68th Meijin Match Game 2
[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Meijin"]
[White "Miura Hiroyuki, Challenger"]
[Event "68th Meijin-sen, Game 2"]
[Date "April 20th and 21st 2010"]
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.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:01:00
5.P2f-2e 00:05:00 00:01:00
6.P8d-8e 00:05:00 00:01:00
7.G6i-7h 00:10:00 00:01:00
8.G4a-3b 00:10:00 00:01:00
9.P2e-2d 00:13:00 00:01:00
10.P2cx2d 00:13:00 00:01:00
11.R2hx2d 00:13:00 00:01:00
12.P8e-8f 00:13:00 00:02:00
13.P8gx8f 00:15:00 00:02:00
14.R8bx8f 00:15:00 00:02:00
15.R2dx3d 00:28:00 00:02:00
16.B2b-3c 00:28:00 00:03:00
17.R3d-3f 00:37:00 00:03:00
18.S3a-2b 00:37:00 00:05:00
19.P*8g 00:54:00 00:05:00
20.R8f-8e 00:54:00 00:05:00
Another R8e Yokofudori game. In the old days, title matches where every game was
a Yagura game were common, but recently it is rare that the same opening is played
in consecutive games.
21.R3f-2f 00:54:00 00:05:00
22.K5a-4a 00:54:00 00:05:00
23.S3i-4h 01:01:00 00:05:00
24.S7a-6b 01:01:00 00:12:00
25.P3g-3f 01:05:00 00:12:00
26.G6a-5a 01:05:00 00:16:00
27.N2i-3g 01:12:00 00:16:00
28.P*8f 01:12:00 00:29:00
29.P8gx8f 01:20:00 00:29:00
30.R8ex8f 01:20:00 00:32:00
31.P3f-3e 01:30:00 00:32:00
The timing of this pawn push is the theme of the R8e Yokofudori opening. White has
played a Nakahara castle, moving the king to 4a. On the other hand, the black king
has stayed on its original square. This means that attacking on the 3rd file has
the white king one file closer to the hostilities than the black king, which is good
for black. Actually, the reason why Chuza initially thought of the R8e Yokofudori
opening is to use the side ways working of the rook to defend against P3e. An ongoing
theoretical debate is whether white can play P7d in this opening without allowing black
the pawn push P3e. This is not easy, for example if white plays 28.P7d instead of
28.P*8f then black can play 29.Bx3c+ Nx3c P3e because Rx3e fails to B*4f. The pawn
drop 28.P*8f is a high class technique, inviting the pawn push P3e and then use the
rook to attack this pawn.
32.R8f-8e 01:30:00 00:40:00
33.N8i-7g 01:37:00 00:40:00
Black has to give up the pawn on 3e, because 33.P3d fails to Bx8h+ Sx8h B*4d. The
point of 28.P*8f becomes clear, because the white rook now has a clear path to 8h.
33.N7g is of course much better than 33.P*8g, because then white can take the pawn
on 3e for free.
34.R8ex3e 01:37:00 00:48:00
35.R2f-2e 01:44:00 00:48:00
36.R3ex2e 01:44:00 00:55:00
37.N3gx2e 02:28:00 00:55:00
38.B3c-1e 02:28:00 01:00:00
39.P*2c 02:34:00 01:00:00
40.G3bx2c?! 02:34:00 01:17:00
This move has been played only once before in a professional game. After the game,
Miura said that it was a move he "wanted to try", which is an euphemism professionals
use for admitting that it was opening preparation. In the 3rd game of the 2009 Oza
match between Habu and Yamasaki, 40.S3c was played here and play continued with
41.R*8e S4d. Taking the pawn with the gold is considered suspect and this game
doesn't seem to warrant any change of that opinion.
41.P*2d 04:06:00 01:17:00
42.B1ex2d 04:06:00 02:02:00
This is why professionals don't like 40.Gx2c. Not only is the combination of a silver
on 2b and a gold on 2c bad shape, the bishop that was supposed to help in attack is
now forced back into a less effective position.
43.R*8b 04:16:00 02:02:00
44.R*2i 04:16:00 02:35:00
45.N7g-6e 04:25:00 02:35:00
46.P*3g 04:25:00 02:39:00
47.N6ex5c+! 05:25:00 02:39:00
The sealed move and it was a complete surprise when the envelope was opened on the
second day. The previous game that was played with 40.Gx2c continued with 47.P*3i and
this was the move that was generally expected. Of course Habu had also looked at this,
but he didn't like 48.P3h+ Px3h Rx2e+ Nx5c+ Sx5c Bx2b+ Gx2b Rx2b+ P*5h K6i P*3i and the
white position is surprisingly tough to break down without being able to drop a pawn on
the 3rd file. An alternative to 47.P*3i is 47.G3i, after which 48.Rx1i+ Nx5c+ L*5b! is
very strong. For example +Nx6b +Rx3i! S*4i (Sx3i G*5h Kx5h Bx5g+ leads to mate) P*5h Kx5h
Gx6b Rx6b+ P3h+ +Rx5b Kx5b Sx3i +Px4i seems unclear, but Habu said that having the gold
on 3i taken for free was just "terrible". 47.Nx5c+ is the sharpest way to play this position,
but white can take both the silver and the gold on the right side of the board, which seems
too much to handle.
