Meijin title holder Shigeru Nakamura managed to overplay challenger Shunsuke Kamiya in both of the Japanese Meijin match games. You realize again why Nakamura has been top player for such a long time when you look the build up of the position with black in the first game, as well the defense in the second game. Younger readers can look and learn from the grand master – 21 to 31 the preparing controlling moves neutrilising white’s activity on the left side and creating 29-19-27 connection and finally 35 the hit after which there is no defense. The first game lasted almost seven hours.
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Easier said than done but usually the best attack with black in a balanced position is clinical control of the position and connecting different flanks of the board. This way balance is often maintainable even if the attack fails or the defense is as precise.
In the second game moves from 8 to 30 is a nice passive defending sequence trying not to let black spread into other flanks and leave it inside. 32 (!) taking the tempo over – closing the VCT (victory by continues threats) by making the diagonal short and creating its own VCT. Time troubled Kamiya had to admit another loss.
We will be waiting to see the 3rd game of the match which will be played on the 15th of November.