60th Meijin Match Game 1
Black: Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Challenger
White: Maruyama Tadahisa, Meijin
60th Meijin-sen, Game 1, April 10th and 11th 2002
1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00
The furigoma resulted in four tokins so challenger Moriuchi starts
the game. He has experience in the Meijin, losing 4-1 against Habu
in 1996. Now the pressure is much more on him to do well, as he is
clearly the best player never to win a major title. Not a description
to be envied, but there is no better way to get rid of this than to
win the most prestigious title of all: the Meijin.
2.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:03:00
3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:03:00
4.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:04:00
5.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:04:00
6.P8d-8e 00:01:00 00:04:00
7.G6i-7h 00:01:00 00:04:00
8.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:04:00
9.P2e-2d 00:01:00 00:04:00
10.P2cx2d 00:01:00 00:04:00
11.R2hx2d 00:01:00 00:04:00
12.P8e-8f 00:01:00 00:04:00
13.P8gx8f 00:01:00 00:04:00
14.R8bx8f 00:01:00 00:04:00
15.R2dx3d 00:01:00 00:04:00
Completely as expected. Maruyama likes to defend with the Yokofudori.
Moriuchi of course knows this.
16.B2b-3c 00:01:00 00:25:00
17.R3d-3f 00:02:00 00:25:00
18.S3a-2b 00:02:00 00:26:00
19.P*8g 00:06:00 00:26:00
20.R8f-8e 00:06:00 01:19:00
21.R3f-2f 00:06:00 01:19:00
22.K5a-4a 00:06:00 01:20:00
23.K5i-5h 00:12:00 01:20:00
24.S7a-6b 00:12:00 01:23:00
25.P3g-3f 00:23:00 01:23:00
26.G6a-5a 00:23:00 01:34:00
27.S3i-3h 00:30:00 01:34:00
28.P5c-5d?! 00:30:00 02:44:00
A surprise. The normal continuation is 28.P7d, but Maruyama said that
he had no confidence in that. As this match will probably have other
games with this opening, he didn't elaborate. No need to make your
opponent any wiser about your opening fears.
29.S3h-3g 00:55:00 02:44:00
30.P7c-7d 00:55:00 02:46:00
31.S3g-4f 01:43:00 02:46:00
32.P7d-7e 01:43:00 02:47:00
33.B8hx3c+ 02:58:00 02:47:00
34.N2ax3c 02:58:00 02:50:00
35.P3f-3e 02:58:00 02:50:00
36.P7ex7f 02:58:00 02:50:00
So far this game is identical to the 4th game of the 47th Oza match
between Maruyama and Habu. Maruyama was black in this game and played
37.S6h here. After 38.P*2e R2h P3f he got into trouble and Habu won.
37.G4i-3h! 03:04:00 02:50:00
Moriuchi's preparation. This gold defends against a bishop drop on
2g or 2h, so black can now move the rook to 3f instead of having to
pull back to 2h after P*2e.
38.P*2e 03:04:00 03:02:00
After the game, Maruyama thought that 38.B*4d might have been better.
However, after 39.P6f Bx6f S8h N7c P*6d it still seems that black is
better, as Px6d fails to the fork B*7d. It seems that 37.G3h leaves
Maruyama with an important hole in his opening preparation.
39.R2f-3f 04:05:00 03:02:00
40.N3c-4e 04:05:00 03:54:00
41.S7i-6h 04:06:00 03:54:00
42.P*3g 04:06:00 03:54:00
43.N2ix3g 04:27:00 03:54:00
44.N4ex3g+ 04:27:00 04:11:00
45.S4fx3g 04:30:00 04:11:00
46.B*5e 04:30:00 04:33:00
47.P*7g 04:43:00 04:33:00
48.R8e-7e 04:43:00 04:44:00
49.P7gx7f 05:15:00 04:44:00
Both players weren't very talkative about this stage of the game.
