48th Oi Match Game 5

[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Oi"]
[White "Fukaura Koichi, Challenger"]
[Event "48th Oi-sen, Game 5"]
[Date "August 29th and 30th 2007"]
1.P7g-7f     00:00:00  00:00:00
2.P8c-8d     00:00:00  00:02:00
3.S7i-6h     00:04:00  00:02:00
4.P3c-3d     00:04:00  00:03:00
5.S6h-7g     00:04:00  00:03:00
6.S7a-6b     00:04:00  00:03:00
7.P5g-5f     00:05:00  00:03:00
8.P5c-5d     00:05:00  00:03:00
9.S3i-4h     00:06:00  00:03:00
10.S3a-4b    00:06:00  00:04:00
11.G6i-7h    00:07:00  00:04:00
12.G4a-3b    00:07:00  00:04:00
13.K5i-6i    00:11:00  00:04:00
14.K5a-4a    00:11:00  00:04:00
15.G4i-5h    00:13:00  00:04:00
16.G6a-5b    00:13:00  00:04:00
17.P6g-6f    00:15:00  00:04:00
18.S4b-3c    00:15:00  00:05:00
19.B8h-7i    00:17:00  00:05:00
20.B2b-3a    00:17:00  00:06:00
21.P3g-3f    00:19:00  00:06:00
22.P4c-4d    00:19:00  00:06:00
23.G5h-6g    00:20:00  00:06:00
24.P7c-7d    00:20:00  00:06:00
25.B7i-6h    00:22:00  00:06:00
26.G5b-4c    00:22:00  00:29:00
27.K6i-7i    00:23:00  00:29:00
28.P9c-9d    00:23:00  00:29:00
29.K7i-8h    00:29:00  00:29:00
30.P9d-9e    00:29:00  00:30:00
31.R2h-3h    00:30:00  00:30:00

Diagram 1

The Yagura opening like in game 1 and 3. Fukaura also plays Yokofudori and 
sometimes Furibisha, but the Yagura is his specialty, so this development 
is no surprise. In the first game, Habu played 31.P2f here, but this time 
he plays it differently. This is not a fashionable way to play. The main problem 
for black is that R3h aims at exchanging the pawns with P3e Px3e Bx3e (or Rx3e),
but if black is not careful, this can be countered by an edge attack by white. 
White can often get a lance in hand, which can be dropped at 3d, winning either 
rook or bishop. Because black has to be careful instead of playing positively, 
31.R3h is not very popular.

32.N8a-7c    00:30:00  00:39:00
33.P1g-1f    00:51:00  00:39:00
34.B3a-4b    00:51:00  01:32:00
35.S4h-3g    01:09:00  01:32:00
36.S6b-5c!?  01:09:00  02:13:00

Interesting idea by Fukaura. This blocks the diagonal of the bishop, so it seems 
hard for white to attack at this point. Still, Fukaura goes for it anyway.

37.P3f-3e    01:33:00  02:13:00
38.P3dx3e    01:33:00  02:38:00
39.B6hx3e    01:33:00  02:38:00
40.P5d-5e    01:33:00  02:38:00
41.P5fx5e    01:35:00  02:38:00
42.P9e-9f    01:35:00  02:38:00
43.P9gx9f    01:37:00  02:38:00
44.P*9g      01:37:00  02:38:00

Diagram 2

The point of Fukaura's play. The normal way to play here would be 45.Lx9g, but after 
46.N8e S8f P7e Px7e S6d white has managed to bring an extra silver into the attack 
(which would have been on 6b if Fukaura hadn't opted for 36.S5c) and the white attack 
looks very strong.

45.K8hx9g!   02:50:00  02:38:00

Habu again shows how flexible he is. This move is almost never possible in the Yagura, 
because the bishop is covering 9g. Therefore, the king on 9g looks odd. However, Habu 
correctly judges that it is more important to keep his pieces together.

