45th Oi Match Game 4


[Black "Tanigawa Koji, Oi"]

[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]

[Event "45th Oi-sen, Game 4"]

[Date "August 25th and 26th 2004"]

1.P2g-2f     00:00:00  00:00:00

2.P3c-3d     00:00:00  00:04:00

3.P7g-7f     00:08:00  00:04:00

4.P4c-4d     00:08:00  00:08:00

5.P2f-2e     00:16:00  00:08:00

6.B2b-3c     00:16:00  00:09:00

7.S3i-4h     00:16:00  00:09:00

8.P9c-9d     00:16:00  00:18:00

9.G4i-5h     00:25:00  00:18:00

10.R8b-4b    00:25:00  00:40:00



After three games of Furibisha, commentators were expecting an Ibisha 

game, but Habu again selects a ranging rook opening, this time the Shikenbisha.



11.K5i-6h    00:29:00  00:40:00

12.S7a-7b    00:29:00  00:47:00

13.K6h-7h    00:31:00  00:47:00

14.S3a-3b    00:31:00  00:58:00

15.P5g-5f    00:38:00  00:58:00

16.P6c-6d    00:38:00  01:15:00

17.S4h-5g    00:53:00  01:15:00

18.G4a-5b    00:53:00  01:38:00

19.P3g-3f    02:02:00  01:38:00

20.K5a-6b    02:02:00  02:08:00

21.B8h-5e    02:29:00  02:08:00

22.S7b-6c    02:29:00  02:21:00

23.P3f-3e!?  03:04:00  02:21:00



Diagram 1



In official tournament games this is a new move. There have been two 

games played with this position (Moriuchi-Nozuki in the Kisei tournament 

and Ono-Iijima in the Asahi Open), but in both games black played 24.P6f 

next and the game became a slow build-up. 23.P3e is a positive attacking 

move, suited to Tanigawa's playing style, but not a move he thought about 

himself. One of the reporters in the press room, Tanabe, had been at a shogi 

festival in Nagano, where Tanigawa played an exhibition game against Nozuki. 

In that game Nozuki played 23.P3e and even though in the end Tanigawa won 

that game, he must have been impressed enough with the power of the black 

attack to try it himself at the big stage. Judging from this game, 23.P3e 

is a very interesting move. Black can break through on the second file and 

the awkward position of the white king makes the white position hard to defend.



24.P3dx3e    03:04:00  03:07:00

25.S5g-4f    03:05:00  03:07:00

26.P4d-4e    03:05:00  03:08:00

27.B5ex3c+   04:17:00  03:08:00

28.N2ax3c    04:17:00  03:08:00

29.S4fx3e    04:17:00  03:08:00

30.P*3d      04:17:00  03:12:00

31.P2e-2d    04:30:00  03:12:00

32.P2cx2d    04:30:00  03:16:00

33.S3ex2d    04:31:00  03:16:00

34.P4e-4f    04:31:00  03:24:00

35.S2dx3c+   04:35:00  03:24:00

36.S3bx3c    04:35:00  03:24:00

37.P4gx4f    04:35:00  03:24:00

38.R4bx4f    04:35:00  04:11:00

39.R2h-2a+   04:40:00  04:11:00

40.B*4d!?    04:40:00  04:50:00



Diagram 2



Habu is aware that his position is worse and tries everything to confuse 

Tanigawa. The natural move is 40.B*5d, but after P*4c R4i+ G6i-5i +R3h P*3i 

white has no good square for the promoted rook (+Rx3i fails to the fork B*6f). 

Also, immediately 40.R4i+ is not good because of B*2g followed by Bx6c+ and N*5e.



41.N*5e      04:51:00  04:50:00

42.S6c-7b    04:51:00  04:54:00

43.+R2ax1a   05:16:00  04:54:00

44.R4fx5f    05:16:00  05:07:00

45.L*5g      05:27:00  05:07:00

46.R5fx7f    05:27:00  05:44:00

47.P*7g      05:27:00  05:44:00

48.R7f-4f    05:27:00  05:44:00

49.+R1a-4a   06:29:00  05:44:00

50.B4dx5e    06:29:00  06:12:00

51.P*4e!     06:31:00  06:12:00



Diagram 3



Habu completely overlooked this move. He thought that black could only play 

+Rx5b Gx5b Lx5e here, which wins material, but leaves black without a good 

attack, while white can start a very powerful counter attack with the two 

rooks. The boat castle will soon fall to that. Therefore, Habu did not think 

that 49.+R4a was possible and was very surprised when Tanigawa played it. 

