25th Kio Match Game 4
Black: Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Challenger
White: Habu Yoshiharu, Kio
25th Kio-sen, Game 4, March 21st 2000
1.P7g-7f 0/0 0/0
2.P3c-3d 0/0 3/3
3.P2g-2f 0/0 0/3
4.P8c-8d 0/0 0/3
5.P2f-2e 0/0 0/3
6.P8d-8e 0/0 0/3
7.G6i-7h 0/0 0/3
8.G4a-3b 0/0 0/3
9.P2e-2d 0/0 0/3
10.P2cx2d 0/0 0/3
11.R2hx2d 0/0 0/3
12.P8e-8f 0/0 0/3
13.P8gx8f 0/0 0/3
14.R8bx8f 0/0 0/3
15.R2dx3d 0/0 0/3
16.B2b-3c 0/0 1/4
17.R3d-3f 0/0 0/4
18.S3a-2b 0/0 1/5
19.P*8g 0/0 0/5
20.R8f-8e 0/0 2/7
After three consecutive wins by black, Habu is looking to break the pattern
and decide the match in game 4. It is not a big surprise that he selects the
R8e Yokofudori for this. Moriuchi will have prepared this.
21.R3f-2f 0/0 0/7
22.K5a-4a 0/0 1/8
23.G4i-3h 0/0 0/8
24.S7a-6b 0/0 2/10
25.S3i-4h 0/0 0/10
26.P7c-7d 0/0 6/16
27.K5i-5h 0/0 0/16
28.G6a-5a 0/0 3/19
29.P3g-3f 1/1 0/19
30.P*2e 0/1 13/32
31.R2f-2h 0/1 0/32
32.P*8f 0/1 0/32
33.P8gx8f 8/9 0/32
34.R8ex8f 0/9 0/32
35.P4g-4f 1/10 0/32
36.R8fx7f 0/10 28/60
37.B8hx3c+ 0/10 0/60
38.N2ax3c 0/10 0/60
39.S4h-4g 4/14 0/60
40.P2e-2f 0/14 6/66
41.N8i-7g 37/51 0/66
42.N8a-7c 0/51 17/83
43.N2i-3g 25/76 0/83
44.B*4d! 0/76 41/124
Long thought but with good reason. The following complications are very hard
to judge. White seems to be getting a strong attack, but it is unclear if
it is strong enough or if white can defend and win from there. The preliminary
conclusion is that B*4d is a good move.
45.P6g-6f 11/87 0/124
46.B4dx6f 0/87 13/137
47.K5h-6g 27/114 0/137
Puts the pressure on black's major pieces. Moving the king up towards the
enemy pieces is quite frightening, though.
48.P7d-7e 0/114 1/138
49.S4g-5f 2/116 0/138
50.N7c-8e! 0/116 26/164
Strong attack. It seems like white has the advantage here, but Moriuchi will
show that things are still very close.
51.S7i-6h 4/120 0/164
52.B6f-4d 0/120 18/182
53.P*7c! 7/127 0/182
Good move that shook Habu's confidence a little.
54.S6bx7c! 0/127 1/183
Looks dangerous, but it is white's strongest reply. 54.G6a or S7a would weaken
white's position too much.
55.R2h-2i 16/143 0/183
Very tempting is 55.Nx8e, but after 56.Bx9i+ P*7g R8f white gets an
overwhelming position after both Nx7c+ L*6f~R8a+ and P*8g L*6f~Rx8e.
Having to give up the move to white is a tell-tale sign that white
has the advantage.
56.R7f-6f 0/143 4/187
57.K6g-5h 0/143 0/187
58.N8ex7g+ 0/143 0/187
59.S6hx7g?! 28/171 0/187
Immediately after the game was over, Moriuchi suggested 59.Gx7g as better.
It seems that black can stop the white attack after for example 60.R6d P*6f
R8d P*8e R8b G4h P5d.
