42nd Oi Match Game 1
Black: Yashiki Nobuyuki, Challenger
White: Habu Yoshiharu, Oi
42nd Oi-sen, Game 1, July 17th and 18th 2001
1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00
For the first time Yashiki plays a title match where each game
is played over two days. Furthermore, this first game is played
in Hokkaido, his native island. How would the challenger deal
with these two first time experiences?
2.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:01:00
3.S7i-6h 00:01:00 00:01:00
4.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:03:00
5.P6g-6f 00:01:00 00:03:00
6.S7a-6b 00:01:00 00:06:00
7.P5g-5f 00:03:00 00:06:00
8.P5c-5d 00:03:00 00:11:00
9.S3i-4h 00:04:00 00:11:00
10.S3a-4b 00:04:00 00:14:00
11.G4i-5h 00:05:00 00:14:00
12.G4a-3b 00:05:00 00:19:00
13.G5h-6g 00:19:00 00:19:00
14.K5a-4a 00:19:00 00:29:00
15.S6h-7g 01:10:00 00:29:00
Habu and Yashiki have never played in a title match before, but
they have met in other official games ten times. Habu has an
overwhelming lead, winning eight of them. Habu and Yashiki are
both all-round players and this clearly shows from the openings
in their games: 5 times Shikenbisha, 2 times Aigakari, Hineribisha
once, Yokofudori once and Yagura once. Recently, the Shikenbisha
is often played in title matches and this was more or less expected
in this game as well. However, the game started with a Yagura opening.
The Yagura once was played in almost every title match game, but
these times are over. It has actually been one year and four months
since the last Yagura opening appeared in a title match game: the
3rd game of the 25th Kio match between Habu and Moriuchi.
16.P7c-7d 01:10:00 00:43:00
17.B8h-7i?! 01:21:00 00:43:00
An interesting choice by Yashiki. Pulling this bishop back quickly
aims at winning a move by making the quick castle K6h-7h-8h followed
by G7h. Keeping the bishop on 7i then wins black a move. Still,
this only works if white plays quietly. If not, black runs the
risk of being blown away by a quick attack. This game is a perfect
example of this. Commentator Morishita was very surprised by
Yashiki's opening selection, as black's winning rate is pretty
bad with this strategy.
18.P6c-6d 01:21:00 01:12:00
19.P3g-3f 01:58:00 01:12:00
20.S6b-6c 01:58:00 01:26:00
21.P3f-3e 02:41:00 01:26:00
22.R8b-5b! 02:41:00 02:15:00
White ignores the pawn on 3e and goes straight for the king. After
the game Habu said that he had played this position before and felt
it was good for white.
23.P3ex3d 03:05:00 02:15:00
24.P5d-5e 03:05:00 02:16:00
25.S4h-5g 03:21:00 02:16:00
26.P5ex5f 03:21:00 02:40:00
27.G6gx5f 03:22:00 02:40:00
This is not the piece with which you want to take this pawn, but
after the normal 27.Sx5f S5d P4f S5e Sx5e Rx5e P*5f R3e black is
in deep trouble.
28.N8a-7c 03:22:00 03:13:00
29.G6i-5h 04:11:00 03:13:00
30.S6c-5d 04:11:00 03:31:00
31.G5h-6g 04:22:00 03:31:00
32.P6d-6e 04:22:00 03:43:00
White has won the opening and keeps on attacking.
33.K5i-6i 04:31:00 03:43:00
34.R5b-6b 04:31:00 04:21:00
35.P6fx6e 05:31:00 04:21:00
36.N7cx6e 05:31:00 04:32:00
37.P*6f 05:32:00 04:32:00
38.N6ex5g+ 05:32:00 04:34:00
39.G5fx5g 05:33:00 04:34:00
40.P*6e 05:33:00 04:59:00
White has already won a silver for a knight, but Habu is not
satisfied with this small material gain. He wants black's king.
41.P6fx6e 05:47:00 04:59:00
42.P7d-7e 05:47:00 05:20:00
43.P7fx7e? 05:57:00 05:20:00
This was already Yashiki's last and only chance to try and make
a real game of it. 43.G5g-6f Sx6e Gx6e Rx6e P*6f R6d B4f R4d Bx9a+
Rx4g+ S*5h and even though white still has the upper hand, the
undeveloped bishop on 2b makes things a little hard for Habu.
44.R6bx6e 05:57:00 05:33:00
45.G5g-6f 06:02:00 05:33:00
46.R6e-4e 06:02:00 05:48:00
47.B7i-4f 06:07:00 05:48:00
48.R4ex4f 06:07:00 06:21:00
49.P4gx4f 06:07:00 06:21:00
50.P*6e 06:07:00 06:21:00
51.G6f-7f 06:14:00 06:21:00
52.B2b-5e! 06:14:00 06:21:00
Black seems to have improved his position a little by exchanging
the bad bishop for the rook, but this strong bishop move ends all
hope. It has no less than three different meanings: 1) Attack next
with Bx4f; 2) Defending the lance on 9a, taking the sting out of
R*8a next; 3) Moving the wall bishop from 2b, so that white's king
now has an escape route to 2b. Aono's comment: "If a move like that
is played against you, there is no way to win".
53.R2h-4h 06:37:00 06:21:00
There is nothing for black to play. 53.K7h Bx4f R1h B*4e threatening
both S*6i and Bx2g+ is even worse.
54.S*6f 06:37:00 06:29:00
Not a very sophisticated move, but very effective.
55.G6g-6h 06:40:00 06:29:00
56.B*5f 06:40:00 06:36:00
57.R*8a 06:51:00 06:36:00
58.P*7a 06:51:00 06:38:00
59.P*6b 07:00:00 06:38:00
A desperate last attempt by the man known for his "Ninja shogi".
60.B5fx8i+! 07:00:00 06:48:00
Lesser gods might have played 60.G7b?, but then P6a+ followed
by +Px7a suddenly gives white some hope. However, a holder of
five major title doesn't play moves like that.
61.P6bx6a+ 07:02:00 06:48:00
62.N*5f 07:02:00 06:49:00
63.R8ax7a+ 07:05:00 06:49:00
64.S6fx7g+ 07:05:00 06:50:00
65.+P6a-6b 07:05:00 06:50:00
66.S*5a 07:05:00 06:50:00
67.+P6bx5a 07:05:00 06:50:00
68.K4a-3a 07:05:00 06:50:00
69.+P5a-5b 07:05:00 06:50:00
70.K3a-2b 07:05:00 06:50:00
71.+P5bx4b 07:05:00 06:50:00
With enormous effort Yashiki has managed to get within one move,
but Habu has already calculated long before that this is as far
as white will get.
72.+S7gx6h 07:05:00 06:50:00
73.R4hx6h 07:05:00 06:50:00
74.N5fx6h+ 07:05:00 06:50:00
75.K6ix6h 07:05:00 06:50:00
76.R*3h 07:05:00 06:50:00
Resigns 07:05:00 06:50:00
Simple mate after both 77.K5g G*5f and 77.P*5h G*6g K5i Gx5h.
A terrible game for Yashiki, being blown away with black in
front of his home crowd. Will he be able to bounce back in
game 2 or will this Oi match become a one-sided Habu show?