However, after the strong 51.P4e, the white bishop has no place to go. 

Dropping the precious knight is the only defense.



52.N*5f      06:31:00  06:34:00

53.B*3g      06:31:00  06:34:00

54.K6b-7a    06:31:00  06:36:00

55.P4e-4d    06:52:00  06:36:00

56.S3cx4d!   06:52:00  07:06:00



Now it is Tanigawa's turn to be surprised. With this silver hanging, the 

white position only seems to have gotten worse. This is Habu's second attempt 

to confuse Tanigawa...



57.B3gx4f    07:07:00  07:06:00

58.B5ex4f    07:07:00  07:06:00

59.L5gx5f?   07:07:00  07:06:00



And this time Habu succeeds. This is a serious mistake, even though it was 

hard to foresee. Correct was 59.+Rx4d and after 60.B*3e +Rx4f Bx4f R*4a Bx1i+ 

Lx5f +Bx2i Lx5c+ Gx5c P*5d G5c-5b B*4d S*6b S*5c black's major pieces are all 

placed in perfect positions and black has a big advantage.



60.S*4c!     07:07:00  07:19:00



Diagram 4



It is likely that Tanigawa had only looked at 60.P*4c here, which fails to 

61.R*3a. The point of dropping the silver instead of the pawn is that the 

silver not only defends the silver on 4d, but also the gold on 5b. This means 

that after R*3a, black is no longer threatening +Rx5b, so white has an extra 

move, which is very important in this position.



61.R*3a      07:35:00  07:19:00



This must have been a very long 28 minutes for Tanigawa, realizing that the 

game that he controlled for so long is slipping through his fingers. After 

the game, he said that he had also looked at 61.N*3f, but after 62.B*1d there 

is nothing for black.



62.B*1d      07:35:00  07:22:00

63.P*4e      07:35:00  07:22:00

64.B1dx4a    07:35:00  07:28:00

65.P4ex4d    07:35:00  07:28:00

66.S4c-3b    07:35:00  07:28:00

67.N*3c      07:38:00  07:28:00

68.R*2h      07:38:00  07:33:00

69.N3cx4a+   07:39:00  07:33:00

70.B4f-5g+   07:39:00  07:34:00

71.S*5i      07:41:00  07:34:00



Diagram 5



72.+B5gx5h!  07:41:00  07:36:00



Habu wants to stop the black attack and the first step is to get both rooks. 

After 72.+B5f Rx3b+ things get complicated again.



73.S5ix5h    07:41:00  07:36:00

74.G*2a      07:41:00  07:36:00

75.P4d-4c+   07:47:00  07:36:00

76.G5bx4c    07:47:00  07:36:00

77.B*1h      07:47:00  07:36:00

78.G2ax3a    07:47:00  07:45:00

79.+N4ax3a   07:47:00  07:45:00

80.S3b-3c    07:47:00  07:46:00

81.B*3g      07:48:00  07:46:00

82.R2h-2b+   07:48:00  07:47:00

83.G*6c      07:56:00  07:47:00

84.S3c-4d    07:56:00  07:49:00

85.B3gx6d    07:56:00  07:49:00

86.P*4e      07:56:00  07:49:00

87.L5fx5c+   07:56:00  07:49:00

88.G4cx5c    07:56:00  07:49:00

89.G6cx5c    07:56:00  07:49:00

90.P*5g      07:56:00  07:49:00

91.S5hx5g    07:57:00  07:49:00

92.P*6c      07:57:00  07:49:00

93.P*2c      07:59:00  07:49:00

94.+R2bx2c   07:59:00  07:49:00

95.G*6b      07:59:00  07:49:00

96.G6ax6b    07:59:00  07:50:00

97.G5cx6b    07:59:00  07:50:00

98.K7ax6b    07:59:00  07:50:00

99.B6d-4b+   07:59:00  07:50:00

100.+R2c-2h  07:59:00  07:50:00

101.P*5h     07:59:00  07:50:00

102.G*5b     07:59:00  07:51:00

Resigns      07:59:00  07:51:00



Final Diagram



If black moves the promoted bishop, L*5c is winning. Also, 103.+Bx5b Kx5b 

G*5d fails to G*5c and black has no way to continue. Habu wins three games 

in a row to take a 3-1 lead and only needs one more win to take the Oi title 

from Tanigawa. With the Oza match against Moriuchi starting soon, Habu will 

be looking to finish the match as early as possible. This might be a chance 

for Tanigawa, but the pressure is definitely on him now.