22nd Asahi Open Match Game 5


[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]

[White "Fukaura Koichi, Asahi"]

[Event "22nd Asahi Open, Game 5"]

[Date "May 25th 2004"]

1.P7g-7f     00:00:00  00:00:00

2.P3c-3d     00:00:00  00:00:00

3.P2g-2f     00:02:00  00:00:00

4.P8c-8d     00:02:00  00:00:00

5.P2f-2e     00:02:00  00:00:00

6.P8d-8e     00:02:00  00:00:00

7.G6i-7h     00:02:00  00:00:00

8.G4a-3b     00:02:00  00:00:00

9.P2e-2d     00:03:00  00:00:00

10.P2cx2d    00:03:00  00:00:00

11.R2hx2d    00:03:00  00:00:00

12.P8e-8f    00:03:00  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    00:05:00  00:00:00

18.S3a-2b    00:05:00  00:00:00

19.P*8g      00:05:00  00:00:00

20.R8f-8d    00:05:00  00:00:00



It almost looks old-fashioned to pull back the rook to 8d, but Fukaura 

likes this as well, so it will not have surprised Habu too much.



21.R3f-2f    00:05:00  00:00:00

22.K5a-4a    00:05:00  00:00:00

23.K5i-5h    00:20:00  00:00:00

24.S7a-6b    00:20:00  00:00:00

25.P3g-3f    00:20:00  00:00:00

26.P5c-5d    00:20:00  00:00:00

27.S3i-4h    00:23:00  00:00:00

28.P5d-5e    00:23:00  00:00:00

29.S7i-6h    00:23:00  00:00:00

30.G6a-5a    00:23:00  00:00:00

31.G4i-3h    00:30:00  00:00:00

32.R8d-3d    00:30:00  00:01:00



This is one of Fukaura's specialties.



33.P4g-4f    00:32:00  00:01:00

34.P5e-5f    00:32:00  00:02:00



The right timing for the attack. After 33.P4f, the sideways working of 

the black rook is blocked by two pawns.



35.P6g-6f    00:34:00  00:02:00

36.P6c-6d    00:34:00  00:02:00

37.N2i-3g    01:08:00  00:02:00

38.P6d-6e    01:08:00  00:03:00

39.S6h-6g    01:08:00  00:03:00

40.P7c-7d    01:08:00  00:30:00



Diagram 1



A difficult decision. It looks like white can get the advantage here 

after 40.Px6f Sx6f P*6e S5e Px5g+ Sx5g P*5d S6d Bx8h+ Gx8h B*4d, which 

forks rook and gold, but black has the excellent P*6c next. Then S7a 

is answered by B*5c Bx5c Sx5c= and black has P*5b next. After P*6c 

white can take only one of the forked pieces, and this is not enough. 

For example, Bx8h+ Px6b+ Gx6b P*6c is good for black. Also, Bx2f Px6b+ 

Bx6b (Gx6b is again met by P*6c) P*5c and B*6c is very hard to defend 

against. After 27 minutes, Fukaura decides to develop his knight on 8a.



41.R2f-2i!   01:36:00  00:30:00



This puts the rook in a safe place where there are no potential forks. 

This basically takes away all of the white attacking possibilities. 

The question now is if black can build up an attack that is strong 

enough to crush the white position.



