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Another Habu great game, commented!:

Sente: Challenger Koji Tanigawa
   Gote: Meijin Yoshiharu Habu
  Event: 55th Meijin Match, Game 5
   Date: 1997 May 29th & 30th
   Site: Hokkaido
Opening: Kakugawari Koshikakegin
[Notes based on Shukan Shogi, 97-June-4.] 

1. P7f P8d 2. G7h P8e 

Habu, who needs this game and the next two to avoid losing the Meijin
title, spent 33 minutes on his first move and 21 on his second. 

3. B7g P3d 4. S6h G3b 5. S3h S7b 6. P2f B7g+ 7. S7g S4b 8. P1f P1d 9. P9f
P9d 10. P4f P6d 11. S4g S6c 12. K6h S5d 13. S5f S3c 14. G5h P6e!? 15. K7i
K4b 16. P2e G5b 

The sealed move. 

17. P3f K3a 18. N3g P4d 19. R4h G54c 20. K8h K2b 21. G56h G44b 22. L1h
G44c 23. G5h G44b 24. G4g!? 

With 24. B2f, Sente can break the repetition but not gote's defence. The
continuation would be 24... G34c 25. P4e P4e 26. S4e P4d. 

24... G44c 25. R2h G44b 26. P4e!? 

Finally, Tanigawa opens the middlegame, though his King's defences are
thin. 

27... P4e 27. N4e 

 After 27. N4e.....

28... S4e! 

Habu finds the best chance. If instead 27... S4d 28. P4f, gote has no
suitable continuation, while sente can exchange pawns with P2d and advance
P3e at will. Or if 27... P4f 28. N3c+ G33c 29. G4h N4d 30. P3e, again sente
has a good game. 30... N3f 31. P3d N2h+ 32. P3c+ and gote has no good way
to recapture. 32... G3c 33. B7i, 32... N3c 33. P3d, or 32... K3c 33. S3e
all seem to favor sente. 

28. S4e P8f 29. P8f P6f 

A slight surprise. 29... P8e was expected. Then if 30. P8e, gote could
follow up with either 30... P6f or 30... N9c with a good game. Or if 30.
P3e as in the game, 30... P8f 31. P3d N8e would win. Sente has a
remarkable resource, however, in 30. S7a! when 30... R7b loses to 31. P3e,
and 30... R8d is met by 31. P8e R8e 32. P8f R8f 33. P8g (but not 33. S8f
B5e) R8e 34. P3e P6f 35. G5f P6g+ 36. G6g. 

30. P6f P8e 31. P3e 

Of course not 31. P8e? R8e and sente's silver at 4e is lost. 

31... B6i!? 

31... P8f is not good due to 32. P8c R8c 33. B5f. 

32. B5f N4d! 

 After 32... N4d! 
If instead 32... N6d 33. B6e P8f 34. P8c R6b 35. P3d, gote's knight
blocks his own rook. 

33. B6e 

33. S4d might be better. Then after 33... S4d, sente can try either 34.
S5h, killing the bishop, or 34. P8e S4e 35. N2f. 

33... P8f 34. P8c R6b 35. P3d R6e 36. P6e B6g! 37. G6g 

37. S8f B4e+ 38. P3c+ G43c 39. S5f would have led to a difficult game. 

37... P8g+ 38. K7i B4g+ 39. B6i +B6i 40. K6i B4g 41. S5h? 

Tanigawa misses his last chance. 41. B5h, preventing Habu's next shot,
was absolutely necessary. Then after 41... B5h 42. K5h G3g 43. R2f +P7h
44. P5f the game looks far from over. 

41... N3f! 

'Habu magic'. 

42. P3c+ G43c 43. S3f 

There is nothing better. If the rook abandons the 2nd rank, 42... N4h+
wins. 

43... B3f+ 

Now gote's king is safe. 

44. P3d G3d 45. N2f Gd3c 46. P3d Gc4c 47. P2d 

Nice try, but insufficient. 

47... G7h 

Accurate. The tempting 47... +B3g allows matters to get out of hand: 48.
N1d! L1d 49. P2c+ G2c 50. S3c! and now if 50... N3c? 51. R2a! mates. 

48. K5i +B3g 49. R*4h P4g 50. B6f K3a 51. S4g S3i 

Threatening mate after 52... S4h 53. R4h R7i. There is no defence as 52.
G6h is met simply by 52... P6g. 

0-1 

At long last, Habu wins a Habu-style victory.