61st Osho Match Game 5
[Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"]
[White "Kubo Toshiaki, Osho"]
[Event "61st Osho-sen, Game 5"]
[Date "March 8th and 9th 2012"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00
3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:00:00
4.P5c-5d 00:01:00 00:01:00
5.P2f-2e 00:02:00 00:01:00
6.R8b-5b 00:02:00 00:02:00
Kubo has already lost two games in this match when playing his favorite Gokigen
Nakabisha, but he doesn't shy away from trying it again. True to his reputation,
he has prepared something special again.
7.S3i-4h 00:02:00 00:02:00
8.P5d-5e 00:02:00 00:04:00
9.K5i-6h 00:02:00 00:04:00
10.B2b-3c 00:02:00 00:04:00
11.P3g-3f 00:03:00 00:04:00
12.K5a-6b 00:03:00 00:04:00
13.S4h-3g 00:03:00 00:04:00
14.K6b-7b 00:03:00 00:04:00
15.S3g-4f 00:05:00 00:04:00
16.K7b-8b 00:05:00 00:05:00
17.K6h-7h 00:09:00 00:05:00
18.S7a-7b 00:09:00 00:07:00
19.S7i-6h 00:12:00 00:07:00
20.S3a-4b 00:12:00 00:23:00
21.S4f-4e 00:55:00 00:23:00
22.R5b-5a 00:55:00 00:27:00
23.P6g-6f 01:53:00 00:27:00
24.G4a-3b 01:53:00 00:44:00
25.S4ex3d 01:59:00 00:44:00
26.B3c-4d 01:59:00 00:55:00
27.G4i-5h 02:05:00 00:55:00
28.P5e-5f 02:05:00 01:15:00
29.G5h-6g 03:02:00 01:15:00
30.B4d-5e 03:02:00 01:33:00
31.R2h-1h 03:02:00 01:33:00
32.P5fx5g+ 03:02:00 01:42:00
33.S6hx5g 03:02:00 01:42:00
34.P4c-4d 03:02:00 01:56:00
35.P*5f 03:23:00 01:56:00
After the game, Sato admitted that he was completely unprepared for this opening.
Dropping a pawn on 5f is not something a professional player likes to do, and 35.S5f
was analyzed thoroughly in the press room. It looked good for black after 36.P*3c Sx5e
Rx5e P6e Rx6e Bx5d, but Kubo had seen this and showed Rx6g+ Kx6g G*3a! which is good
for white because black has no square to use the rook, the silver on 3d is hanging and
the black king is in a very awkward position.
36.B5e-6d 03:23:00 02:00:00
37.P6f-6e 03:23:00 02:00:00
38.B6d-5c 03:23:00 02:00:00
39.R1h-2h 03:23:00 02:00:00
40.P6c-6d 03:23:00 02:03:00
41.P2e-2d 03:35:00 02:03:00
42.P2cx2d 03:35:00 02:03:00
43.R2hx2d 03:35:00 02:03:00
44.P6dx6e? 03:35:00 02:15:00
After the game, it took a long time to decide that this might have been a bad move. It
is so natural that it was skipped over first and only after analyzing the rest of the
game the search for the problem that white has led to re-examining this move. The
conclusion was that white should have played 44.S3c immediately here. Then black can
only answer with 45.Sx3c+ and after 46.Nx3c white has managed to develop his pieces
naturally. Sato said that he was also surprised that after the natural 44.Px6e there
was no variation in which he would get a bad position.
45.S3d-2c+ 04:15:00 02:15:00
46.S4b-3c 04:15:00 03:26:00
The sealed move and already Kubo felt that he was in trouble here.
47.R2d-2h 04:15:00 03:26:00
48.P*2g 04:15:00 03:28:00
49.R2hx2g 04:15:00 03:28:00
50.P*2f 04:15:00 03:28:00
51.R2gx2f 04:15:00 03:28:00
52.P*2e 04:15:00 03:28:00
53.+S2cx3c 04:15:00 03:28:00
54.P2ex2f 04:15:00 03:28:00
55.+S3cx3b 04:16:00 03:28:00
56.R*2h 04:16:00 03:28:00
57.G6i-6h 04:52:00 03:28:00
58.R2hx2i+ 04:52:00 03:31:00
59.S*4b 04:55:00 03:31:00
60.B5cx4b 04:55:00 03:53:00
61.+S3bx4b 04:55:00 03:53:00
62.R5a-5d 04:55:00 03:53:00
63.P*6i 05:23:00 03:53:00
64.N*6f 05:23:00 04:17:00
65.S5gx6f 05:29:00 04:17:00
66.P6ex6f 05:29:00 04:17:00
67.B8hx6f 05:29:00 04:17:00
68.S*5i 05:29:00 04:22:00
Kubo had actually hoped that 68.S*6e would work here, but here he realized that
after 69.B*4c Sx6f Bx5d+ Sx6g+ Kx6g +Rx1i +S5b there is long mate if white takes:
Gx5b +Bx7b Kx7b N*6d etc. Maybe he should have tried this anyway, because Sato hadn't
seen this variation and intended to play 69.B*4c Sx6f Gx6f and because after R6d G6e
R6b the rook attacks the promoted silver, this is an unclear position.
