71st Kisei Match Game 2
Black: Tanigawa Koji, Kisei
White: Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger
71st Kisei-sen, Game 2, June 24th 2000
1.P7g-7f 0/0 0/0
2.P8c-8d 0/0 1/1
3.P2g-2f 3/3 0/1
4.G4a-3b 0/3 2/3
5.G6i-7h 1/4 0/3
6.P8d-8e 0/4 1/4
7.B8h-7g 1/5 0/4
8.P3c-3d 0/5 0/4
9.S7i-8h 0/5 0/4
10.B2bx7g+ 0/5 1/5
11.S8hx7g 0/5 0/5
Habu and Tanigawa are not only fighting for the Kisei title, they will also
meet in the Oi match very soon. Therefore, it is very likely that we will see
the Kakugawari opening a number of times in the coming month or two. It is
Tanigawa's speciality and Habu has to find a way to beat it.
12.S3a-4b 0/5 0/5
13.S3i-3h 2/7 0/5
14.S7a-7b 0/7 1/6
15.P9g-9f 2/9 0/6
16.P9c-9d 0/9 1/7
17.P4g-4f 11/20 0/7
18.P6c-6d 0/20 5/12
19.S3h-4g 4/24 0/12
20.S7b-6c 0/24 1/13
21.K5i-6h 2/26 0/13
22.P1c-1d 0/26 21/34
23.P1g-1f 2/28 0/34
24.K5a-4a 0/28 2/36
25.K6h-7i 3/31 0/36
26.K4a-3a 0/31 9/45
27.S4g-5f 15/46 0/45
28.S6c-5d 0/46 15/60
29.P6g-6f 18/64 0/60
30.P4c-4d 0/64 13/73
31.G4i-5h 10/74 0/73
32.G6a-5b 0/74 2/75
33.P3g-3f 3/77 0/75
34.P7c-7d 0/77 1/76
35.N2i-3g 7/84 0/76
36.N8a-7c 0/84 9/85
37.P2f-2e 6/90 0/85
38.P6d-6e 0/90 22/107
Unusual, but 38.S3c is known to lead to a black advantage after 39.P4e. This
plan was first played by Sato Yasumitsu against Tanigawa in the 5th game of
the Oi match in 1990.
39.P6fx6e 27/117 0/107
40.P7d-7e 0/117 1/108
41.P2e-2d 5/122 0/108
42.P2cx2d 0/122 1/109
43.P*2e 1/123 0/109
44.P2dx2e 0/123 6/115
45.P7fx7e 41/164 0/115
46.P8e-8f 0/164 16/131
47.P8gx8f 3/167 0/131
48.N7cx6e 0/167 10/141
49.P*2b! 2/169 0/141
This is a new move by Tanigawa and it is very strong. He previously played
49.P*2d against Nakamura in the Osho league two years ago.
50.N2a-3c 0/169 15/156
Difficult decision. It is quite worrying to leave the pawn on 2b, as black
will have a mate in one move with a rook in hand. However, Habu judged that
50.Gx2b Sx6e Sx6e Rx2e B*3b P*2c Gx2c P*2d G2b N*2c was worse.
51.S5fx6e 17/186 0/156
52.S5dx6e 0/186 0/156
53.B*7c 0/186 0/156
54.R8b-8a 0/186 50/206
55.N*6d 25/211 0/206
56.G5b-5a 0/211 5/211
It seems that Habu actually planned to play 56.G5b-4c here, but realised that
the king would be too weak after being forced to 4a and that it would be very
difficult to escape up the board with the gold blocking square 4c. Tanigawa
has a huge advantage here.
57.N6d-7b+ 1/212 0/211
58.R8a-8c 0/212 0/211
59.B7cx9a+ 8/220 0/211
60.P*7f 0/220 7/218
61.S7g-8h 0/220 0/218
62.S*3i 0/220 0/218
63.R2h-1h 12/232 0/218
64.P2e-2f 0/232 0/218
65.+B9a-6d 13/245 0/218
66.B*2i 0/245 21/239
67.L*2d 3/248 0/239
68.P*6c! 0/248 2/241
Habu desperately tries to stay in the game. 68.P2g+ wins the rook, but this
is not much use to white, as black has the rock solid defence P*6i against
any rook drop. Black, on the other hand, has an unstoppable attack with
+N7c followed by +B6c.
69.P2b-2a+ 9/257 0/241
70.K3a-4a 0/257 0/241
71.+B6d-7c 0/257 0/241
72.R8cx7c 0/257 5/246
73.+N7bx7c 0/257 0/246
74.P2f-2g+ 0/257 0/246
75.+P2a-2b 0/257 0/246
76.G3bx2b 0/257 0/246
77.L2dx2b+ 0/257 0/246
78.K4a-5b 0/257 0/246
79.+L2b-3b 14/271 0/246
80.+P2gx1h 0/271 0/246
81.R*2b 0/271 0/246
82.K5b-4c 0/271 7/253
83.+N7cx6c? 3/274 0/253
A blunder that turns around the game. Tanigawa could have crowned a perfect
performance here with 83.Rx2i+ +Px2i B*2a. "And what if I defend with B*5d
after that?" [Habu]. "Then how about moving the promoted knight sideways"
[Takahashi, who commented the game for the audience]. "Aah" [Tanigawa and
Habu together]. Yes, a double oversight in this position by the two best
players in the world. Both had missed that after 83.Rx2i+ +Px2i B*2a B*5d
the strong +Nx6c! wins the game for black. A very lucky break for Habu.
84.R*2h 0/274 7/260
85.+L3bx4b 11/285 0/260
86.G5ax4b 0/285 0/260
87.S*5b 1/286 0/260
88.K4c-5d 0/286 0/260
89.R2bx2h+?! 2/288 0/260
A better chance would have been 89.Rx4b+ K5e G*4g but even then white seems
to win after Bx4g+ Gx4g Rx7h+ Kx7h G*6g because Kx6g L*6f leads to mate and
K8g fails to B*6i followed by Bx4g+ and the white king can not be mated.
90.S3ix2h= 0/288 2/262
91.G*6d 3/291 0/262
92.K5d-5e 0/291 0/262
93.R*4i 0/291 0/262
94.S6e-6f 0/291 13/275
Now black can no longer prevent the white king from entering.
95.G7h-6g 1/292 0/275
96.S6fx6g= 0/292 1/276
97.G5hx6g 1/293 0/276
98.B*4g 0/293 0/276
Resigns 5/298 0/276
Time: 04:58:00 04:36:00
Tanigawa takes five minutes to resign. He could have tried 99.S*5f, but after
100.Kx4f Sx4g Bx4g+ white's king has an easy entry route on the third file
and black can only wait to be mated.
So after two games played in the Kisei match, we have had two games that were
won by the wrong player. Two wrongs make a right, so neither Tanigawa nor
Habu can complain. Game three in this short Kisei match will be very important.