Euclid’s Window

Stockfish – Houdini
Top Chess Engine Championship Season 17 — Division P; tcec-chess.com, March 20, 2020
Sicilian Defence B63

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Qb6 7. Nb3 e6 8. Qd2 Be7 9. 0-0-0 0-0 10. Kb1 Rd8 11. Be2!? An interesting novelty, offering a Pawn sacrifice for a thematic Kingside attack. A relatively recent game continued: 11. h4 a6 12. g4 Qc7 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. g5 Bxc3 15. Qxc3 e5 16. h5 Qe7 17. h6 g6 18. f4 Bg4 19. Rd2 Be6 20. Rf2 Rac8 21. f5 gxf5 22. exf5 Nd4 23. Qe1 Nxc2 24. Rxc2 Bxf5 25. Nd4? (25. Na1) 25. ... Bg6 26. Bh3? Qc7!−+ Đukić – Kožul, Podgorica 2018, match game 3. 11. ... Qxf2. Maybe Black shouldn’t accept the challenge from such a calculating machine. 12. Rhf1 Qb6 13. Bxf6 gxf6. 13. ... Bxf6 14. Rxf6 gxf6 15. Qh6 implies similar consequences to those in the game. 14. Qh6 Ne5

15. Rd3! (Δ Rd3-h3) 15. ... Nxd3 16. Bxd3 (Δ Rf1-f3-g3+) 16. ... Bf8 17. Qxf6 Rd7 18. Rf4 (Δ Rf4-g4+) 18. ... h5 19. Qg5+ Bg7 20. Rf1 h4. 20. ... Qd8 21. Qxh5 looks no better. 21. g4! a5 22. a4 Qd8 23. Qh5 Be5 24. g5 Qf8

25. Rf6! Stockfish affords itself to sacrifice a second Exchange! 25. ... Rb8. Black can’t accept the gift with 25. ... Bxf6 due to 26. gxf6 followed by Qh5-g5+ and e4-e5 with mate on delivery. If, instead, 25. ... Qg7 then likewise 26. Rh6! with overwhelming effect. 26. Rh6! Stockfish concludes impressively. 26. ... b5 27. axb5 Qg7 28. g6 Re7 29. Nxa5 Bd7 30. Rh7 Qf6 31. g7 Qg6 32. Qxg6 fxg6 33. Rh8+ Kxg7 34. Rxb8 Bxh2 35. b6 d5 36. Rd8 Rf7 37. Be2 d4 38. Nd1 Bg3 39. Bg4 Bb5 40. Rxd4 Ba6 41. c4 Rf4 42. Bh3 g5 43. Bxe6 Rf6 44. Rd7+ Kh8 45. Re7 h3 46. Bxh3 Rxb6 47. Nc3 Bf2 48. Nd5 Rh6 49. Bf5 Be1 50. b4 Kg8 51. Re6 Rh1 1 : 0.

A lone guest talks on his mobile phone at a hotel in 香港 (Hong Kong), China. Photo: Tyrone Siu/Reuters.