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Chess annotated moves -- continued

Blondie25 - Pocket Fritz 2.0 [B02]

NSI La Jolla (8), 2004

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5

The Alekhine's Defense. The purpose of this hypermodern defense is to provoke White into overextending, so Black can use White's broad pawn center as a target. This is a difficult variation to play well for Black, but the defensive skills that computer programs possess make them better suited to play these types of positions.

3.Nc3

White chooses a quiet variation, avoiding a theoretical battle. More common is: 3.d4 d6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 e6 6.0-0 Be7 7.c4 Nb6 8.Nc3 0-0 9.Be3 += which gives chances for both sides.

3...Nxc3 4.dxc3

White can also try 4.bxc3 d6 5.f4 g6 6.Nf3 Bg7 7.d4 0-0 8.Bd3 c5 9.0-0 dxe5 10.fxe5 Nc6 11.Be3=.

4...d6 5.Nf3

5.Bf4 led to exciting tactical play as in Balashov,Y-Safranska,A/Staufer op 10th 1998 (5)/1-0 5...Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd7 7.Qe2 Nxe5 8.Bxe5 dxe5 9.Nf3 c6 10.Nxe5 Qc7 11.0-0-0 Be6 12.Rhe1 g6 +/-.

5...Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd7

Worthy of consideration is 6...a6 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.Bf4 Rb8 9.b3 g6 10.Qe2 Bg7 11.0-0 0-0 12.Rfe1= which occurred in the game Lane,G-Horn,P/Geneve-B 1988/0-1

7.exd6 exd6 8.0-0 Be7 9.Re1 0-0 10.Qd5

10.h3 Bf6 11.Bf4 Ne7 12.Bxd7 Qxd7 13.Bg5 Balenovic,Z-Petrov,J/CRO-Cup Pula 1994 (3)/½-½.

10...Be6 11.Qh5 Re8 12.Ng5 Bxg5 13.Bxg5 Qd7 14.h3

Bobby Fischer said the secret to chess is in the timing. White has the opportunity to begin an attack and does not need to play the preventative 14.h3. Better is: 14.Bd3 h6 15.Bf4 Ne5 16.Bxe5 Bg4 17.Qh4 dxe5 18.Re3=

14...Bf5 15.Ba4 Rxe1+ 16.Rxe1 Re8

White's delay of the attack has given Black the opportunity to create exchanges simplifying the position.

17.Rxe8+ Qxe8 18.Be3 Bd7 19.Bb3 a6

19...Be6 20.Bxe6 Qxe6 21.Qb5 Qc8 22.Bd4 6 23.Qg5 Qf8 =. The computer needs to be careful of its evaluation in these types of endings. Although it is known by most chess players that a Bishop is superior to a Knight in the endgame, often, a Queen with a Knight works better than a Queen with a Bishop.

20.Bd5 Be6 21.Be4 g6 22.Qf3 Bxa2?!

Too materialistic. Better is: 22...f5 23.Bd3 Qf7 24.a3 Bc4=.

23.b3 Ne5 24.Qe2

White can play more forcefully with 24.Qf6 Nd7 25.Qd4 Bb1 26.Bxb7 Bxc2 27.Bc6 Bf5 28.g4 Be6 29.Bh6 f6 30.Bxd7 Bxd7 31.Qxf6 Qe1+ 32.Kg2 Bc6+ 33.Kg3 Qe5+ 34.Qxe5 dxe5 +=.

24...c6 25.Qf1 d5 26.Bf3!

White allows Black to double its pawns and expose White's King. It seems to be attempting to take advantage of Black's poorly placed Bishop. After 26.Bd3 Nxd3 27.Qxd3 Qe4 28.Qd1 a5 29.Qc1 a4 30.Qb2 axb3 31.cxb3 Qb1+ 32.Qxb1 Bxb1 =+ Black is a pawn ahead, but the opposite colored Bishops will increase the likelihood of a draw.

26...Nxf3+ 27.gxf3 Qd8 += 28.Qa1 Qa5 29.c4 d4

29...dxc4?? 30.Bh6 c3 31.Qe1 Qd8 32.Qe5 +- wins for White.

30.Qxd4 g5

It's too late to call back defenders to the King. 30...Qf5 31.Bh6 f6 32.Qd8+ Kf7 33.Qf8+ Ke6 34.Qe8+ Kd6 35.Bf4+ Qxf4 36.Qb8+ +- and the skewer wins Black's Queen.

31.Qf6 Qe1+ 32.Kg2 Qxe3 33.fxe3+-

And Black can safely resign now.

33...h6 34.Qxh6 g4 35.Qg5+ Kh7 36.Qh5+ Kg8 37.Qxg4+ Kf8 38.Qc8+ Kg7 39.Qxb7 Bb1 40.Qb4 Kg8 41.Qc3 Kf8 42.Qb2 f5 43.Qxb1 Kf7 44.f4 a5 45.b4 a4 46.b5 a3 47.bxc6 a2 48.Qxa2 Ke7 49.Qa7+ Kd6 50.c7 Kd7 51.Qb7 Ke7 52.c8Q+ Kf6 53.Qcc6#

Black is checkmated. 1-0

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Blondie25 - Pocket Fritz 2.0 [C00]

NSI La Jolla (9), 2004

1.e4 e6

The French Defense. Black intends to build an impenetrable wall in hopes of launching an eventual counterattack. White needs to be careful not to overextend, leaving him exposed in the endgame.

