N*5a is answered by +B3c and a drop on 6c is already a strong threat.
61.G*3i! 02:20:00 02:19:00
Good judgment. The white position is very vulnerable against a rook
drop, so black invests some time and material to get a rook in hand.
62.R2ix1i+ 02:20:00 02:19:00
63.S3g-2h 02:20:00 02:19:00
64.R*1h 02:20:00 02:27:00
65.P*2i 02:22:00 02:27:00
66.N*3f 02:22:00 02:36:00
67.G4i-3h 02:24:00 02:36:00
68.N3fx2h+ 02:24:00 02:36:00
69.G3hx2h 02:24:00 02:36:00
70.L*4d 02:24:00 02:37:00
71.G7h-6g 02:35:00 02:37:00
72.L4dx4f 02:35:00 02:37:00
73.P4gx4f 02:35:00 02:37:00
74.R1hx1g+ 02:35:00 02:43:00
75.G2hx1g 02:40:00 02:43:00
76.+R1ix1g 02:40:00 02:43:00
77.N*5e 02:42:00 02:43:00
78.G6a-5a 02:42:00 02:46:00
79.R*1b 02:46:00 02:46:00
80.K5b-6a 02:46:00 02:51:00
81.N5ex6c= 02:51:00 02:51:00
82.P*3b 02:51:00 02:51:00
83.R1bx3b+ 02:51:00 02:51:00
84.G*4b 02:51:00 02:51:00
85.+R3b-3d 02:52:00 02:51:00
86.N6ex5g+ 02:52:00 02:52:00
87.G6gx5g 02:52:00 02:52:00
88.S*5f 02:52:00 02:52:00
89.N6cx7a+ 02:55:00 02:52:00
90.K6ax7a 02:55:00 02:52:00
91.+R3dx7d 02:55:00 02:52:00
92.S*7c 02:55:00 02:54:00
93.N*6c! 02:56:00 02:54:00
Fukaura has done everything to keep the game close, but in this
game Habu shows that despite losing two titles to Moriuchi, in the
endgame he is still in a class of his own. The following checks are
all aimed at taking out the silver on 5f.
94.K7a-6b 02:56:00 02:58:00
95.S*7a 02:56:00 02:58:00
96.K6b-6a 02:56:00 02:58:00
97.N6cx5a+ 02:56:00 02:58:00
98.K6ax7a 02:56:00 02:58:00
99.N*6c 02:56:00 02:58:00
100.K7a-7b 02:56:00 02:59:00
101.G*7a 02:57:00 02:59:00
102.K7b-8b 02:57:00 02:59:00
103.+R7dx8d 02:57:00 02:59:00
104.S7cx8d 02:57:00 02:59:00
105.+B1a-5e 02:57:00 02:59:00
106.N*6d 02:57:00 02:59:00
107.+B5ex6d 02:57:00 02:59:00
108.R*7c 02:57:00 02:59:00
109.G5gx5f 02:57:00 02:59:00
110.S*6g 02:57:00 02:59:00
111.K6h-6i 02:57:00 02:59:00
112.S6gx5f= 02:57:00 02:59:00
This is a mating threat, but Habu has come prepared. He has calculated
a very nice mate. Fukaura ends up one move short.
113.G7a-7b 02:57:00 02:59:00
114.K8bx7b 02:57:00 02:59:00
115.B*6a 02:57:00 02:59:00
116.K7b-6b 02:57:00 02:59:00
117.N*5d 02:57:00 02:59:00
118.P5cx5d 02:57:00 02:59:00
119.S*7a 02:57:00 02:59:00
120.R7cx7a 02:57:00 02:59:00
121.+N5a-5b 02:57:00 02:59:00
122.G4bx5b 02:57:00 02:59:00
123.B6ax5b+ 02:57:00 02:59:00
124.K6bx5b 02:57:00 02:59:00
125.G*5c 02:57:00 02:59:00
Resigns 02:57:00 02:59:00
The point of the checks is now clear. The knight sacrifice 117.N*5d has
opened up the square 5c for this gold drop. The longest variation is
126.K6a Nx7a+ Kx7a L*7b Kx7b R*8b K7a G6b, but Fukaura believes that
Habu can find this and resigns. Too bad for Fukaura that he can not
present a win to all his fans in Sasebo, but he was beaten by the
brilliant endgame skills of Habu this time.