59th Meijin Match Game 2
Black: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger
White: Maruyama Tadahisa, Meijin
59th Meijin-sen
Game 2
April 26th and 27th 2001
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:01:00
3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:01:00
4.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:02:00
5.P2f-2e 00:02:00 00:02:00
6.P8d-8e 00:02:00 00:02:00
7.G6i-7h 00:03:00 00:02:00
8.G4a-3b 00:03:00 00:02:00
9.P2e-2d 00:05:00 00:02:00
10.P2cx2d 00:05:00 00:03:00
11.R2hx2d 00:05:00 00:03:00
12.P8e-8f 00:05:00 00:03:00
13.P8gx8f 00:06:00 00:03:00
14.R8bx8f 00:06:00 00:04:00
15.R2dx3d 00:06:00 00:04:00
16.B2b-3c 00:06:00 00:15:00
17.R3d-3f 00:13:00 00:15:00
18.S3a-2b 00:13:00 00:15:00
19.P*8g 00:43:00 00:15:00
20.R8f-8e 00:43:00 00:22:00
The Chuza-ryu R8e-Yokofudori is Maruyama's favorite opening, so this was
no surprise.
21.R3f-2f 00:43:00 00:22:00
22.K5a-4a 00:43:00 00:35:00
23.K5i-6h 00:48:00 00:35:00
24.S7a-6b 00:48:00 00:42:00
25.S3i-3h 01:05:00 00:42:00
26.G6a-5a 01:05:00 01:06:00
27.P3g-3f 01:21:00 01:06:00
28.P7c-7d 01:21:00 01:35:00
29.N2i-3g 01:40:00 01:35:00
30.N8a-7c 01:40:00 01:59:00
31.P4g-4f 01:49:00 01:59:00
32.P7d-7e 01:49:00 02:26:00
This is the most popular variation at the moment. Here 32.R5e followed by
R5d is also often played (actually, Tanigawa played this himself in the
third game of the Zen Nihon Pro tournament against Moriuchi). However,
white's winning percentage with 32.P7e is higher.
33.B8hx3c+ 02:21:00 02:26:00
This seems to be the only move here. There are many games with this
variation, but in all previous cases this move was played as well.
34.N2ax3c 02:21:00 02:27:00
35.P3f-3e 02:21:00 02:27:00
36.P*2e 02:21:00 03:10:00
37.R2f-1f 02:35:00 03:10:00
38.P*3f 02:35:00 03:21:00
Here white can also play 38.R8d which allows the attack at the head of the
knight after 39.P3d Rx3d B*5f R5d P*3d, but white has good chances to
counter so it is unclear which side is better in this variation.
39.R1fx3f 03:42:00 03:21:00
40.B*5d 03:42:00 03:23:00
41.B*4g 03:43:00 03:23:00
42.P7ex7f 03:43:00 03:27:00
43.P3e-3d 03:46:00 03:27:00
44.B5dx3f 03:46:00 03:29:00
45.B4gx3f 03:46:00 03:29:00
46.R8e-3e 03:46:00 03:30:00
47.P3dx3c+ 04:50:00 03:30:00
48.S2bx3c 04:50:00 03:30:00
49.B3f-4e 05:09:00 03:30:00
This is still all known territory. Tanigawa contemplated 49.B*4g here, but
this is not clear after 50.N6e N4e S4d P*3c G3b-4b.
50.P*3f 05:09:00 03:56:00
51.N*4g 05:12:00 03:56:00
52.P3fx3g+ 05:12:00 04:04:00
53.N4gx3e 05:12:00 04:04:00
54.+P3gx3h 05:12:00 04:04:00
55.G4ix3h 05:12:00 04:04:00
56.N*2f 05:12:00 05:54:00
For professionals, this is the interesting part of the game. The position
is still known from previous games, but there are a lot of different
options here. In a position as unstable as this one, finding one good
move can mean the difference between winning and losing. Here 56.P*3g
is a possible alternative that has been played before.
57.G3h-3i 05:15:00 05:54:00
And here 57.N2c+ has been tried before.
