37th Kio Match Game 4
[Black "Kubo Toshiaki, Kio"]
[White "Goda Masataka, Challenger"]
[Event "37th Kio-sen, Game 4"]
[Date "March 17th 2012"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00
3.P7f-7e 00:00:00 00:00:00
4.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:01:00
5.R2h-7h 00:00:00 00:01:00
Again Kubo's favorite opening, the Quick Ishida. There has been a lot of study put
into this opening and this often results in wild variations, but in this game the
game develops at a slower pace.
6.P8d-8e 00:00:00 00:01:00
7.R7h-7f 00:04:00 00:01:00
8.B2bx8h+ 00:04:00 00:02:00
9.S7ix8h 00:04:00 00:02:00
10.S3a-3b 00:04:00 00:02:00
11.K5i-4h 00:08:00 00:02:00
12.S3b-3c 00:08:00 00:07:00
13.K4h-3h 00:08:00 00:07:00
14.S7a-6b 00:08:00 00:07:00
15.K3h-2h 00:08:00 00:07:00
16.K5a-4b 00:08:00 00:07:00
17.S3i-3h 00:08:00 00:07:00
18.K4b-3b 00:08:00 00:07:00
19.G6i-7h 00:08:00 00:07:00
20.R8b-8d 00:08:00 00:07:00
21.S8h-7g 00:08:00 00:07:00
22.P9c-9d 00:08:00 00:07:00
23.P9g-9f 00:15:00 00:07:00
24.P1c-1d 00:15:00 00:19:00
25.P1g-1f 00:16:00 00:19:00
26.P6c-6d 00:16:00 00:20:00
27.P8g-8f 00:18:00 00:20:00
Kubo starts the hostilities with an attack on the 8th file.
28.G6a-7a 00:18:00 00:39:00
We are still in known territory. Here white cannot take on 8f, because after
28.Px8f Rx8f P*8e R8h black can play S7f next to attack the pawn on 8e and white
is in trouble.
29.P8fx8e 00:26:00 00:39:00
30.R8dx8e 00:26:00 00:39:00
31.S7g-8f 00:27:00 00:39:00
32.R8e-8b 00:27:00 00:39:00
33.N8i-7g 00:29:00 00:39:00
Black has taken control of the 8th file and threatens to extend his influence by
pushing the edge pawn P9e next. Or so it seems...
34.P9d-9e! 00:29:00 00:53:00
There has been two games played with this position and here 34.G4b and 34.G6a were
tried. Black and white each won a game, but a conclusion about which move was better
had not been reached. In any case, black needs to do something about the silver on 8f,
because it may become a burden to the rook. Forcing black into action is an obvious
strategy, but Goda is playing the position much more positively.
35.R7f-4f 01:12:00 00:53:00
The problem black has is that 35.Px9e fails to 36.P*9h Lx9h B*5d, so Kubo moves his
rook away from the bishop line.
36.B*5d 01:12:00 01:08:00
Even without attacking the rook Goda drops the bishop, keeping the pressure on the
9th file. After the game Goda admitted that he had no idea if this was a good plan
or not, but that he felt that he could only have a chance of winning if he could
activate the rook, so there was no alternative.
37.G7h-8h 01:46:00 01:08:00
38.P9ex9f 01:46:00 01:37:00
39.P*8d 01:57:00 01:37:00
40.G4a-4b 01:57:00 01:53:00
41.R4f-6f 02:07:00 01:53:00
42.S3c-4d 02:07:00 02:09:00
43.P5g-5f 02:25:00 02:09:00
44.S6b-6c 02:25:00 02:24:00
45.P4g-4f 02:32:00 02:24:00
46.S6c-5b 02:32:00 02:59:00
47.P4f-4e 02:38:00 02:59:00
48.B5dx4e 02:38:00 02:59:00
49.S8f-8e 02:49:00 02:59:00
50.N8a-9c 02:49:00 03:20:00
51.R6fx9f 03:07:00 03:20:00
52.R8b-8a 03:07:00 03:20:00
53.P*9b? 03:19:00 03:20:00
Kubo has managed to return the attack on the edge, and it seems that black has the
easier position. However, 53.P*9b is an important mistake. Here 53.S7f would have
been correct. For example, 54.Nx8e P*9b Nx7g+ Gx7g Rx8d N*8e leads to a long fight
where black has good attacking chances.
