78th Kisei Match Game 3
[Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Kisei"]
[White "Watanabe Akira, Challenger"]
[Event "78th Kisei-sen, Game 3"]
[Date "June 29th 2007"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:00:00
3.S7i-6h 00:01:00 00:00:00
4.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:00:00
5.P6g-6f 00:01:00 00:00:00
6.S7a-6b 00:01:00 00:00:00
7.P5g-5f 00:01:00 00:00:00
8.P5c-5d 00:01:00 00:00:00
9.S3i-4h 00:01:00 00:00:00
10.S3a-4b 00:01:00 00:00:00
11.G4i-5h 00:01:00 00:00:00
12.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:00:00
13.G6i-7h 00:01:00 00:00:00
14.K5a-4a 00:01:00 00:00:00
15.K5i-6i 00:01:00 00:00:00
16.P7c-7d 00:01:00 00:00:00
17.G5h-6g 00:02:00 00:00:00
18.G6a-5b 00:02:00 00:00:00
19.S6h-7g 00:02:00 00:00:00
20.S4b-3c 00:02:00 00:00:00
21.B8h-7i 00:02:00 00:00:00
22.B2b-3a 00:02:00 00:00:00
23.P3g-3f 00:02:00 00:00:00
24.P4c-4d 00:02:00 00:00:00
25.B7i-6h 00:05:00 00:00:00
26.G5b-4c 00:05:00 00:03:00
27.K6i-7i 00:05:00 00:03:00
28.S6b-7c 00:05:00 00:05:00
29.K7i-8h 00:12:00 00:05:00
30.P9c-9d 00:12:00 00:07:00
31.R2h-3h 00:21:00 00:07:00
32.P7d-7e 00:21:00 00:09:00
33.P7fx7e 00:27:00 00:09:00
34.B3ax7e 00:27:00 00:09:00
35.P6f-6e 00:27:00 00:09:00
36.B7e-4b 00:27:00 00:09:00
37.S4h-5g 00:36:00 00:09:00
38.K4a-3a 00:36:00 00:15:00
39.S5g-6f 00:36:00 00:15:00
40.K3a-2b 00:36:00 00:15:00
41.N2i-3g 00:42:00 00:15:00
42.P9d-9e 00:42:00 00:49:00
43.P2g-2f 00:56:00 00:49:00
44.P6c-6d 00:56:00 00:54:00
45.P6ex6d 00:59:00 00:54:00
46.S7cx6d 00:59:00 00:54:00
47.P*6e 00:59:00 00:54:00
48.S6d-7c 00:59:00 00:54:00
49.N3g-2e 01:29:00 00:54:00
50.S3c-2d 01:29:00 00:54:00
51.P*7e 01:30:00 00:54:00
52.P*7d 01:30:00 01:12:00
53.B6h-4f 01:43:00 01:12:00
54.R8b-9b 01:43:00 01:13:00
55.P7ex7d 01:45:00 01:13:00
56.S7cx7d 01:45:00 01:13:00
57.P*7e 01:46:00 01:13:00
58.S7d-6c 01:46:00 01:15:00
59.P1g-1f?! 01:50:00 01:15:00
Lately Sato either plays a wild new idea or the latest opening line. In this
game it is the latter with a classic Yagura opening where black has built a
strong formation with four generals in the castle and vanguard pawns on 6e
and 7e. White tries to break through by attacking these vanguard pawns.
59.P1f may be a questionable move. If white replies with 60.P1d this is good
for black because the edge attack is strong. However, Watanabe uses this move
to start the counter attack.
60.P4d-4e 01:50:00 01:32:00
61.B4f-3g 02:19:00 01:32:00
No choice. If 61.B2h or 61.B5g, white answers with 62.B5c, aiming at the pawn
on 2f. However, moving the bishop to 3g also has a problem: white can attack
the head of this bishop with the next move.
62.P3d-3e 02:19:00 01:36:00
63.B3g-4h 02:19:00 01:36:00
64.P3ex3f 02:19:00 01:50:00
65.B4h-5g 02:19:00 01:50:00
This is clearly not what black had in mind when playing 59.P1f. After 52.P4e,
this bishop could go to 5g in one move, but now was forced to take three moves
to get to the same square.
66.B4b-5c 02:19:00 02:10:00
67.R3hx3f 02:19:00 02:10:00
68.N8a-7c 02:19:00 02:16:00
69.S7g-7f 02:32:00 02:16:00
70.P*3d 02:32:00 02:27:00
71.S6f-7g 02:45:00 02:27:00
72.P*6d! 02:45:00 02:28:00
The right time to start the attack against the vanguard pawn on 6e. If white
allows B6f he will be in trouble, but if black plays 73.B6f here, white can
answer with 74.N3c Nx3c+ Sx3c N*2e N*4d and the counter attack on the 6th file
is worth more than than the slight loss in material.
