11th Ryu-O Challenger match Game 3

Black: Fujii, 6-dan

White: Habu, 4K
11th Ryu-o challenger match, Game 3, September 14th 1998
1.P7g-7f
2/2
0/0
2.P8c-8d
0/2
2/2
3.P6g-6f
6/8
0/2
4.P3c-3d
0/8
2/4
5.R2h-6h
1/9
0/4
6.S7a-6b
0/9
2/6
7.S3i-3h
1/10
0/6
8.K5a-4b
0/10
2/8
9.P1g-1f
1/11
0/8
10.K4b-3b
0/11
2/10
11.S7i-7h
6/17
0/10
12.P5c-5d
0/17
2/12
13.S7h-6g
11/28
0/12
14.P8d-8e
0/28
3/15
15.B8h-7g
0/28
0/15
16.B2b-3c
0/28
1/16
17.G6i-5h
25/53
0/16
18.K3b-2b
0/53
33/49
19.P4g-4f
2/55
0/49
20.L1a-1b
0/55
23/72
21.S6g-5f
20/75
0/72

22.K2b-1a?!

0/75

5/77

An interesting idea. Habu sacrifices a pawn to make a strong anaguma

castle.
Although this might not be objectively the best plan, it is an
interesting

psychological choice. The "Fujii system" is a opening strategy to make

it
difficult for the Ibisha side to build an anaguma. Now that white can
complete
his anaguma, Fujii might feel a little uneasy. The normal continuation
would
have been 22.P5e S4e R8d.
23.S5f-4e
24.G4a-3b
25.S4ex5d

0/75
0/75
13/88

0/77
0/77
0/77

Fujii prefers to take this pawn over the pawn on 3d. The reason is that
he
wants to make it difficult for white to develop the silver on 6b.
26.S3a-2b
27.K5i-4h
28.G6a-5a
29.K4h-3i
30.G5a-4a
31.S5d-4e
32.R8b-8d
33.K3i-2h
34.G4a-3a
35.G5h-6g
36.B3c-4b
37.R6h-8h
38.S6b-5c
39.P5g-5f
40.B4b-2d
41.R8h-4h
42.S5c-4d
43.S4ex3d
44.S4d-3e
45.S3d-2e
46.B2d-4b
47.R4h-8h

0/88
10/98
0/98
2/100
0/100
5/105
0/105
20/125
0/125
23/148
0/148
2/150
0/150
5/155
0/155
10/165
0/165
5/170
0/170
1/171
0/171
6/177

20/97
0/97
30/127
0/127
8/135
0/135
8/143
0/143
2/145
0/145
24/169
0/169
0/169
0/169
20/189
0/189
6/195
0/195
6/201
0/201
0/201
0/201

48.R8d-4d?

0/177

12/213

This is a mistake and Habu even calls it the losing move. White having
lost a
pawn is not that important in this position, but that white does not
have a
pawn in hand is a major problem. Habu wants to get a pawn as soon as
possible.
Of course 48.Sx4f would be bad after 49.B6h R4d P*4e Rx4e S3f R4d P*4e,
but
48.B6d was the right move to win back the pawn. This looks very
dangerous after
49.P6e 50.Bx4f 51.R7h, since the black bishop has no squares and 52.P7d
P5e
does not help. However, after 52.P*3f P*4g Bx3g+ Nx3g N3c black has a
very
strong attack and good compensation for the bishop. The fact that such a
risky variation was Habu's only alternative is an indication that his
opening
pawn sacrifice did not pay off. From now, black has a clear advantage.
49.B7g-6h
50.B4b-6d
51.P5f-5e
52.N2a-3c
53.P4f-4e
54.R4dx4e
55.S2e-3d
56.R4ex5e
57.P*5f
58.R5e-5d
59.S3dx3c+
60.S2bx3c
61.B6hx3e
62.P*3f

9/186
0/186
6/192
0/192
27/219
0/219
2/221
0/221
4/225
0/225
1/226
0/226
0/226
0/226

0/213
26/239
0/239
0/239
0/239
0/239
0/239
0/239
0/239
0/239
0/239
0/239
0/239
0/239

63.N*5e!

18/244

0/239

The pawn advantage has become a knight, but black has to be careful. If
he
would have played the obvious 63.S*5e here, then 64.S*4d! would have
given
white very good chances. After 65.Sx5d Sx3e white has a very strong
attack and
after 65.Sx4d Sx4d black has lost a move.
64.P3fx3g+
65.S3hx3g
66.S3c-4d
67.B3e-7i
68.S4dx5e
69.P5fx5e
70.B6dx5e
71.P*5f
72.B5ex3g+
73.K2hx3g
74.P*3f
75.K3g-4g
76.P*5g
77.S*3e
78.S*4d
79.S3e-4f
80.P8e-8f?!