69.B*6e! 05:44:00 04:22:00
Very strong move. It seems like white has the easy reply 70.R6d, but then 71.B5e! is
deadly because Rx6e is mater after N*7d. Having two golds and two bishops on the 6th
file is not often seen, but Sato even adds a knight and the promoted silver after which
there is no way to break through for white.
70.R5d-5c 05:44:00 04:25:00
71.N*6d 06:37:00 04:25:00
72.R5c-6c 06:37:00 04:34:00
73.G*5d 06:40:00 04:34:00
74.R6c-6b 06:40:00 04:37:00
75.+S4b-4c 06:40:00 04:37:00
76.S5ix6h+ 06:40:00 04:56:00
77.G6gx6h 06:40:00 04:56:00
78.S*5i 06:40:00 04:56:00
79.+S4c-5c 06:44:00 04:56:00
80.S5ix6h+ 06:44:00 05:04:00
81.P6ix6h 06:47:00 05:04:00
82.R6bx6d 06:47:00 05:18:00
83.G5dx6d 06:47:00 05:18:00
84.G*5h 06:47:00 05:18:00
85.S*6b 07:25:00 05:18:00
86.+R2i-6i 07:25:00 05:20:00
87.K7h-7g 07:25:00 05:20:00
Black is threatening mate with S*7a Gx7a Sx7a= Kx7a G*6b K8b Gx7b Kx7b R*6b etc.
88.N*7a 07:25:00 05:31:00
Here Kubo could have set a final trap by playing 88.+R6h K8f G*9e because if black
plays the blunder Kx9e then P9d K8f +Rx6f is mating threat that defends against a
mating threat and suddenly white wins because S*7a can be answered with K9c. However,
if black answers G*9e with K7e N*7a Bx2a+ the black king can simply march to the other
side of the board. Of course Sato had also seen this variation. Still, 88.N*7a is like
throwing the towel, because black has an easy attack from here.
89.S6bx6a+ 07:31:00 05:31:00
90.S7bx6a 07:31:00 05:32:00
91.R*2b 07:32:00 05:32:00
92.S*7b 07:32:00 05:33:00
93.S*6b 07:38:00 05:33:00
94.+R6ix6h 07:38:00 05:36:00
95.K7g-8f 07:38:00 05:36:00
96.P*5b 07:38:00 05:37:00
97.S6bx6a= 07:41:00 05:37:00
98.S7bx6a 07:41:00 05:37:00
99.+S5cx5b 07:41:00 05:37:00
100.S*3a 07:41:00 05:37:00
101.+S5bx6a 07:43:00 05:37:00
102.S3ax2b 07:43:00 05:37:00
103.B6ex8c+ 07:43:00 05:37:00
104.K8bx8c 07:43:00 05:37:00
105.S*8d 07:43:00 05:37:00
106.K8c-7b 07:43:00 05:37:00
107.+S6ax7a 07:43:00 05:37:00
108.K7bx7a 07:43:00 05:37:00
109.B6fx4d 07:43:00 05:37:00
Resigns 07:43:00 05:37:00
If white drops a piece on 6b, then Bx6b+ Kx6b S*6c etc. leads to mate, and moving the
king also is a simple mate. After ten years Sato is the Osho title holder again. Not only
that, after losing the Kio title to Kubo in 2009, he has been without a major title for
almost three years. Needless to say, he found it hard to contain his happiness in the
post-game interview. On the other hand, Kubo gave up his Osho title surprisingly easy,
especially considering that this was the first time he has ever lost a title defense.
He is also struggling in the Kio match against Goda and dropped out of the A class of
the Junisen, so this seems to be a major loss of form.