54.N9cx8e 03:19:00 03:29:00
55.N7gx8e? 03:19:00 03:29:00
After the second mistake in a row, the game dramatically turns in Goda's favor. The
only way to keep it interesting was 55.Px9a+ Rx8d R8f. Kubo was worried about Nx7g+
then, but after Rx8d +Nx8h Rx8h Bx5f Goda said that he was far from confident. In
the post-mortem analysis Kubo added that he thought that the white king position was
very solid and that he saw no good way to attack it, but that this variation
definitely offered more chances than what happened in the game. Goda said that
instead of Nx7g+, he probably would have played B6c which threatens P*8c and Nx7g+
next. If black has nothing to counter this plan, there will be an attacking race
that white will probably win because of his safer castle.
56.R8ax8d 03:19:00 03:29:00
57.R9f-8f 03:19:00 03:29:00
58.L9ax9b 03:19:00 03:33:00
59.L9ix9b+ 03:19:00 03:33:00
60.S*9e! 03:19:00 03:33:00
This move basically ends the game and the match. Black loses the important knight
on 8e and the white rook is coming alive. Black cannot hold on, because 61.R8g is
answered by S9f.
61.B*9c 03:21:00 03:33:00
62.R8d-8c 03:21:00 03:33:00
63.R8f-7f 03:27:00 03:33:00
64.R8cx8e 03:27:00 03:33:00
65.R7f-7h 03:27:00 03:33:00
66.G7a-7b 03:27:00 03:38:00
67.P7e-7d 03:28:00 03:38:00
68.S9e-8d 03:28:00 03:38:00
69.P7dx7c+ 03:28:00 03:38:00
70.G7bx7c 03:28:00 03:38:00
71.B9c-8b+ 03:32:00 03:38:00
72.B4ex5f 03:32:00 03:38:00
73.L*4h 03:35:00 03:38:00
74.B5fx6g+ 03:35:00 03:38:00
75.P*8g 03:37:00 03:38:00
76.P*7f 03:37:00 03:38:00
The black rook is now completely boxed in, the white king position is very solid
and black only has a knight in hand. Kubo said that here he had already more or
less given up and that the moves that followed were kind of like going through the
motions. It is not even unthinkable that he played on to avoid the embarrassment of
losing three games in a row in less than 90 moves.
77.N*9f 03:43:00 03:38:00
78.N*6f 03:43:00 03:41:00
79.N9fx8d 03:44:00 03:41:00
80.G7cx8d 03:44:00 03:43:00
81.R7h-7i 03:45:00 03:43:00
82.N6f-5h+ 03:45:00 03:43:00
83.G4ix5h 03:46:00 03:43:00
84.+B6gx5h 03:46:00 03:43:00
85.S*4i 03:46:00 03:43:00
86.+B5h-6h 03:46:00 03:45:00
87.R7i-7h 03:49:00 03:45:00
88.+B6hx7h 03:49:00 03:46:00
89.G8hx7h 03:49:00 03:46:00
90.N*5g 03:49:00 03:46:00
91.S4i-5h 03:52:00 03:46:00
92.R*5i 03:52:00 03:46:00
93.G7h-6h 03:52:00 03:46:00
94.P7f-7g+ 03:52:00 03:46:00
95.G6hx5g 03:53:00 03:46:00
96.+P7g-6h 03:53:00 03:46:00
97.S5h-4i 03:53:00 03:46:00
98.R5ix5g+ 03:53:00 03:46:00
99.L4hx4d 03:53:00 03:46:00
100.+P6h-5h 03:53:00 03:47:00
101.L4dx4c+ 03:54:00 03:47:00
102.S5bx4c 03:54:00 03:47:00
103.P*4d 03:54:00 03:47:00
104.+P5hx4i 03:54:00 03:47:00
105.P4dx4c+ 03:54:00 03:47:00
106.G4bx4c 03:54:00 03:47:00
107.S3hx4i 03:54:00 03:47:00
108.L*4d 03:54:00 03:47:00
109.S*5b 03:55:00 03:47:00
110.L4dx4i+ 03:55:00 03:49:00
Resigns 03:55:00 03:49:00
White threatens a standard mate with G*3h K1h S*1g Kx1g S*2h K1h G*1g Nx1g S2i= and
there is no proper defense. There also is no mate against the white king, so Kubo
resigned here. Goda wins his first Kio title, which is his first title in ten years.
Kubo has had a miserable month with dropping out of the A class of the Junisen and
losing both the Osho and the Kio titles. He is now without a title for the first
time in four years.