41st Oi Match Game 6
Black: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger
White: Habu Yoshiharu, Oi
41st Oi-sen, Game 6, September 13th and 14th 2000
1.P7g-7f 0/0 0/0
2.P3c-3d 0/0 2/2
3.P2g-2f 2/2 0/2
4.P4c-4d 0/2 1/3
5.P2f-2e 5/7 0/3
6.B2b-3c 0/7 1/4
7.S3i-4h 1/8 0/4
8.S3a-3b 0/8 5/9
9.P5g-5f 4/12 0/9
10.R8b-4b 0/12 2/11
11.K5i-6h 2/14 0/11
12.P9c-9d 0/14 12/23
13.K6h-7h 16/30 0/23
14.S3b-4c 0/30 14/37
15.P9g-9f 18/48 0/37
16.S7a-7b 0/48 23/60
17.G4i-5h 3/51 0/60
18.P6c-6d 0/51 13/73
19.S4h-5g 16/67 0/73
20.K5a-6b 0/67 11/84
21.P3g-3f 60/127 0/84
22.K6b-7a 0/127 16/100
23.P8g-8f 23/150 0/100
24.P8c-8d? 0/150 41/141
This might already be an important mistake. It looks like Habu underestimated
the power of the next move.
25.B8h-5e! 17/167 0/141
A very simple threat (taking the pawn on 6d), but quite hard to defend against.
6c is supposed to be the square for the gold on 4a, so 26.S6c is not a move
that white wants to play.
26.P6d-6e 0/167 26/167
Habu decides to push the attacked pawn, but this creates some serious
weaknesses. White has lost the opening battle.
27.S7i-8h 5/172 0/167
28.G4a-5b 0/172 6/173
29.S8h-8g 19/191 0/173
30.R4b-3b 0/191 61/234
31.P4g-4f 39/230 0/234
32.S4c-5d 0/230 17/251
33.B5e-7g 11/241 0/251
34.P7c-7d 0/241 10/261
35.R2h-3h 12/253 0/261
36.P4d-4e? 0/253 40/301
White is in trouble, but this makes matters worse. Black is also better after
36.B2b P5e S5d-6c S5f S6d P4e Px4e P2d Px2d R2h B3c N3g, but this variation
is better for white than the game.
37.P4fx4e 10/263 0/301
38.R3b-4b 0/263 12/313
39.R3h-4h 3/266 0/313
40.B3cx7g+ 0/266 9/322
41.N8ix7g 0/266 0/322
42.B*3i 0/266 0/322
43.B*3g! 34/300 0/322
Already more or less decisive. White can not defend against the attack on the
long open diagonal to 9a.
44.B3ix4h+ 0/300 46/368
No choice. Black also threatened to win the bishop with R4i next. This is
a position where a bishop is worth much more than a rook.
45.S5gx4h 0/300 0/368
46.S7b-7c?! 0/300 0/368
Habu already seems to have lost all fighting spirit. Better was 46.N7c P7e
G6c Px7d Gx7d B*4d, but even then the black advantage is overwhelming.
47.P7f-7e 18/318 0/368
Everything works perfectly for black. Because of the silver on 8g, which
looked out of place earlier, this attack is now very strong. The head of
the black knight on 7g is defended well enough for this to work.
48.P6e-6f 0/318 1/369
Tries to complicate things, but...
49.P7ex7d 35/353 0/369
Tanigawa just ignores white's attempt at counter play and goes straight for
the win. Playing Tanigawa in a position like this is like trying to stop a
bullet train.
50.P6fx6g+ 0/353 0/369
51.G5hx6g 0/353 0/369
52.S7c-8b 0/353 0/369
53.B3gx8b+ 7/360 0/369
Combined with the next black move, white's position is shattered.
54.K7ax8b 0/360 0/369
55.B*3g 0/360 0/369
Game over, but Habu decided that 55 moves was a little too short for a
title match game.
56.K8b-7b 0/360 0/369
57.B3gx9a+ 3/363 0/369
58.G6a-6b 0/363 0/369
59.S*8b! 19/382 0/369
Tanigawa-style attacking defence. Most players would play 59.N3g here to
take the last white chances out of the position. Tanigawa has seen that
after 60.Rx4e, he can defend with 61.L*4g which closes of the escape route
of the white king, as 62.P*4f fails to Lx4f Rx4f Sx8a=.
60.K7b-6a 0/382 8/377
61.+B9ax8a 1/383 0/377
62.R*2h 0/383 0/377
63.P7d-7c+ 1/384 0/377
64.R2hx4h+ 0/384 0/377
65.P*6h 0/384 0/377
66.R4bx4e 0/384 18/395
67.N*6d 1/385 0/395
68.K6a-5a 0/385 3/398
69.+P7cx6b 27/412 0/398
70.G5bx6b 0/412 0/398
71.S8b-7c= 0/412 0/398
Resigns 0/412 0/398
Time: 06:52:00 06:38:00
Habu finally throws the towel. White can not take this silver because of mate
in one and after 72.R4g+ Sx6b= K4b G*5h white's position is completely
hopeless.
A complete defeat for Habu, who saw a strategical loss after opening quickly
deteriorate. Still, all is not lost as the Oi match is now level at 3-3 and
a decisive seventh game is needed to decide the winner.