0/244
0/244
0/244
1/245
0/245
0/245
0/245
3/248
0/248
0/248
0/248
4/252
0/252
8/260
0/260
2/262
0/262

2/241
0/241
0/241
0/241
0/241
0/241
0/241
0/241
2/243
0/243
1/244
0/244
9/253
0/253
16/269
0/269
0/269

Habu is now already a bishop behind, and his attack is not strong
enough. He
desperately tries to create something, but this only helps black. The
aim is
81.Px8f? N*8g and if black does not answer 80.P8f, then Px8g+ Rx8g S*7h.
However, in the latter variation black simply plays Rx8a+ and wins.
81.P1f-1e?

10/272

0/269

This is very dangerous and gives white strong counterchances. After the
simple
81.P*4e S3c Bx5g, black wins easily.
82.S*4e
83.S4fx5g
84.P*5e
85.P1e-1d
86.P1cx1d
87.P*1c
88.L1bx1c
89.P5fx5e
90.S4dx5e
91.P*5f

0/272
8/280
0/280
3/283
0/283
5/288
0/288
1/289
0/289
0/289

10/279
0/279
0/279
0/279
0/279
0/279
0/279
0/279
2/281
0/281

92.R5d-4d?

0/289

6/287

The final mistake. 92.N*3e is the only move to stay in the game. After
93.K5h
S5ex5f Sx5f Sx5f Bx3e seems to be good for black, but after S*5g things
are
not that clear. Best seems 93.K3h R4d! Px5e P3g+ Nx3g S3f and white
seems to
have a strong attack even though the situation is still unclear. This is
clearly better than the game.
93.K4g-5h!

0/289

0/287

0/289
2/291
0/291
0/291
0/291
0/291

0/287
0/287
0/287
0/287
0/287
0/287

Cool defense.
94.S4e-4f
95.S5gx4f
96.S5ex4f
97.B7ix4f
98.R4dx4f
99.B*5e

Fujii calculated accurately that this kills white's attack and that he
can
easily win from there.
100.R4f-4d
101.P*4e
102.P*5d
103.P4ex4d
104.P5dx5e
105.P4dx4c+
106.G3bx4c
107.R*8b
108.S*2b
109.R8bx8a+

0/291
0/291
0/291
0/291
0/291
0/291
0/291
3/294
0/294
3/297

0/287
0/287
0/287
0/287
0/287
0/287
0/287
0/287
2/289
0/289

110.N*2a
111.P*3b
112.G3ax3b
113.S*4a

0/297
0/297
0/297
0/297

0/289
0/289
0/289
0/289

Suddenly all black's material advantage is put in attack. White has no

more
defense.
114.G3b-4b
115.S*3b
116.P3f-3g+
117.N2ix3g
118.P*3a
119.S3bx4c+
120.G4bx4c
121.S4a-5b=
122.G4c-3c
123.P*3d
124.G3cx3d
125.N*4c
126.S*4b
127.G*4a

0/297
0/297
0/297
0/297
0/297
1/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298

0/289
0/289
1/290
0/290
0/290
0/290
0/290
0/290
0/290
0/290
4/294
0/294
0/294
0/294

Fujii: "Only here I thought I was winning". A little too modest?

128.B*5c
129.G4ax4b
130.B5cx4b
131.S5b-4a+
132.B*3f
133.S*4g
134.B3fx4g+
135.K5hx4g
136.P*4f

0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298

3/297
0/297
0/297
0/297
0/297
0/297
0/297
0/297
0/297

137.K4g-5h
138.P8fx8g+
139.R8hx8g
140.P*8f
141.R8g-8h
142.S*7i
143.R8h-7h
144.P8f-8g+
145.R7hx7i
146.B4b-2d
147.N4cx3a+
148.P4f-4g+
149.K5hx4g
150.B2dx7i+
151.+N3ax2a
Resigns
Time:

0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
04:58:00

0/297
0/297
0/297
0/297
0/297
0/297
0/297
1/298
0/298
0/298
0/298
1/299
0/299
0/299
0/299
0/299
04:59:00

A game dictated by Fujii, who is in great form and can hopefully play a
good
match against Tanigawa in his first appearance in a title match.