Thought Outdanced

Stockfish – Leela Chess Zero

Top Chess Engine Championship Season 17 — Superfinal; match game 83; tcec-chess.com, April 19, 2020

Sicilian Defence B40

Leela Chess Zero is still leading by two points, but, beyond mere numbers, today Stockfish exhibited itself in all its splendour. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qb6 5. Nb3 a6 6. Nc3 d6 7. Bf4 Nf6 8. Qd2 Be7 9. 0-0-0 0-0 10. f3. Perhaps for pride, Stockfish just adds its own byte to a game which is featured in Natasha Regan’s and Matthew Sadler’s book “Game Changer” (New In Chess, Alkmaar, 2019) as an example of AlphaZero’s attacking style: 10. g4 Nxg4 11. Rg1 Ne5 12. Qe2 Qc7 13. Be3 b5 14. f4 Nc4 15. Bd4 g6 16. Qh5 Nd7 17. Qh6 Bf6 18. Rd3 Bxd4 19. Nxd4 Re8 20. Rh3 Nf8 21. e5 d5 22. Bd3 Nxe5 23. fxe5 Qxe5 24. Qh4 Bb7 25. Rf3 Rac8 26. Nce2 Rc7 27. Rf6 Ree7 28. Kd2 Red7 29. a3 Kg7 30. Nf4 Rc8 31. Rg5 Qc7 32. Nfxe6+ Nxe6 33. Rxe6 Qa5+ 34. b4 Qxa3 35. Nf5+ Kg8 36. Ne7+ Rxe7 37. Rxe7 Qc3+ 38. Ke2 d4 39. Qf4 1 : 0 J. Polgár – Short, 25th Sparkassen Chess Meeting, Dortmund 1997. 10. ... Rd8. In the following, reverse game there followed 10. ... Ne8 11. h4 Qc7 12. Bg5 b5 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. h5 Nc6 15. h6 g6 16. Nd4 Bb7 17. a3 Na5 18. Bd3 Qc7 19. Rhe1 Rc8 20. Nb3 Nc4 21. Bxc4 bxc4 22. Nd4 e5 23. Nde2 Rb8 24. Qe3 f6 25. Rd2 Rf7 26. Nd1 Qc6 27. Nec3 Nc7 28. Qe2 Rc8 29. Ne3 Ne6 30. Red1 Qc5 31. Kb1 Nd4 32. Qf1 Ne6 33. Qf2 Bc6 34. Qe2 Bb7 35. Ka2 a5 36. Ned5 Nd4 37. Qe3 Rb8 38. Na4 Qa7 39. Nab6 Bxd5 40. Nxd5 Kf8 41. c3 Nb3 42. Qxa7 Rxa7 43. Rc2 Kf7 44. Ne3 with White winning a Pawn and finally forcing Black to resign after other 143 moves (!), Leela Chess Zero – Stockfish, Top Chess Engine Championship Season 17 — Superfinal, April 19, 2020, match game 84. 11. g4! Qc7 12. g5 Ne8 13. h4 b5 14. Be3 Nd7

15. g6! hxg6 16. h5 b4 17. Ne2 Ne5 18. Ned4 a5 19. hxg6 Nxg6 20. Qh2 Bf6 21. Bd3 a4

22. e5! axb3 23. exf6 Nxf6 24. Nxb3 Bb7

25. Bh6! Bxf3 26. Bxg7! Nh5 27. Bf6! Qa7 28. Bg5 Rdc8 29. Rdf1 Bg4 30. Rfg1 Bf3 31. Qh3! Qb7 32. Nd4 b3 33. a3 Rxa3 34. bxa3 bxc2 35. Qxf3 Qb1+ 36. Kd2 Qb2 37. Nxc2 Qc3+ 38. Kd1 Qb3 39. Rxh5 Rxc2

40. Rh8+! Nxh8 41. Bh7+ Kxh7 42. Qxb3 Rg2 43. Rxg2 Ng6 44. Bf6 d5 45. Qh3+ Kg8 46. Qh8 mate.