Junior 7 vs Gothmog 0.4.7 (2) 40'/40 (0-1) Fantastic game

[Kurt Utzinger]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Kurt Utzinger at 21 March 2004 17:57:49:

Fritz8-GUI
P3 650/32 MB hash
ponder=off
5moves.ctg
no learning
3-/4-men EGTB
Gothmog 0.4.7 sel=6
time: 40'/40+40'/40+40'
In an absolute fascinating game (one of the most interesting one I have
seen in the last few years), Gothmog 0.4.7 (sel=6) has beaten the very
strong Junior 7. The running match stands 2.5-1.5 after 4 games:
[Event "Junior7_Gothmog047 40'/40+40'/40+40'"]
[Site "P3 650/32 5moves.ctg"]
[Date "2004.03.21"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Junior 7"]
[Black "Gothmog 0.4.7"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E21"]
[Annotator "Utzinger,K"]
[PlyCount "134"]
1. d4 {Fritz8-GUI, ponder=off, 5moves.ctg, no learning, P3 650/32 MB hash,
Gothmog 0.4.7 sel=6, 3-/4-men EGTB} 1... Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 Bb4+ 4. Nc3 b6 5.
Qb3 Qe7 {Both last book move} 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. Qxc3 Bb7 8. h4 {Typical Junior7:
an attacking move at a moment when it is even unclear on which side Black is
going to castle} 8... Ne4 9. Qc2 O-O 10. Bf4 c5 11. e3 cxd4 12. Bd3 d5 13. exd4
Qf6 {
Most surprising: I had expected 13...Rc8 when 14.Ng5 could be met with 14...f5}
14. g3 {I do not understand this. The logical move seems 14.Be5 when it will
be difficult for Black to prove that its previous move was an appropriate one}
14... Nc6 15. Qd1 (15. Bxe4 dxe4 16. Qxe4 Na5 17. Qd3 Bxf3 18. Qxf3 Qxd4 {
and Black is clearly better}) 15... Rad8 16. Bc2 ({Fritz 8:} 16. Bg5 Qf5 17. g4
Qxg4 18. Bxd8 Rxd8 19. Rg1 Qf4 20. Qe2 Na5 {-0.10/15}) 16... Qf5 {Looks again
dangerous but White has no possibility to attack the opposing queen. And
furthermore it's difficult for Junior7 to find a good place for the own king}
17. Qe2 Rc8 18. b4 Rfd8 19. c5 Qh5 20. Qd1 {A trial worth was 20.0-0 but
anyway, the game remains very complicated and to find the best moves would be
a very time consuming matter} 20... Ba6 21. Ne5 Qxd1+ 22. Rxd1 Nxe5 23. Bxe5 f6
24. Bf4 Nc3 25. Ra1 Bc4 26. Be3 e5 {
At all cost, Gothmog 0.4.7 wants to take the initiative} 27. Bf5 Rc6 28. cxb6
exd4 29. Bxd4 Nb5 30. Bb2 Re8+ {
Black has opened the e-file to improve the activity of the rook} 31. Kd1 Nd6 {
Just crazy how Gothmog 0.4.7 is playing this game. My expectation was 31...
axb6. The text move leads to unbelievablecomplications} 32. Bd7 Bb3+ 33. Kd2
Rc2+ 34. Kd3 Ree2 {!? The next surprise: neither a computer program nor a
human being can calculate enough deep OTB to say if this is a good or bad move}
35. bxa7 {
At first glance we get the impression that Black will shortly lose the game ...
} 35... Red2+ 36. Ke3 Nc4+ 37. Kf4 Nb6 {
Just in time, but it still looks very well for White} 38. Rac1 Rxf2+ 39. Kg4
