Lemniscate

Stockfish – Leela Chess Zero

Top Chess Engine Championship Season 17 — Superfinal; match game 35; tcec-chess.com, April 13, 2020

Sicilian Defence B79

And finally — so far — Leela Chess Zero took the lead over Stockfish, even though the best game of the day was a pyrotechnic draw: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 0-0 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 Qa5 10. 0-0-0 Bd7 11. Bb3 Ne5 12. Kb1 Rfc8 13. h4 h5 14. Bg5 Kf8. In the following, reverse game Stockfish opted instead for 14. ... b5 which yielded White a lasting edge in the endgame after 15. Nd5 Qxd2 16. Rxd2 Kf8 17. Nxf6 exf6 18. Bf4 a5 19. a3 Kg8 20. Rhd1 Bf8 21. Ne2 Kg7 22. Rd4 Ra7 23. Bd2 Nc6 24. Rd3 Rb8 25. Bd5 b4 26. Rb3 Ra6 27. Be1 bxa3 28. Rxb8 Nxb8 29. b3 Nc6 30. Nd4 Ne7 31. Bf2 Kg8 32. Ka2 f5 33. c4 fxe4 34. fxe4 Nxd5 35. exd5 Be7 36. Kxa3 Kf8 37. g3 Bd8 38. Nb5 f6 39. Rf1 Kf7 40. Kb2 Kg8 41. Bd4 g5 42. Rh1 gxh4 43. Rxh4 Bg4 44. Rh1 Kg7 45. Na7 Kf7 46. Nc6 Ra8 47. Re1 Bd7 48. Nxd8+ Rxd8 49. Bb6 Rg8 50. Bxa5 Rxg3 51. Bc7 Rg2+ 52. Kc3 Rg3+ 53. Kb4 Rd3 54. Bxd6 Bg4 55. Rg1 f5 56. Rg3 Rd4 57. Kc5 Re4 58. Rd3 h4 59. Rd4 Re8 60. b4 Rc8+ 61. Kb6 Re8 62. b5 Be2 63. Rxh4 Kf6 64. c5 Rd8 65. Kc7 Rg8 66. b6 Rg7+ 67. Kb8 Bf3 68. Rd4 Rg8+ 69. Ka7 Rg1 70. b7 Ra1+ 71. Kb6 Rb1+ 72. Kc6 Bg2 73. b8=Q Rxb8 74. Bxb8 f4 75. Rxf4+ Kg5 76. Rg4+ Kxg4 1 : 0 Leela Chess Zero – Stockfish, Top Chess Engine Championship Season 17 — Superfinal, April 13, 2020, match game 36. 15. g4!? hxg4 16. h5 Rxc3! 17. h6! Bh8 18. h7! Rc5 19. Bh6+ Ke8 20. Qxa5 Rxa5

21. Bg7! Nxh7 22. Bxh8 Nf8 23. Bg7 g5 24. Bxf8 (24. Rh8 Ng6=) 24. ... Kxf8 25. Rh8+ Kg7 26. Rxa8 gxf3. A fantastically unbalanced position has arisen on the board — Black has three Pawns (of which two are Kingside passers) for a Rook.

27. Kc1 Bh3! 28. Rd2 e6 29. Rf2 g4 30. Kd2 Bg2 31. Ke3 Nd7! 32. Rd8 Nf6 33. Rxd6 Re5

34. Nxe6+! fxe6 35. Rxe6 Rxe6 36. Bxe6 g3 37. Rxf3 Bxf3 38. Kxf3 g2 39. Kxg2 Nxe4 40. Bd5. The most White’s got is a drawish Bishop vs. Knight endgame a Pawn up. 40. ... Nd6 41. Kf3 Kf6 42. Kf4 a5 43. Bf3 Ke6 44. Ke3 b6 45. Kd3 Ne8 46. a3 Kd6 47. Kc4 Nc7 48. a4 Ke6 49. b3 Kd6 50. c3 Kd7 51. Be4 Kd6 52. Bb7 Kd7 53. b4. And, finally, this Pawn exchange produces a book draw! 53. ... axb4 54. cxb4 Kd6 55. Kd4 Ne8 56. Bf3 Nc7 57. Be4 Na6 58. Kc4 Nc7 59. Kc3 Ne8 60. Kc4 Nc7 61. Bb7 Kd7 62. Kd3 Ne8 63. Bf3 Kd6 64. Kd4 Nc7 65. Kc3 Ne8 66. Kc4 Nc7 67. Kc3 Ne8 68. Kc4 Nc7 69. Bb7 Kd7 70. Kd3 Kd6 71. Kc3 Ne8 72. Bf3 Kc7 73. Kd4 Kd6 74. Bg2 Nc7 75. Bf3 Na6 76. Kc3 Nc7 77. Kc2 Ne8 78. Bb7 Kc7 79. Bd5 Nd6 80. Kc3 Ne8 81. Be4 Kd6 82. Bg6 Nf6 83. Bf7 Ke7 84. Bb3 Kd6 85. Bc2 Nd5+ 86. Kb3 Nf6 87. Bf5 Kd5 88. Bd3 Kd6 89. Kc4 Kc6 90. Kd4 Kd6 91. Bc4 Ng4 92. Bd5 Nf6 93. Ba8 Ne8 94. Bg2 Nc7 95. Bh1 Ne8 96. b5 Ng7 97. Kc4 Ne6 98. Bf3 Nc5 99. Bd1 Nb7 100. Kb4 Na5 101. Bf3 ½ : ½. A game of theoretical importance.