Monday, January 25, 2016

The Cooler Head is Likely to Prevail



In complicated chess positions, the cooler head is likely to prevail. In the following human vs computer Jerome Gambit game, the real head outplays the virtual one.

Wall, Bill - Asterisk engine
Palm Bay, FL, 2015

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 



4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4
Qf6 

8.Rf1 Ne7

A novelty according to The Database, but not the best move. 

9.Qh3+ Kd6 10.d4 

Very Jerome-ish. Go pawns!

10...Nd3+ 11.cxd3 Qxd4 12.Nd2 Bb4 13.Ke2 Bxd2 14.Bxd2 Qxb2 

The computer's taste for pawns leads it to poison. 

15.e5+ Kd5 16.Rab1 Qxa2 17.Ra1 Qb2 18.Rfb1 Qc2 19.Rc1 Qb2 20.Ra5+ b5 21.Rxc7 Nc6 22.Rxd7+ 


Notice how little help Black's Rooks and Bishop provide. They will soon leap to action, too late.

22...Kc5

Alas for Asterisk, after 22...Bxd7 checkmate will follow: 23.Qxd7+ Kc5 24.Qd6+ Kb6 25.Ra6+ Kb7 26.Qd7+ Kb8
27.Rxc6 Qxd2+ 28.Kxd2 b4 29.Qc7# 

23.Qe3+ Nd4+ 24.Rxd4 Bg4+ 25.Kf2 Qxd4 26.Rxb5+ Kxb5 27.Qxd4 

Black has two Rooks for his Queen, but his King remains unsafe - and there is still the matter of the "Jerome pawns"! 

27...Rad8 28.Qc4+ Kb6 29.Be3+ Kb7 30.Qb5+ Ka8 31.Qc6+ Kb8 32.e6 h6 33.Qb5+ Kc7 34.Qc5+ Kb7 35.Qxa7+ Kc6 36.Qc5+ Kb7 37.Qb6+ Kc8 38.Qa6+ Kc7 39.Bb6+ Black resigned


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