71st Kisei Match Game 1
Black: Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger
White: Tanigawa Koji, Kisei
71st Kisei-sen, Game 1, June 9th 2000
1.P7g-7f 0/0 0/0
A special game between these two rivals as it is exactly the 100th time they
meet in an official game. Habu has a big lead of 60 wins against only 39
losses. Tanigawa wants to make it a nice even number while at the same time
ending Habu's winning streak at 14. More importantly, he needs this game to
have a good start in this Kisei match. In a short five game match, a win
in the first game is very important. Still, he will need to break a jinx,
as this was the fifth consecutive year that a Kisei game was played in
Awajijima and the previous four games were all won by the Kisei challenger.
2.P3c-3d 0/0 2/2
3.P2g-2f 1/1 0/2
4.P4c-4d 0/1 1/3
5.P2f-2e 1/2 0/3
6.B2b-3c 0/2 0/3
7.S3i-4h 1/3 0/3
8.R8b-4b 0/3 2/5
Not really a surprise, as Tanigawa said in a pre-match interview that
playing the Shikenbisha was a distinct possibility. He might want to
rethink his opening after this game...
9.K5i-6h 3/6 0/5
10.S7a-7b 0/6 2/7
11.K6h-7h 1/7 0/7
12.P9c-9d 0/7 1/8
13.P9g-9f 6/13 0/8
14.S3a-3b 0/13 1/9
15.P5g-5f 2/15 0/9
16.G4a-5b 0/15 7/16
17.G4i-5h 7/22 0/16
18.S3b-4c 0/22 8/24
19.S4h-5g 15/37 0/24
20.P6c-6d 0/37 12/36
21.P8g-8f 23/60 0/36
22.K5a-6b 0/60 5/41
23.K7h-8g 1/61 0/41
24.K6b-7a 0/61 0/41
25.S7i-7h 0/61 0/41
26.P7c-7d 0/61 1/42
27.P3g-3f 3/64 0/42
28.N8a-7c 0/64 26/68
29.R2h-3h 30/94 0/68
30.R4b-3b 0/94 17/85
31.P6g-6f 1/95 0/85
32.K7a-8b 0/95 23/108
33.G5h-6g 1/96 0/108
34.G5b-6c 0/96 3/111
35.S5g-6h 13/109 0/111
36.R3b-2b 0/109 15/126
37.N2i-3g! 22/131 0/126
Good move by Habu. This knight is blocking the rook and is weak at the vital
point 3f, so this move looks a bit awkward. However, Habu has judged correctly
that white has no way to make use of the weaknesses.
38.P5c-5d 0/131 31/157
Admitting strategic defeat. 38.P2d only helps black after 39.R2h.
39.S6h-7g 26/157 0/157
40.P3d-3e?! 0/157 28/185
Tanigawa is not the type of player to sit back and watch where the attack
will hit him. Attacking the head of the knight is the only positive plan,
but it is only good for black.
41.P3fx3e 2/159 0/185
42.R2b-5b 0/159 0/185
43.B8h-7i 14/173 0/185
44.P5d-5e 0/173 1/186
45.P5fx5e 24/197 0/186
46.R5bx5e 0/197 1/187
47.P2e-2d 0/197 0/187
48.P2cx2d 0/197 9/196
49.P*2b 2/199 0/196
50.B3cx2b 0/199 4/200
51.R3h-2h 0/199 0/200
52.B2b-3c 0/199 2/202
53.P3e-3d 2/201 0/202
54.S4cx3d 0/201 24/226
55.B7ix2d 4/205 0/226
56.P*3f 0/205 8/234
57.B2dx3c+ 13/218 0/234
58.N2ax3c 0/218 0/234
59.R2h-2b+ 0/218 0/234
60.P*5f 0/218 14/248
61.P*5h 10/228 0/248
62.P3fx3g+ 0/228 1/249
63.+R2bx3c 0/228 0/249
64.B*4c! 0/228 0/249
White is in deep trouble, but this is a very good fighting move. This defends
both the silver and attack the king side.
65.P6f-6e 15/243 0/249
66.R5ex6e 0/243 10/259
67.G6g-6f? 2/245 0/259
Habu completely overlooked the next move. Had he seen it, he would have
played the correct 67.K8h +Px4g S6f after black keeps his big advantage.
68.P7d-7e! 0/245 11/270
Tanigawa magic. White suddenly gets a good counter attack. However, white
has not managed to turn the tables yet. Black still has the advantage.
69.G6fx6e 32/277 0/270
70.N7cx6e 0/277 1/271
71.S7g-6f 3/280 0/271
72.P7ex7f 0/280 3/274
73.N*5e 1/281 0/274
74.P7f-7g+ 0/281 12/286
75.N8ix7g 0/281 0/286
76.N6ex7g+ 0/281 0/286
77.K8gx7g 0/281 0/286
78.G*7f 0/281 5/291
79.K7g-8h 0/281 0/291
80.G7fx6f 0/281 0/291
81.N5ex6c+ 1/282 0/291
82.S7bx6c 0/282 0/291
83.N*8e 1/283 0/291
84.N*8a 0/283 2/293
85.+R3c-4b? 1/284 0/293
Bad move that leads to an unclear position. Black could have won the game here
with 85.B*7e!. After 86.G7f +Rx4c Sx4c G*7c Nx7c B*9c white is mated.
86.P*7b 0/284 0/293
87.B*5e 8/292 0/293
88.N*7f 0/292 1/294
89.K8h-9h 1/293 0/294
90.G6f-6e 0/293 1/295
91.P*6b? 3/296 0/295
Very uncharacteristic. Habu calculated that his attack was one move faster and
usually he can be trusted in positions like this. However, he again overlooked
something. After simple 91.B4d it is still very much unclear who will win the
game.
92.G6ex5e 0/296 1/296
93.P6bx6a+ 1/297 0/296
94.B*8h! 0/297 1/297
The wake up call. Habu had only looked at moves like 94.P9e, which lead to
mate after 95.G*7c Nx7c Nx7c+ Kx7c +R6b K7d G*8e K6e R*7e K5d R5e! However,
with the white bishop on 8h the final check on 5e is not possible, so black
no longer has mate. It is an indication of Tanigawa's good form that he had
seen everything in only one minute.
95.R*8g 2/299 0/297
This switch to defence was not planned. Tanigawa now kills the black king
very quickly.
96.N*7e 0/299 1/298
97.R8gx8h 0/299 0/298
98.N7fx8h+ 0/299 0/298
99.K9hx8h 0/299 0/298
100.R*8g 0/299 0/298
101.K8h-7i 0/299 0/298
102.S*8h 0/299 0/298
103.K7i-6h 0/299 0/298
104.P5f-5g+ 0/299 0/298
105.P5hx5g 0/299 0/298
106.R8g-7g+ 0/299 0/298
Resigns 0/299 0/298
Time: 04:59:00 04:58:00
And mate after 107.K5h B*7f or 107.Sx7g Sx7g+ Kx7g B8g+.
A big win for Tanigawa after having such a bad position in the early middle
game. Habu must be very disappointed, being beaten at the areas where he
usually excels: surprise fighting moves and endgame accuracy. He will need
to break back with the white piece in game two to keep a fifth crown in
sight.