45th Oi Match Game 3


[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]

[White "Tanigawa Koji, Oi"]

[Event "45th Oi-sen, Game 3"]

[Date "August 4th and 5th 2004"]

1.P7g-7f     00:00:00  00:00:00

2.P3c-3d     00:00:00  00:02:00

3.P2g-2f     00:02:00  00:02:00

4.G4a-3b     00:02:00  00:09:00



An invitation to play the Kakugawari with one tempo loss. Tanigawa 

intended to play this opening if black would play 5.P2e. After this, 

6.Bx8h+ Sx8h S2b leads to the Kakugawari where white keeps back the 

rook pawn.



5.G6i-7h     00:07:00  00:09:00

6.P5c-5d     00:07:00  00:43:00



Upon seeing 5.G7h, Tanigawa changed his mind. He is going for a 

Nakabisha opening instead. With the gold on 7h, black can not move 

easily into the boat castle with K6h and K7h, and Tanigawa felt that 

the black options were already limited enough to switch to another 

opening than he originally intended.



7.P2f-2e     00:19:00  00:43:00

8.P5d-5e     00:19:00  00:47:00

9.P2e-2d     00:24:00  00:47:00

10.P2cx2d    00:24:00  00:48:00

11.R2hx2d    00:24:00  00:48:00

12.R8b-5b    00:24:00  00:49:00

13.K5i-6i    00:42:00  00:49:00

14.K5a-6b    00:42:00  01:02:00

15.S3i-4h    00:51:00  01:02:00

16.K6b-7b    00:51:00  01:06:00

17.S7i-6h    00:55:00  01:06:00

18.K7b-8b    00:55:00  01:43:00

19.R2d-2h    01:05:00  01:43:00

20.P*2c      01:05:00  01:48:00

21.P4g-4f    01:44:00  01:48:00

22.P3d-3e    01:44:00  02:00:00

23.S4h-4g    01:57:00  02:00:00

24.R5b-5d    01:57:00  02:13:00

25.P6g-6f    02:16:00  02:13:00

26.S7a-7b    02:16:00  02:29:00

27.K6i-7i    02:19:00  02:29:00

28.R5d-2d    02:19:00  02:40:00

29.P*2e      02:31:00  02:40:00

30.R2d-3d    02:31:00  02:40:00

31.P9g-9f    02:47:00  02:40:00

32.P9c-9d    02:47:00  02:49:00

33.B8h-7g    02:56:00  02:49:00

34.S3a-4b    02:56:00  03:05:00

35.K7i-8h    03:04:00  03:05:00

36.S4b-5c?   03:04:00  03:21:00



Diagram 1



A mistake. Correct was 36.P1d, after which the game continues in quiet 

fashion after 37.G5h S5c S6g S5d.



37.R2h-3h!   03:27:00  03:21:00



This attack does not work if white had played 36.P1d, because then 

38.B1c is possible. The game is suddenly picking up pace and white 

is already stretched a little.



38.P1c-1d    03:27:00  03:47:00

39.P3g-3f    03:53:00  03:47:00



The sealed move.



40.P3ex3f?   03:53:00  03:59:00



Diagram 2



Here Habu was worried about 40.B1c. For example, 41.Px3e Rx3e S3f R3c 

P*3e S4d N3g G4b N4e R3b and even though black has developed the knight 

to 4e, this position is unclear. Habu did not have much confidence in 

the black position in this variation. Goda commented that Tanigawa usually 

has a perfect balance between intuition and calculation, but that he 

relied a bit too much on intuition in this phase of the game. On the 

other hand, Habu is often calculating a lot of moves, even strange looking 

ones and in this game this turns out to be the better strategy.



