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Chess Life Magazine 2014 September The April Check is in the Mail
Chess Life Magazine 2014 September The April Check is in the Mail | The April Check is in the Mail |
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| By Alex Dunne | |
| March 31, 2014 | |
 Perfect CC game played by two computers ! Two massive Hadrax computers locked into each other for a total of 54,000 hours of computer analysis have come to an end. The result of this colossal metal minds struggle? A draw on Move 1 when Computer #107w6r465 (Black) explained that it had weighed all possible answers, had calculated the most likely results, and had offered the draw because it was afraid that a loss would spoil its perfect record +0 =1342 -0 in computer vs. computer play. Computer 107w6r464 (White) explained that it accepted the draw because it "was tired" from a long span of computing. 1. d4 d5 Draw Next on the agenda the two computers will explore 1.e4. Tune in again in just a little over six years to find out the results. MENKE ABSOLUTE CHAMP AGAIN Repeating his victory in the 2011 Absolute, John Menke demonstrated his mastery of the sixty-four squares by claiming another victory this time I the 2012 Absolute. And Menke's mastery is nearly complete: first in the 2003 Golden Knights, first in the 2004 and 2006 Electronic Knights, and first in the 2011 Absolute and now again in 2012. GAME OF THE MONTH Menke and Wilson - two colossi of the US correspondence world - clash in this game of theoretical interest to Sicilian fans and foes. SICILIAN DEFENSE (B90) 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 The English Attack against Najdorf Sicilian has been one of the most investigated lines. Currently both sides have been scoring well. 6...e5 The first of many choices. The major alternative is 6...Ng4 here. Both choices have produced about even results. 7.Nb3 And here, too, the choice is split: 7, Nf3 is championed by Karjakin while 7. Nb3 is favored by Caruana. 7...Be6 This or 7...Be7 which is likely to transpose. 8.f3 Two alternatives here are 8. Qd2 and 8. h3,. 8...Be7 The caveman might be attracted to 8...h5 here which holds its own in competition. 9.Qd2 0-0 10.0-0-0 Nbd7 The choice here is between launching queenside action with 10...a5 or developing and 11...b5. 11.g4 b5 12.g5 Restraint by 12. Rg1 Nb6 13. Na5 Rc8 14, g5 Nh5 15. Kb1 was shown in Anand-Topalov, Supreme Masters 2013. 12...b4 13.gxf6 13, Ne2 Ne8 14. f4 a5 15, f5 a4 16. Nbd4!? was played in Van Oosterom-Kukk, 22nd World Championship, but analysis has shown it lacking. 13...bxc3 14.Qxc3 Nxf6 15.Na5 This position favors White +7 =3 -0 in recent OTB games since 2010. 15...Qd7 15....Rc8 16. Nc6 Qe8 17 Nxe7+ Qxe7 18. Qa5 Rc6 19. Rg1 Rfc8 drawn shortly was Anand-Grischuk, Tata Steel 2011 16.Nc6 Rac8 Which Rook is a problem here. After 16...Rfc8 17. Nxe7+ Qxe7 18. Qa5 Nd7 Sigur-Behling, ICCF 2011, White stood better. 17.Nxe7+ Qxe7 18.Qa5 Rc6 19.Kb1 Nh5 Black's game is very difficult. Facing two sharp Bishops and with a weakened Pawn structure, Black lacks a good plan to coordinate his pieces. 20.Rg1 Rfc8 21.Rg2 Qf6 A gamble is 21...Bh3 22. Rxg7+!? Nxg7 23. Bxh3 Ne6 when White has attacking chances but Black has the exchange. 22.Rf2 Nf4 23.b3 h6 24.Qa3 White gives up the two Bishops in order to freeze the Pawn structure into one favorable to him. 24...Nh3 25.Bxh3 Bxh3 26.c4 Rb8 27.Ka1 Bd7 28.Qa5 Qg6 29.h4 Kh7 Black rejects 29...f5 30. Qd5+ Kh8 31. exf5 Qxf5 32. Rg1 Rf8 33. Rfg2 Rf7 34. Rg6 Qxf3 35. Qxf3 Rxf3 36. Bxh6 Kh7 37. Bxg7. 30.h5 With Black's Rooks confined to the queenside, White switches the battle to the kingside. 30...Qxh5 31.Rg1 f6 After this Black's fate is sealed. A better try was 31. ...Rg8 but such passive defense seems doomed in the long run. 32.Qd2 g5 33.Rh2 Qg6 34.Bxg5! The decisive breakthrough. Black defends cleverly, but the isolation of his Rooks proves too much. 34...fxg5 35.Rxg5 Qf6 36.Rgh5 d5 37.exd5 e4+ 38.Kb1 Rcb6 39.d6! X-raying the Bishop on d7 after 39....Rxd6 40.. Rxh6+ Qxh6 41. Rxh6 Rxh6 42. Qxd7+ 39...e3 40.Qc2+ Kg7 41.c5 Rb4 42.Rg2+ Kf8 43.c6 Be6 44.c7 e2 45.Rxe2 The simplest. 45...Rc8 46.Rhe5 Bh3 47.Qd3 Qf7 48.Re7 Qf5 49.R2e4 Rxe4 50.fxe4 Qc5 51.Qf3+1-0 Second place was held by Wesley Brandhorst. Brandhorst amassed an undefeated 8 ½-3 ½ score to finish alone in second place. His five wins included a win over his nearest rival for second place, Harry Ingersol. 
QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED (D30) 7302 Third place was taken by Harry Ingersol who lost only one game in the event. His third place finish third year fits in well with his first place in 2010 and third place in 2011. Queen's Gambit Accepted (D23) 7303 2013 COLORADO CHAMPIONSHIP Jeffrey Baffo dominated the 2013 Colorado Correspondence Championship scoring a perfect 7-0. Jeffrey has consistently finished in the top two places since the 2009 event. CARO-KANN (B19) 7304 Quote: CC is getting closer to perfection -- Ivar Bern OBITUARY Roger Sample, born July 2, 1941, died November 8 2013 at Midlothian, VA. SICILIAN DEFENSE (B52) 7305 ENDGAME DATABASES TO DECIDE SERVER PLAY ? I would like to hear from players who use server play (Walter Muir, Absolute, etc.) on a change of policy with regard to endgame play. Currently all six piece endings or less have been solved and the endings are available free on line. Why force an opponent to play out such an ending? Should reference to the database be used to decide the game immediately? Could such usage avoid the following game? After Move 47 the Nalimov Bases evaluate the ending as a win in 76 moves, Please send in your vote on this issue. SICILIAN DEFENSE (B43) 7306 JOHN GALVIN SWEEPS 13SQ17 PIRC'S DEFENSE (B08) 7308 MARCH RESULTS Walter Muir David Wright 13W46 5-1 Jesse Van Hine 13W32 5-1 Benjamin Chui 13W07 4 ½-1 ½ Charles Gibson 13W07 4 ½-1 ½ Edward Schweikert 13W14 6-0 Jay Hall 13W44 4 ½-1 ½ Kendrick Aung 13W29 5-1 Palciauskas Tournament Scott Sensiba 12P02 4-2 DANA SYLVANDER WINS 12Q10 SICILIAN DEFENSE (B87) 7309 In the final position you may wonder what happens if Black plays 31...Ka7. Of course 32. C8(Q) is a mistake allowing 32...Re1+ and mate next, but White has a neat underpromotion trick with 32. c8(N)+ Qxc8 33. Qxe2 with an easy win. |