48.P3g-3h+ 05:25:00 04:18:00
After the game Miura claimed that 47.Nx5c+ was a move that he had considered, but he still
must have overlooked something, because he spent 99 minutes on 48.P3h+ and showed some
clear signs of distress during that time.
49.+N5cx6b 05:33:00 04:18:00
50.R2ix4i+ 05:33:00 04:22:00
51.K5i-6h 05:33:00 04:22:00
52.+R4ix4h 05:33:00 04:23:00
53.K6h-7g 05:33:00 04:23:00
This was the position that Habu envisioned. He has used the checks that white played to
take the two generals to move the king to 7g, where it is quite hard to attack because the
rook on 8b is defending any attack on the 8th file.
54.G5ax6b?! 05:33:00 04:29:00
This was a big surprise, because inviting the rook to 6b looks very dangerous. If it
works, it is a brilliant idea, because it forces the rook away from the defensive duties
on the 8th file, so now the black king is much more easy to attack. In the press room only
54.G4b was analyzed, which seems to lead to a long fight after 55.Rx8a+ K3b N*5d G3d but
Miura said after the game that he didn't like the white position here.
55.R8bx6b+ 05:34:00 04:29:00
56.P*5b 05:34:00 04:30:00
This is quite a strong looking defense, because 57.S*5c can be met with S*5a P*3c Sx3c
and the black attack is not easy.
57.+R6b-6a! 06:00:00 04:30:00
Great move. Habu is very much aware of the importance of moving the rook back to the
8th file.
58.K4a-4b 06:00:00 05:57:00
Leaves the king in a dangerous spot, but Miura had no choice. Using the precious gold
on 5a is no option, because after 58.G*5a +Rx8a P*8e P*8f the white attack is powerless.
Also, 58.N*5a fails to G*6b and the black attack is very strong.
59.+R6ax8a 06:32:00 05:57:00
60.+R4hx5g 06:32:00 06:10:00
61.P*5c! 07:01:00 06:10:00
This is the type of move that makes Habu so special. The natural move is to play 61.P*5d
or P*5e to make sure that the white king cannot escape up the board. So what is the
meaning of 61.P*5c? The point of this drop is that it uses the move that white wants to
play in this position. White wants to attack the king with 62.P*8e (threatening mate
with S*8f), but after 63.+Rx8e S*7d +R8b the meaning of P*5c becomes clear, because black
is now threatening mate with +Rx5b. Therefore, 61.P*5c is indirectly defending against
61.P*8e, taking away white's attacking options.
62.K4bx5c 07:01:00 06:55:00
63.S*4f 07:06:00 06:55:00
64.B2dx4f 07:06:00 07:11:00
65.P4gx4f 07:06:00 07:11:00
66.G*6e 07:06:00 07:14:00
67.K7g-8g! 07:32:00 07:14:00
This king move was always dangerous because of P*8f, but after white has been more or
less forced to drop the gold on 6e to start any kind of attack, 67.K8g is perfect. Black
can move the king to the safe haven of 9h and opens the bishop diagonal at the same time.
68.+R5gx4f 07:32:00 07:40:00
Or 68.P*8f +Rx8f N*7d B*7a K5d +R8b and the black attack is decisive.
69.K8g-9h 07:36:00 07:40:00
70.S*6i 07:36:00 07:50:00
71.N*5g 07:59:00 07:50:00
72.G6e-5e 07:59:00 07:57:00
73.B8hx5e 08:11:00 07:57:00
74.+R4fx5e 08:11:00 07:57:00
75.G*4e 08:11:00 07:57:00
76.+R5ex4e 08:11:00 08:00:00
77.N5gx4e 08:11:00 08:00:00
78.K5c-4d 08:11:00 08:00:00
79.G*4f 08:12:00 08:00:00
80.G*3e 08:12:00 08:21:00
81.B*7g 08:22:00 08:21:00
82.K4d-3d 08:22:00 08:22:00
83.R*3b 08:22:00 08:22:00
84.P*3c 08:22:00 08:23:00
85.N2ex3c+ 08:22:00 08:23:00
86.N2ax3c 08:22:00 08:23:00
87.N4ex3c+ 08:22:00 08:23:00
88.S2bx3c 08:22:00 08:23:00
89.B7gx3c+ 08:23:00 08:23:00
90.G2cx3c 08:23:00 08:23:00
91.R3bx3c+ 08:24:00 08:23:00
92.K3dx3c 08:24:00 08:23:00
93.G4fx3e 08:24:00 08:23:00
Resigns 08:24:00 08:31:00
The promoted rook on 8a makes sure until the end that white has not even an effective
check against the black king, while the white king is attacked from the top and bottom
and can not be defended. Miura therefore had nothing else but to resign in this position.
A great game by Habu, who managed to find a solution to the opening preparation of his
opponent for the second game in a row. This is a very painful development for Miura,
who has seen all his homework come to nothing, being outplayed in both games of this
match so far. He now desperately needs to win the third game to have any chance of coming
back in this match.