Kubo took 1st game - 34th Kio-sen

The 1st game of 34th Kio-sen between Kio Sato Yasumitsu and Kubo Toshiaki(8 dan) was held at Oyabe Crossland Hotel in Toyama prefecture on February 8, 2009. Kubo adopted Gokigen Nakabisha. Kubo sacrificed all his major pieces at the position of 57th move. Whether his attack would run out or not was the question. At last Kubo won the game in 86 moves, but the official blog reported Sato might have had a chance to win if he dropped a Pawn on 8d at the 67th move instead of B*2f. What a difficult game!

Here is the resignation diagram when Kubo dropped his Pawn on 4g. P*4g is not a threatmate, but Sente have no faster way to approach Gote's King. I think that's why Sente resigned it here. Here are some possible lines after the diagram;

• +Px6b Sx6b N*7d(!) Px7d Nx7d K-9b Nx6b+ P-4h+ +Nx7b +Px5h Kx5h B*4i K-5g *5h K-4g B*3h(mate)
• +Px6b Sx6b N*7d(!) Px7d Nx7d K-9b Nx6b+ P-4h+ S*5i B*2f +Nx7b+ +Px5i Gx5i Bx5i+ Kx5i +Rx5f P*5h B*8f  B*7g G*4h K-6i +Rx5h(mate, replayable clicking the arrow in the right direction)
• Gx4g B*3h K-5h B*4i(!) Kx4i Bx4g+(brinkmate)
• Gx4g B*3h K-5h B*4i(!) K-5g Bx4g+ Kx4g G*4h K-5g B-5h+(mate)
• Gx4g B*3h G5f-5g Bx4g+(!) Gx4g B*3h K-5h G*5f Gx5f +Bx5f+ G*5g +S-3g(!) Gx5f S-4h+ K-5g G*5h(mate)
• Gx4g B*3h G5f-5g Bx4g+(!) Gx4g B*3h K-5h G*5f Gx5f +Bx5f+ G*4g G*5i Kx5i +bx4g(brinkmate)
• Gx4g B*3h G4g-5g Bx5f+(!) Gx5f B*4g R*5h S-4h+ P*5i Bx5h+ Px5h R*5i K-6h Rx5h+(mate)
• Gx4g B*3h G4g-5g Bx5f+(!) Gx5f B*4g P*5h S-4h+ R*5i Bx5f+ +Px6b +Sx5i Kx5i G*4h Kx4h R*3h K-5i G*4h K-5h Gx5h(mate)

In any case, Sente would be hopeless.