King's Gambit
Sunday, June 06, 2004
Needle-Sharp Tactics Save The Day
My current favourite computer sparring partner is a small Winboard engine called Needle. It's written by a fellow student and is not exactly the strongest engine ever made (for example it tends to play the same lines over and over again) but is suitably challenging and most importantly tends to miss an occasional tactic every now and then - I've even seen it fall into Legal's mate against Crafty.
What especially seems to throw off Needle is sacrifices that result in decisive attacks. So while the purpose of this session was to familiarize myself with the lines of the KID, it turned out to be something completely different - a sacrificial feast! Get the PGN here.
Needle 0.53.1 - T. Lassila (E60 - King's Indian Defense)
1. d4 Nf6
2. e3 g6
3. Nf3 Bg7
4. c4 O-O
5. Nc3 d6
In preparation of playing c5 and Nc3.
6. Be2 c5
7. dxc5 Nc6?
7. dxc5 is where we went out of book. I was somewhat surprised by the move and missed that the capture back was perfectly possible as the queen is protected by the rook. Now I am a pawn down with an isolated pawn to boot.
8. cxd6 exd6
9. O-O a6
I didn't like the idea of that knight on b5 - plus this allows me to play b5 later on if
necessary.
10. e4 Re8
A strong push that cramps my position, but now the pawns have become prime targets. Obviously I can no longer play d5 to trade away my bad pawn.
11. Bg5 Bg4
11...h6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. Qd2 Nd4 14. Nxd4 Qxd4 15. Qf4 Qe5 16. Qxe5 Bxe5 is maybe better but the bishop pair won't compensate for the pawn difference and the isolated d-pawn.
12. h3 Qd7!?
Here I get an idea: I'm a pawn down and the prospects of an end game are not looking good. So why not go all out for a win! The computer eats up my plan like apple pie.
13. hxg4 Qxg4
14. Bxf6 Bxf6
15. Nd2 Qh4
With the threat 16...Be5 and 17...Qh2#. The computer responds by weakening its pawn formation, just as I hoped.
16. g3? Qg5
17. Rc1 Be5
Now my idea is to play 18...Bxg3 19. fxg3 Qxg3+ 20. Kh1 and draw by perpetual check.
18. Nf3 Qh6
19. Nd5 Qh3!?
Renewing the idea with 20. Nc7 Bxg3 21. Qxg3+ and draw by perpetual check.
20. Nc7 Bxg3
21. fxg3 Qxg3+
22. Kh1 Rxe4
Not so fast - there's a chance for a winning attack as well!
23. Nxa8 Rg4!
The threat of mates at g2 and h3 forces White to give up his newly won rook.
24. Rf2 Qxf2
I'm now down two minor pieces for three pawns, not bad.
25. Qf1 Rh4+
The attack seems to have come to a halt so I convert to a draw by perpetual. Not a bad
result giving some of the risky sacrifices I made. In the course of the game I gave up
a pawn, a rook, two bishops and an exchange and still came out even in the end. Tal would
be proud I'm sure.
26. Nxh4 Qxh4+
27. Kg2 Qg5+
28. Kf2 Qh4+
29. Ke3 Qd4+
30. Kf3 Qf6+
31. Kg2 Qg5+
32. Kh1 Qh4+ 1/2-1/2
Also 32. Kh3 Qh6+ 33. Kg3 Qg5+ 34. Bg4 h5 35. Qd1 Qe5+ 36. Kg2 hxg4 37. Rc3 Qe4+ 38. Kf2
Qf4+ 39. Kg1 Nd4 40. Nc7 Nf3+ draws.
My current favourite computer sparring partner is a small Winboard engine called Needle. It's written by a fellow student and is not exactly the strongest engine ever made (for example it tends to play the same lines over and over again) but is suitably challenging and most importantly tends to miss an occasional tactic every now and then - I've even seen it fall into Legal's mate against Crafty.
What especially seems to throw off Needle is sacrifices that result in decisive attacks. So while the purpose of this session was to familiarize myself with the lines of the KID, it turned out to be something completely different - a sacrificial feast! Get the PGN here.
Needle 0.53.1 - T. Lassila (E60 - King's Indian Defense)
1. d4 Nf6
2. e3 g6
3. Nf3 Bg7
4. c4 O-O
5. Nc3 d6
In preparation of playing c5 and Nc3.
6. Be2 c5
7. dxc5 Nc6?
7. dxc5 is where we went out of book. I was somewhat surprised by the move and missed that the capture back was perfectly possible as the queen is protected by the rook. Now I am a pawn down with an isolated pawn to boot.
8. cxd6 exd6
9. O-O a6
I didn't like the idea of that knight on b5 - plus this allows me to play b5 later on if
necessary.
10. e4 Re8
A strong push that cramps my position, but now the pawns have become prime targets. Obviously I can no longer play d5 to trade away my bad pawn.
11. Bg5 Bg4
11...h6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. Qd2 Nd4 14. Nxd4 Qxd4 15. Qf4 Qe5 16. Qxe5 Bxe5 is maybe better but the bishop pair won't compensate for the pawn difference and the isolated d-pawn.
12. h3 Qd7!?
Here I get an idea: I'm a pawn down and the prospects of an end game are not looking good. So why not go all out for a win! The computer eats up my plan like apple pie.
13. hxg4 Qxg4
14. Bxf6 Bxf6
15. Nd2 Qh4
With the threat 16...Be5 and 17...Qh2#. The computer responds by weakening its pawn formation, just as I hoped.
16. g3? Qg5
17. Rc1 Be5
Now my idea is to play 18...Bxg3 19. fxg3 Qxg3+ 20. Kh1 and draw by perpetual check.
18. Nf3 Qh6
19. Nd5 Qh3!?
Renewing the idea with 20. Nc7 Bxg3 21. Qxg3+ and draw by perpetual check.
20. Nc7 Bxg3
21. fxg3 Qxg3+
22. Kh1 Rxe4
Not so fast - there's a chance for a winning attack as well!
23. Nxa8 Rg4!
The threat of mates at g2 and h3 forces White to give up his newly won rook.
24. Rf2 Qxf2
I'm now down two minor pieces for three pawns, not bad.
25. Qf1 Rh4+
The attack seems to have come to a halt so I convert to a draw by perpetual. Not a bad
result giving some of the risky sacrifices I made. In the course of the game I gave up
a pawn, a rook, two bishops and an exchange and still came out even in the end. Tal would
be proud I'm sure.
26. Nxh4 Qxh4+
27. Kg2 Qg5+
28. Kf2 Qh4+
29. Ke3 Qd4+
30. Kf3 Qf6+
31. Kg2 Qg5+
32. Kh1 Qh4+ 1/2-1/2
Also 32. Kh3 Qh6+ 33. Kg3 Qg5+ 34. Bg4 h5 35. Qd1 Qe5+ 36. Kg2 hxg4 37. Rc3 Qe4+ 38. Kf2
Qf4+ 39. Kg1 Nd4 40. Nc7 Nf3+ draws.
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Serious chess. Serious fun!
