41st Oi Match Game 5

Black: Habu Yoshiharu, Oi
White: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger
41st Oi-sen, Game 5, September 4th and 5th 2000
1.P7g-7f     1/1       0/0
2.P3c-3d     0/1       1/1
3.P2g-2f     3/4       0/1
4.P4c-4d     0/4       4/5
5.P2f-2e     4/8       0/5
6.B2b-3c     0/8       0/5
7.S3i-4h     1/9       0/5
8.R8b-4b     0/9       6/11
9.K5i-6h     5/14      0/11
10.S3a-3b    0/14      6/17
11.K6h-7h    3/17      0/17
12.S7a-7b    0/17      8/25
13.P5g-5f    4/21      0/25
14.P9c-9d    0/21      27/52
15.B8h-6f    37/58     0/52
16.S3b-4c    0/58      30/82
17.B6f-5g    5/63      0/82
18.R4b-2b    0/63      7/89
19.G4i-5h    6/69      0/89
20.K5a-6b    0/69      12/101
21.P6g-6f    29/98     0/101
22.K6b-7a    0/98      8/109
23.P3g-3f    5/103     0/109
24.K7a-8b    0/103     12/121
25.N2i-3g    19/122    0/121
26.S4c-5d    0/122     36/157
27.G5h-6g    12/134    0/157
28.P6c-6d    0/134     10/167
29.N8i-7g    7/141     0/167
30.P9d-9e    0/141     14/181
31.K7h-8i    50/191    0/181

Again Habu plays the "millenium". The bad loss against Fujii in the first game
of the Oza has not discouraged him.

32.G4a-5b    0/191     18/199
33.G6i-7h    1/192     0/199
34.P8c-8d    0/192     18/217
35.P1g-1f    20/212    0/217
36.P1c-1d    0/212     11/228
37.P6f-6e?   24/236    0/228

Diagram 1

This is asking a little much of the position. From now on, it is white who
is dictating the pace.

38.P6dx6e    0/236     30/258
39.B5gx8d    0/236     0/258
40.P4d-4e    0/236     0/258
41.B8d-5g    16/252    0/258
42.G5b-6c    0/252     2/260
43.S4h-5i    27/279    0/260
44.R2b-6b    0/279     50/310

White has a strong attacking base on 6e and the capture of his pawn on 8d
also helps, as white can drop a pawn later on either 8f or 8h.

45.S5i-5h    53/332    0/310

Diagram 2

Another problem of black's position is the formation of silver and gold on
7i and 7h. These two pieces are a wall that make it difficult for the king
to escape from the edge attack that is going to follow. Black would like
to repair his position with S5i-6h, followed by S8h and S6h-7i. However,
after 45.S5i-6h G7d P7e P6f G7f G6e Nx6e Sx6e Gx6e Rx6e G*7f P9f white
gets a very strong attack. 45.S5h creates a square for the gold to pull
back to 6h after P6f in this variation, but the silver is not very well
placed here. Habu's opening has turned out to be a failure and Tanigawa
now has the advantage.

46.G6c-7d    0/332     38/348
47.P2e-2d    27/359    0/348

No choice. White has weakened himself on this side of the board so black
can break through. Still, it seems a lot further from the king than white's
attack.

48.P2cx2d    0/359     0/348
49.P3f-3e    0/359     0/348
50.N2a-1c    0/359     44/392
51.P3ex3d    23/382    0/392
52.B3c-4d    0/382     0/392
53.R2hx2d    2/384     0/392
54.P9e-9f    0/384     1/393
55.P9gx9f    10/394    0/393
56.P*9g      0/394     1/394
57.P3d-3c+?  8/402     0/394

Diagram 3

Careless, underestimating the power of white's 60th move. Best was 56.Lx9g 
P*3f P3c+ Bx3c R3d Bx7g+ G6gx7g Px3g+ and even though white strongly threatens
N*8e next, black still has counter chances with the bishop in hand.

58.B4dx3c    0/402     3/397
59.R2d-2c+   0/402     0/397
60.B3c-6f!   0/402     20/417

Diagram 4

Strong move. White is aiming for a bishop exchange, after black can no longer
take the pawn on 9g because of the fork B*6d.

