53rd Osho Match Game 6


[Black "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Challenger"]

[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Osho"]

[Event "53rd Osho-sen, Game 6"]

[Date "March 15th and 16th 2004"]

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

2.P8c-8d     00:00:00  00:02:00

3.P2g-2f     00:01:00  00:02:00

4.G4a-3b     00:01:00  00:04:00

5.G6i-7h     00:01:00  00:04:00

6.P8d-8e     00:01:00  00:08:00

7.B8h-7g     00:01:00  00:08:00

8.P3c-3d     00:01:00  00:09:00

9.S7i-8h     00:01:00  00:09:00

10.B2bx7g+   00:01:00  00:11:00

11.S8hx7g    00:01:00  00:11:00

12.S3a-4b    00:01:00  00:11:00

13.S3i-3h    00:01:00  00:11:00

14.S7a-7b    00:01:00  00:13:00

15.P9g-9f    00:01:00  00:13:00

16.P9c-9d    00:01:00  00:15:00

17.P4g-4f    00:01:00  00:15:00

18.P6c-6d    00:01:00  00:18:00

19.S3h-4g    00:02:00  00:18:00

20.S7b-6c    00:02:00  00:19:00

21.K5i-6h    00:02:00  00:19:00

22.P1c-1d    00:02:00  00:25:00

23.P1g-1f    00:02:00  00:25:00

24.G6a-5b    00:02:00  00:27:00

25.G4i-5h    00:10:00  00:27:00

26.K5a-4a    00:10:00  00:32:00

27.P3g-3f    00:14:00  00:32:00

28.S6c-5d    00:14:00  00:35:00

29.S4g-5f    00:19:00  00:35:00



The reclining silver variation of the Bishop Exchange opening. 

This is the most deeply analyzed opening in shogi and new moves are 

often played very late in the game. This game is not an exception.



30.P4c-4d    00:19:00  00:37:00

31.K6h-7i    00:45:00  00:37:00

32.K4a-3a    00:45:00  00:38:00

33.P6g-6f    00:45:00  00:38:00

34.P7c-7d    00:45:00  01:06:00

35.N2i-3g    00:45:00  01:06:00

36.N8a-7c    00:45:00  01:27:00

37.P2f-2e    00:45:00  01:27:00

38.S4b-3c    00:45:00  01:28:00

39.P4f-4e    00:47:00  01:28:00

40.P4dx4e    00:47:00  01:39:00

41.P3f-3e    00:47:00  01:39:00

42.S3c-4d    00:47:00  01:41:00

43.P2e-2d    00:59:00  01:41:00

44.P2cx2d    00:59:00  01:46:00

45.R2hx2d    01:00:00  01:46:00

46.P*2c      01:00:00  02:12:00

47.R2d-2h    01:00:00  02:12:00

48.P6d-6e    01:00:00  02:22:00

49.P6fx6e    01:00:00  02:22:00

50.P8e-8f    01:00:00  02:22:00

51.P8gx8f    01:02:00  02:22:00

52.P7d-7e    01:02:00  02:23:00

53.P*2d      01:26:00  02:23:00

54.P2cx2d    01:26:00  02:24:00

55.P*2c      01:26:00  02:24:00

56.G3bx2c    01:26:00  03:04:00

57.P*2e      01:26:00  03:04:00

58.P2dx2e    01:26:00  03:04:00

59.P7fx7e    01:26:00  03:04:00

60.P*8h      01:26:00  03:24:00

61.S7gx8h    01:59:00  03:24:00

62.S5dx6e    01:59:00  03:25:00

63.P7e-7d    04:05:00  03:25:00



The end of the first day. We are still in known territory.



64.S6ex7d    04:05:00  03:28:00

65.B*6f      04:07:00  03:28:00

66.G5b-4c    04:07:00  03:37:00

67.S5fx4e    04:10:00  03:37:00

68.S4dx4e    04:10:00  03:56:00

69.P*4d      04:11:00  03:56:00

70.G4c-4b    04:11:00  03:59:00



Diagram 1



71.P*2d!     04:19:00  03:59:00



Moriuchi's new move. In last year's preliminary round of the 

Ryu-O tournament, he had played this position with white 

against Maruyama. This game continued 71.Nx4e B*3g R3h B4f+ 

P4c+ Gx4c Bx1a+ +Bx4e and white won. Removing the knight on 

4e seems to take the sting out of the black attack. It seems 

that 71.P*2d was discovered during the post-mortem analysis of 

this game, so it was basically a question whether Maruyama or 

Moriuchi would play it first.



