49th Oi Match Game 2
[Black "Fukaura Koichi, Oi"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[Event "49th Oi-sen, Game 2"]
[Date "July 23rd and 24th 2008"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.R8b-3b 00:00:00 00:01:00
A big surprise. This is not a new opening and has even won a prize for the most
interesting opening idea of the year. However, it has never been played in a title
match before. Some say it is risky to try new things at the biggest stage, but
Habu holds the opinion that new things should especially be tried at the biggest
stage. No better way to understand an opening idea than with the pressure of a
big game. Anyway, Fukaura was completely taken by surprise and he didn't (or couldn't)
hide this when the move was played. After he composed himself, he picked the sharpest
possible variation, although he needed another invitational move from Habu for that.
3.P9g-9f 00:14:00 00:01:00
4.P9c-9d 00:14:00 00:05:00
This is actually the second surprise by Habu. Pushing this edge pawn in reply to
black's edge pawn looks like a natural move, but among professionals it is not so
easily played. In a slow game where black also opts for the Furibisha opening, it
gives black the opportunity to play a strong edge attack. Actually, in an early
fighting game this edge attack seems even more dangerous, as we will see next.
5.P2g-2f 00:50:00 00:05:00
6.K5a-6b 00:50:00 00:09:00
7.P2f-2e 00:50:00 00:09:00
8.P3c-3d 00:50:00 00:11:00
9.B8hx2b+ 00:50:00 00:11:00
10.S3ax2b 00:50:00 00:12:00
11.B*6e 00:50:00 00:12:00
12.B*7d 00:50:00 00:13:00
13.B6ex4c+ 00:50:00 00:13:00
14.B7dx4g+ 00:50:00 00:13:00
15.P9f-9e 01:52:00 00:13:00
With the spirit of the challenger instead of the title defender (as he promised
before the match), Fukaura dives right into the sharpest possible variation against
2.R3b and 4.P9d. Habu said after the game that he fully expected this and that the
edge attack is unavoidable here.
16.P9dx9e 01:52:00 01:40:00
17.G4i-5h 02:01:00 01:40:00
18.+B4g-7d 02:01:00 01:43:00
19.P*9b 02:05:00 01:43:00
20.L9ax9b 02:05:00 01:44:00
21.+B4cx3b 02:05:00 01:44:00
22.G4ax3b 02:05:00 01:44:00
23.R*9a 02:05:00 01:44:00
Only 23 moves played and it already looks like black is getting an important material
advantage.
24.P8c-8d 02:05:00 03:12:00
Opening the bishop diagonal to the lance is very important here.
25.R9ax8a+ 02:05:00 03:12:00
26.S7a-7b 02:05:00 03:13:00
27.P7f-7e 02:18:00 03:13:00
The only move. 27.+R9a is bad after 28.S3c, which defends against black's only quick
attack with P2d. Next, white can take his time to pick up the promoted rook with
G7a followed by G8a.
28.S7bx8a 02:18:00 03:13:00
29.P7ex7d 02:18:00 03:13:00
30.P7cx7d 02:18:00 03:13:00
31.B*6f 03:03:00 03:13:00
32.B*3c 03:03:00 03:38:00
33.B6fx8d 03:31:00 03:38:00
34.K6b-5b 03:31:00 03:41:00
35.B8d-6f 03:34:00 03:41:00
36.B3cx6f 03:34:00 03:41:00
37.P6gx6f 03:34:00 03:41:00
38.S2b-3c 03:34:00 03:41:00
The pieces for both sides are scattered all over the place, but we are still on
the first day of this game. Actually, this was the position where Fukaura sealed
his move. Black has won a knight and Fukaura thought that he had the advantage
because of that, but he slowly started to realize that things were not so easy.
Here he can even get a silver advantage after 39.N*7c G7a Nx8a+ Gx8a, but the black
position has a lot of holes where white can drop a knight very effectively (for
example, 7f or 5f). Also, black has sacrificed a number of pawns, so the position
is strangely balanced. Shogi is not so easy to judge and it shows Habu's special
abilities that he dares to challenge common shogi sense here.
39.P*4d! 04:07:00 03:41:00
The sealed move and a good one. Fukaura has realized in time that black is not
necessarily better here and digs in. This pawn cannot be taken (Sx4d is answered by
P2d) and because it is an attacking base close to the king Habu admitted after
the game that he didn't like this move at all.
40.P*4f 04:07:00 04:06:00
41.P2e-2d 04:33:00 04:06:00
42.P2cx2d 04:33:00 04:15:00
43.B*6e 04:49:00 04:15:00
44.B*5d 04:49:00 04:26:00
45.N*5e 04:49:00 04:26:00
46.P4f-4g+ 04:49:00 04:58:00
47.G5hx4g 04:57:00 04:58:00
48.P*4b 04:57:00 05:13:00
49.G4g-5f 05:37:00 05:13:00
50.S8a-7b 05:37:00 06:10:00
51.R2h-4h 05:43:00 06:10:00
52.B5dx6e 05:43:00 06:11:00
53.G5fx6e 05:49:00 06:11:00
54.B*1d 05:49:00 06:11:00
55.P*7c 06:23:00 06:11:00
56.S7bx7c 06:23:00 06:24:00
57.B*8c 06:23:00 06:24:00
58.G6a-6b 06:23:00 06:26:00
59.G6ex7d? 06:23:00 06:26:00
Fukaura has played very well up until this point, but this is a mistake. Just taking
the lance with 59.Bx9b+ was correct, after which the position remains unclear.
