71st Meijin Match Game 1
[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[White "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Meijin"]
[Event "71st Meijin-sen, Game 1"]
[Date "April 9th and 10th 2013"]
1.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:00:00
The furigoma resulted in three tokins, giving Habu the black
pieces. The childhood rivals play their third Meijin match in
a row and their 8th in total. They know each other through and
through, so one wonders if they can still surprise each other.
2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:01:00
This is the first Aigakari opening in a Meijin match since the
4th game of the 67th match between Habu and Goda. This makes it
21 games since the Aigakari appeared.
3.P2f-2e 00:02:00 00:01:00
4.P8d-8e 00:02:00 00:04:00
5.G6i-7h 00:04:00 00:04:00
6.G4a-3b 00:04:00 00:04:00
7.P2e-2d 00:05:00 00:04:00
8.P2cx2d 00:05:00 00:04:00
9.R2hx2d 00:05:00 00:04:00
10.P*2c 00:05:00 00:04:00
11.R2d-2h 00:05:00 00:04:00
12.S7a-7b 00:05:00 00:27:00
13.S3i-3h 00:12:00 00:27:00
14.P3c-3d 00:12:00 00:34:00
15.P1g-1f 00:24:00 00:34:00
16.P9c-9d 00:24:00 00:40:00
17.P9g-9f 00:43:00 00:40:00
18.P1c-1d 00:43:00 00:51:00
19.S3h-2g 00:47:00 00:51:00
20.P8e-8f 00:47:00 00:53:00
21.P8gx8f 00:48:00 00:53:00
22.R8bx8f 00:48:00 00:53:00
23.P*8g 00:48:00 00:53:00
24.R8f-8d 00:48:00 01:05:00
25.S2g-3f 00:55:00 01:05:00
26.K5a-5b 00:55:00 01:11:00
27.P7g-7f 01:04:00 01:11:00
28.P7c-7d 01:04:00 01:11:00
29.B8h-6f 01:07:00 01:11:00
30.B2bx6f 01:07:00 01:17:00
31.P6gx6f 01:07:00 01:17:00
32.N2a-3c 01:07:00 01:17:00
33.S7i-8h 01:11:00 01:17:00
34.K5b-4b 01:11:00 01:22:00
35.K5i-6h 01:50:00 01:22:00
36.S3a-2b 01:50:00 01:29:00
37.G4i-5h 01:51:00 01:29:00
38.P6c-6d 01:51:00 01:37:00
39.G5h-6g 02:15:00 01:37:00
40.S7b-6c 02:15:00 01:48:00
41.N8i-7g 02:16:00 01:48:00
42.N8a-7c 02:16:00 02:20:00
43.K6h-7i 02:17:00 02:20:00
44.G6a-6b 02:17:00 03:23:00
45.P8g-8f 02:50:00 03:23:00
46.P2c-2d 02:50:00 03:41:00
47.S8h-8g 03:08:00 03:41:00
48.R8d-8a 03:08:00 03:46:00
49.K7i-8h 03:26:00 03:46:00
50.S2b-2c 03:26:00 03:52:00
Both players have built a Silver Crown castle, with Habu moving into
the castle with 8h and Moriuchi taking the balanced approach by
keeping the king on 4b.
51.P5g-5f?! 03:34:00 03:52:00
"When bishops are exchanged, don't push the center pawn" is a shogi
proverb that is ignored by Habu here. Habu has a plan with this pawn
push, but because it fails, one can say that the proverb still stands
strong. Correct was 51.P4f here followed by S4g and S5f.
52.P*8e 03:34:00 04:27:00
53.P8fx8e 03:40:00 04:27:00
54.N7cx8e 03:40:00 04:27:00
55.N7gx8e 03:40:00 04:27:00
56.R8ax8e 03:40:00 04:27:00
57.P*8f 03:41:00 04:27:00
58.R8e-8a 03:41:00 04:27:00
59.B*4f 04:00:00 04:27:00
This was Habu's plan when playing P5f. The bishop works both in attack
and defense, but there is a problem with this position that Moriuchi
exposes.
60.N*4d! 04:00:00 04:41:00
Not aiming at the bishop but at the silver.
61.S3f-2g 04:41:00 04:41:00
A sad square for the silver. Sadder still, this silver will stay on this
square for the rest of the game.
