59th Osho Match Game 1[Black "Kubo Toshiaki, Challenger"][White "Habu Yoshiharu, Osho"][Event "59th Osho-sen, Game 1"][Date "January 15th and 16th 2010"]1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:002.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:003.P7f-7e 00:03:00 00:00:004.K5a-4b 00:03:00 00:08:005.P6g-6f 00:13:00 00:08:006.S7a-6b 00:13:00 00:14:007.R2h-7h 00:14:00 00:14:00

The furigoma for this match resulted in four tokins, giving Kubo the black pieces. The third file rook was generally expected. Kubo is not one to experiment much with his favorite Furibisha openings. It is almost a year since Kubo took the Kio title, but in that time the two players haven't met. Kubo hasn't had much success against Habu, because this is the fifth time they meet in a title match and Habu has won all previous matches and has an overwhelming lead of 13-3 overall in title match games. However, coming into this match as a title holder may be an important psychological difference for Kubo. Before the match, he emphasized that he wanted to enjoy playing this match rather than worry about its outcome.

8.P6c-6d 00:14:00 00:16:009.K5i-4h 00:25:00 00:16:0010.S6b-6c 00:25:00 00:20:0011.S3i-3h 00:56:00 00:20:0012.G6a-5b 00:56:00 00:45:0013.K4h-3i 01:05:00 00:45:0014.P8c-8d 01:05:00 01:00:0015.S7i-6h 01:27:00 01:00:00

Many players consider this a risky a move because of the attack that Habu plays here. If black doesn't want to allow a quick attack, leaving the silver on 7i for a little while longer is the safer option.

16.P8d-8e 01:27:00 02:00:0017.R7h-7f 01:30:00 02:00:0018.P6d-6e 01:30:00 02:01:00

This is the ultra quick attack that white can play when black moves the silver up to 6h. However, Kubo sees no reason to avoid this line. He actually has some experience with this type of position because Maruyama played P6e against him last June as well as Sugimoto in November. The position on the king side was slightly different (both kings had moved further in the castle), but the position at the side of the board where the rooks are was identical. Kubo won both of these games, so he felt confident enough that black had enough chances. One could say that Kubo, as the only titleholder to play Furibisha, has some responsibility towards all the Furibisha fans out there to show that the white attack is nothing to be feared. If white wins convincingly here, it will immediately become important opening theory and limit the black options considerably.

19.S6h-6g 01:52:00 02:01:0020.P6ex6f 01:52:00 02:05:0021.S6gx6f 01:52:00 02:05:0022.S6c-5d 01:52:00 02:45:0023.G6i-7h 01:54:00 02:45:0024.R8b-6b 01:54:00 02:45:0025.P*6g 02:02:00 02:45:00

From here, it is possible to lead the game into less sharp territory and just improve the respective positions for a while. However, both players don't seem to have any

attention of taking a breather, because they keep the position very sharp.

26.R6b-6d 02:02:00 02:54:0027.P7e-7d 02:34:00 02:54:0028.P7cx7d 02:34:00 02:59:0029.P9g-9f 02:40:00 02:59:0030.P*6e 02:40:00 03:10:0031.S6f-7g 02:40:00 03:10:0032.S5d-5e 02:40:00 03:11:0033.S7g-6h 02:56:00 03:11:0034.P6e-6f 02:56:00 03:26:0035.P6gx6f 02:58:00 03:26:0036.N8a-7c 02:58:00 03:29:0037.P6f-6e 03:23:00 03:29:0038.R6d-5d 03:23:00 03:40:0039.P5g-5f 03:33:00 03:40:00

Kubo was having so much fun that he played this move more or less by accident. It is the correct move, but it was also close to the end of the first day and Kubo said after the game that he should have sealed this move here to keep Habu guessing about what was coming next. Instead, he got caught up in the moment and played 39.P5f before the time control. The next sequence is forced, so Kubo missed the chance here to have extra knowledge about the way the game would continue on the second day.

40.S5ex5f 03:33:00 03:44:0041.B8hx2b+ 03:56:00 03:44:0042.S3ax2b 03:56:00 03:47:00

43.P*5e 03:59:00 03:47:0044.R5dx5e 03:59:00 03:52:0045.B*6d 04:03:00 03:52:0046.R5e-5d 04:03:00 04:06:0047.B6dx7c+ 04:03:00 04:06:00

Black is a knight up, but has no pawns in hand. The position seems rather unclear and some in the press room thought that white had the edge here. However, the way the game develops seems to show that black might have the upper hand after all. Because there doesn't seem to have been any obvious white mistakes, the conclusion might be that the ultra quick attack P6e is maybe not so good for white.

48.P7d-7e 04:03:00 04:06:0049.R7f-7g 04:15:00 04:06:0050.P*6g 04:15:00 04:33:00

Here the analysis in the press room seemed to indicate that 50.S6e would be good for white, but Habu didn't like it after 51.K2h S6f +Bx9a and L*5i is a strong threat, pointing indirectly at the white king.

