22nd Asahi Open Match Game 3
[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[White "Fukaura Koichi, Asahi"]
[Event "Asahi Open Tournament, Game 3"]
[Date "April 30th 2004"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00
3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:00:00
4.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:00:00
5.P2f-2e 00:02:00 00:00:00
6.P8d-8e 00:02:00 00:00:00
7.G6i-7h 00:03:00 00:00:00
8.G4a-3b 00:03:00 00:00:00
9.P2e-2d 00:04:00 00:00:00
10.P2cx2d 00:04:00 00:00:00
11.R2hx2d 00:04:00 00:00:00
12.P8e-8f 00:04:00 00:00:00
13.P8gx8f 00:04:00 00:00:00
14.R8bx8f 00:04:00 00:00:00
15.R2dx3d 00:05:00 00:00:00
16.B2b-3c 00:05:00 00:00:00
17.R3d-3f 00:06:00 00:00:00
18.S3a-2b 00:06:00 00:00:00
19.P*8g 00:07:00 00:00:00
20.R8f-8e 00:07:00 00:00:00
21.R3f-2f 00:08:00 00:00:00
22.K5a-4a 00:08:00 00:00:00
23.K5i-5h 00:13:00 00:00:00
24.S7a-6b 00:13:00 00:01:00
25.P3g-3f 00:15:00 00:01:00
26.G6a-5a 00:15:00 00:01:00
27.S3i-3h 00:17:00 00:01:00
28.P7c-7d 00:17:00 00:01:00
29.P3f-3e 00:18:00 00:01:00
30.R8ex3e 00:18:00 00:05:00
31.B8hx3c+ 00:19:00 00:05:00
32.N2ax3c 00:19:00 00:05:00
33.B*4f 00:19:00 00:05:00
34.P*2e 00:19:00 00:05:00
35.R2f-1f 00:20:00 00:05:00
36.R3e-3d 00:20:00 00:05:00
37.P*3e 00:20:00 00:05:00
38.R3d-6d 00:20:00 00:05:00
So far, the game is identical to the previous game of this match
and the second game of the Meijin match between Habu and Moriuchi,
played only three days earlier. In those games white (Habu in both
cases) played 38.R4d, which is the move most often played. There are
also games with 38.R5d, but 38.R6d has been played only one time
before in an Osho tournament game between Matsuo and Kimura on April
16th. It is clear that Fukaura knew this game and prepared this position
at home, using only 5 minutes for his moves up until this position. The
idea behind 38.R6d is to get a more quiet position by not allowing black
to take the lance on 9a. If white succeeds in slowing down the pace of
the game and gets the time to develop his knights and attack the head of
the king, he will get the upper hand. At first glance, it seems that black
can get the advantage by promoting the rook after 39.Bx6d Px6d R*8b, but
after N7c the promoted rook is not enough to get any decent attack against
the Nakahara castle. White, on the other hand, has a devastating attack with
the two knights (N6e and N4e will put enormous pressure on the black king)
and there is also the threat of B*5e, attacking both lances.
39.N2i-3g 00:22:00 00:05:00
40.P*3f 00:22:00 00:08:00
41.R1fx3f 00:22:00 00:08:00
42.B*5d 00:22:00 00:08:00
43.R3f-1f 00:23:00 00:08:00
44.P*3f 00:23:00 00:08:00
45.P3e-3d 00:23:00 00:08:00
46.P3fx3g+ 00:23:00 00:12:00
47.P3dx3c+ 00:23:00 00:12:00
48.G3bx3c 00:23:00 00:13:00
49.B4fx3g 00:23:00 00:13:00
50.N*2f 00:23:00 00:14:00
51.P*3d 00:24:00 00:14:00
52.G3c-3b 00:24:00 00:15:00
Of course 52.Gx3d would be a big mistake after N*4f. This position is still
identical to the Matsu-Kimura game. Actually, Kimura was covering the game
for the Asahi newspaper and was present at the game site. His comment: "White
is aiming at Nx3h+ followed by S*2g. Still, dropping the knight on 2f feels
heavy and S*2g is not that fast. The question is whether black can find some
good moves at this point".
53.B3g-5e!? 00:25:00 00:15:00
Played after only one minute, so this must have been Habu's prepared move. The
Matsuo-Kimura game continued 53.N*2d G3a P*2c Sx2c P3c+ Sx2d P*3b Sx3c Px3a+
Kx3a and white won. 53.B5e must have been a surprise for Fukaura, but it is
not very likely that we will see this move again. Black is aiming at P*2c next,
because S3a or Sx2c are answered by P3c+, while Gx2c P*2d is also very good for
black. Still, if white plays correctly, 53.B5e might not be that good.
54.P4c-4d 00:25:00 00:48:00
Tesuji. Blocks the black bishop diagonal and opens the white bishop diagonal
to make the bishop work in defense.
55.B5ex4d!? 00:42:00 00:48:00
A hard pawn to take. The indirect attack of the white rook on this bishop
looks very dangerous. However, this daring move invites Fukaura's mistake.
56.N2fx3h+? 00:42:00 01:27:00
Based on a miscalculation. Correct was 56.B6e and after 57.B5e Rx3d P*3e
Rx3e B9a+ Nx3h+ white is almost a silver up while the Nakahara castle is
still intact. White probably has the upper hand in that position.
57.G4ix3h 00:45:00 01:27:00
58.B5d-2g+ 00:45:00 01:27:00
59.B4dx2b+ 00:58:00 01:27:00
60.+B2gx3h 00:58:00 01:59:00
Fukaura's miscalculation was that he thought he could play 60.Rx3d here.
Here he realized that after 61.+Bx3b Rx3b Gx2g there is no good rook
promotion: R3h+ is answered by N*4h and R3i+ by G*5i, and in both cases
black has a very good position. Still, 60.+Bx3h is not much better.
61.R1f-4f! 01:12:00 01:59:00
The deciding move. White loses the promoted bishop on 3h and with it all
hope of winning.
62.G*4b 01:12:00 01:59:00
63.+B2bx3b 01:26:00 01:59:00
64.K4ax3b 01:26:00 01:59:00
65.S*3c 01:26:00 01:59:00
66.G4bx3c 01:26:00 02:11:00
67.P3dx3c+ 01:26:00 02:11:00
68.K3bx3c 01:26:00 02:11:00
69.R4f-3f 01:28:00 02:11:00
70.S*3d 01:28:00 02:12:00
71.N*4e 01:33:00 02:12:00
72.K3c-4b 01:33:00 02:16:00
73.R3fx3h 01:33:00 02:16:00
74.P*3b 01:33:00 02:16:00
75.B*1e 01:45:00 02:16:00
76.K4b-4c 01:45:00 02:20:00
77.N*5e 01:52:00 02:20:00
78.K4c-5b 01:52:00 02:20:00
79.G*4c 01:52:00 02:20:00
80.S3dx4c 01:52:00 02:23:00
81.N5ex4c+ 01:52:00 02:23:00
82.K5bx4c 01:52:00 02:23:00
83.R3hx3b+ 01:52:00 02:23:00
84.K4cx3b 01:52:00 02:23:00
85.B1e-3c+ 01:52:00 02:23:00
Resigns 01:52:00 02:23:00
Simple mate after 86.K2a G*2b or 86.K4a S*3b K5b +B4c. Another game that
was fought out as much at home in the study room as on the board. This
match has now seen three R8e Yokofudori games, with black winning all
three. What will Habu play with the white pieces in game 4? An important
point, because if Habu wins that game the match will be over.