A to B

Stockfish – Leela Chess Zero

Top Chess Engine Championship Season 18 — Superfinal; match game 72; tcec-chess.com, June 28, 2020

Philidor Defence C41

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nc3 d6 4. d4 fxe4 5. Nxe4 Nf6. One of Morphy’s most famous games went instead 5. ... d5 6. Ng3 (Zukertort rightly prefers 6. Nxe5 dxe4 7. Qh5+ g6 8. Nxg6 Nf6 9. Qe5+) 6. ... e4 7. Ne5 Nf6 8. Bg5 (8. f3! is Keres’ recommendation) 8. ... Bd6 9. Nh5? (9. c4) 9. ... 0-0 10. Qd2 Qe8 11. g4? Nxg4 12. Nxg4 Qxh5 13. Ne5 Nc6 14. Be2 Qh3 15. Nxc6 bxc6 16. Be3 Rb8 17. 0-0-0 Rxf2!! 18. Bxf2 Qa3!! 19. c3 Qxa2 20. b4 Qa1+ 21. Kc2 Qa4+ 22. Kb2? (22. Kc1 Bf5! 23. Be1! e3! 24. Qb2 a5!→) 22. ... Bxb4! 23. cxb4 Rxb4+ 24. Qxb4 Qxb4+ 25. Kc2 (25. Ka2 c5!−+) 25. ... e3! 26. Bxe3 Bf5+ 27. Rd3 Qc4+ 28. Kd2 Qa2+ 29. Kd1 Qb1+ 0 : 1 Bird – P. C. Morphy, London 1858. 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Bxf6 gxf6 8. Ng3!? A novelty, and probably a good one. Quite dubious is 8. Nxe5?! as after 8. ... dxe5 9. Qh5+ Kf8! White has no clear compensation for the Bishop. On the other hand, the good old theory was also fine enough for an edge: 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. Bd3!⩲ Ondozi – Kett, 22nd ECU Club Cup, Feugen 2006. 8. ... Be6 9. Be2! 0-0 10. Bd3! Qc8 11. 0-0 Nc6?! (11. ... Kh8!? 12. c3±)

12. d5! Bxd5 13. Nh4! 13. Bxh7+ Kxh7 14. Qxd5 f5 restores material equality, but with no advantage. 13. ... Be6?! 13. ... e4 14. Ngf5 Kh8 15. c4! is anything but pleasant for Black, but at least it does not lose by force. Maybe.

14. Bxh7+!+− Kxh7 15. Qh5+ Kg8 16. Qg6+ Kh8 17. Qh6+ Kg8 18. Nh5 Rf7 19. Ng6 Rh7 20. Nxe7+ Rxe7

21. f4! e4 22. Qg6+ Kf8 23. f5 Bc4 24. Qh6+ Kg8 25. b3! Rf7. If 25. ... Bxf1 then 26. Nxf6+ Kf7 27. Qg6+ Kf8 28. Qg8#. 26. Rf4 Be2 27. Nxf6+ Rxf6 28. Qxf6 Qf8 29. Qh4 Qg7 30. f6 Qg6 31. f7+ Kg7 32. Kh1 Ne5 33. Qf2 Bb5 34. f8=Q+ Rxf8 35. Rxf8 e3 36. Qf5 Bc6 37. Qxg6+ Nxg6 38. Rc8 Nf4 39. Rxc7+ Kg6 40. Re1 Nxg2 41. Rg1 e2 42. Rxc6 e1=Q 43. Rxd6+ Kf5 44. Rxe1 Nxe1 45. Rd7 Ke6 46. Rxb7 Nd3 1 : 0.

The AI robot Erica cast in the upcoming sci-fi film b. Courtesy of Life Productions Inc./The Hollywood Reporter.