61.+R2cx5c?! 27/429    0/417

Again inaccurate. Better would have been 61.P*6c Rx6c P*6d Rx6d Lx9g.

62.R6b-5b    0/429     5/422
63.+R5cx5b   28/457    0/422
64.G6ax5b    0/457     0/422
65.G6gx6f    0/457     0/422
66.P6ex6f    0/457     0/422
67.P7f-7e    0/457     0/422
68.G7dx7e    0/457     7/429
69.R*8d      1/458     0/429
70.S7b-8c?   0/458     13/442

Diagram 5

A bad move that gives away all the advantage. Tanigawa has calculated this
deeply and saw that 71.Rx5d leads to mate after 72.G*9h: 73.Lx9h Px9h+ Kx9h
Lx9f P*9g Lx9g= Kx9g L*9e P*9f Lx9f Kx9f R*9h P*9g P*9e Kx9e Rx9g+ P*9f
P*9d Rx9d Sx9d Kx9d R*9c K8d G*7d. In this variation, having the silver on
8c is vital. Tanigawa thinks he is going for a straight win, but he has
not calculated Habu's alternatives deep enough. If he would have played
the natural 70.P*8c instead, he would probably have won after 71.Rx5d P*5c
R4d G*9h Lx9h Px9h+ Kx9h Lx9f P*9g Lx9g= Kx9g L*9e P*9f Lx9f Kx9f R*9h.

71.R8dx8c+   0/458     0/442
72.K8bx8c    0/458     0/442
73.B*6a      0/458     0/442
74.R*7b      0/458     3/445

Painful. White would like to play 74.K8d, but after Bx5b+ the black bishop
is also defending 9f, so white suddenly does not have a strong attack anymore.

75.L9ix9g    0/458     0/445
76.P*9e      0/458     6/451
77.G7h-8h    8/466     0/451
78.P9ex9f    0/466     8/459
79.L9gx9f    3/469     0/459
80.L9ax9f    0/469     0/459
81.P*9g      0/469     0/459
82.P*9h?     0/469     3/462

Diagram 6

Overlooking black's 87th move. Better was 82.R*5i S*8d K8b Sx7e Rx5h+ Bx1c+
Lx1c Bx7b+ Kx7b R*9b P*8b N*6d K6c and things are still unclear.

83.S*8d      1/470     0/462
84.K8c-8b    0/470     2/464
85.K8ix9h    0/470     0/464
86.G7e-7f    0/470     5/469

Diagram 7

White's attack still looks strong, but...

87.B5gx1c+!  1/471     0/469

The decisive move. White can not take this bishop because of N*6d.

88.G5b-6b    0/471     6/475
89.N*9d      2/473     0/475
90.K8b-9a    0/473     0/475

The only defence. After 90.K7a Bx7b+ white can not take the bishop with the
gold as the black promoted bishop comes into play strongly with +B3e.

91.B6ax7b+   0/473     0/475
92.G6bx7b    0/473     0/475
93.R*5b      0/473     0/475
94.P*8f      0/473     2/477

This is not even have a mating threat, and there is no defence against
the black attack. Game over.

95.R5bx7b+   2/475     0/477
96.P8fx8g+   0/475     0/477
97.G8hx8g    0/475     0/477
98.G7fx8g    0/475     0/477
99.K9hx8g    0/475     0/477
100.L9fx9g+  0/475     2/479
101.K8gx9g   1/476     0/479
102.R*9i     0/476     0/479
103.P*9h     0/476     0/479
104.G*9f     0/476     0/479
105.K9gx9f   0/476     0/479
106.R9ix9h+  0/476     0/479
107.P*9g     0/476     0/479
108.L*9e     0/476     0/479
109.S8dx9e   1/477     0/479
110.B*8g     0/477     0/479
111.K9f-8f   0/477     0/479
112.P*8e     0/477     0/479
113.K8f-7e   0/477     0/479
Resigns      0/477     0/479
Time:        07:57:00  07:59:00

Final Diagram

After 114.G*6e K8d or 114.G*7d Kx6f G6e K5g (or Nx6e) there is no mate,
so Tanigawa resigned. Again Tanigawa was dictating the pace in this game,
but again he wanted to win too quickly in the endgame, giving Habu a
chance to get back in. Habu now needs only one win from two games to
win his 8th consecutive Oi title.