42.N8a-7c    01:36:00  00:38:00

43.P5gx5f    01:36:00  00:38:00

44.R3dx3f    01:36:00  00:40:00

45.S4h-4g    01:37:00  00:40:00

46.R3f-3d    01:37:00  00:42:00

47.P*3f      01:37:00  00:42:00

48.R3d-2d    01:37:00  00:54:00

49.P*2e      01:49:00  00:54:00

50.R2d-5d    01:49:00  00:57:00

51.K5h-4h    01:50:00  00:57:00

52.P7d-7e    01:50:00  01:07:00

53.P7fx7e    01:51:00  01:07:00

54.R5d-8d    01:51:00  01:08:00

55.P5f-5e    01:51:00  01:08:00

56.B3cx5e    01:51:00  01:12:00

57.S4g-5f    01:51:00  01:12:00

58.B5e-3c    01:51:00  01:18:00

59.P*5e      01:55:00  01:18:00

60.P*3e      01:55:00  01:20:00

61.G3h-4g    01:55:00  01:20:00

62.P3ex3f    01:55:00  01:28:00

63.G4gx3f    01:55:00  01:28:00

64.B3c-4b    01:55:00  01:28:00

65.K4h-4g    02:00:00  01:28:00

66.P*3e      02:00:00  01:32:00

67.G3fx3e    02:06:00  01:32:00

68.B4b-5c?   02:06:00  01:44:00



Diagram 2



Probably the losing move. Correct was 68.S3c Px6e S3d to bring the 

silver into play. Then G3f P*3e G2f N3c B6f S6c S7f P4d N7g K3a G6g 

G5b and despite the fact that black is two pawns up, there seems to 

be no way to attack the white position with any reasonable hope of 

success.



69.G3e-3f    02:08:00  01:44:00

70.P*3e      02:08:00  01:45:00

71.G3f-2f    02:08:00  01:45:00

72.N2a-3c    02:08:00  01:50:00

73.P6fx6e    02:09:00  01:50:00

74.R8d-3d    02:09:00  01:50:00

75.B8h-6f    02:16:00  01:50:00

76.S6b-6c    02:16:00  01:51:00

77.N3g-4e    02:18:00  01:51:00



The problem of 68.B5c is now clear. This knight jump is now very strong.



78.B5c-6b    02:18:00  01:55:00

79.N4ex3c+   02:22:00  01:55:00

80.S2bx3c    02:22:00  01:55:00

81.S5f-4e    02:22:00  01:55:00

82.R3d-9d    02:22:00  01:57:00

83.N*7d      02:25:00  01:57:00



Diagram 3



84.P*2h      02:25:00  02:02:00



If 84.B7a then 85.P*3d is good for black. For example, 86.S4b (or S2b) 

P5d or 86.S4d S4e-5f followed by P4e and P5d is very difficult to defend.



85.R2i-3i    02:29:00  02:02:00

86.S6cx7d    02:29:00  02:05:00

87.P7ex7d    02:29:00  02:05:00

88.N7cx6e    02:29:00  02:05:00

89.P*3d      02:30:00  02:05:00

90.S3c-4d    02:30:00  02:05:00

91.S4ex4d    02:32:00  02:05:00

92.P*5f      02:32:00  02:09:00

93.P3d-3c+   02:36:00  02:09:00



Habu has calculated that he is one move faster with his attack.



94.P5f-5g+   02:36:00  02:34:00

95.B6fx5g    02:36:00  02:34:00

96.N6ex5g+   02:36:00  02:34:00

97.K4gx5g    02:36:00  02:34:00

98.N*6e      02:36:00  02:36:00

99.K5g-5f    02:43:00  02:36:00

100.B6bx4d   02:43:00  02:36:00

101.+P3cx3b  02:43:00  02:36:00

102.K4ax3b   02:43:00  02:36:00

103.P*3c     02:44:00  02:36:00

104.K3b-4a   02:44:00  02:40:00

105.S*3b     02:47:00  02:40:00

106.K4a-5b   02:47:00  02:55:00

107.S3bx4c+  02:48:00  02:55:00

108.K5bx4c   02:48:00  02:55:00

109.G*5d     02:48:00  02:55:00

110.K4c-5b   02:48:00  02:55:00

111.N*6d     02:48:00  02:55:00

Resigns      02:48:00  02:59:00



Final Diagram



Mate after 111.K6a S*7b, 111.K6b S*6c or 111.K4a S*3b or a simple win 

after 111.K4b Gx4d. A little bit of a disappointing finish to a close 

and interesting match. Fukaura never managed to make this game interesting 

and has to hand over his Asahi Open title to Habu.