Wednesday, April 8, 2020

She’s got a dream

Leela Chess Zero – Stockfish
Top Chess Engine Championship Season 17 — Superfinal; match game 4; tcec-chess.com, April 8, 2020
Sicilian Defence B81

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. g4 a6 7. g5 Nfd7 8. Be3. In the previous, reverse game there followed: 8. a3 Nc6 9. Be3 Nde5 10. Be2 Nxd4 11. Qxd4 Nc6 12. Qd2 Be7 13. h4 b5 14. h5 Qa5 15. h6 g6 16. 0-0 0-0 17. f4 Qc7 18. Rf2 Rb8 19. Raf1 Bd7 20. Bg4 Rbc8 21. Bh3 Qb7 22. Na2 a5 23. Nc3 Rb8 24. b4 axb4 25. axb4 Rfc8 26. f5! Ne5 27. fxg6 fxg6 28. Bf4 Rf8 29. Qd4 Qc7 30. Nd5! exd5 31. Bxd7 Qxd7 32. Qxd5+ Nf7 33. Qd4 Bf6 34. Qxf6 Ne5 35. Qg7+!+− Stockfish – Leela Chess Zero, Top Chess Engine Championship Season 17 — Superfinal; April 8, 2020, match game 3. 8. ... b5 9. a3 Bb7 10. f4 Nc6 11. Rg1 Rc8 12. Rg3 Be7 13. f5 Nxd4 14. Qxd4 e5 15. Qd2 Qa5 16. 0-0-0


16. ... Rxc3. Stockfish goes for a very human (as well as thematic) Exchange sacrifice, but without getting any satisfaction except for a Pawn. Such a suggestion is well worth further pursuit! 17. Qxc3 Qxc3 18. bxc3 Bxe4 19. Bd3 Ba8 20. c4 Bc6. 20. ... bxc4 21. Bxc4 Be4 22. Bd3 Bb7 might be just a little better than bad, at least not allowing White a passed Pawn on the a-file. 21. cxb5 axb5 22. c4 bxc4 23. Bxc4 Be4 24. a4! d5. The gain of the second Pawn may cost dear after 24. ... Bxf5 25. a5 0-0 26. Bd5 with White’s Bishops being ready to escort the a-Pawn till a8.


25. Rxd5! Leela Chess Zero gives back the Exchange for a dominant position by virtue of its powerful Bishop pair and passed a-Pawn. 25. ... Bxd5 26. Bxd5 Bb4 27. Rg4 Ba5 28. Rc4 Ke7 29. Rc6 Rd8 30. Bc4 Kf8 31. Bb5 e4 32. Bf4 e3 33. Bxe3 Ne5 34. Ra6 Rc8+ 35. Kd1 Bb4 36. h3 Kg8 37. Ke2 Bc3 38. Rd6 Bb4 39. Rd4 Bc3 40. Rd1 Bb4 41. Rc1 Ra8 42. Rb1 Bc3 43. Rc1 Ba5 44. Bf4 f6 45. Bxe5 fxe5. With the last, faint hope that an opposite-colour Bishop endgame may suddenly materialise itself on the board. Leela Chess Zero, however, is smart enough not to allow that to happen, and slowly but surely forces its opponent to surrender. 46. Rc5 Kf7 47. Kf3 Kf8 48. Rxe5 Bc3 49. Rc5 Bb4 50. Rc4 Ba5 51. h4 Rb8 52. Kg4 Rd8 53. Re4 Bc3 54. Rc4 Ba5 55. Re4 Bc3 56. Kf3 h6 57. g6 h5 58. Re6 Rc8 59. Kg2 Ba5 60. Bd7 Rb8 61. Bc6 Rb2+ 62. Kf3 Rb3+ 63. Ke4 Rb4+ 64. Kd5 Rb8 65. Kc5 Bb4+ 66. Kc4 Ba5 67. Re5 Bc7 68. Re4 Ba5 69. Re6 Rb4+ 70. Kc5 Rb8 71. Re4 Bb6+ 72. Kc4 Ba5 73. Re6 Rb4+ 74. Kd3 Rb3+ 75. Ke4 Rb4+ 76. Kd5 Rb8 77. Bb5 Rc8 78. Re4 Rd8+ 79. Kc4 Rc8+ 80. Kb3 Rc3+ 81. Kb2 Rc8 82. Re6 Rd8 83. Kb3 Rc8 84. Re5 Rc3+ 85. Ka2 Rc2+ 86. Kb1 Rc8 87. f6 gxf6 88. Rxh5 Rc3 89. Rd5 Rc7 90. Bd3 Bb6 91. a5 Be3 92. Kb2 Kg7 93. h5 Kh6 94. Kb3 Bf4 95. a6 Be5 96. Be2 Rc3+ 97. Kb4 Rc7 98. Kb5 Re7 99. Bg4 Bf4 100. Rd7 Re5+ 101. Kc6 Re1 102. g7 Re8 103. Re7 Ra8 104. a7 Be3 105. Rxe3 Kxg7 106. Kb7 Rxa7+ 107. Kxa7 1 : 0. Finally!

Leela Chess Zero ambitiously aims to become the Caïssa of chess engines. Credit: Lc0 Blog.

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