Titus Andronicus

Stockfish – Revenge

Top Chess Engine Championship Season 21 — FRC4 League C; tcec-chess.com, December 27, 2021

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Position #125

1. b4 b5 2. a4 c6. If 2. ... bxa4 then 3. c4 regaining the Pawn with an edge. 3. a5 h5 4. c3 Bh7 5. Bc2 Bxc2 6. Naxc2 c5 7. h4 cxb4 8. cxb4 0-0 9. f3 Nd6 10. Ne3 Nc4 11. Nxc4 bxc4

12. g4! hxg4 13. h5! The pointe of the previous move, whereas 13. fxg4 f5! might give rise to undesired effects.

13. ... e6? This seems to be a loss of time. Black might play 13. ... f5 at once — and if 14. Be3 then 14. ... d5 15. h6 g6 16. h7+ Kh8 17. Rh6 (if 17. Ng2 now Black would reply 17. ... e5) 17. ... Rc6 18. b5 Rcf6 19. Bg5 R6f7 20. Ng2 e5 21. Rxg6 Bxg5 22. Rxg5 Nc7! 23. Nh4 Qd8 24. f4 Ne6 with a tenable defence. 14. Be3 f5 15. h6 g6. All the same, 15. ... Bf6 16. fxg4 fxg4 17. Kg2 leaves White with a powerful attack. 16. h7+ Kh8 17. Ng2. With the threat of Ng2-f4. 17. ... e5 (17. ... g5 18. f4!) 18. fxg4 d5. This quickly leads to to an unsustainable situation, but it is not easy to suggest a better move. If 18. ... f4 there may follow 19. Bf2 g5?! (or 19. ... Kg7? 20. h8=Q+! Rxh8 21. Rxh8 Kxh8 22. Qxg6 threatening both Rc1-c3 and 0-0-0 with mate coming) 20. Rh6 with a crushing preponderance. 19. Bc5 Rf7 20. Kg1 Rc6 21. gxf5 gxf5 22. Kf2. Making room for the c1-Rook on the g-file. 22. ... e4 23. Rcg1 Rg7 (23. ... Rxh7 24. Bd4+ Bf6 25. Qa1+−) 24. Rh3 c3 25. e3 Rh6! Humanly speaking, it’s just a last-ditch trick.

26. Nf4! Of course not 26. Rxh6?? on account of 26. ... Qg3+ and Black has at least a perpetual check. The rest is relatively easy: 26. ... Bh4+ 27. Ke2 Rg4 28. dxc3 Kxh7 29. Rgh1 Qg8 30. Kd2 Nc7 31. Kc2 Ne6 32. Nxe6 Qxe6 33. R3h2 Kg8 34. Bxa7 f4 35. Bd4 f3 36. b5 Kf7 37. a6 Rg2+ 38. Rxg2 fxg2 39. Rg1 Qg4 40. Qd1 Qxd1+ 41. Kxd1 Bf6 42. Rxg2 Rh1+ 43. Kc2 Ra1 44. Kb3 Be7 45. Ra2 Rb1+ 46. Ka4 Rg1 47. b6 Bd8 48. b7 Rg6 49. a7 Ra6+ 50. Kb3 Rxa2 51. Kxa2 Bc7 52. a8=Q Bd6 53. Qc8 Kg6 54. Qg4+ Kf7 55. Qf5+ Ke7 56. Bc5 Bxc5 57. b8=Q Bxe3 58. Qbf8# 1 : 0.