62nd Osho Match Game 5

[Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Osho"]
[White "Watanabe Akira, Challenger"]
[Event "62nd Osho-sen, Game 5"]
[Date "March 6 and 7th 2013"]
1.P7g-7f     00:00:00  00:00:00
2.P8c-8d     00:00:00  00:00:00
3.S7i-6h     00:01:00  00:00:00
4.P3c-3d     00:01:00  00:00:00
5.P6g-6f     00:01:00  00:00:00
6.S7a-6b     00:01:00  00:01:00
7.P5g-5f     00:01:00  00:01:00
8.P5c-5d     00:01:00  00:02:00
9.S3i-4h     00:01:00  00:02:00
10.S3a-4b    00:01:00  00:03:00
11.G6i-7h    00:01:00  00:03:00
12.G4a-3b    00:01:00  00:04:00
13.K5i-6i    00:01:00  00:04:00
14.K5a-4a    00:01:00  00:05:00
15.G4i-5h    00:01:00  00:05:00
16.G6a-5b    00:01:00  00:13:00
17.S6h-7g    00:01:00  00:13:00
18.S4b-3c    00:01:00  00:13:00
19.B8h-7i    00:01:00  00:13:00
20.B2b-3a    00:01:00  00:13:00
21.P3g-3f    00:01:00  00:13:00
22.P4c-4d    00:01:00  00:13:00
23.G5h-6g    00:03:00  00:13:00
24.P7c-7d    00:03:00  00:14:00
25.B7i-6h    00:03:00  00:14:00
26.G5b-4c    00:03:00  00:17:00
27.K6i-7i    00:03:00  00:17:00
28.P9c-9d    00:03:00  00:20:00
29.K7i-8h    00:04:00  00:20:00

With black, Sato has played the Ibisha strategy in each game. First 
the Aigakari, then the Yokofudori and now the first Yagura opening in 
this series.

30.P9d-9e    00:04:00  00:22:00
31.P2g-2f    00:07:00  00:22:00
32.S6b-7c    00:07:00  00:26:00
33.P2f-2e    00:09:00  00:26:00
34.P7d-7e    00:09:00  00:29:00
35.B6h-4f    00:10:00  00:29:00
36.R8b-9b    00:10:00  00:38:00
37.P7fx7e    01:41:00  00:38:00
38.B3ax7e    01:41:00  00:40:00

Watanabe chooses the pawn exchange on the 7th file which can be considered 
good for white "if you can pull it off". It creates some weaknesses on the 
rook side, but if black cannot exploit these, white will get the better 
position.

39.S4h-3g    01:41:00  00:40:00
40.K4a-3a    01:41:00  00:46:00
41.S3g-2f    01:41:00  00:46:00
42.K3a-2b    01:41:00  01:01:00
43.P3f-3e    03:08:00  01:01:00
44.P3dx3e    03:08:00  01:25:00
45.P5f-5e    03:09:00  01:25:00
46.P5dx5e    03:09:00  02:00:00
47.P2e-2d    03:09:00  02:00:00
48.S3cx2d    03:09:00  02:00:00
49.S2fx3e    03:09:00  02:00:00
50.S2dx3e    03:09:00  02:05:00
51.B4fx3e    03:09:00  02:05:00

Sato has moved the right silver out quickly and at the cost of a pawn has 
exchanged his attacking silver against the white defending silver.

52.P*3d      03:09:00  02:05:00
53.B3e-4f    03:25:00  02:05:00
54.S*3e      03:25:00  02:16:00
55.B4fx5e    04:12:00  02:16:00
56.B7e-4b    04:12:00  02:41:00
57.P6f-6e    04:18:00  02:41:00
58.P*5f      04:18:00  03:13:00

Diagram 1

The sealed move and the position is quite complicated. Black cannot take 
this pawn because after 58.Gx5f P9f Px9f P*9h Lx9h P*9g Lx9g Bx9g+ Nx9g 
the move Rx9f is a fork on knight and gold and white wins.

59.P*7f      04:32:00  03:13:00

This closes the sideways threat of Rx9f, so now black just threatens to 
take the pawn on 5f.

60.P6c-6d    04:32:00  03:17:00
61.P*5c      04:44:00  03:17:00

This is a nasty pawn drop, because white wants to keep the bishop diagonal 
open, but after 62.Bx5c black can follow-up with another dangling pawn 
playing 63.P*5b and after Rx5b has the silver drop 4a which is very 
unpleasant.

62.G4cx5c    04:44:00  03:33:00

This blocks the bishop, but there is no other way.

63.G6gx5f    04:48:00  03:33:00
64.P*5d      04:48:00  03:36:00
65.B5e-3g    04:48:00  03:36:00
66.N8a-9c    04:48:00  03:37:00
67.G5f-4f    05:08:00  03:37:00
68.S3ex4f    05:08:00  03:55:00
69.B3gx4f    05:08:00  03:55:00
70.N9c-8e    05:08:00  03:55:00
71.N2i-3g    05:15:00  03:55:00
72.G*3f      05:15:00  04:45:00
73.P*3c      05:26:00  04:45:00

Diagram 2

74.B4bx3c    05:26:00  04:51:00

The start of a long and complicated line that Sato thought would lead 
to a better position for him. In the press room 74.Nx3c was extensively 
analyzed, but Watanabe didn't like to leave a hole on 2a with the bishop 
locked in.