41.S4gx3f    03:54:00  03:59:00

42.B2b-1c    03:54:00  04:01:00

43.P*3e      04:11:00  04:01:00

44.R3d-7d    04:11:00  04:03:00

45.S6h-6g    04:14:00  04:03:00

46.P*3d      04:14:00  04:11:00

47.G4i-4h    04:52:00  04:11:00

48.P3dx3e    04:52:00  04:45:00

49.S3fx3e    05:02:00  04:45:00

50.P*3d      05:02:00  04:45:00

51.B7g-8f    05:06:00  04:45:00

52.B1cx3e?!  05:06:00  05:08:00



Diagram 3



This move was also criticized by Goda, who suggested 52.S6b instead. Interesting 

is that both players thought about different moves after 52.S6b. Tanigawa 

looked at the straightforward 53.Sx3e, while Habu preferred the more indirect 

53.S2f. Different styles of play showing.



53.R3hx3e    05:06:00  05:08:00

54.P3dx3e    05:06:00  05:08:00

55.B8fx5c+   05:06:00  05:08:00

56.R*2h?     05:06:00  05:08:00



Diagram 4



The losing move, but of the people following this game, only Habu figured out 

why this move is a vital mistake. Tanigawa deeply regretted this rook drop and 

after the game pointed out that 56.P5f was the only move here. After 57.Px5f 

white can play 58.R2h (the reason will become clear soon), but after 57.S*5b 

S*6b Sx6a+ Sx6a B*5b S*7b Bx6a+ Sx6a S*5b Sx5c Sx6a= black still has the upper 

hand: R*2h S*7a K9c S7b+ is winning and R*7a G*7b Rx7b Sx7b+ Kx7b R*5b is also 

good for black. White has no good defense with only major pieces to drop.



57.S*6b!     05:55:00  05:08:00

58.G6ax6b    05:55:00  05:29:00

59.+B5cx6b   05:55:00  05:29:00

60.S*7a      05:55:00  05:29:00

61.+B6bx7a   05:56:00  05:29:00

62.K8bx7a    05:56:00  05:29:00

63.G*3i!     05:56:00  05:29:00



The point. Habu has weakened the defense around the white king and now aims at 

getting a rook in hand.



64.R2h-2f+   05:56:00  05:43:00

65.G4h-3g    05:56:00  05:43:00

66.+R2fx2e   05:56:00  05:45:00

67.B*4g      05:56:00  05:45:00



The difference. If white would have played 56.P5f instead of 56.R*2h, this bishop 

fork would not have been possible.



68.P3e-3f    05:56:00  05:45:00

69.G3gx3f    05:56:00  05:45:00

70.+R2ex3f   05:56:00  06:32:00

71.B4gx3f    05:56:00  06:32:00

72.R7d-3d    05:56:00  06:32:00

73.R*4a      06:14:00  06:32:00

74.S*6a      06:14:00  06:35:00

75.P*3g      06:15:00  06:35:00

76.P5e-5f    06:15:00  06:57:00

77.P5gx5f    06:17:00  06:57:00

78.G3b-3a    06:17:00  06:57:00

79.R4ax4c+   06:17:00  06:57:00

80.R3d-3c    06:17:00  06:57:00

81.+R4c-4d   06:23:00  06:57:00

82.B*2b      06:23:00  07:03:00

83.B3f-2e    06:31:00  07:03:00

84.R3cx3g+   06:31:00  07:19:00

85.N2ix3g    06:38:00  07:19:00

86.B2bx4d    06:38:00  07:19:00

87.B2e-4c+   06:38:00  07:19:00

Resigns      06:38:00  07:20:00



Final Diagram



Only 16:50 in the afternoon, but Tanigawa has nothing but to resign. There is no 

good square for the attacked bishop on 4d. 87.B2f fails to R*3f G*3e +B4d, 87.B3e 

to R*3d and 87.B6b to S*5c. Another complete victory for Habu, who suddenly is 

in control of this match. Quite a different pattern from the previous two Oi matches 

between these players, when Tanigawa started by winning the first three games. 

Game 4 is now very important. Can Habu take a 3-1 lead or can Tanigawa change the 

flow of the match by tying it at 2-2?