A natural alternative seems to be 49.P3d, but Moriuchi only said
that he looked at it, but there wasn't anything he could say.
50.N*2d 05:15:00 06:23:00
Dropping on 4d is more natural, but after 51.R1f, white has no way
to win.
51.P7fx7e 06:11:00 06:23:00
After the game Moriuchi said that he would have played that against
either 50.N*2d or 50.N*4d. 51.R5f is not a real alternative, as things
get very wild after 52.R7b B*7g Bx3g+ Gx3g S*5e Bx5e Px5e R6f B*2h.
52.N2dx3f 06:11:00 06:25:00
53.P6g-6f! 06:11:00 06:25:00
Good move. The black king suddenly gets a lot more freedom.
54.R*2i 06:11:00 06:47:00
No choice. 54.Bx3g+ is too much after 55.Gx3g R*3i Gx3f S*6i K6g
Sx7h= Kx7h G5h S6g and the white attack runs out of steam.
55.S3gx3f 06:36:00 06:47:00
56.R2ix8i+? 06:36:00 07:18:00
Only a small mistake, but enough for Moriuchi to turn the advantage
into a win. Correct was 56.P*3g G4h Rx8i+ G7i +Rx9i N*7d P3h+ Gx3h
N*7h and white also has good attacking chances.
57.R*7i! 06:43:00 07:18:00
The difference. Black can stop the white attack here. Note that if
white would have played 56.P*3g first, after 57.G4h Rx8i+ R*7i would
fail to *Rx7i followed by R*2h.
58.P*7g 06:43:00 07:26:00
59.S6hx7g 06:49:00 07:26:00
60.+R8ix7i 06:49:00 07:39:00
61.G7hx7i 06:49:00 07:39:00
62.R*2i 06:49:00 07:39:00
63.G7i-6h 06:53:00 07:39:00
64.B5ex1i+ 06:53:00 08:27:00
65.N*7d 07:09:00 08:27:00
66.S6b-7a 07:09:00 08:44:00
The alternative 66.+B7c is also good for black after 67.Nx6b+
+Bx6b N*2d G3a R*8b.
67.P*2c! 07:38:00 08:44:00
Painful drop. 68.Gx2c fails to 69.R*2a and now either 70.K3b Rx5a+
or 70.P*3a P*2d. Also, black gets a very strong attack after 68.S3a
69.R*2a followed by N*2d.
68.S2bx2c 07:38:00 08:48:00
69.P*2d 07:41:00 08:48:00
70.S2c-1b 07:41:00 08:51:00
71.B*5c 07:43:00 08:51:00
72.G5a-6a 07:43:00 08:53:00
73.P3e-3d! 07:46:00 08:53:00
The game winner. This opens the diagonal of the bishop, which can
now promote on 3e and also give black the option of P3c+ at any time.
74.K4a-5b 07:46:00 08:53:00
75.N*4e 08:01:00 08:53:00
76.N*4a 08:01:00 08:57:00
77.B5c-3e+ 08:04:00 08:57:00
78.+B1i-6d 08:04:00 08:57:00
79.P2d-2c+ 08:06:00 08:57:00
80.S1bx2c 08:06:00 08:59:00
81.R*2a 08:07:00 08:59:00
82.P*7f 08:07:00 08:59:00
83.S7gx7f 08:11:00 08:59:00
84.+B6d-3a 08:11:00 08:59:00
85.R2ax1a+ 08:13:00 08:59:00
86.+B3a-2b 08:13:00 08:59:00
87.L*5c 08:16:00 08:59:00
Resigns 08:16:00 08:59:00
Not mate, but after 88.K4b 89.P3c+ white can choose between losing
after 90.Nx3c +Rx6a or 90.+Bx3c Nx3c+. A perfect start for Moriuchi,
who not only won convincingly, but also drilled an important hole in
Maruyama's opening preparation. This must give him a lot of confidence
for the second game. Meijin Maruyama is already under a lot of pressure
to win the second game with black.