2.Nf3 d5 3.exd5 exd5

Exchange variations such as this increase the likelihood of a draw. The major pieces are often exchanged along the single open file, and the symmetrical pawn structure also contributes to the tame games that result from this line.

4.Bb5+?

This check simply allows Black to gain time on White's Bishop. The main line can proceed along the lines of 4.d4 Nf6 5.Bd3 Be7 6.Bf4 0-0 7.0-0 c5 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.c3 Bb6 10.Nbd2 Nc6 11.Re1 Bg4 12.Qc2 += Bojtor,J-Gloistein,B/NZL-ch Major op (7)/1-0

4...c6 5.Be2 Bd6 6.0-0 Nf6 7.Re1 0-0 8.d4

We return to lines similar to the main lines of the Exchange Variation minus moves for white. Although this is a drawish variation, often Black has good results not because of any inherent advantage but because the players who choose this variation for white are usually lower ranked players looking for an easy draw against a stronger opponent.

8...Re8 9.Nc3 Bg4 10.h3 Bh5 =+ 11.Nh4 Bxe2 12.Rxe2 Rxe2 13.Qxe2 Nbd7 14.Nf5 Qc7

Pocket Fritz does not have to give up the Bishop pair. 14...Bf8 15.Bf4 Qb6 16.Qd3 Re8 17.b3 =

15.Be3

15.Qf3 Re8 16.Ne2 Nf8 17.Bf4 Bxf4 18.Nxf4 Ne6 =.

15...Re8 16.Qf3 Re6 17.Ne2 Nb6?

The Black Knight shifts away from the main area of the battle. This seems to be the beginning of Pocket Fritz' problems. Better is: 17...Nf8 18.Bf4 Bxf4 19.Nxf4 Re4=

18.Nf4 Re4 19.Nd3 Nc4 20.Bg5 Ne8 21.b3 f6 22.Bc1 Na3?!

Pocket Fritz loses the string of the game and creates more problems for itself with this move. Computers programs often have create problems for themselves when they place too high a value on material versus position.

23.Bxa3 Bxa3 24.b4! b6 25.c3 Qd7

Black can try to extricate itself with 25...a5 26.bxa5 bxa5 27.Rb1 g6 28.Ng3 Re7=

26.Rb1 Nc7 27.Ne1 Re8

27...a5 doesn’t work now after 28.Nc2 axb4 29.Ng3 Nb5 30.cxb4 Re8 31.Nxa3 +-.

28.Nc2 +- 28...Nb5 29.Ng3 Re7

29...c5 30.bxc5 bxc5 31.Rxb5 Qxb5 32.Qxd5+ Kh8 33.Nxa3 Qa5 34.Qxc5 +-.

30.c4 dxc4 31.Nxa3 Nxd4 32.Qc3 b5 33.Rb2 Re5 34.Rd2 Rd5 35.Nb1 Nf5 36.Ne2 Qd6 37.Qb2 Ne7 38.a3 a6 39.Nec3

White has effectively blockaded the queenside eliminating Black's hopes for counterplay. Still the process of actually winning the game will take patience and careful play.

39...Rxd2

39...Rd3 40.Ne4 Rxd2 41.Nbxd2 Qd3 42.Nc5 Qe2 43.Qc1 Nd5 44.Nde4 f5 45.Ng3 +-.

40.Qxd2 Nd5 41.Ne4 Qe5 42.Nc5 c3 43.Qc2 f5 44.g3 Qe1+ 45.Kh2 g6 46.h4 f4 47.gxf4 Qe7

Black can also make one last attempt for checkmate with 47...Nxf4, but White can defend after 48.Nxc3 Qf1 49.Kg3 Nh5+ 50.Kf3 Qh3+ 51.Ke2 Nf4+ 52.Kd2 +-.

48.Kg3 Qe1 49.Ne4 Qg1+ 50.Kf3 Qh1+ 51.Ke2 Nxf4+

Black's hopes fall on finding a perpetual check.

52.Ke3 Qxh4 53.Nbxc3 Ng2+ 54.Kd4 Qe7 55.Ne2 Qg7+ 56.Kc5

White centralizes the King and uses it to strike at the queenside. White is winning at this point.

56...Qf8+ 57.Nd6 Qxf2+ 58.Kxc6 Ne3 59.Qd3 Qf3+ 60.Ne4

Black is out of checks and now. White is free to take aggressive actions.

60...h6 61.Nd4 Qh3 62.Kb7 Qd7+ 63.Kxa6 Qc8+ 64.Kxb5 Qd7+ 65.Ka6 Qc8+ 66.Ka5 Nc4+ 67.Kb5 Nxa3+ 68.Qxa3 Qb7+ 69.Kc4 Qxe4 70.b5 h5 71.b6 Qg2 72.Qf3 Qa2+ 73.Qb3 Qa6+ 74.Kc3+ Kh7 75.b7 Qa1+ 76.Qb2 Qe1+ 77.Kc4 Qe8 78.b8Q Qf7+ 79.Kc5 Qe7+ 80.Kc6 Qe4+ 81.Kd6 Qf4+ 82.Ke6 Qg4+ 83.Kf6 Qh4+ 84.Kf7 Qe4 85.Qg8+ Kh6 86.Qd2+ Qf4+ 87.Qxf4+ g5 88.Qfxg5#

Black is checkmated. 1-0