An Anthropology of Machines

Stockfish – Cheng

Top Chess Engine Championship Season 21 — FRC4 League C; tcec-chess.com, December 28, 2021

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Position #771

1. b4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Rxc4 Ngf6 4. Ngf3 Nd6 5. Rc1 b5. 5. ... 0-0 6. Ne5 leads to similar, if not identical, variations as in the actual game. 6. Ne5 Qb6 7. N1d3 0-0

8. g4!→ Bxh1 9. Rxh1 Rfd8 10. g5 Nfe4 11. Rc6 Qb7. If 11. ... Nxf2+ then 12. Ke1! Nxd3+ 13. Qxd3 Qb7 14. Qf3 Rf8 15. h4! with irresistible attack (in fact, Black cannot do anything against the threat of h4-h5 followed by g5-g6). 12. f3 Nxg5 13. Rg1 Ne6 14. Nc5 Nxc5 15. Rxc5. White gave up a Pawn, but obtained in return a terrific attack against the crumbling Black castle. 15. ... Qa6. Improvising a defence on the sixth rank. 16. Nc6 Rd7. Of course it’s not a good idea taking away the e8-square from the Black Knight: 16. ... Re8?? 17. Bxg7! Bxg7 18. Rcg5 with mate coming.

17. Ke1! e6 (17. ... g6? 18. Bxh8 Kxh8 19. Ne5 Rdd8 20. Nxg6+! hxg6 21. Rxg6! fxg6 22. Qxg6+−) 18. Qb2. Threatening Rg1xg7+ followed by mate in two. 18. ... f5 19. h4 Nb7 20. Rc1 Nd8 21. Qb3 Qa4 (21. ... Nxc6? 22. Qxe6+ Rf7 23. Rxc6 Qb7 24. h5+−)

22. Qe3! White gives up a second Pawn in order to carry out the final attack. 22. ... Qxa2 23. Ne5 Re7 24. Qg5 Kf8 25. Qh5 Kg8 26. Nd7! (Δ Nd7-f6+) 26. ... Rf7 (26. ... Rxd7?? 27. Qe8#) 27. Kf2! With the threat of Ba1xg7. 27. ... e5. Black has no other move to avoid immediate disaster, but the price is very much high also. 28. Nxe5 Qe6

29. Rg6! Qe8 30. Nxf7 Qxf7 (30. ... Nxf7? 31. Rxg7+!+−) 31. Rg5 Qxh5. Black can find nothing better than a theoretically lost ending, for if 31. ... g6? then 32. Rxg6+! winning even more easily. 32. Rxh5 g6 33. Rg5 Ne6 34. Rgg1 Nd4 35. Bc3 Bf6 36. Rh1 Kf7 37. e3 Nb3 38. Rb1 Bxc3 39. dxc3 Nd2 40. Rbd1 Nc4 41. Rd7+ Kg8 42. Rhd1 Nb6 43. Rd8+ Rxd8 44. Rxd8+ Kf7 45. Rh8 Nd5 46. Rxh7+ Kf6 47. e4 Nxc3 48. Rxc7 Na2 49. Rxa7 Nxb4 50. exf5 gxf5 51. Rb7 Nd5 52. h5 Kg5 53. Rxb5 Nf6 54. h6 Kxh6 1 : 0. Unplugging the plug as the position after 55. Rxf5 is a book win.