62nd Osho Match Game 3
[Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Osho"]
[White "Watanabe Akira, Challenger"]
[Event "62nd Osho-sen, Game 3"]
[Date "February 13th and 14th 2013"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00
In the past couple of years, Watanabe has been playing 2.P8d almost exclusively
which is leaving the choice of opening to the opponent, but recently he has played
2.P3d more often. When he was around 20 years old and aiming for his first Ryu-O
title, he played the Yokofudori opening a lot. Watanabe: "Compared to those days,
there is a lot more variation in the position of the king and the way to attack.
If you want to try something with white in the Ibisha, the Yokofudori is the natural
choice."
3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:00:00
4.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:08:00
5.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:08:00
6.P8d-8e 00:01:00 00:08:00
7.G6i-7h 00:01:00 00:08:00
8.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:08:00
9.P2e-2d 00:01:00 00:08:00
10.P2cx2d 00:01:00 00:08:00
11.R2hx2d 00:01:00 00:08:00
12.P8e-8f 00:01:00 00:08:00
13.P8gx8f 00:01:00 00:08:00
14.R8bx8f 00:01:00 00:08:00
15.R2dx3d 00:01:00 00:08:00
16.B2b-3c 00:01:00 00:09:00
17.R3d-3f 00:01:00 00:09:00
18.R8f-8d 00:01:00 00:09:00
19.R3f-2f 00:01:00 00:09:00
20.S3a-2b 00:01:00 00:09:00
21.P*8g 00:02:00 00:09:00
22.K5a-5b 00:02:00 00:09:00
23.S3i-4h 00:06:00 00:09:00
24.S7a-6b 00:06:00 00:10:00
25.K5i-6h 00:21:00 00:10:00
26.G6a-5a 00:21:00 00:11:00
27.P3g-3f 00:28:00 00:11:00
28.P9c-9d 00:28:00 00:14:00
29.S4h-3g 01:58:00 00:14:00
30.P9d-9e 01:58:00 00:40:00
31.B8hx3c+ 02:19:00 00:40:00
32.N2ax3c 02:19:00 00:40:00
33.S7i-8h 02:19:00 00:40:00
34.S2b-2c 02:19:00 01:03:00
35.R2f-2h 02:23:00 01:03:00
36.S2c-2d 02:23:00 01:04:00
37.B*5f! 03:14:00 01:04:00
An unexpected bishop drop in the middle of the board, but a strong move. If
white doesn't act quickly, black has a strong attack at the head of the knight
with P3e, or can counter attack on the edge with P9f because Px9f is answered
by P*9b. In general, there is always the problem of an attack at the head of
the bishop, but with the white king in the middle of the board, opening the position
up with P5d is too dangerous, so the black bishop on 5f is very safe. After the game,
Sato said that he wasn't too sure that the bishop on 5f would be working well enough,
but in this game it works perfectly.
38.S2d-2e 03:14:00 02:06:00
39.P*2f 03:34:00 02:06:00
40.S2e-3d 03:34:00 02:07:00
41.P4g-4f 03:35:00 02:07:00
42.S3d-2c 03:35:00 02:31:00
43.P2f-2e 04:04:00 02:31:00
44.S2c-1d 04:04:00 03:31:00
45.P2e-2d 04:06:00 03:31:00
46.P*2f 04:06:00 03:32:00
47.R2hx2f 04:08:00 03:32:00
48.S1d-1e 04:08:00 03:33:00
49.R2f-2h 04:09:00 03:33:00
50.S1ex2d 04:09:00 03:33:00
When we compare this position with the position after 37.B*5f, we can see clearly that
Watanabe's strategy has been a failure. The silver is back on 2d, but black has moved
the pawn to 4f and also is the side to move here. Watanabe has given black two extra
moves for free. It is not decisive, but it is clear that Watanabe has not been able
to come up with something good against the bishop drop on 5f and that black is in the
driving seat in this game.