72.G2cx2d    04:19:00  05:00:00

73.N3gx4e    04:19:00  05:00:00

74.B*3g      04:19:00  05:02:00

75.R2h-3h    04:59:00  05:02:00

76.B3g-4f+   04:59:00  05:03:00

77.N4e-3c+!  05:00:00  05:03:00



Diagram 2



This is the point of sacrificing the pawn on 2d on the 71st 

move. 78.Gx3c Px3d G2dx3d Rx3d Gx3d P4c+ is good for black, so 

white has to take with the knight. If the gold would still be on 

2c instead of 2d, white could take this knight simply with G2cx3c.



78.N2ax3c    05:00:00  05:54:00

79.P3ex3d    05:01:00  05:54:00

80.G2dx3d    05:01:00  05:57:00



It seems that this was a change of plan by Habu. He originally 

thought that he could play 80.P*3g here.



81.R3hx3d    05:09:00  05:57:00

82.N*5d      05:09:00  05:57:00



Diagram 3



This is the counter attack that white has put all his hopes on, but...



83.B6f-8d!   05:28:00  05:57:00



Great move. This seems to just give up the bishop for nothing, but 

after 84.Rx8d, the rook no longer works sideways in defense and 

the white position crumbles. For example, 84.Rx8d S*4c S*3b 

(N6f is simple mate after Sx4b+ Kx4b G*4c K5a G*5b) Sx3b+ Kx3b 

S*4c Gx4c Px4c+ Kx4c G*4d K5b Rx3c+ threatens a mate in three, 

so white has no time to attack himself.



84.S*3b      05:28:00  06:24:00

85.S*5a      05:58:00  06:24:00



Diagram 4



86.G4b-5b?   05:58:00  06:50:00



The decisive mistake. Here white's best chance was to take the 

bishop. Now 86.Rx8d Sx4b+ Kx4b G*4c Sx4c Px4c+ Kx4c G*4d looks 

very much like the variation above, but there is an important 

difference: black has a silver in hand instead of a gold. Therefore, 

white can now play K5b, and because Rx3c+ is no longer a mating 

threat, white can answer Rx3c+ with N6f which is threatening mate 

(after G*6i next). So, instead of Rx3c+, black must play Gx5d Px5d 

Rx3c+, but it is still not completely clear if black can win this 

position. 



87.P*2d      06:03:00  06:50:00

88.R8bx8d    06:03:00  07:29:00

89.P2d-2c+   06:05:00  07:29:00

90.K3a-4a    06:05:00  07:30:00

91.G*6b      06:32:00  07:30:00

92.G5bx5a    06:32:00  07:40:00

93.+P2cx3b   06:32:00  07:40:00

94.K4ax3b    06:32:00  07:40:00

95.G6bx5a    06:32:00  07:40:00

96.B*5f      06:32:00  07:40:00

97.G*4c      07:00:00  07:40:00



Moriuchi takes his time to make sure that his first Osho title does 

not slip away. This is not mate, but takes away the promoted bishop on 

4f, after which white has no attack anymore.



98.K3b-2a    07:00:00  07:41:00

99.P*2b      07:00:00  07:41:00

100.K2a-1b   07:00:00  07:41:00

101.S*2c     07:00:00  07:41:00

102.K1bx2c   07:00:00  07:42:00

103.R3dx3c+  07:00:00  07:42:00

104.K2c-1b   07:00:00  07:42:00

105.N*2d     07:03:00  07:42:00

106.+B4fx2d  07:03:00  07:42:00

107.+R3cx2d  07:03:00  07:42:00

108.B5fx7h+  07:03:00  07:42:00

109.K7ix7h   07:03:00  07:42:00

Resigns      07:03:00  07:42:00



Final Diagram



Black has the double mating threat B*2a and B*3d. If white defends with 

110.S*2c then B*2a Kx2b G*3b is mate. Also, there is no mate. For example 

110.N*5f K6g S*7h K5f G*4f K5e and the king escapes up the board. Habu 

resigns the game and the match and now for the first time in eleven years 

only has two titles left. Moriuchi, on the other hand, becomes a double 

title holder for the first time in his career. He can make it three if 

he can beat Habu in the Meijin match.