Critique of Pure Reason

Leela Chess Zero – Stockfish

Top Chess Engine Championship Season 17 — Superfinal; match game 34; tcec-chess.com, April 12, 2020

King’s Indian Defence E69

Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, after 34 games Leela Chess Zero’s and Stockfish’s scores are still even. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d6 5. Bg2 0-0 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. 0-0 e5 8. e4 c6 9. h3 Qb6 10. c5 dxc5 11. dxe5 Ne8 12. e6. In the previous, reverse game there followed 12. Na4 Qa5 13. Qc2 Nc7 14. Bd2 Qb5 15. Rfd1 c4 16. Nc3 Qa6 17. Be3 Nxe5 18. Nxe5 Bxe5 19. f4 Bg7 20. g4 Re8 21. Qf2 Nb5 22. Nxb5 Qxb5 23. Bd4 Bxd4 24. Rxd4 Qc5 25. f5 b5 26. Rad1 Ba6 27. a3 Rab8 28. h4!↑/→ Stockfish – Leela Chess Zero, Top Chess Engine Championship Season 17 — Superfinal, April 12, 2020, match game 33. 12. ... fxe6 13. Ng5 Ne5 14. f4 Nf7 15. Nxf7 Bd4+ 16. Kh2 Rxf7 17. e5 Rd7!? The machine’s novelty doesn’t add much to the man’s resourceful defence: 17. ... Nc7 18. Ne4 Nd5 19. a4 a5 20. Ra3 Qc7 21. Nd6 Rf8 22. h4 b6 23. h5 Qg7 24. hxg6 hxg6 25. Be4 Ba6 26. Re1 Ne7 27. Kg2 Rad8 28. Rb3 Bxe5 29. fxe5 Qxe5 30. Qg4 Rxd6 31. Bf4 Rxf4 32. gxf4 Rd2+ 33. Kg3 Qf6 34. Rxb6 Bd3 35. Rb8+ Kf7 36. Qh3 Bxe4 37. Qh7+ Qg7 38. Qxg7+ Kxg7 39. Rxe4 Nf5+ 40. Kf3 Kf6 41. Rc4 Rd5 42. Rf8+ Ke7 43. Ra8 Nd6 44. Rc3 c4 45. Ra6 Rc5 46. b3 Kf6 47. bxc4 ½ : ½ Shirov – Kasparov, 11th Torneo Internacional de Ajedrez Ciudad de Linares, Linares 1993. 18. Qf3 Nc7 19. Ne4 Nd5 20. Rb1 Kh8 21. Bd2 Qa6 22. a3 Qa4 23. h4 b6 24. Bc3 Bxc3 25. bxc3 Ba6 26. Rf2

26. ... Rg7? Clearly not 26. ... Qxa3? 27. Qd1! (Δ Rb1-a1) and Black’s Queen is in danger. The text, however, is rather a strange mistake — and also a strange loss of time. Probably better was 26. ... Re7 27. Nd6 leaving White with excellent compensation for the Pawn. 27. Bh3 Bc8. If 27. ... Nc7 then 28. Nd6 Rf8 29. Rbb2! with consequences very similar to those of the game. 28. Rbb2! c4. If 28. ... Qxa3 there might follow 29. Ra2 Qc1 (after 29. ... Qb3 30. Rfb2 Qc4 31. Bf1 Black’s Queen gets trapped) 30. Rfc2 Qe3 31. Qh1! with great advantage to White. 29. Ra2 b5

30. h5! Qa5 31. h6! Re7 32. Qg4 Qd8 33. Qg5 a5 34. Nd6 Bd7 35. Rac2 Rb8 36. Rc1 Kg8 37. Bg2 Re8. Black’s resolution to give up the Exchange in order to get rid of the monstrous d6-Knight is very human-hearted and emotionally justified, even though the resulting endgame is indefensible and ultimately lost. 38. Nxe8 Bxe8 39. a4 bxa4 40. Ra1 Nxc3 41. Qxd8 Rxd8 42. Rc2 Nd1 43. Rxc4 Ne3 44. Rcxa4 Rd2 45. R1a2 Rxa2 46. Rxa2 Ng4+ 47. Kh3 Nxh6 48. Rxa5 Nf5 49. Ra8 Kf7 50. Ra7+ Ne7 51. Kh4 h6 52. Be4 Kf8 53. Ra8 c5 54. Ra5 c4 55. Rc5 c3 56. Rxc3 Bb5 57. Rb3 Be8 58. Rb8 Kf7 59. Rb7 Kf8 60. Rc7 Bf7 61. Kg4 Ke8 62. Ra7 Kf8 63. Rb7 Be8 64. Rb8 Kf7 65. Kh4 Kf8 66. Ra8 Kf7 67. Ra7 Kf8 68. Ra6 Bf7 69. Kh3 Bg8 70. Kg4 Bf7 71. Kf3 h5 72. Kg2 Be8 73. Rxe6 Kf7 74. Rb6 Bd7 75. Rd6 Bc8 76. Kh2 Kg7 77. Rb6 Kf7 78. Bb7 Bf5 79. Bg2 Kg7 80. Rb7 Kf8 81. Rb2 Ke8 82. Bh3 Be4 83. Bg2 Bf5 84. g4 hxg4 85. Kg3 Be6 86. Be4 Bf5 87. Bxf5 gxf5 88. Kh4 Kd7 89. Kg5 g3 90. Rg2 Nc6 91. Kxf5 Ne7+ 92. Ke4 Nc8 93. Rxg3 1 : 0.