58th Osho Match Game 7
[Black "Fukaura Koichi, Challenger"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Osho"]
[Event "58th Osho-sen, Game 7"]
[Date "March 25th and 26th 2009"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
Habu has been involved in all seven major titles in one year, either as title
holder or challenger. Five of these seven title matches went down to the final
game. A very tough schedule, but there was actually someone else quite involved
in this run: record keeper Unoki Manabe (3-dan). He was the record keeper for
the 5th and decisive game of last year's Kisei match against Sato, the seventh
game of the Ryu-O match against Watanabe and now this seventh game of the Osho
match against Fukaura. Being the record keeper in the final game of a title match
has an extra responsibility, throwing the pawns to decide black and white. Although
in general the players pretend not to care about the outcome of the furigoma, it
has a big impact on the game. Unoki threw the pawns and they ended with five tokins
up, so challenger Fukaura gets the black pieces for this game. By the way, this game
was played in Tendo, the home of shogi in Yamagata Prefecture. In the past, Habu won
the Meijin title to become Lifetime Meijin here, but he also lost the 7th game of the
Ryu-O match to become the first player to lose a title match after being 3-0 up. What
would it be this time?
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:03:00
3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:03:00
4.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:04:00
5.P2f-2e 00:05:00 00:04:00
6.P8c-8d 00:05:00 00:08:00
7.G6i-7h 00:05:00 00:08:00
8.P8d-8e 00:05:00 00:10:00
9.P2e-2d 00:05:00 00:10:00
10.P2cx2d 00:05:00 00:11:00
11.R2hx2d 00:05:00 00:11:00
12.P8e-8f 00:05:00 00:12:00
13.P8gx8f 00:05:00 00:12:00
14.R8bx8f 00:05:00 00:12:00
15.R2dx3d 00:05:00 00:12:00
16.B2b-3c 00:05:00 00:15:00
17.R3d-3f 00:19:00 00:15:00
18.S3a-2b 00:19:00 00:16:00
19.P*8g 00:19:00 00:16:00
20.R8f-8e 00:19:00 00:18:00
The opening was a big surprise. Habu has not been playing a Yokofudori game for
two years, either with white or with black. Furthermore, Habu and Fukaura have
played the Chuza style of the Yokofudori nine times, with Habu winning 5 times
and Fukaura 4 times. No reason to avoid this opening, but actually black has won
all nine times. Playing an opening he hasn't played for a long time against an
opponent he can't beat with this opening when playing the white pieces: Habu again
shows nerves of steel.
21.R3f-2f 00:19:00 00:18:00
22.K5a-4a 00:19:00 00:32:00
23.K5i-5h 00:28:00 00:32:00
24.S7a-6b 00:28:00 00:43:00
25.G4i-3h 00:47:00 00:43:00
26.G6a-5a 00:47:00 01:02:00
27.S3i-4h 00:47:00 01:02:00
28.P7c-7d 00:47:00 01:03:00
29.P3g-3f 00:47:00 01:03:00
30.N8a-7c 00:47:00 01:30:00
31.N2i-3g 00:48:00 01:30:00
32.P1c-1d 00:48:00 01:33:00
33.B8h-7g 01:07:00 01:33:00
34.P*2e 01:07:00 02:16:00
35.R2f-2i 01:38:00 02:16:00
36.P7d-7e 01:38:00 02:17:00
37.P8g-8f 01:38:00 02:17:00
38.R8e-8d 01:38:00 02:18:00
39.P7fx7e 01:39:00 02:18:00
40.P2e-2f 01:39:00 02:20:00
Here we are out of known territory. Black cannot play 41.Rx2f because of Bx7g+
followed by B*4d, so now the theme of this game centers around the second file.
41.S7i-6h 01:55:00 02:20:00
42.N7c-6e 01:55:00 02:42:00
43.B7gx3c+ 02:34:00 02:42:00
44.N2ax3c 02:34:00 02:43:00
45.N8i-7g 02:34:00 02:43:00
46.N6ex7g+ 02:34:00 03:16:00
47.S6hx7g 02:46:00 03:16:00
48.R8d-2d 02:46:00 03:28:00
Black has been aiming at getting the silver on 7g quickly, but this gives white
an extra opportunity here. A strong alternative to 48.R2d was 48.P*7f Sx7f Rx8f
G8g Rx8g+ Sx8g B*6e attacking the silver and threatening N*4f at the same time.
Habu certainly had given this sime thought, but in the end decided to stick with
his plan to fight on the second file.
49.P*2e 02:56:00 03:28:00
Of course, 49.P*2h is too weak to consider. White can then play something like
R3d followed by Rx3f and get a big advantage.
50.N3cx2e 02:56:00 03:35:00
51.B*4f? 04:01:00 03:35:00
The sealed move and an important mistake. An interesting fact of this match is
that Habu sealed the move in all six previous games. Finally, Fukaura seals the
move and will be wishing he had put something else in the envelope. Habu said after
the game that he didn't like 51.N*7d. Then 52.P2g+ Rx2g Nx3g+ Gx3g Rx2g+ Gx2g R*2i
N*3i looks bad for black (dropping the knight on 3i here is quite painful), but
having the knight already on 7d is an important speed up compared to the attack
black played in the game.