46.N7c-8e    02:50:00  02:41:00
47.K9g-8h    02:50:00  02:41:00
48.N8ex7g+   02:50:00  02:41:00
49.G7hx7g    02:50:00  02:41:00
50.P8d-8e    02:50:00  02:46:00
51.S3g-3f    02:57:00  02:46:00
52.S5c-6d    02:57:00  03:23:00
53.P6f-6e!?  04:18:00  03:23:00

Diagram 3

The sealed move. It is quite rare that the first day of a two day title match ends with 
a position where the attack has already started. Habu is not known for thinking a long 
time about a single move and the 81 minutes he took for this move is therefore a sign 
of how difficult this position is. 53.P6e is a move that requires courage, because it 
is inviting an attacking piece into the black position. The alternative was 53.B4f.

54.S6dx6e    04:18:00  04:13:00

Here white also seems to have 54.Sx5e P*5f S*6f, but it is unclear which is better.

55.P*6f      04:18:00  04:13:00
56.P8e-8f?   04:18:00  04:13:00

An natural looking move, but an important mistake, as will become clear a little later.

57.P8gx8f    04:19:00  04:13:00
58.S*5f      04:19:00  04:16:00
59.G6g-6h    04:22:00  04:16:00
60.S3c-3d    04:22:00  04:50:00
61.B3e-1g    04:25:00  04:50:00
62.P*3e      04:25:00  04:52:00
63.S3fx3e    04:26:00  04:52:00
64.S3dx3e    04:26:00  05:27:00
65.P6fx6e    04:28:00  05:27:00
66.S5fx4g+   04:28:00  05:30:00

Here Fukaura felt that he might be in trouble. Moving the silver away from the king is 
didn't feel right.

67.R3hx3e    05:47:00  05:30:00
68.B4b-2d    05:47:00  05:30:00

Diagram 4

With the pawn on 8f instead of 8g (where it would have been if Fukaura hadn't sacrificed 
the pawn with 56.P8f), the black king has 8g to run to, which is very important here.

69.R3ex3b+!  05:47:00  05:30:00

Strong attack, but only possible because the black king can move to 8g. With the pawn 
on 8g, there is the strong threat of S*7i, so black has to defend instead of being able 
to attack here.

70.R8bx3b    05:47:00  06:27:00
71.P*3e      05:47:00  06:27:00
72.R*3h      05:47:00  06:37:00
73.G*7h      06:15:00  06:37:00
74.R3bx3e    06:15:00  07:10:00

Diagram 5

The black defense looks very strong, but white has a strong threat: Rx6h+ Gx6h R3h+ and 
the black position crumbles. In the press room it was thought that black had to defend 
here, and white might be even better here because of all the major pieces pointing at 
the black king.

75.S*5d!     07:23:00  07:10:00

Habu takes more than hour for this move, but he finds a brilliant way to win in the 
attack.

76.G4cx5d    07:23:00  07:11:00
77.B1gx3e    07:24:00  07:11:00
78.B2dx3e    07:24:00  07:20:00
79.P*4c!     07:24:00  07:20:00

Diagram 6

It looks like white has all kinds of moves to successfully defend here, but there are 
none. For example 80.S*3a (S*5a is similar) S*4b Sx4b (K3b R*5a is also winning) Px4b+ 
Kx4b N*3d! and black wins. It is hard to believe that the black attack is faster than 
the white attack here, but Habu's magical powers prevail.

80.K4a-3b    07:24:00  07:27:00
81.S*3d      07:27:00  07:27:00
82.S*4a      07:27:00  07:27:00
83.P*3c      07:30:00  07:27:00
84.N2ax3c    07:30:00  07:37:00
85.P5ex5d    07:30:00  07:37:00
86.B3ex6h+   07:30:00  07:37:00
87.R*4b      07:30:00  07:37:00
Resigns      07:30:00  07:37:00

Final Diagram

Simple mate after 88.Sx4b Px4b+ Kx4b S*4c. Habu wins a short, but very close and exciting 
game to get back to 2-3. Still, he needs to win with the white pieces in the next game 
to save his Oi title.