54th Osho Match Game 3

[Black "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Osho"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[Event "54th Osho-sen, Game 3"]
[Date "January 27th and 28th 2005"]
1.P7g-7f     00:01:00  00:00:00
2.P3c-3d     00:01:00  00:02:00
3.P6g-6f     00:01:00  00:02:00
4.R8b-3b     00:01:00  00:18:00
5.S7i-7h     00:07:00  00:18:00
6.K5a-6b     00:07:00  00:19:00
7.S7h-6g     00:07:00  00:19:00
8.P3d-3e     00:07:00  00:32:00
9.B8h-7g     00:07:00  00:32:00
10.G4a-5b    00:07:00  00:33:00
11.P8g-8f    00:15:00  00:33:00
12.S7a-7b    00:15:00  00:36:00
13.P7f-7e    00:16:00  00:36:00
14.S3a-4b    00:16:00  00:43:00
15.P8f-8e    00:40:00  00:43:00
16.P5c-5d    00:40:00  01:00:00
17.R2h-8h    00:53:00  01:00:00
18.S4b-5c    00:53:00  01:06:00
19.S3i-2h    00:59:00  01:06:00
20.K6b-7a    00:59:00  01:16:00
21.G6i-5h    01:14:00  01:16:00
22.P3e-3f?!  01:14:00  02:06:00

Diagram 1

Ai-Furibisha like in game 1. The opening has been relatively quiet, 
but with this move the pace suddenly picks up. Habu thought he could 
safely exchange pawns on 3f here, but this is based on a miscalculation.

23.P4g-4f    01:41:00  02:06:00

Habu intended to answer this with 24.S6d, but overlooked that after 
25.P8d Px8d Rx8d P*8c black can defend the pawn on 7e with R8e.

24.P3fx3g+   01:41:00  03:11:00
25.S2hx3g    01:41:00  03:11:00
26.P*3f!?    01:41:00  03:11:00

Black wants to use 22.P3f to get into a Yagura castle. This is not 
necessarily bad for white, but is considered the best castle in 
Ai-Furibisha games. Allowing black to build this strong castle is 
not what Habu intended, so he himself felt he was in trouble here. 
26.P*3f is a very difficult move to play. It stops black from building 
a Yagura castle, but this pawn on 3f is very weak and white will lose 
it at some point. The question is if white can get enough attack in 
compensation. A brave decision by Habu.

27.S3g-2f    01:44:00  03:11:00
28.P6c-6d    01:44:00  03:11:00
29.G5h-4g    01:52:00  03:11:00
30.G5b-6c    01:52:00  03:13:00
31.S6g-7f    02:42:00  03:13:00
32.S5c-4d    02:42:00  03:14:00
33.S2f-2e?   04:27:00  03:14:00

Diagram 2

The sealed move. Moriuchi took 105 minutes for this move, but later 
regretted it. This wins the pawn on 3f, but white gets a good attack 
against black's sitting king in return. Better would have been 33.R3h. 
Moriuchi feared 34.S3e after that, but then 35.Sx3e Rx3e Gx3f R3b G5h 
S*2h Rx2h Rx3f S*3g Habu admitted that he did not have much confidence 
in the white position.

34.S4d-5e    04:27:00  03:42:00
35.S7f-6g    04:36:00  03:42:00
36.P7c-7d!   04:36:00  03:53:00

The point. 37.Px7d Gx7d P5f fails to P*7f Sx7f Sx6f.

37.P5g-5f    04:41:00  03:53:00
38.P3f-3g+!  04:41:00  03:55:00

The second blow. 39.Nx3g fails to 40.Sx4f Gx4f Rx3g+.

39.G4gx3g    04:53:00  03:55:00

This gold is now in a very odd position. The central file is now very 
weak and that is where the black king still is. White is better.

40.S5e-4d    04:53:00  03:55:00
41.P7ex7d    04:56:00  03:55:00
42.P5d-5e    04:56:00  04:08:00
43.R8h-5h    05:30:00  04:08:00
44.P5ex5f    05:30:00  04:30:00
45.P*3c      05:43:00  04:30:00
46.R3bx3c    05:43:00  04:38:00
47.P*3d      05:43:00  04:38:00
48.R3c-3b    05:43:00  04:38:00
49.S6gx5f    05:43:00  04:38:00
50.R3b-5b    05:43:00  04:39:00
51.P6f-6e    06:24:00  04:39:00
52.P*5g      06:24:00  05:16:00
53.R5hx5g    06:24:00  05:16:00
54.G6cx7d!   06:24:00  05:16:00

Diagram 3

Doesn't look like much, but this laid back move invites Moriuchi's 
final mistake. It is very tempting to force the issue with 54.P*7f 
B8h S4e (Px4e Bx8h+), but then Bx2b+ Sx5f Rx5f Rx5f P*5h is much more 
unclear than the nice looking silver move promised.

55.P*5e?     06:29:00  05:16:00

The decisive mistake. The only move was 55.P3c+ and then after 56.Bx3c 
P*5c Rx5c P*5d Rx5d P*5e R5a S3d B2d Sx2c+ B4b P4e black is still pretty 
strong in the center and it is hard for white to break through.

56.N8a-7c    06:29:00  05:21:00

There is no good defense against Nx6e.

57.P3d-3c+   06:40:00  05:21:00
58.B2bx3c    06:40:00  05:23:00
59.S2e-3d    06:40:00  05:23:00
60.S4dx5e    06:40:00  05:32:00

Winning. White breaks through in the center and black can not fight 
back with a sitting king.

61.S5fx5e    06:41:00  05:32:00
62.N7cx6e    06:41:00  05:36:00
63.R5g-5f    06:41:00  05:36:00
64.N6ex7g+   06:41:00  05:42:00
65.S3dx3c+   06:47:00  05:42:00
66.B*6g      06:47:00  05:48:00
67.P*5c      06:47:00  05:48:00
68.R5bx5c    06:47:00  05:56:00
69.B*2f      06:49:00  05:56:00
70.B6gx5f+   06:49:00  05:58:00
71.B2fx5c+   06:49:00  05:58:00
72.K7a-8a    06:49:00  05:58:00
Resigns      07:00:00  05:58:00

Final Diagram

There is no immediate win for white here, but for example the quick 
escape 73.K4h fails to 74.Nx3c G4g R*8h and black can only extend the 
game without hope of survival. The fact that white can pick up the 
silver on 3c whenever he wants is more than the black position can 
take. Another strong performance by Habu, who now only needs one more 
win from four games to win back the Osho title.