52.P2f-2g+ 04:01:00 04:01:00
53.G3hx2g 04:01:00 04:01:00
54.N2ex3g= 04:01:00 04:02:00
55.S4hx3g 04:01:00 04:02:00
56.B*3h 04:01:00 05:16:00
57.B4fx2d 04:01:00 05:16:00
58.B3hx2i+ 04:01:00 05:16:00
59.N*7d 04:01:00 05:16:00
60.R*3h 04:01:00 05:18:00
61.N*4h 04:06:00 05:18:00
62.P*3c? 04:06:00 05:31:00
This is a typical Habu move. He likes to mix things up to confuse his opponent
instead of going for a straight attack. This often works, but sometimes backfires.
After the game, Habu felt that this was one of those positions where playing a curve
ball was not the right decision. In the post-mortem analysis the following variation
appeared on the board very quickly: 62.S*3c R*2a P*3a Bx3c+ Gx3c Nx6b+ Gx6b S*2b
B*4b Sx3c+ Bx3c S*2b B4b G2h S*4i. This is a long variation, but almost completely
forced. After S*4i the white king is in serious dangerous, but the silver drop seems
to decide the game in white's favor.
63.R*8a 04:46:00 05:31:00
64.S6b-7c 04:46:00 05:35:00
65.B2d-4f 04:47:00 05:35:00
66.P6c-6d 04:47:00 05:35:00
67.G2g-2h 04:55:00 05:35:00
68.R3h-3i+ 04:55:00 05:35:00
69.G2hx2i 04:55:00 05:35:00
70.+R3ix2i 04:55:00 05:35:00
71.B*6c 04:58:00 05:35:00
72.G*5b! 04:58:00 05:59:00
It seems like Fukaura has turned the tables and has a strong attack. However, this
gold drop is very good. White would like to keep this gold in hand to have the mating
threat G*5i, but after 72.N*5b, creating an escape for the king with 73.P6f gets
white in trouble.
73.B6c-7b+ 05:39:00 05:59:00
74.N*5d 05:39:00 06:01:00
75.B4f-3e? 05:46:00 06:01:00
The decisive mistake. Correct was 75.+Bx7c Nx4f Px4f B*6i K6h N*6a +Bx9a B4g+ S7f and
Habu admitted after the game that he had no idea how that would turn out.
76.S7cx7d 05:46:00 06:12:00
77.+B7b-7c 06:17:00 06:12:00
78.S7d-6e 06:17:00 07:03:00
79.P*2c 07:00:00 07:03:00
80.S2bx2c 07:00:00 07:09:00
81.N4h-5f 07:10:00 07:09:00
82.N*6a 07:10:00 07:18:00
83.+B7c-8c 07:11:00 07:18:00
84.G5b-6b! 07:11:00 07:19:00
This decides the game. It defends against +Bx6a and also takes the gold out of the
line of fire of the knight after Nx6d. White now clearly wins the endgame by one move.
85.N5fx6d 07:17:00 07:19:00
86.P*7f 07:17:00 07:22:00
87.+B8cx6e 07:22:00 07:22:00
88.P7fx7g+ 07:22:00 07:22:00
89.P4g-4f 07:22:00 07:22:00
90.+R2i-3i 07:22:00 07:28:00
91.G7hx7g 07:31:00 07:28:00
92.+R3ix3g 07:31:00 07:29:00
93.S*5b 07:31:00 07:29:00
94.G5ax5b 07:31:00 07:31:00
95.N6dx5b+ 07:31:00 07:31:00
96.K4ax5b 07:31:00 07:31:00
97.+B6ex5d 07:43:00 07:31:00
98.+R3g-3h 07:43:00 07:37:00
99.K5h-6i 07:45:00 07:37:00
100.K5b-4a 07:45:00 07:46:00
101.+B5d-6e 07:55:00 07:46:00
102.N*5f 07:55:00 07:50:00
103.+B6ex5f 07:57:00 07:50:00
104.S*6h 07:57:00 07:50:00
105.K6i-7h 07:57:00 07:50:00
106.S*6i 07:57:00 07:50:00
107.K7h-8g 07:57:00 07:50:00
108.S6hx7g+ 07:57:00 07:50:00
109.K8gx7g 07:57:00 07:50:00
110.+R3h-7h 07:57:00 07:50:00
Resigns 07:57:00 07:50:00
Mate after 111.K6f G*7f K6e (or K5e S*5d K6d G6c) Gx7e K6d P*6c K5e S*5d. Habu
comes back from 3-2 behind to win the final two games to claim his fifth
consecutive Osho title and end his impressive title match run on a high. Fukaura
again showed that he is one of the few players in the game who can compete with
Habu on even terms. Because their head to head is so close, it seems kind of
natural that each of them takes a seventh game this year (Fukaura in the Oi
match and Habu in the Osho match).