73.P4g-4f 03:14:00 02:28:00
74.P6dx6e 03:14:00 02:53:00
75.P4fx4e 03:14:00 02:53:00
76.S2d-3e 03:14:00 02:53:00
77.R3f-3i 03:16:00 02:53:00
78.B5c-6d 03:16:00 02:54:00
79.P5f-5e 03:35:00 02:54:00
80.B6dx5e 03:35:00 03:02:00
81.P*3c 03:35:00 03:02:00
82.N2ax3c 03:35:00 03:07:00
83.N2ex3c+ 03:35:00 03:07:00
84.G4cx3c 03:35:00 03:07:00
85.N*2e 03:40:00 03:07:00
86.G3c-2d 03:40:00 03:09:00
87.P7e-7d 03:42:00 03:09:00
88.S6cx7d 03:42:00 03:09:00
89.B5gx3e 03:42:00 03:09:00
90.P3dx3e 03:42:00 03:33:00
91.R3i-5i 03:42:00 03:33:00
92.B*3g 03:42:00 03:34:00
93.R5ix5e 03:42:00 03:34:00
94.B3gx5e+ 03:42:00 03:34:00
95.B*4d 03:42:00 03:34:00
96.+B5ex4d 03:42:00 03:34:00
97.P4ex4d 03:42:00 03:34:00
98.G2dx2e 03:42:00 03:34:00
99.P2fx2e 03:42:00 03:34:00
100.B*6i 03:42:00 03:40:00
It seems like Sato is attacking strongly, but this move shows that the black
attack may not be strong enough and that the white counter attack is at least
as dangerous.
101.G6g-6h 03:46:00 03:40:00
102.B6ix7h+! 03:46:00 03:45:00
Going in strongly. 102.Bx2e+ also seems possible, but as always Watanabe plays
very positively.
103.G6hx7h 03:46:00 03:45:00
104.S7d-8e! 03:46:00 03:48:00
This looks very dangerous, but is probably better than the more natural 104.P*7e.
At least it puts a lot of pressure on Sato.
105.P*3c 03:53:00 03:48:00
A very interesting difference of opinion here. Sato was convinced that white had
to take this pawn and was only looking at 106.Gx3c G*4c and after G*3b he thought
that he might have to settle for sennichite after Gx3c Gx3c G*4c, etc. On the
other hand, Watanabe said that he never even considered taking the pawn on 3c,
feeling that this was a chance to attack.
106.S8ex7f 03:53:00 03:48:00
107.P3cx3b+ 03:54:00 03:48:00
108.R9bx3b 03:54:00 03:49:00
Watanabe's reasoning is straightforward. With this rook on 3b it will be very
hard for black to mate the white king, even with many pieces in hand. This might
give white the time to gives his attack decisive momentum.
109.S7gx7f 03:57:00 03:49:00
110.N*6f 03:57:00 03:52:00
111.B*6g?! 03:57:00 03:52:00
A better alternative was probably 111.G*6h. For example, 112.Nx7h+ Gx7h N*6f
B*6g Nx7h+ Bx7h R*2h B*8f! is a mating threat while defending against white's
mating threat. Still, this is not decisive, as white can play things like G*7g
Bx7g G*6f or S*7i Kx7i G*6h Bx6h G*6i Bx6i G*8h which are not clear at all.
112.N6fx7h+ 03:57:00 03:52:00
113.B6gx7h 03:57:00 03:52:00
114.R*2h 03:57:00 03:53:00
115.B*4f? 03:59:00 03:53:00
Here 115.G*6i was the best move. For example, 116.P*7g Nx7g N*6d is answered
by B*6g Nx7f Bx7f G*6f G*6h and now G*7f is not a mating threat so black can
win after P4c+. However, first S*8f (a mating threat) Px8f G*7f is a mating
threat, although black still seems to have defensive options here with the
threat of P4c+ ever looming if the white attack runs out of steam.
116.P*7g! 03:59:00 03:58:00
The decisive move.
117.B4fx2h 03:59:00 03:58:00
No choice. 117.Nx7g Rx7h+ Kx7h N*6f leads to mate.
118.P7gx7h+ 03:59:00 03:58:00
119.K8hx7h 03:59:00 03:58:00
120.P*7g 03:59:00 03:58:00
121.K7h-6i 03:59:00 03:58:00
122.B*3f 03:59:00 03:58:00
123.P*5h 03:59:00 03:58:00
124.N*5g 03:59:00 03:58:00
125.K6i-6h 03:59:00 03:58:00
126.S*7i 03:59:00 03:59:00
Resigns 03:59:00 03:59:00
Mate after 127.Kx5g G*4g K5f G*6f or 127.Kx7g G*6f K8f Gx7f Kx7f Bx5h+. A great
win by Watanabe with the white pieces and with his back against the wall. In the
two weeks leading up to this game he had lost five games in a row for the first
time in his career. But when the going gets tough, the tough get going and Watanabe
responds with a brilliant game where his positive playing style worked to perfection.
With the black pieces in the next game, he suddenly is back in this match.