Peter Heine Nielsen - ChessBrain
ChessBrain World Record Attempt (Copenhagen Denmark, Symbion Science Park.), 2004
[FM Eric Schiller]
Hosted by the Danish UNIX Users Group (DKUUG)
1.d4
g6 2.c4 Bg7
3.e4 d6 4.Nc3
Nf6 The position has entered the domain of
the King`s Indian Defense, one of the richest and most complicated of all chess openings.
5.Nf3
6...e5 7.
8.Re1 8.Be3
has been the most successful move, winning most of the games. Ng4 is the most interesting reply. 9.Bg5
f6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3 causes some problems for Black, since if the pawn at e5 captures at d4, the knight
at f3 will recapture. Then the Black knight at g4 is under attack, and White`s knight may soon get
to the hole at f5.
8...exd4 9.Nxd4 The
central exchange brings about a formation known as the Maroczy Bind. White has a grip on the central
light squares, but the light square bishop has little to do. Black can make use of knights at e5 and
c5.
9...Bd7 ChessBrain unveils
a new plan! The idea is to bring the knight out at c6, and if White captures it, then the bishop can
recapture, instead of the pawn. 9...Na6 10.Be3 Nc5 11.f3 leads to a fairly standard position with a persistent
advantage for White, since Black lacks any clear plan. Re8 12.Qd2 Bd7 13.Rad1 had had absolutely miserable
results for the Black side.
10.Bg5 Nc6
11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.f3 White
cannot claim any advantage in this position.
12...Qd7
13.Qd2 Rfe8 14.Rac1
h5 I don`t like this move, which just weakens
Black`s king position. The pawn at g6 will later need support, and this pawn can no longer provide it.
14...b6 15.Nd5 Re6!? 15...Bxd5? 16.cxd5 would create serious weaknesses on the c-file. 16.Qf4 Nh5 17.Qd2
Nf6 might have been tried.
15.Kh1 Nh7 15...b6
might have been considered here as well.
16.Bh6
Bxh6 17.Qxh6 The
White queen presents no immediate threats but the dark squares on the kingside will be weak for a long
time to come.
17...Re5 Definitely
a computerish move, but it is hard to find anything constructive for Black. 17...Qd8 intends to try
trading queens after ...Qg5, but White responds with 18.Nd5! and the weakness at c7 is again exposed.
18.Nd5
Rae8 Most human players would be reluctant
to give the rook at e5 so little wiggle room, but there is no tactical refutation. So the Grandmaster
retreats the queen, which can`t accomplish anything on the kingside, to attack the newly unprotected
pawn at a5
19.Qd2 b6
20.Bd3 Qd8 Black`s
position is very passive.
21.Rf1 White
has a plan now. Thrust the f-pawn up the board and smash open Black`s king position, making him pay
for the ill-advised advance of the h-pawn.
21...Nf6
22.b3 Bb7 Black
prepares to evict the knight by playing c6, but there will be a price. The pawns at d6 and b6 will be
weakened. Pawns don`t move backwards, and each advance creates a weakness or two.
23.Qc2 The
dark squares are not where the action is. The b1-h7 diagonal, and especially the f5-square, will be
the focus of attention.
23...Nd7 The
knight is better here than at h7. The queen at d8 can handle defense of g5 if needed. 23...c6 comes
into consideration. Black`s pawn structure has holes after 24.Nxf6+ Qxf6 25.Qf2 c5 but White`s bishop
is entombed. The future of the game would depend on White`s ability to play f4 and e5 and some point.
26.Rce1
24.f4 White has no
reason to hesitate. The attack may not be decisive, but it is the best plan.
24...R5e6
25.e5 The Grandmaster is going all-out
now. The advance opens the path to g6. At e4, it was just in the way. He later remarked that he couldn`t
resist having a bit of fun, and this is certainly the most exciting move. It takes guts to play with
such aggression against computers!
25...c6 The
knight is driven back.
26.f5 The
defender at g6 must give way! 26.Nc3!? would likely have been countered by 26... Nc5 since the bishop
has come alive. Nevertheless, White seems to have the better of it after 27. Rcd1! This clever move
would line up the rook against the enemy queen, and the pressure at d6 is significant. Black has weak
pawns along the third rank, and the bishop at b7 is pathetic. Hardly a winning position, but one which
definitely favors White.
26...gxf5 26...Rxe5
runs into serious trouble after 27.fxg6! cxd5 28.gxf7+ Kg7 29.fxe8Q
27.Bxf5 The
knight at d5 is sacrificed, but the rook at e6 will be won at the cost of a bishop, and Black`s king
is exposed.
27...cxd5 28.Bxe6
Rxe6 Grandmaster Nielsen sees the enemy
king defended by a mere pawn. Although he is behind two pieces for a rook, he sacrifices a rook for
the pawn!
29.Rxf7 Kxf7
30.Qh7+ Ke8 31.Qxh5+ Black
has a bishop and a knight for two White pawns, but the king is trapped and cannot flee to the queenside.
The only question is whether the king will be checkmated of whether White has nothing better than continuing
to give check until the game is drawn.
31...Ke7 31...Kf8
32.Qh8+ Ke7 33.exd6+ Rxd6 34.Qg7+ Ke6 35.Re1+ and it is a forced checkmate in 8 moves. Kf5 36.Rf1+ Ke4
37.Qg4+ Kd3 ( 37...Ke5 38.Qf4+ Ke6 39.Qf5+ Ke7 40.Qf7#) 38.Rd1+ Kc3 39.Qd4+ Kb4 40.a3+! Kxb3 41.Rb1+
Ka4 42.cxd5+ Kxa3 43.Qa1#)
32.Qg5+ White
has nothing better.
32...Ke8 33.Qh5+
Ke7 34.Qh7+ Agreed
drawn. Black`s extra pieces are useless, and only blocked the escape route of the king. Unfortunately,
there is no way to force the king to the f-file, allowing the rook to give check at f1. An exciting
game!
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