36th Kio Match Game 2
[Black "Watanabe Akira, Challenger"]
[White "Kubo Toshiaki, Kio"]
[Event "36th Kio-sen, Game 2"]
[Date "February 26th 2011"]
1.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00
3.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00
4.P5c-5d 00:01:00 00:01:00
5.P2f-2e 00:05:00 00:01:00
6.R8b-5b 00:05:00 00:03:00
7.G4i-5h 00:09:00 00:03:00
With this move, Watanabe invites Kubo to an all-out slugfest. Kubo can decline the
invitation by playing the quiet 8.K6b here, but then black can exchange the pawns on
the second file for free and there are very few professionals who like to make that
concession.
8.P5d-5e 00:09:00 00:20:00
Kubo accepts the invitation, albeit reluctantly because he spent 17 minutes on this
move. According to Yamasaki (7-dan), taking his time here was psychologically not a
very smart thing to do, because it gave the impression that Kubo didn't really want
to play this opening variation.
9.P2e-2d 00:11:00 00:20:00
10.P2cx2d 00:11:00 00:24:00
11.R2hx2d 00:11:00 00:24:00
12.P5e-5f 00:11:00 00:24:00
13.P5gx5f 00:11:00 00:24:00
14.B2bx8h+ 00:11:00 00:34:00
15.S7ix8h 00:11:00 00:34:00
16.B*3c 00:11:00 00:37:00
17.R2dx2a+ 00:16:00 00:37:00
18.B3cx8h+ 00:16:00 00:38:00
Only 18 moves played and the board is on fire. Of course, this is all still opening
theory.
19.N*5e 00:16:00 00:38:00
20.K5a-6b 00:16:00 00:38:00
21.+R2ax1a 00:16:00 00:38:00
22.+B8hx9i 00:16:00 00:42:00
23.B*3c 00:18:00 00:42:00
24.S*4d 00:18:00 01:00:00
25.B3cx4d+ 00:18:00 01:00:00
26.P4cx4d 00:18:00 01:00:00
27.L*6f 00:18:00 01:00:00
28.S7a-7b 00:18:00 01:00:00
29.S*8b 00:19:00 01:00:00
30.B*2g 00:19:00 01:11:00
31.S8bx9a+ 00:21:00 01:11:00
32.L*5c 00:21:00 01:11:00
33.+S9ax8a 00:22:00 01:11:00
34.L5cx5e 00:22:00 01:11:00
35.P5fx5e 00:22:00 01:11:00
36.S7bx8a 00:22:00 01:11:00
37.+R1ax1c!? 00:23:00 01:11:00
This is the move that Watanabe prepared. Previous games with this position continued
mostly with 37.L*6e after white has the choice between defending with 38.N*5a or
starting a counter attack with 38.+Bx6f Px6f L*5f. Watanabe said in the post-mortem
analysis that he had studied 37.+Rx1c, but that he couldn't see through all the
complications and therefore wanted to try it in an official game. The move 37.+Rx1c
is a lighter attack than L*6e and it also keeps the lance in hand. On the other hand,
because the black threat is not so strong than it would be after 37.L*6e, white has a
number of possible moves here.
38.+B9ix6f?! 00:23:00 01:44:00
Hard to judge if this move is a mistake or not. There are a number of alternatives
like 38.S2b, 38.+Bx8i and 38.Rx5e and they all lead to very difficult positions. Kubo
said after the game that he would have liked to think about three days about his move
here. In any case, after 38.+Bx6f it seems that black gets the upper hand which is almost
certainly decisive in a sharp endgame position like this. An interesting observation by
Yamasaki was that Watanabe probably also played 37.Rx1c+ to confuse Kubo with the number
of possible replies, which is a little out of character for Watanabe, who is known
for his strong attacking play.
39.P6gx6f 00:23:00 01:44:00
40.L*5f 00:23:00 01:44:00
41.L*5g 00:25:00 01:44:00
42.L5fx5g+ 00:25:00 01:53:00
43.G5hx5g 00:25:00 01:53:00
44.P*5f 00:25:00 02:13:00
45.G5gx5f 00:27:00 02:13:00
46.S*6g 00:27:00 02:23:00
A change of plan. Kubo had initially planned 46.N*6d, but here he saw that 47.G6e
Nx7f B*6g! is good for black. The bishop drop is not an easy move to play, giving
up an important piece in hand for what looks like a defense-only move. However,
if black can remove the knight from 7f, the black king will be completely safe.
Also, white has removed the 7th file pawn from the board, so black now has the
strong option of P*7d at any time.
47.P*2h 00:37:00 02:23:00
48.S6gx5f=? 00:37:00 02:53:00
After this, the game ends quickly. The idea was to defend against L*6e, but with
the silver on 5f, the move Rx5e, which is what white is hoping for, is not effective
because black can strongly answer this with B*4f. Kubo's best fighting chance was
48.S2b to chase the promoted rook away. For example, 49.+R2d Sx5f+ Px2g L*6g G5h
G*5g was a variation that was played in the post-mortem analysis. White threatens
Sx4g+ next, after which the black king cannot be defended. If black defends with
L*4h then Gx5h Kx5h N*5g and Watanabe said he thought that black could survive
the white attack, but that it was a lot more dangerous than he originally thought.
49.P2hx2g 00:37:00 02:53:00
50.L*6g 00:37:00 03:16:00
51.G6i-5h 00:56:00 03:16:00
52.N*3e 00:56:00 03:20:00
53.B*3f 01:10:00 03:20:00
54.K6b-7a 01:10:00 03:20:00
55.N*7e 01:24:00 03:20:00
56.S5f-4e 01:24:00 03:41:00
57.B3f-1d 01:49:00 03:41:00
58.R5bx5e 01:49:00 03:43:00
59.P*5g 01:49:00 03:43:00
60.P*5f 01:49:00 03:51:00
61.N7ex8c=! 02:03:00 03:51:00
The time difference in this game is huge. Kubo has only 9 minutes left, while Watanabe
has almost two hours. Watanabe took 14 minutes to make sure that the endgame is winning.
62.K7a-8b 02:03:00 03:51:00
63.B*9a 02:05:00 03:51:00
64.K8bx8c 02:05:00 03:51:00
65.L*8f 02:05:00 03:51:00
66.N*8e 02:05:00 03:54:00
67.B1dx4a+ 02:19:00 03:54:00
This threatens mate after Bx7c+ next, and white has no good defense.
68.G6a-7b 02:19:00 03:55:00
69.L8fx8e 02:19:00 03:55:00
70.R5ex8e 02:19:00 03:55:00
71.L*8f 02:19:00 03:55:00
Wins the rook and the game.
72.R8ex8f 02:19:00 03:56:00
73.P8gx8f 02:19:00 03:56:00
74.P5fx5g+ 02:19:00 03:56:00
75.G5hx5g 02:20:00 03:56:00
76.L*5d 02:20:00 03:57:00
77.+B4ax6c 02:24:00 03:57:00
78.L5dx5g= 02:24:00 03:57:00
79.K5i-4i 02:24:00 03:57:00
Resigns 02:24:00 03:59:00
If white takes the bishop with 80.Gx6c, he is threatening mate with G*5h, but then
81.R*8b Sx8b N*7e K7d +Rx6c followed by G*8e is mate and after two minutes of thought,
Kubo resigned. Watanabe was surprised how well his new move had worked and he won this
game with hardly breaking a sweat. Kubo was unhappy that he was unable to put up a
fight, but it is unlikely that he will be trapped like this again. We are all square
at 1-1 and Kubo has the black pieces in the third game.