24th Asahi Open Match Game 4
[Black "Fujii Takeshi, Challenger"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Asahi"]
[Event "24th Asahi Open, Game 4"]
[Date "May 15th 2006"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:01:00
3.P6g-6f 00:02:00 00:01:00
4.S7a-6b 00:02:00 00:02:00
5.S7i-7h 00:03:00 00:02:00
6.P5c-5d 00:03:00 00:03:00
7.S7h-6g 00:05:00 00:03:00
8.P3c-3d 00:05:00 00:03:00
9.P1g-1f 00:07:00 00:03:00
10.K5a-4b 00:07:00 00:04:00
11.R2h-6h 00:09:00 00:04:00
12.K4b-3b 00:09:00 00:05:00
13.S3i-3h 00:13:00 00:05:00
14.G6a-5b 00:13:00 00:07:00
15.G6i-5h 00:16:00 00:07:00
16.S6b-5c 00:16:00 00:08:00
17.P4g-4f 00:22:00 00:08:00
18.P8d-8e 00:22:00 00:19:00
19.B8h-7g 00:22:00 00:19:00
20.P1c-1d 00:22:00 00:20:00
21.K5i-4h 00:24:00 00:20:00
22.P7c-7d 00:24:00 00:21:00
23.K4h-3i 00:25:00 00:21:00
24.S5c-6d 00:25:00 00:22:00
A quick attack again. In the first game Habu played P3e followed by
S4f, in the third game S6g-5g and now the old-style S5c-6d. The way
of attack is different in each case, but the theme is the same: is
the Fujii system capable of handling a quick attacking system?
25.K3i-2h 00:27:00 00:22:00
26.P7d-7e 00:27:00 00:25:00
27.R6h-7h 00:30:00 00:25:00
28.P7ex7f 00:30:00 00:33:00
29.S6gx7f 00:31:00 00:33:00
30.R8b-7b 00:31:00 00:34:00
31.P6f-6e 00:35:00 00:34:00
32.B2bx7g+ 00:35:00 00:35:00
33.R7hx7g 00:35:00 00:35:00
34.S6d-5e 00:35:00 00:35:00
35.B*8c 00:40:00 00:35:00
This move was first played by Kosaka (7-dan) and combined with the
Fujii win in the Nihon series, this position was considered more or
less unplayable for white.
36.R7b-7c 00:40:00 00:39:00
37.B8c-6a+ 00:40:00 00:39:00
38.B*8h 00:40:00 00:39:00
39.P*7d 01:01:00 00:39:00
40.R7cx7d 01:01:00 00:44:00
41.S7f-7e!? 01:01:00 00:44:00
This is the same way Fujii played in the Nihon Series game against
Maruyama (played on October 30th 2005). Fujii won that game convincingly
and ever since it has been considered the right way to play for the
furibisha side, but Aono expressed his doubts. There is the risk of
having this silver on 7e until the end of the game and he suggested
41.Sx8e as better here.
42.R7d-9d 01:01:00 00:45:00
43.P6e-6d 01:13:00 00:45:00
44.P6cx6d 01:13:00 00:46:00
45.+B6ax9d 01:15:00 00:46:00
46.P9cx9d 01:15:00 00:46:00
47.R*8b 01:24:00 00:46:00
This is a new move. In the Nihon Series game, Fujii played 47.R*7a and
after 48.B*9c Rx8a+ Bx7g+ Nx7g Bx7e B*7d black already had a big advantage.
Still, the Nihon Series is a public game with short thinking time, so it
can hardly be considered the final word on this opening. Dropping the
rook on 8b is slightly better than dropping it on 7a. If 48.B*9c then
Rx8a+ is the same as in the Fujii-Maruyama game, but if white doesn't
drop the bishop, there is the advantage that the black rook is working
better on the second rank, pointing straight at the king.
48.B8hx9i+ 01:24:00 01:13:00
Habu's new idea. After the game, he just said: "because B*9c is bad...".
Fujii could only nod in agreement.
49.R8bx8a+ 01:31:00 01:13:00
50.P1d-1e 01:31:00 01:17:00
51.P1fx1e 01:33:00 01:17:00
52.P*1g 01:33:00 01:19:00
53.L1ix1g 01:46:00 01:19:00
54.P*1f 01:46:00 01:55:00
55.L1gx1f 01:46:00 01:55:00
56.+B9ix8i 01:46:00 01:55:00
White can use this knight on 2d, and Habu was pretty happy with his
position here. Fujii had a different opinion. He thought that 54.P*1f
was an overplay. This being said, 54.P*1f put Fujii off. Without this
move, he was planning to play 57.S8d here, attacking with two rooks.
After this, 58.N*2d R7b+ (R7a+ L*5a doesn't work) Nx1f K3i B*6c N*5c
G4a-4b +Rx6c Gx6c B*4a K2b Bx2c+ Kx2c +Rx3a R*1h +Rx2a is almost a forced
line. Fujii thought that he would lose after P*2b here, but the conclusion
in the press room was that N*3f wins for black then. Therefore, after
+Rx2a, white has to play Kx3c which leads to a very complicated endgame.
Different variations led to the king escaping, sennichite, or the white
king getting caught on the other side of the board by the silver on 8d.