60.R6fx5f 0/171 9/196
61.P5gx5f 0/171 0/196
62.P7e-7f 0/171 0/196
63.P*6f 14/185 0/196
64.P7fx7g+ 0/185 2/198
65.G7hx7g 0/185 0/198
66.N*6e 0/185 14/212
67.G7g-6g 1/186 0/212
68.P2f-2g+ 0/186 0/212
69.R2ix2g 4/190 0/212
70.S*7h 0/190 0/212
71.P6fx6e 3/193 0/212
72.S*6i 0/193 0/212
73.K5h-5g 1/194 0/212
74.P*2f 0/194 0/212
75.R2g-2i 1/195 0/212
76.S7hx6g+ 0/195 0/212
77.K5gx6g 0/195 0/212
78.B4dx9i+ 0/195 0/212
79.K6g-5g 21/216 0/212
80.G*5h 0/216 3/215
81.K5g-4g 0/216 0/215
82.+B9i-6f 0/216 0/215
83.P3f-3e! 0/216 0/215
It seems like white is steamrolling through black's position, but this move
is a strong fighting move. The black king can suddenly run away and it is
not so easy to mate him with only a lance.
84.P*3d 0/216 17/232
Here, Habu was not sure of the position anymore. This move is not a mating
threat, so black gets a chance to counterattack.
85.N*2d 4/220 0/232
86.G5h-5g 0/220 1/233
87.K4g-3f 0/220 0/233
88.P3dx3e 0/220 0/233
89.K3fx2f 0/220 0/233
90.L*2c 0/220 0/233
91.R*2a 11/231 0/233
92.K4a-5b 0/231 0/233
93.R2ix6i 2/233 0/233
Suddenly the roles are reversed. Moriuchi has a strong attack and Habu must
defend.
94.L2cx2d 0/233 0/233
95.P*2e 0/233 0/233
96.N*3d 0/233 2/235
97.K2f-2g 0/233 0/235
98.+B6fx5f 0/233 0/235
99.P*5d 5/238 0/235
If black can find a way to make consecutive mating threats, he will win.
However, it seems that white can barely survive. Black would like to play
99.N*6d here, but unfortunately for him he is mated after 100.Sx6d Px6d
N*1e.
100.G3b-3a 0/238 0/235
101.P5dx5c+ 0/238 0/235
102.K5bx5c 0/238 0/235
103.B*7e 0/238 0/235
Without pieces in hand for intermediate drops, white seems to be in trouble
here...
104.P6c-6d! 0/238 2/237
Great defence and the deciding move. 105.Px6d P*6h stops black's attack.
105.P*5d 0/238 0/237
106.K5c-4b 0/238 0/237
107.P5d-5c+ 1/239 0/237
108.K4bx5c 0/239 0/237
109.N*4e 0/239 0/237
110.N3cx4e 0/239 1/238
111.N3gx4e 0/239 0/238
112.K5c-6b 0/239 0/238
113.B7ex5g 0/239 0/238
Moriuchi realises he has lost and plays a "katachizukuri" move.
114.L2dx2e 0/239 0/238
115.P*2f 0/239 0/238
116.L2ex2f 0/239 0/238
117.K2g-1h 0/239 0/238
118.+B5fx5g 0/239 0/238
119.P6ex6d 0/239 0/238
120.B*3f 0/239 0/238
121.P*2g 0/239 0/238
122.L2fx2g+ 0/239 0/238
123.G3hx2g 0/239 0/238
124.B3fx2g+ 0/239 0/238
125.K1hx2g 0/239 0/238
126.P*2f 0/239 0/238
127.K2g-1f 0/239 0/238
128.N*2d 0/239 0/238
Resigns 0/239 0/238
Time: 03:59:00 03:58:00
Mate after 129.K2e +B4g K3d G*4d K2d +B1d. Moriuchi again tried everything in
this game, but Habu is almost invincible in the endgame. With this result,
Habu ended the Kio match with a 3-1 result. This is the 10th Kio title in
a row that he has won and he is only the second player in history to get
10 or more consecutive titles. The great Oyama Yashuharu did it twice with
13 consecutive Meijin titles and 12 consecutive Osho titles. Can Habu break
these records?