51.K6h-7i 05:55:00 03:33:00
Played after 1 hour and 46 minutes. Most of this time was probably spent on checking
whether the natural 51.S7g was possible here. The conclusion was that it was very risky
after 52.P9f Px9f P*9g Lx9g P*9h S8h B*5e N7g N2e G3h B6d and the threat P9i+ Sx9i Bx9g+
is hard to defend against. The other reason Sato took so long for 51.K7i was that he was
worried about the reply 52.B*5e. However, Watanabe didn't like this move at all, calling
it too simple to be effective. He backed this up with the variation 53.S7g N2e G3h Nx3g+
Gx3g and the gold on 3g is actually in quite a good position, because the black rook works
well in defense, giving white insufficient attacking options.
52.P*2e 05:55:00 04:00:00
53.S8h-7g 06:00:00 04:00:00
54.N8a-9c 06:00:00 04:05:00
55.S7g-6f 06:12:00 04:05:00
56.N9c-8e 06:12:00 04:12:00
Here Watanabe felt he had a strong attack and he was quite happy with his position.
57.K7i-8h! 06:13:00 04:12:00
A complete surprise for everyone following the game and for Watanabe as well. Moving the
king towards the attack is something even professionals find unthinkable most of the time.
When Sato put his hand on the king to play his move, Watanabe was convinced that the king
would move away from the attack to 6h and he couldn't believe his eyes when the king moved
the other way to 8h. After the game Sato said that he had also thought about playing 57.G8h
here, but that he reached the conclusion that he had to take his chances with K8h. A very
brave decision, especially considering that he is already 2-0 down in the match.
58.P9e-9f 06:13:00 04:44:00
In the press room the alternative 58.P2f was analyzed, but after 59.Sx2f P*2g R4h there is
no good continuation for white. For example, B*2h is simply met with L1h.
59.P9gx9f 06:13:00 04:44:00
60.P*9g 06:13:00 04:44:00
61.P8g-8f 06:41:00 04:44:00
62.L9ax9f 06:41:00 04:44:00
63.K8h-8g! 06:53:00 04:44:00
Coolly played. If black would have lost his nerve and played 63.P8e here, then 64.Rx8e P*8f
R9e K8g B*9h and white wins.
64.P9g-9h+ 06:53:00 04:49:00
65.P8fx8e 06:54:00 04:49:00
66.R8d-9d 06:54:00 04:52:00
67.P*9e 06:55:00 04:52:00
68.R9dx9e 06:55:00 04:53:00
69.K8g-8f 06:55:00 04:53:00
Sato is using the king as a defensive weapon, putting pressure on the attacking pieces of
the opponent.
70.R9e-9a 06:55:00 05:02:00
71.P8e-8d! 06:57:00 05:02:00
The decisive move, making an entering king impossible to stop.
72.+P9hx9i 06:57:00 05:19:00
Or 72.P*8b P*9b R8a N7g followed by N8e and N9c+ and white has no way to put pressure on
the black king.
73.P*9b 06:58:00 05:19:00
74.R9a-8a 06:58:00 05:20:00
75.P8d-8c+ 06:58:00 05:20:00
76.+P9ix8i 06:58:00 05:21:00
77.P*8b 07:01:00 05:21:00
78.R8a-7a 07:01:00 05:21:00
79.K8fx9f 07:01:00 05:21:00
80.P7c-7d 07:01:00 05:26:00
81.K9f-9e 07:09:00 05:26:00
82.P*9f 07:09:00 06:06:00
83.N*8e 07:15:00 06:06:00
84.G5a-6a 07:15:00 06:47:00
85.L*7c 07:17:00 06:47:00
86.S6bx7c 07:17:00 06:47:00
87.N8ex7c+ 07:18:00 06:47:00
88.B*5a 07:18:00 06:47:00
89.K9e-9d 07:22:00 06:47:00
90.B5ax7c 07:22:00 06:47:00
91.P8b-8a+ 07:23:00 06:47:00
92.R7ax8a 07:23:00 06:48:00
93.+P8cx7c 07:23:00 06:48:00
94.L*7a 07:23:00 06:48:00
95.S*8b 07:25:00 06:48:00
Resigns 07:25:00 06:48:00
Of course we are still a long way from mate, but white loses the rook and the black king
has a lot of space to run and it will be easy to make an entering king. White has no hope
on both the attacking and the defensive end here, so Watanabe resigned here. A rare one-sided
defeat for Watanabe, but he is still 2-1 up in the match and has the black pieces in the next
game. Sato will be happy to finally be on the board in this third game, but he needs to win
the fourth game with the white pieces to really get back into this match.