83rd Kisei Match Game 1
[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Kisei"]
[White "Nakamura Taichi, Challenger"]
[Event "83rd Kisei-sen, Game 1"]
[Date "June 6th 2012"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
The pawn toss resulted in four pawns, giving Habu the black pieces. Nakamura
starts his first title match appearance with white, but judging from the content
of this game, this hardly seems to have been a problem.
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00
3.P2g-2f 00:03:00 00:00:00
4.P8c-8d 00:03:00 00:01:00
5.P2f-2e 00:04:00 00:01:00
6.P8d-8e 00:04:00 00:01:00
7.G6i-7h 00:04:00 00:01:00
8.G4a-3b 00:04:00 00:01:00
9.P2e-2d 00:05:00 00:01:00
10.P2cx2d 00:05:00 00:01:00
11.R2hx2d 00:05:00 00:01:00
12.P8e-8f 00:05:00 00:01:00
13.P8gx8f 00:06:00 00:01:00
14.R8bx8f 00:06:00 00:01:00
15.R2dx3d 00:06:00 00:01:00
16.B2b-3c 00:06:00 00:01:00
17.R3d-3f 00:07:00 00:01:00
18.S3a-2b 00:07:00 00:01:00
19.P*8g 00:08:00 00:01:00
20.R8f-8d 00:08:00 00:03:00
21.R3f-2f 00:08:00 00:03:00
22.K5a-5b 00:08:00 00:03:00
23.K5i-5h 00:09:00 00:03:00
24.S7a-6b 00:09:00 00:04:00
25.G4i-3h 00:11:00 00:04:00
26.G6a-5a 00:11:00 00:04:00
27.S3i-4h 00:11:00 00:04:00
28.P7c-7d 00:11:00 00:05:00
29.P3g-3f 00:12:00 00:05:00
30.P*8f 00:12:00 00:09:00
31.P8gx8f 00:24:00 00:09:00
32.R8dx8f 00:24:00 00:09:00
33.P3f-3e 00:24:00 00:09:00
34.R8f-8e 00:24:00 00:11:00
35.R2f-3f 00:51:00 00:11:00
36.R8ex8h+ 00:51:00 00:48:00
37.S7ix8h 00:52:00 00:48:00
38.B*5e 00:52:00 00:48:00
39.P3e-3d 01:00:00 00:48:00
40.B3c-4d 01:00:00 00:48:00
41.N2i-3g 01:01:00 00:48:00
42.B5ex8h+ 01:01:00 00:50:00
43.G7hx8h 01:02:00 00:50:00
44.B4dx8h+ 01:02:00 00:51:00
45.R*8e 01:07:00 00:51:00
46.+B8hx9i 01:07:00 01:01:00
47.R8ex8a+ 01:07:00 01:01:00
48.P*8c 01:07:00 01:02:00
The Yokofudori opening has been played at a very high pace, even for a
one-day title match. This position was reached at the lunch break. It has
been quite a violent opening, but it has been played before. This one game
was actually played by Nakamura himself with white, against Oikawa. There
the game continued 49.+Rx9a +Bx8i N*3c Nx3c Px3c+ Sx3c N*2e and Nakamura
lost the game.
49.B*9e 01:46:00 01:02:00
Of course, Habu knew about the game between Oikawa and Nakamura, but he
decides to play it differently anyway. It is very likely that Nakamura had
prepared something to improve upon his own play. The square 9e seems a strange
place to drop the bishop, making it quite vulnerable to attack. However, this
forces white to use the lance he prefers to use on 6d to attack the weak point
6g near the black king. Also, after +Bx8i white strongly threatens S*6i Kx6i
+Bx6g and "without a gold in hand there is not defense". However, with the
bishop on 9e, the square 6h is defended, so this is no long a threat anymore.
50.L*8d 01:46:00 01:36:00
51.+R8ax9a 02:07:00 01:36:00
52.+B9ix8i 02:07:00 01:44:00
53.L*5e 02:13:00 01:44:00
This lance is a bit up in the air, but the natural 53.L*5f is not good because
of N*4d.
54.G3b-4b 02:13:00 02:50:00
55.N*4e 02:49:00 02:50:00
Nakamura has a very good reply to this, so the alternative 55.N*6e was explored
in the post-mortem analysis. However, after 56.S*6d there again is no good way
for black to continue the attack.