62.S6c-5d 04:41:00 04:43:00
63.P*2e 04:44:00 04:43:00
64.P2dx2e 04:44:00 05:37:00
65.B4fx6d 04:49:00 05:37:00
66.K4b-3a 04:49:00 05:45:00
67.B6d-4f?! 05:07:00 05:45:00
This bishop retreat backfires. Habu should have tried 67.N*8c here. For
example 68.Rx8c Bx9a+ P*6e P*2d Sx2d +B9b R7c +B8b K2b +Bx7c Gx7c R*6a
Px6f Gx6f B*3a R6h N4e and the position is unclear.
68.B*3e! 05:07:00 05:48:00
Strong response. After the exchange of the bishops, black has a hard time
finding effective moves.
69.P1f-1e 05:44:00 05:48:00
70.P1dx1e 05:44:00 05:49:00
71.P5f-5e 05:44:00 05:49:00
72.S5d-4e 05:44:00 05:55:00
73.B4fx3e 05:49:00 05:55:00
74.P3dx3e 05:49:00 05:55:00
75.P*1d 05:49:00 05:55:00
76.S2cx1d 05:49:00 06:03:00
77.P4g-4f 06:00:00 06:03:00
78.S4e-5f! 06:00:00 06:17:00
In the press room 78.S3d was extensively analyzed, but Moriuchi showed
his positive attitude by keeping his pieces moving forward. Moriuchi must
have given this some serious consideration, because black gets quite a
dangerous looking attack.
79.G6gx5f 06:11:00 06:17:00
80.N4dx5f 06:11:00 06:17:00
81.N*2d 06:11:00 06:17:00
82.G3b-4b 06:11:00 06:26:00
83.S*6c 06:22:00 06:26:00
84.G6b-7c 06:22:00 06:38:00
Of course, 84.Gx6c is answered by B*7b, but Moriuchi had judged that even
after 84.G7c, he would have a slight advantage.
85.P5e-5d 06:29:00 06:38:00
86.P5cx5d 06:29:00 06:39:00
87.S6cx5d+ 06:30:00 06:39:00
88.S1d-2c 06:30:00 07:11:00
89.R2h-5h 06:57:00 07:11:00
90.P*5e 06:57:00 07:30:00
91.+S5dx5e 07:17:00 07:30:00
92.P*8e 07:17:00 07:34:00
93.R5hx5f 07:19:00 07:34:00
94.P8ex8f 07:19:00 07:35:00
95.S8gx8f 07:19:00 07:35:00
96.R8ax8f 07:19:00 07:39:00
97.P*8g 07:20:00 07:39:00
98.R8f-8a 07:20:00 07:48:00
99.N*5d 07:24:00 07:48:00
100.G4b-5b 07:24:00 08:03:00
101.P*5c 08:36:00 08:03:00
Habu spent almost all of his remaining time on this move, but it is not the
answer to black's problems. It must have been quite a long and painful 1 hour
and 12 minutes for him.
102.G5b-5a 08:36:00 08:04:00
103.P*1b 08:36:00 08:04:00
104.B*6i! 08:36:00 08:47:00
Moriuchi is going for the kill. With this bishop drop he gives his attack
decisive strength.
105.R5f-5i 08:44:00 08:47:00
106.S*6h! 08:44:00 08:49:00
Black cannot take this silver because 107.Gx7h Bx8g+ leads to a simple mate.
107.R5ix6i 08:48:00 08:49:00
108.S6hx6i= 08:48:00 08:49:00
109.B*6g 08:48:00 08:49:00
110.S2cx2d 08:48:00 08:56:00
111.P1bx1a+ 08:48:00 08:56:00
112.R*4h 08:48:00 08:57:00
113.B*1b 08:56:00 08:57:00
An alternative seems to be 113.L*5h but after 114.P*5f! white is still
much better.
114.G*2b 08:56:00 08:57:00
115.B1b-3d+ 08:57:00 08:57:00
Or 115.B6g-2c+ Gx1b! (Gx2c? B2a+ K4a L*4b and mate) +Px1b Sx7h+ +Bx7h Rx8g+
Kx8g N*7e Px7e P*8f is a long mate and white wins.
116.N*8e 08:57:00 08:58:00
117.L*7g 08:59:00 08:58:00
118.P7d-7e 08:59:00 08:58:00
Resigns 08:59:00 08:58:00
Here Habu resigned, because if white can get a pawn on 7f there is no defense.
If black wants to try something +P1b is the only move, but after the simple G3b
black has no pieces in hand to support the attack. Very convincing start for
Moriuchi, taking a slight advantage to the end of the game. Moreover, winning
with the white pieces can be very significant, because most game between these
two players are won by the player having black. Still early days, but Habu already
needs a strong comeback in the second game.