58.R*3g 05:15:00 05:59:00
59.N3e-2c+ 05:16:00 05:59:00
60.R3gx3i+ 05:16:00 07:51:00
This is a new move. In the B2 Junisen game between Tosa and Abe (played
on March 9th), Abe played 60.S*5i and won after 61.K5h?! Rx3i+ +Nx3b K5b
P6f P7g+ Gx7g? S4d. However, black seems to survive after Nx7g (instead
of the bad Gx7g) G*7g R*4i. Also, 61.Kx5i Rx3i+ K6h seems good for black.
After 60.Rx3i+ black gets the advantage, so it seems that Maruyama made
a mistake in his preparation somewhere. As the match has just started,
he was not very talkative about what went wrong, but losing the opening
battle in his favorite opening must be painful.
61.+N2cx3b 05:19:00 07:51:00
62.K4a-5b 05:19:00 07:51:00
63.P6g-6f 05:19:00 07:51:00
64.+R3i-3h 05:19:00 08:06:00
65.K6h-6g 05:26:00 08:06:00
66.G*7e 05:26:00 08:09:00
67.G7h-6h 06:20:00 08:09:00
Here Tanigawa felt he was getting the upper hand. He took 54 minutes here
to compare 67.G6h with 67.R*6h, but he wasn't sure about the variation
67.R*6h +R3i +Nx3c +Rx3c G*3d +R4b. "It looks good, but I didn't see how
to finish." (Tanigawa)
68.S*7g 06:20:00 08:14:00
69.N8ix7g 06:21:00 08:14:00
70.P7fx7g+ 06:21:00 08:15:00
71.K6gx7g 06:21:00 08:15:00
72.N7c-8e 06:21:00 08:21:00
73.K7g-7h 06:24:00 08:21:00
74.N*7f 06:24:00 08:24:00
This is not a mating threat, so white seems to be clearly losing here.
However, Maruyama has one more ace up his sleeve...
75.R*8a 06:29:00 08:24:00
76.P5c-5d! 06:29:00 08:25:00
This must have been an unpleasant surprise for Tanigawa. 77.Bx5d Nx6h+
Sx6h G*7g K8i G8h Kx8h Rx6h+ leads to mate! Black needs the bishop on
the diagonal to 7h, but it also needs to work on 6c to help the attack.
77.+N3bx3c! 07:01:00 08:25:00
Fortunately, Tanigawa has used his time wisely and had more than two
and a half hours left. He used 32 moves to recover and find the correct
answer. His first thought was 77.B*3a, but after 78.S*4b!, suddenly
white wins. The white king can't be mated and with an extra knight,
white has mate after Nx6h+ Sx6h P*7g K7i G*8h K6i P7h+ Bx7h N7g= etc.
78.N7fx6h+ 07:01:00 08:29:00
79.S7ix6h 07:03:00 08:29:00
80.G*7g 07:03:00 08:54:00
81.K7h-8i 07:03:00 08:54:00
82.+R3hx3c 07:03:00 08:54:00
83.P*3d! 07:09:00 08:54:00
Driving this promoted rook back followed by shutting it out with 83.P*3d
is the winning plan. Black can take the gold on 7g next after which there
is a rather long, but not too difficult mate.
84.N*7f 07:09:00 08:58:00
85.S6hx7g 07:09:00 08:58:00
86.N8ex7g+ 07:09:00 08:58:00
87.N*6d 07:13:00 08:58:00
88.P6cx6d 07:13:00 08:59:00
89.S*6c 07:13:00 08:59:00
90.K5bx6c 07:13:00 08:59:00
91.B*7b 07:13:00 08:59:00
Resigns 07:13:00 08:59:00
Mate after 92.Kx7b Bx5d S6c G*8c K6b G*7c or 92.K5b S*5c Kx5c Bx5d+ K5b
G*5c K4a G*4b +Rx4b Gx4b Kx4b P3c+ Kx3c R*2c. A fine win by Tanigawa,
who not only beat Maruyama in the opening preparation, but also played
a perfect endgame. The rest of the match will show how important this
break against Maruyama's R8e Yokofudori is going to be.