56.P4c-4d! 02:49:00 03:28:00
Most players would have preferred defensive moves like N*4a or N*6a here, because
56.P4d opens a square near the king for a black piece to drop. However, Nakamura
has judged correctly that he can use the knight on 4e and the lance on 5e for
his own attack (L*6d and N*5e) which is stronger than the black one.
57.R3f-2f 03:07:00 03:28:00
58.P*2c 03:07:00 03:28:00
59.N4ex5c+ 03:09:00 03:28:00
60.G4bx5c 03:09:00 03:40:00
61.P*8e 03:14:00 03:40:00
Again, the alternative is 61.R5f, but after 62.S*6d Lx5c+ S6bx5c G*4c Kx4c +Rx5a
N*5e Habu said that he didn't think the black attack was strong enough. White
gets an overwhelming position here without any obvious mistake from black. Habu's
conclusion after the game was that the black opening strategy is suspect.
Exchanging the rook for gold and silver and then having the knight and lance
taken by the promoted bishop is not the kind of position black should pursue.
62.N*4c! 03:14:00 03:44:00
Another good move by Nakamura. This forces black to give up the lance which
white can use in his own attack, also moving the king up the board to a safer
position at the same time.
63.L5ex5c+ 03:18:00 03:44:00
64.K5bx5c 03:18:00 03:44:00
65.R2f-2i 03:25:00 03:44:00
66.+B8i-9h 03:25:00 03:47:00
67.P8ex8d 03:38:00 03:47:00
68.+B9hx7f 03:38:00 03:48:00
69.R2i-2f 03:38:00 03:48:00
70.+B7f-8e 03:38:00 03:48:00
71.B9e-7g 03:38:00 03:48:00
72.S*7f 03:38:00 03:56:00
The white attack seems unstoppable and at this point the analysis in the press
room was stopped, expecting a quick end to the game.
73.L*8h 03:51:00 03:56:00
74.+B8e-9d? 03:51:00 03:56:00
Here Nakamura misses and easy win with 75.Sx6g+ K4i +S5h K3i +B6g. It is a bit
unfortunate for Nakamura that not rushing his attack is not good here, even
though this is usually the best way to play in a good position.
75.B7g-8f 03:53:00 03:56:00
76.P6c-6d? 03:53:00 03:56:00
This second mistake opens another square for a black drop which makes this a
very close endgame. Correct was 76.N*7e and it would have been difficult to
get to the white king.
77.K5h-4i 03:54:00 03:56:00
78.G*3e 03:54:00 03:57:00
79.R2f-6f 03:54:00 03:57:00
80.L*6e 03:54:00 03:57:00
81.R6f-5f 03:54:00 03:57:00
82.P*5e 03:54:00 03:57:00
83.R5f-1f 03:54:00 03:57:00
84.S7fx6g=? 03:54:00 03:57:00
This third mistake by Nakamura turns the tables. Taking this pawn gives black
a devastating pawn drop on 6c, a square opened up with 76.P6d. If Nakamura
had gone after the rook with 84.N*2d white still would have had the better
chances. Nakamura was worried about 85.Rx7f +Bx7f S*7c, but after +Bx6g K3i
P4e white opens an escape route for the king through 4d and 3d, which makes
the white king hard to mate. Also, black cannot give up a silver in the attack,
because this leads to mate after R*4i.
85.P*6c 03:55:00 03:57:00
86.K5cx6c 03:55:00 03:57:00
87.P8dx8c+ 03:55:00 03:57:00
88.N*3f 03:55:00 03:57:00
89.K4i-3i 03:55:00 03:57:00
90.S6g-5h+ 03:55:00 03:57:00
91.S4h-5i 03:56:00 03:57:00
92.+S5hx5i 03:56:00 03:58:00
93.B8fx5i 03:56:00 03:58:00
94.L6e-6i+ 03:56:00 03:58:00
95.+P8c-7c 03:58:00 03:58:00
96.K6c-5d 03:58:00 03:58:00
97.P*6f 03:58:00 03:58:00
98.+L6ix5i 03:58:00 03:58:00
99.S*6c 03:59:00 03:58:00
100.S6bx6c 03:59:00 03:58:00
101.G*5c 03:59:00 03:58:00
Resigns 03:59:00 03:58:00
Now 101.Kx5c +Rx5a and after both G*5b or S*5b it is mate with +Px6c Kx5c
G*5d etc. A very painful loss for the young challenger who had Habu on the
ropes but couldn't finish the job. It was very hard for him to hide his
disappointment after the game and it will be difficult to forget about this.
Hopefully, he will recover in time to take the second game with the black
pieces, or this match might be over very quickly.