51.G7hx6g 04:35:00 04:33:0052.S5fx6g+ 04:35:00 05:03:0053.R7gx6g 04:43:00 05:03:0054.B*8h 04:43:00 05:08:0055.P6e-6d 05:36:00 05:08:0056.P*6b 05:36:00 05:26:0057.N8i-7g 05:46:00 05:26:0058.P7e-7f 05:46:00 05:32:00

59.S*4e? 06:02:00 05:32:00

Kubo played this move with a lot of confidence, indicating that he felt he had the better position, but this is actually a small mistake which gives Habu a chance to turn the tables. Correct would have been 59.P*5e R4d N6e G*6f Nx5c+ Kx5c N*3f to go after the white rook. Black gets this rook anyway, but not the way he intended it.

60.P7fx7g+ 06:02:00 05:45:0061.S6hx7g 06:02:00 05:45:0062.N*7e 06:02:00 05:45:0063.R6g-6e 06:40:00 05:45:0064.R5d-5i+! 06:40:00 06:08:00

Habu magic. The point of this rook sacrifice is that white can now promote the bishop with an attack on the gold and keep on moving this bishop in the right direction while attacking the black pieces.

65.G4ix5i 06:40:00 06:08:0066.B8hx7g+ 06:40:00 06:08:0067.G5i-4i 06:40:00 06:08:0068.+B7g-7f 06:40:00 06:09:0069.R6e-6i 06:54:00 06:09:0070.S*5h 06:54:00 07:16:0071.R*5f 07:00:00 07:16:0072.S5hx4i+? 07:00:00 07:19:00

Habu misses his chance. He could have taken the advantage if he had played

72.+Bx8g. Then 73.Rx5h is of course answered by 74.+Bx6i and 73.R7i by 74.Sx4i+ Sx4i +B6e, which are both good for white. The simple looking +Bx8g is easy to overlook for a professional player and Habu said after the game that he never really considered it.

73.S3hx4i 07:02:00 07:19:0074.+B7fx4i 07:02:00 07:20:0075.R6ix4i 07:03:00 07:20:0076.G*6e 07:03:00 07:20:00

According to Abe (8-dan), this is the type of move that makes Habu so difficult to beat. It is a move that few players even consider and by keeping his opponents on their toes by playing surprising moves he invites their mistakes. The reflex move here is 77.R5f-5i, but this is answered by N6g+ followed by S*5h. However, Kubo surprised Abe by telling in the post-mortem analysis that he fully expected Habu to play G*6e here. Furthermore, there were many occasions where Habu and Kubo had seen exactly the same variations. If it is really true that Kubo has managed to understand Habu's way of thinking, this would take away an important weapon and give Kubo a much better chance to win this match.

77.R5f-4f 07:21:00 07:20:0078.S*5g 07:21:00 07:26:0079.P6d-6c+ 07:25:00 07:26:0080.P6bx6c 07:25:00 07:27:0081.P*5d 07:26:00 07:27:00

82.G*5h 07:26:00 07:30:0083.P5dx5c+ 07:31:00 07:30:0084.G5bx5c 07:31:00 07:30:0085.S*3h 07:34:00 07:30:0086.N7e-6g+ 07:34:00 07:42:0087.P*5d 07:39:00 07:42:0088.G5c-5b 07:39:00 07:43:0089.S4ex3d 07:39:00 07:43:0090.S5gx4f= 07:39:00 07:48:0091.+B7cx4f 07:40:00 07:48:0092.G5hx4i 07:40:00 07:48:0093.S3hx4i 07:41:00 07:48:0094.R*6i 07:41:00 07:48:0095.N*3e! 07:49:00 07:48:00

The correct mating threat (Nx4c+ Gx4c Sx4c+ Kx4c G*5c etc.). 95.N*4e is also a mating threat (after Bx5c+ next), but then white can play 96.K3a and it is hard to set up the next mating threat against the white king without giving up material, which would give white the chance to mate the black king. Black may have the lead in this endgame, but it is still very close and a slight mistake can turn victory into defeat.

96.K4b-3a 07:49:00 07:50:0097.N3ex4c+ 07:49:00 07:50:0098.P*4b 07:49:00 07:50:0099.+N4cx5b 07:50:00 07:50:00100.G4ax5b 07:50:00 07:50:00101.B*4d 07:54:00 07:50:00

This is a mating threat as we will see and there is no defense, because black also threatens P5c+ next. Only here Kubo felt that he had won the game.

102.R*5h 07:54:00 07:58:00103.B4dx2b+ 07:56:00 07:58:00104.K3ax2b 07:56:00 07:58:00105.S*3c 07:56:00 07:58:00106.N2ax3c 07:56:00 07:58:00107.S3dx3c+ 07:56:00 07:58:00108.K2bx3c 07:56:00 07:58:00109.N*4e 07:56:00 07:58:00110.K3c-3b 07:56:00 07:58:00111.S*3c 07:56:00 07:58:00112.K3b-4a 07:56:00 07:58:00113.N4e-5c= 07:56:00 07:58:00114.G5bx5c 07:56:00 07:58:00115.G*3b 07:56:00 07:58:00116.K4a-5b 07:56:00 07:58:00117.G3bx4b 07:56:00 07:58:00Resigns 07:56:00 07:58:00

Mate after 118.K6a P*6b K7a (Kx6b Px5c+ etc.) P*7b Kx7b G*7c K7a P*7b K8a G8b, so Habu resigned here. A great start for Kubo, who not only had a terrible record in title matches against Habu, he also never had won the first game in any of their previous matches (actually, Kubo had started all four previous matches by losing the first two games). Furthermore, he played an almost flawless game and Habu will have to find a way to stop the "new" Kubo.