In any case, anything could have happened then. Because of misreading
P*2b as a loss, Fujii plays it differently.
57.+R8ax9a? 02:00:00 01:55:00
The game stays very close until the end, but this gives white the advantage
and Habu is brilliant at taking that tiny advantage home.
58.+B8i-8h 02:00:00 01:58:00
59.P*7h 02:02:00 01:58:00
60.N*2d 02:02:00 02:03:00
61.L*1i 02:02:00 02:03:00
62.B*4d 02:02:00 02:22:00
63.N*3f 02:14:00 02:22:00
64.N2dx3f 02:14:00 02:30:00
65.P3gx3f 02:14:00 02:30:00
If now 66.N*2d, black can play G4g and strengthen his position while being
under attack.
66.S5ex4f! 02:14:00 02:30:00
67.P*4g 02:15:00 02:30:00
68.S4f-5e! 02:15:00 02:30:00
Habu-style professional technique. With the last two moves, he has foiled
black's plans to make a high mino, more or less forcing Fujii into action
at a bad time.
69.P1e-1d 02:19:00 02:30:00
After the game, Fujii regretted this move, feeling like he had been forced
to make a vital choice, but it is hard to say what else he could have
played here.
70.P*1h 02:19:00 02:35:00
71.L1ix1h 02:19:00 02:35:00
72.+B8hx7g 02:19:00 02:35:00
73.P7hx7g 02:19:00 02:35:00
74.P*1g 02:19:00 02:35:00
75.L1hx1g 02:19:00 02:35:00
76.N*2d 02:19:00 02:35:00
77.S3h-3g 02:33:00 02:35:00
78.B4dx1g+! 02:33:00 02:36:00
First Habu delayed his game with Sx4f followed by S5e and now he puts his
foot on the accelerator. Habu himself wasn't sure about the position here,
but this changing of pace is high class shogi technique.
79.N2ix1g 02:36:00 02:36:00
80.N2dx1f 02:36:00 02:36:00
81.K2h-3i 02:45:00 02:36:00
82.L*2d 02:45:00 02:37:00
83.P1d-1c+ 02:52:00 02:37:00
84.L1ax1c 02:52:00 02:43:00
85.N*2e 02:52:00 02:43:00
86.L*5a 02:52:00 02:44:00
87.B*1b 02:52:00 02:44:00
88.R*1h 02:52:00 02:50:00
89.G4i-3h 02:57:00 02:50:00
90.L2dx2e 02:57:00 02:50:00
91.N1gx2e 02:57:00 02:50:00
92.N*4e 02:57:00 02:50:00
93.B1bx2a+ 02:58:00 02:50:00
94.K3bx2a 02:58:00 02:50:00
95.N*3c 02:58:00 02:50:00
96.K2a-3b 02:58:00 02:50:00
97.B*2a 02:59:00 02:50:00
98.K3b-4b 02:59:00 02:50:00
99.N3cx4a+ 02:59:00 02:50:00
100.K4bx4a 02:59:00 02:50:00
101.G*2i 02:59:00 02:50:00
102.N4ex3g+ 02:59:00 02:53:00
103.G2ix1h 02:59:00 02:53:00
104.N*4e 02:59:00 02:53:00
105.G3hx3g 02:59:00 02:53:00
106.N4ex3g+ 02:59:00 02:53:00
107.N2e-3c= 02:59:00 02:53:00
108.K4a-4b 02:59:00 02:53:00
109.R*4a 02:59:00 02:53:00
110.K4b-5c 02:59:00 02:54:00
111.+R9a-9c 02:59:00 02:54:00
112.L*6c 02:59:00 02:54:00
113.L*3h 02:59:00 02:54:00
114.B*6g! 02:59:00 02:57:00
This puts the black king in hisshi, but Habu's hand was shaking when he
played it. He still wasn't sure that he was winning here.
115.L3hx3g 02:59:00 02:57:00
Or 115.Gx6g S*4h (S*2h is also mate).
116.B6gx5h+ 02:59:00 02:57:00
117.B2ax4c+ 02:59:00 02:57:00
118.G5bx4c 02:59:00 02:57:00
119.+R9cx6c 02:59:00 02:57:00
120.K5cx6c 02:59:00 02:57:00
121.R4ax4c+ 02:59:00 02:57:00
122.S*5c 02:59:00 02:57:00
Only now Habu was certain that there was no mate and that he would win
this game and the match.
123.G*7d 02:59:00 02:57:00
124.K6c-6b 02:59:00 02:57:00
125.P*6c 02:59:00 02:57:00
126.K6b-7a 02:59:00 02:57:00
Resigns 02:59:00 02:57:00
No meaningful check and no defense. An exciting game where Fujii again
just came up short. In the end, the difference might have been the position of
the silver on 7e versus the position of the silver on 5e. Both stayed there until
the end, and the silver on 5e was clearly the better one.
Despite losing, Fujii said after the game that he was
happy with his play except for the third game. Habu takes his third
consecutive Asahi Open title. This must have been a relief for him after
losing the play-off for the Meijin match against Tanigawa, the Kisei
challenger game against Suzuki and crashing out of the Ryu-O tournament
in just a couple of weeks.