Friday, February 19, 2010

Rude Accompaniment

It can be eduational to turn over a recently-played game to Rybka or Fritz to see what they have to say about the game.

Sometimes, as in this one, when the silicon monster fusses over move after move after move, it can be grating, like singing with an off-key piano.

Of course, that only seems fair, considering that the strategy and tactics critiqued come from the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) – as off-key a Giuoco Piano as you are likely to find.

perrypawnpusher - apinheiro
blitz 5 12, FICS, 2010

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6


The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+


The Jerome response.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6


I've been here before.

8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 N8e7


Similar to perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz FICS 2009, only here White has added 0-0 and Black has added ...h7-h6.

10.f4 d6 11.Qe3 Rf8


12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Ng4


Black's Knight on g4 has done a lot of travelling and is not finished yet. It will eventually move 8 times, exchanging itself at last for a piece that has moved once.

14.Qg3 h5 15.h3 Nf6 16.e5


Here is where the computer's post mortem became critical.

It does make sense to develop my Queenside first, as in 16.Nc3 Kf7 16.Bg5 Kg8 17.Rae1, with an even game.






analysis diagram





Rybka's primary suggestion was to crash through and blow things up right away: 16.Qxg7 Nxe4 17.f6 Rf7 18.Qh8+ Kd7 19.Qxd8+ Kxd8 20.fxe7+ Rxe7 with the edge to White. 




analysis diagram







16...Ne4

apinheiro did not want to cooperate with the formation of my pawn center, but the computer suggested that this Knight jump would be more powerful after exchanging pawns.

17.Qe3


17... d5 18. f6 gxf6 19. exf6


The computer continued its moaning and groaning, but it made a good point: Black's Knight on e7 should now go to f5, not c6. 

19... Nc6 20.Qh6 Rf7 21.Bg5 Nxd4


Black's Knights are strong and centralized. White's center pawns have been stopped or eliminated.

It is surprising that Rybka (blunder check, 5 minutes a move) rates White to have an edge in this position. 

22. Nc3 Nxg5 23. Qxg5 Ne6


Rybka disliked Black's last move, rating the position now 3 1/2 pawns better for White. It certainly didn't feel that way to me!

24.Qg8+ Rf8 25.f7+


25... Ke7 26. Qg6 Qd7


According to Rybka, this move makes the d-file fatally dangerous, and 26...c6 was better.

 27. Rae1

This was a blitz game, but even at longer time controls I probably would not have found 27.Rad1 c6 28.Rf5 when sacrificing the Knight for Black's two center pawns lets the White Rooks in with deadly effect. 

27...c6 28. Qf6+ Kd6 29. Qe5+ Ke7 30. Qf6+ Kd6


It's a good thing that computers can't laugh. (Actually, my Fritz8 has a CD that adds "voice".)

I was repeating positions to gain a little thinking time from the increment, totally missing the idea of sacrificing my Knight on d5 at move 29 or move 31, followed in a few moves by sacrificing my Rook on e6, winning easily...

Right.

 31. Qe5+ Ke7 32. Qxh5


Grabbing a pawn and avoiding a draw. It is clear from my opponent's next move that he doesn't think that I have more than a half point coming. He was mistaken: 33.Qg5+ Kd6 34.Rf5 would have won a piece plus a Queen for two Rooks. (Of course, I missed that, too.) 

32...a6 33.Qg5+ Kd6 34.Qe5+ Ke7 35.Qg7


35...Kd8

Finally, a move that I could comprehend!

36.Rxe6 Qxe6 37.Qxf8+


38...Kc7 38. Qe8 Bd7


39.Qxe6

I was aware that taking the Rook was stronger, but I wanted to quickly transition into a safe and won endgame.

39... Bxe6 40.f8=Q Rxf8 41. Rxf8


41...b5 42.g4 Kd7 43.Kg2 Ke7 44.Ra8 d4 45.Ne2 b4


46.Rxa6

Accidentally giving up the Knight for Black's pawns.

46...Bc4 47.Rxc6

Thoughtlessly offering the Rook, instead, for the pawns.

47...Bxe2

Even after 47...Bd5+ 48.Kg3 Bxc6 49.Nxd4 White is winning. 

48. Kf2 Bb5 49. Rb6 Ba4 50. b3 Bd7 51. Rxb4 Kf6 52. Rxd4


52...Bb5 53.a4 Be8 54.a5 Kg5 55.Kg3 Bc6

56. a6

Readers who have not fallen asleep by now will notice that while my move wins, 56.Rd6 is stronger, as it allows 57.h4 mate. 

56... Bh1 57. h4+ Kf6 58. a7 Ke5 59. Rd8 Black resigned



I hope that you didn't mind that I cut off the computer's criticisms for the last 20 moves or so. It was getting rather tiresome, if not downright rude...

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