Imitatio vitae

Rybka – Ikarus
5th Livingston Chess960 Computer World Championship; Mainz, July 29, 2009
rknbbrnq/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RKNBBRNQ w FAfa - 0 1

Position 857

1. e4 e5 2. Nge2 d6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nxf4 Bd7 5. Qg1 Bg5. There were several other moves worth considering, for instance: 5. ... a5!?∞ with an unclear balance. 6. h4 Bxf4 (6. ... Bh6 7. g4±) 7. Rxf4 Nb6 8. a4 a5 9. Be2 Ne7 10. Bf2 Nbc8 11. Ra3! A powerful Rook lift. 11. ... Ng6 12. Rff3 Bg4? This only helps White to further develop its attack. A controversial line is 12. ... Re8!? 13. Rxf7 Ne5 14. Rff3! Nxf3 15. gxf3 with White getting gratifying compensation for the Exchange in the form of one Pawn, the Bishop pair, and a-side attacking prospects. Maybe best is 12. ... Bc6 so as to induce White to play d2-d3 interrupting communications between its Rooks along the third rank (if 13. d3 Black can reply with 13. ... Ne5). 13. Rfc3 Bxe2 14. Nxe2 Rd8 15. h5 Ne5 16. Nf4 Ra6 17. Qf1 Rd7 18. Rab3 Ka8 19. Nd5 Qd8 20. d4 Ng4 (20. .. Nc6 21. h6 gxh6 22. Rf3+−)

21. Bh4! f6. If 21. ... Qxh4 then 22. Rxc7 Rxc7 23. Nxc7+ Ka7 24. Nxa6 bxa6 25. Qf5 winning easily. 22. Qf5 c6 23. Nf4 Nh6 24. Qxh7 Ng4 25. Ne6 Qe8 26. Nxg7 Qf8 27. h6 Nxh6 28. Rg3 Ng8 29. Qh8 Nce7 30. Nf5 Qb8 31. Nxe7 Nxe7 32. Qxf6 Qc7 33. Qf8+ Nc8 34. Rg8 Kb8 35. Bg3 Ka7 36. Qxc8 Qxc8 1 : 0.