60.P5c-5d! 06:23:00 07:13:00
Strong move. This pawn is going to pick up the big knight on 5e. Even more importantly,
after that, white threatens to start a strong attack with P5f at any time. White
now clearly gets the upper hand.
61.G7dx7c 06:39:00 07:13:00
62.G6bx7c 06:39:00 07:15:00
63.B8cx9b+ 06:39:00 07:15:00
64.P5dx5e 06:39:00 07:15:00
65.L*4g 06:39:00 07:15:00
66.P*7d 06:39:00 07:21:00
67.+B9b-9a 06:58:00 07:21:00
68.P*8b 06:58:00 07:25:00
69.+B9ax8b 07:04:00 07:25:00
70.G*7b 07:04:00 07:26:00
71.+B8bx7c 07:04:00 07:26:00
72.G7bx7c 07:04:00 07:26:00
73.S*5d 07:04:00 07:26:00
74.S3cx4d 07:04:00 07:31:00
75.P*2e 07:05:00 07:31:00
Here Habu got the feeling that the position started to slip through his fingers.
An unusual error of judgment by him.
76.B*2g 07:05:00 07:36:00
77.S5d-6e 07:18:00 07:36:00
78.B1dx2e 07:18:00 07:36:00
79.G*3f 07:27:00 07:36:00
80.S4d-5c? 07:27:00 07:54:00
Habu is starting to lose his way in the endgame. Correct was 80.P6d and after Gx2e
Px6e Lx4d Px2e the white king has a lot of space in front to run to. Also, the
bishop on 2g is working very well in both attack and defence. The most important
thing in this position is to remove the silver on 6e.
81.G3fx2e 07:30:00 07:54:00
82.P2dx2e 07:30:00 07:54:00
83.P*2h 07:30:00 07:54:00
84.N*6g 07:30:00 07:54:00
85.K5i-6h 07:33:00 07:54:00
86.N6gx7i+ 07:33:00 07:55:00
A change of plan at a bad moment. Habu intended to play 86.R*4i here but after Rx4i
Bx4i he saw that black can play R*9b next. If white drops a piece between the rook
and king, the black attack loses vital power, while pulling back the silver with
S6b seems to make the white king too vulnerable. After 86.Nx7i+ the position is
very complicated and Habu felt that he had already given it all away. However,
there was still a way to win for white after this.
87.K6hx7i 07:33:00 07:55:00
88.P*8h 07:33:00 07:55:00
89.K7ix8h 07:37:00 07:55:00
90.P*8f 07:37:00 07:55:00
91.P2hx2g 07:41:00 07:55:00
92.R*6g 07:41:00 07:55:00
93.G6i-7h 07:41:00 07:55:00
94.R6g-6i+ 07:41:00 07:55:00
95.B*7a 07:47:00 07:55:00
96.S*6b 07:47:00 07:55:00
97.S6e-5d 07:48:00 07:55:00
98.P8fx8g+? 07:48:00 07:56:00
Only this is the final mistake that turns the tables. White should have taken the
bishop here. After 98.Sx7a Sx5c+ Kx5c B*4d K5b Bx7a+ we have the same variation
as in the game, but the important difference is that white can play S*7i next.
Then Gx7a Px8g+ Kx8g P*8f or K9h +Rx7h Rx7h Px8g+ are both leading to mate. After
K7g in reply to S*7i there is no mate, but B*5i forks the king and rook and
therefore wins for white. It may be that Habu didn't like 98.Sx7a Sx5c+ Kx5c
N*6e K6b B*5c Kx7a Bx8f+ here, but this is just a last defensive stand and there
don't seem to be any chances to win for black.
99.G7hx8g 07:48:00 07:56:00
100.S6bx7a 07:48:00 07:56:00
101.S5dx5c+ 07:50:00 07:56:00
102.K5bx5c 07:50:00 07:56:00
103.B*4d 07:51:00 07:56:00
104.K5c-5b 07:51:00 07:56:00
105.B4dx7a+ 07:52:00 07:56:00
106.B*7i 07:52:00 07:57:00
107.K8h-7g 07:55:00 07:57:00
108.G*6g 07:55:00 07:59:00
109.K7g-8f 07:55:00 07:59:00
Resigns 07:55:00 07:59:00
After 110.S*7e Kx9e G8d K9f, white only has mate with a pawn drop (P*9e). Therefore,
there is no mate against the black king. On the other hand, the white king cannot
be defended, so Habu resigned here. An important come-from-behind victory for Fukaura
to tie the match at 1-1. It looks like this will be again a close match now that
it is down to a best-of-five. In the next game, Habu is looking to hold serve with
the black pieces.