30th Kio Match Game 1
[Black "Tanigawa Koji, Kio"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[Event "30th Kio-sen, Game 1"]
[Date "February 4th 2005"]
1.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:02:00
3.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:02:00
4.P4c-4d 00:00:00 00:03:00
5.P2f-2e 00:05:00 00:03:00
6.B2b-3c 00:05:00 00:04:00
7.S3i-4h 00:05:00 00:04:00
8.P9c-9d 00:05:00 00:07:00
9.G4i-5h 00:11:00 00:07:00
10.R8b-4b 00:11:00 00:12:00
11.K5i-6h 00:12:00 00:12:00
12.S7a-7b 00:12:00 00:16:00
13.K6h-7h 00:13:00 00:16:00
14.P6c-6d 00:13:00 00:16:00
15.P5g-5f 00:14:00 00:16:00
16.S3a-3b 00:14:00 00:17:00
17.S4h-5g 00:53:00 00:17:00
18.G4a-5b 00:53:00 00:22:00
19.P3g-3f 01:00:00 00:22:00
20.K5a-6b 01:00:00 00:39:00
21.B8h-5e 01:01:00 00:39:00
22.S7b-6c 01:01:00 00:40:00
23.P3f-3e 01:09:00 00:40:00
24.P3dx3e 01:09:00 00:47:00
25.S5g-4f 01:09:00 00:47:00
26.P4d-4e 01:09:00 00:49:00
27.B5ex3c+ 01:09:00 00:49:00
28.N2ax3c 01:09:00 00:50:00
29.S4fx3e 01:09:00 00:50:00
30.P*3d 01:09:00 00:50:00
31.P2e-2d 01:15:00 00:50:00
32.P2cx2d 01:15:00 00:55:00
33.S3ex3d 01:20:00 00:55:00
Up until this move, the position was identical to the game
that Tanigawa and Habu played in the 4th game of last year's
Oi match. There Tanigawa played 33.Sx2d and even though he got
the better position, he lost the game. The fact that Habu
voluntarily plays the same variation indicates that he has
found something for white. We will not know if that was really
the case, because Tanigawa changes moves first.
34.P4e-4f 01:20:00 01:05:00
35.P4gx4f 01:20:00 01:05:00
36.R4bx4f 01:20:00 01:05:00
37.R2hx2d 01:20:00 01:05:00
38.R4f-4i+ 01:20:00 01:05:00
39.R2d-2b+ 01:20:00 01:05:00
40.P*2a 01:20:00 01:31:00
41.+R2bx3b 02:20:00 01:31:00
The pawn drop on 2a invites black to take the silver, but Tanigawa
had prepared the quiet 41.+R2h instead. Only here he realized that
black would be in trouble then after 42.B*3h. Fortunately for him,
41.+Rx3b is not bad even though the game now becomes very violent.
42.B*1d 02:20:00 01:33:00
43.S3dx3c+ 02:21:00 01:33:00
44.B1dx5h+ 02:21:00 03:01:00
45.G6ix5h 02:22:00 03:01:00
46.+R4ix5h 02:22:00 03:01:00
47.K7h-7g 02:22:00 03:01:00
48.G*5g 02:22:00 03:05:00
49.P9g-9f 02:26:00 03:05:00
50.+R5h-6i 02:26:00 03:15:00
51.S*8h 02:29:00 03:15:00
52.G5gx6g?! 02:29:00 03:16:00
With both kings in danger, the position is very hard to judge, but
it seems that white can win here with 52.P9e. For example, 53.B*3f
+Rx6g K8f Px9f P*9d S7d looks very dangerous because white opens the
bishop diagonal, but N7g +Rx7f (Kx7f G*7e) or +Rx5b Gx5b G*7b K5a
N*6c Sx6c Bx6c+ R*8d win for white. Further study will have to show
if 52.P9e is really winning and if so, where black has a better move
than played in this game.
53.K7g-8f 02:29:00 03:16:00
54.+R6ix2i 02:29:00 03:16:00
55.N*4d 02:48:00 03:16:00
56.N*7d 02:48:00 03:22:00
57.K8f-9g 02:48:00 03:22:00
58.P9d-9e 02:48:00 03:22:00
59.B*4e 03:03:00 03:22:00
60.P5c-5d 03:03:00 03:29:00
61.K9g-9h 03:07:00 03:29:00
62.P9ex9f 03:07:00 03:31:00
63.N4dx5b+ 03:12:00 03:31:00
Because the main line seemed to be winning for Tanigawa, most believed
after the game that there must be a win for black somewhere. The most
likely candidate seems to be this position. By giving up the knight,
there is now a mating threat against the black king, so if black can
continue his attack without handing over the knight he will win.
However, after the game, a clear win for black could not be found.
For example, 63.B*3d K7b Nx5b+ Gx5b and the same problem of the mating
threat P9g+ Nx9g N*8f Px8f Nx8f K8g G*9f is very difficult to solve.
Another candidate was 63.P*9c, but even though there are a number of
variations leading to a win for black, white still has many options and
a conclusion that black wins would be premature.
64.S6cx5b 03:12:00 03:31:00
65.B*3e 03:21:00 03:31:00
66.P*4d 03:21:00 03:33:00
67.B3ex4d 03:21:00 03:33:00
And black wins after 67.K7b Bx5d N*6c (K8b +Rx5b Gx5b B*7a etc.) Bx6c+
Kx6c +Rx5b Gx5b N*7e K7b S*6c K8b (Gx6c Nx6c+ Kx6c G*6b) B*7a and mate
or 67.N*5c S4c+ with the mating threat Bx5c+ K7b Bx5d etc. This game
was played in Osaka, and most of the professionals in the press room
supported Tanigawa, who lives in nearby Kobe. A win for Tanigawa had
them in a good mood, but the next move came as shock...
68.K6b-6c!! 03:21:00 03:33:00
Overlooked by everyone including Tanigawa. It was not clear when Habu
saw this move, but he made very clear that he had seen it early and thought
that this variation could not be winning for black because of it. Keeping
the bishop diagonal open and moving to the attacking pieces instead of
running away is almost never the best move, but here it is.
69.G*5c 03:50:00 03:33:00
Tanigawa, who was convinced he was winning, took 29 minutes to make sure
that he had been fooled by Habu magic. It must have been a painful half
an hour... The alternative 69.G*6b Gx6b Bx6b+ Kx6b is also winning for
white.
70.K6c-7b 03:50:00 03:33:00
71.B4ex5d 03:51:00 03:33:00
72.K7b-8b 03:51:00 03:33:00
73.+R3bx5b 03:51:00 03:33:00
74.G6ax5b 03:51:00 03:33:00
75.S*7a 03:51:00 03:33:00
76.K8b-9c 03:51:00 03:33:00
77.G5cx5b 03:51:00 03:33:00
78.+R2ix7i 03:51:00 03:40:00
79.S8hx7i 03:52:00 03:40:00
80.R*9g 03:52:00 03:40:00
81.N8ix9g 03:53:00 03:40:00
82.P9fx9g+ 03:53:00 03:40:00
83.K9hx9g 03:53:00 03:40:00
84.N*8e 03:53:00 03:40:00
85.K9g-8h 03:53:00 03:40:00
86.S*9g 03:53:00 03:40:00
Resigns 03:53:00 03:40:00
Mate after 87.K8i N*7g Bx7g Nx7g= or 87.Lx9g Nx9g+ Kx9g L*9f Kx9f (K8h G*9h)
K8d. A tough loss for Tanigawa and at the same time a big win for Habu.
The rest of the match will show how Tanigawa will recover from this
psychological blow.