h5+ (39... Rxb2 {??} 40. Rc6 {+-}) 40. Kxh5 {Forced} (40. Kh3 Rxb2 41. Rc6 Bc4
42. Rxb6 Bf1+ 43. Rxf1 Rh2#) 40... Rxb2 41. Rc6 Nxd7 42. a8=Q+ Kh7 {A fantastic
position: White has the queen for only two minor pieces. But Black is
threatening Ne5 followed by g6 mate} 43. Qe8 {The only move} (43. Kg4 {?} 43...
Bd1+ 44. Kh3 (44. Rxd1 Ne5+ 45. Kh5 g6#) 44... Ne5 {and Black wins}) (43. Re6 {
?} 43... Bc2 44. Qxd5 Rf5+ 45. Qxf5+ Bxf5 {and it's again Black to win}) 43...
Ne5 44. Rxf6 {All other moves are losing} 44... gxf6 {
And now, material is about equal but White's king is still in danger} 45. Qe7+
Kg8 46. Re1 (46. Qe8+ Kg7 47. Qe7+ Nf7 {-+ and White is in Zugzwang}) 46... Nf7
47. Qd7 d4 48. Re8+ (48. Qxd4 Rbd2 49. Qg4+ Kf8 50. Qc8+ Kg7 51. Qg4+ Kf8 52.
Qc8+ Kg7 53. Qg4+ {and the game would end with a draw}) 48... Kg7 49. Qg4+ {
Is White not winning now?} 49... Ng5 50. Re7+ (50. hxg5 {??} 50... Bf7+ 51. Kh4
Rh2+ 52. Qh3 Rxh3+ 53. Kxh3 Bxe8 {and White is lost}) 50... Kf8 51. Qd7 Nf7 52.
a4 {Further analysis are required to see if this is a mistake} (52. Re4 Ne5 53.
Qxd4 Rbd2 54. Qc5+ Kg7 55. Rxe5 Bf7+ 56. Kg4 fxe5 57. Qxe5+ Rf6 58. Kh3 Be6+
59. g4 Rd3+ 60. Kh2 Rd2+ 61. Kg1 Rd1+ 62. Kg2 Rd2+ {=}) 52... Rbd2 53. g4 {
? Junior7 still shows a positive score but this pawn advance is wrong and
allows Gothmog 0.4.7 to change things completely 0.42/14 2:15} ({Fritz 8:} 53.
b5 Rf3 54. Rxf7+ Bxf7+ 55. Kh6 Re2 56. g4 Re7 57. Qxd4 f5 58. g5 Re6+ 59. Kh7 {
1.15/16}) 53... Kg7 54. b5 {-3.05/13 37} 54... Rde2 {
-5.93/12 1:19 Another winning move was 54...Rf4} (54... Rf4 55. Re8 {
forced in order to meet Rc2 with Rc8} 55... Rdf2 56. Re7 Rf5+ 57. gxf5 Bd1+ 58.
Re2 Bxe2#) 55. Rxe2 (55. b6 Rxe7 56. Qxe7 Rf5+ 57. gxf5 Bd1+ 58. Qe2 Bxe2#)
55... Rxe2 {With the threat to mate starting with Re5} 56. g5 Bd1 {
Now, Gothmog's mating attack costs White too much material} 57. Qg4 (57. gxf6+
Kxf6 {-+ does not change things}) 57... Re1 58. Qxd1 Rxd1 59. gxf6+ Kxf6 {
Here, we could stop the game} 60. Kg4 d3 61. Kf4 Re1 62. b6 d2 63. b7 d1=Q 64.
b8=Q Qd4+ 65. Kf3 Qd3+ 66. Kg4 Nh6+ 67. Kf4 Rf1# {A fantastic game: one of the
most famous I have seen in the last few years between two computer programs}
0-1

[Tom Likens]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Tom Likens at 21 March 2004 18:50:16:
Als Antwort auf:/In reply to: Junior 7 vs Gothmog 0.4.7 (2) 40'/40 (0-1) Fantastic game geschrieben von:/posted by: Kurt Utzinger at 21 March 2004 17:57:49:

Kurt,
Thanks for posting this amazing game. And of course thanks to Amir and Tord
for their (crazy) engines!!
regards,
--tom

[Marcus Prewarski]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Marcus Prewarski at 21 March 2004 18:59:39:
Als Antwort auf:/In reply to: Junior 7 vs Gothmog 0.4.7 (2) 40'/40 (0-1) Fantastic game geschrieben von:/posted by: Kurt Utzinger at 21 March 2004 17:57:49:

That is a very cool game. Congratulations Tord.
-Marcus