64th Meijin Match Game 2
[Black "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Meijin"]
[White "Tanigawa Koji, Challenger"]
[Event "64th Meijin-sen, Game 2"]
[Date "April 25th and 26th 2006"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:02:00
3.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:02:00
4.P5c-5d 00:00:00 00:04:00
5.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:04:00
6.R8b-5b 00:01:00 00:05:00
It was more or less expected that Tanigawa would play this opening.
He is a specialist in both the Kakugawari and the Gokigen Nakabisha
and since the first game was a Kakugawari the Gokigen Nakabisha was a
logical choice. Kondo, the man who basically invented this opening, was
even in the press room to follow the game. This predictability also makes
it easy to prepare and Moriuchi has indeed prepared well for this opening.
7.G4i-5h 00:02:00 00:05:00
The first surprise. This defense oriented move has not been played in a
professional game for more than a year.
8.P5d-5e 00:02:00 00:58:00
9.P2e-2d 00:03:00 00:58:00
10.P2cx2d 00:03:00 02:03:00
11.R2hx2d 00:04:00 02:03:00
12.P5e-5f 00:04:00 02:03:00
13.P5gx5f 00:08:00 02:03:00
14.B2bx8h+ 00:08:00 02:04:00
15.S7ix8h 00:09:00 02:04:00
16.B*3c 00:09:00 02:04:00
17.R2dx2a+ 00:13:00 02:04:00
18.B3cx8h+ 00:13:00 02:04:00
19.N*5e 00:14:00 02:04:00
20.K5a-6b 00:14:00 02:05:00
21.+R2ax1a 00:26:00 02:05:00
22.+B8hx9i 00:26:00 02:30:00
23.B*3c 00:28:00 02:30:00
This is still a theoretical position, but there is already a big difference
in time here. Moriuchi has used 9 minutes so far, while Tanigawa used more
than 2 hours. This difference is only getting bigger. This variation was
actually written in a Kindai Shogi article written by Maruyama half a year
earlier that was in the press room. Watanabe found the variation and just
when they were looking at it, Moriuchi entered the press room while Tanigawa
was thinking. Not uncommon, but it was of course bad if he would see the
variations in the article, so they tried to hide it from him. Seeing this,
he said: "Don't bother, I have read it". Making such a confident statement
about opening preparation is very rare among top professionals.
24.S*4d 00:28:00 04:15:00
The alternative is 24.S*2b, but then 25.Nx6c+ Kx6c Bx9i+ Sx1a B*1h is good for
black (for example P*5d is answered by L*6f).
25.B3cx4d+ 00:50:00 04:15:00
26.P4cx4d 00:50:00 04:17:00
27.L*6f 00:52:00 04:17:00
28.S7a-7b 00:52:00 04:21:00
29.S*8b 01:00:00 04:21:00
The end of the first day and we are still in Maruyama's article (this variation
never appeared in a professional game, though). Maruyama gave 30.P*5g and after
31.Gx5g +Bx8i Sx8a= N*4e Sx7b+ Kx7b Nx6c+ K8a S*7b Gx7b +Nx7b Rx7b N*6d his
conclusion was that black is winning, but analysis in the press room showed
that things are not easy after R7a G*7b K9b Gx7b P9d. It might even be that
white is better in this position. We will never know if Moriuchi had something
up his sleeve here or if he trusted Maruyama's judgment, because after another
long think, Tanigawa played something different.
30.L*5d? 01:00:00 06:11:00
The first day has ended with a difference of five hours on the clock (Morichi
1 hour used, Tanigawa more than 6 hours used). This, combined with the fear that
Moriuchi has something prepared invites the mistake. The general opinion was that
he should have tried his luck with 29.P*5g here.
31.N5e-4c+ 01:32:00 06:11:00
32.R5b-5a 01:32:00 06:11:00
33.S8bx8a+! 01:51:00 06:11:00
Subtle play. The obvious move is 33.Sx8a=, which attack the silver on 7b. The
difference is clear after 33.Lx5f P*5g Lx5g+ Gx5g Rx5g+ L*5h. With a promoted
silver on 8a, the rook can not move because of N5c+ K5a N*4c mate. Blocking the
escape route of the king to 7a is more important than attacking the silver on 7b.
34.S7bx8a 01:51:00 06:23:00
35.N*5c 01:52:00 06:23:00
36.S*7b 01:52:00 07:02:00
37.+R1a-1b 03:39:00 07:02:00
An obvious move, but Moriuchi took 107 minutes for it, probably to make sure that
Tanigawa was unable to think about his position during the lunch break.
38.P*2b 03:39:00 07:02:00
39.P*2c 03:40:00 07:02:00
40.L5dx5f? 03:40:00 07:19:00
Pressed for time, Tanigawa rushes his attack. Here 40.S3b was his only chance.
For example, 41.Nx6a+ Kx6a +Rx2b G3a +N5c K7a and it seems that the white position
will fall apart easily, but this is not the case. During the post-mortem, Moriuchi
gave Lx6c+ (after K7a) Gx2b G*6b K8b +Lx7b Sx7b Gx5a and it seems that black is
better, but still the outcome is not completely clear.
41.P2cx2b+ 04:24:00 07:19:00
42.S3a-4b 04:24:00 07:34:00
43.+P2b-3b 04:36:00 07:34:00
44.L5fx5h+ 04:36:00 07:56:00
45.G6ix5h 04:36:00 07:56:00
46.R5ax5c 04:36:00 07:57:00
47.+N4cx5c 04:44:00 07:57:00
48.S4bx5c 04:44:00 07:58:00
49.P*5d! 05:02:00 07:58:00
Moriuchi plays this game very accurately. Taking the gold immediately with 49.+Px4a
has the problem that after 50.K7a P*5d the silver can move back to 6b. After 49.P*5d,
the game is over and Moriuchi's only concern the rest of the way is how to make the
game finish during the afternoon television broadcast.
50.S5cx5d 05:02:00 08:02:00
51.+P3bx4a 05:26:00 08:02:00
52.K6b-7a 05:26:00 08:02:00
53.+P4a-5a 05:29:00 08:02:00
54.G6ax5a 05:29:00 08:02:00
55.R*2a 05:29:00 08:02:00
56.N*4a 05:29:00 08:02:00
57.P*5b 05:37:00 08:02:00
58.P*5g 05:37:00 08:07:00
59.G5hx5g 05:39:00 08:07:00
60.K7a-8b 05:39:00 08:08:00
61.P5bx5a+ 05:39:00 08:08:00
62.P9c-9d 05:39:00 08:08:00
63.R2ax4a+ 05:47:00 08:08:00
64.N*4e 05:47:00 08:08:00
65.+R1bx7b 05:51:00 08:08:00
66.S8ax7b 05:51:00 08:08:00
67.S*7a 05:51:00 08:08:00
68.K8bx7a 05:51:00 08:08:00
69.G*6b 05:51:00 08:08:00
Resigns 05:51:00 08:08:00
A rather long, but very straightforward mate after 70.K8a Gx7b Kx7b +R5b G*6b
(S*6b +R6a) G*8b Kx8b +Rx6b G*7b S*7a K9c N*8e K8d G*7e K9e L*9f. A complete
victory for Moriuchi, who takes a commanding 2-0 lead in this match. Tanigawa
now desperately needs to win game 3 to keep this match interesting.