75.N3g-2e    05:30:00  04:51:00
76.G3fx4f!   05:30:00  04:55:00

Here 76.B1e or B5a was considered as the natural reply, but Watanabe had 
no faith in 77.P*3c Nx3c Nx1c+ Lx1c S*1a.

77.N2ex3c+   05:42:00  04:55:00
78.N2ax3c    05:42:00  04:58:00
79.P4gx4f    05:42:00  04:58:00
80.B*3g      05:42:00  05:12:00

Diagram 3

81.R2h-3h    05:58:00  05:12:00

Sato thought that this was good for him, so he didn't really consider 
any alternatives. In the post-mortem, 81.R2i was analyzed as an alternative 
here. Then 82.Bx4f+ P8f Nx7g+ Gx7g S*6h S*4a Sx7g+ Nx7g and then P*7h! 
turned out to be good for white. However, P*7h is not a mating threat and 
therefore Watanabe was not sure if he would find that move. This may have 
been the only way to try and win the game for Sato with a stack of pieces 
in hand.

82.B3gx4f+   05:58:00  05:14:00
83.P8g-8f    06:01:00  05:14:00
84.N8ex7g+   06:01:00  05:50:00
85.G7hx7g    06:01:00  05:50:00
86.S*7i      06:01:00  05:50:00
87.K8h-8g    06:03:00  05:50:00
88.+B4f-5f   06:03:00  05:50:00
89.R3h-7h    06:16:00  05:50:00
90.+B5fx7h   06:16:00  06:03:00
91.K8gx7h    06:16:00  06:03:00
92.R*5i      06:16:00  06:06:00

Diagram 4

This is a position that Sato thought was good for him when he played P*3c 
on move 73. Indeed, white has only a knight in hand and the white silver 
needs the help of the rook, so there seems to be no way for white to continue 
the attack. Unfortunately for Sato, this position is an exception and Watanabe 
has looked deeper and found a way to make his attack work. After the game Sato 
was publicly kicking himself for his lack of positional understanding, but 
as Sanada (7-dan) commented, almost all professionals would have thought the 
same thing and that the combination of look-ahead and positional judgment by 
Watanabe was something that could only be admired here.

93.P*2d      07:13:00  06:06:00

Point number one: the natural 95.B*4f fails to R5h+ Kx7i +R4i and black loses 
the bishop. Point number two: 95.B*1e doesn't work because of 96.R5h+ Kx7i 
N*6g Gx6g P*7h K8h +Rx6g G*7g +R6i G7h P1d which is bad for black. Sato 
especially regretted that B*1e didn't work here.

94.P2cx2d    07:13:00  06:21:00
95.B*6g      07:46:00  06:21:00

Point number three: if only black would have had an extra pawn here, he would 
have been alright after 95.P*2c.

96.N*5f      07:46:00  06:28:00
97.B6gx5f    07:46:00  06:28:00
98.R5ix5f+   07:46:00  06:28:00
99.K7hx7i    07:46:00  06:28:00
100.+R5f-5i  07:46:00  07:04:00

Diagram 5

101.K7i-7h   07:52:00  07:04:00

The final point: 101.K8h fails to 102.B*7i K8g and the devilish Bx9g+ next 
because either Lx9g or Nx9g is answered by P9f and the combination of the 
promoted rook on 5i and the rook-lance combo on the edge is deadly. So 
101.K7h is the only move, but leaves the king in an awkward spot that 
cannot be defended well.

102.+R5ix1i  07:52:00  07:07:00

Picks up an extra lance, which is enough to give the attack decisive 
strength. In the rest of the game, Watanabe is not hurrying anything making 
every move a certain step towards the Osho title.

103.K7h-8h   07:54:00  07:07:00
104.P8d-8e   07:54:00  07:08:00
105.S*7h     07:54:00  07:08:00
106.B*7i     07:54:00  07:09:00
107.K8h-8g   07:54:00  07:09:00
108.P8ex8f   07:54:00  07:09:00
109.G7gx8f   07:54:00  07:09:00
110.P*8e     07:54:00  07:09:00
111.P*2c     07:54:00  07:09:00
112.G3bx2c   07:54:00  07:09:00
113.G8fx8e   07:54:00  07:09:00
114.L*8a     07:54:00  07:09:00
115.B*4a     07:58:00  07:09:00
116.L8ax8e   07:58:00  07:11:00
117.B4ax8e+  07:58:00  07:11:00
118.P*8f     07:58:00  07:12:00
119.+B8ex8f  07:58:00  07:12:00
120.S7c-7d   07:58:00  07:14:00
121.P*8e     07:59:00  07:14:00
122.P*8d     07:59:00  07:16:00
123.S*4a     07:59:00  07:16:00
124.P8dx8e   07:59:00  07:17:00
Resigns      07:59:00  07:17:00

Final Diagram

Sato has tried for a while, hoping for a miracle, but here he has had enough. 
He can take out the silver on 7d with 125.G*3b Rx3b Sx3b+ Kx3b R*7b but 
even after G*5b Rx7d+ Px8f black has been forced to give up a ton of 
material without any chance for an attack. An extraordinary display of 
look-ahead and judgment by Watanabe, giving him his first Osho title. 
Sato was clearly disappointed by the loss of his only title, but he was 
no match for Watanabe this time.