Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!sri-unix!mclure@sri-prism From: mclure%sri-prism@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.chess Subject: number-cruncher vs. the world Message-ID: <13379@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Mon, 17-Sep-84 01:12:57 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.13379 Posted: Mon Sep 17 01:12:57 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 14-Sep-84 07:39:55 EDT Lines: 97 The Vote Tally -------------- The winner is: 11 ... Nxe2 (NxB). A total of 11 moves were cast. The Machine Moves ----------------- Depth Move Time for search Nodes Machine's Estimate 8 ply Qxe2 5 hours, 43 minutes 2.06x10^7 += (QxN) Humans Move # Votes BR ** -- BQ BK BB -- BR 11 ... Nxe2 7 ** BP ** -- ** BP BP BP 11 ... Nxf3 1 BP ** -- BP -- BN -- ** 11 ... b5 1 ** -- ** WP BP -- ** -- 11 ... Nxe4 1 -- ** -- ** WP ** BB ** 11 ... Qb6 1 ** -- ** -- ** WN ** -- WP WP -- ** WQ WP WP WP WR WN WB -- WR -- WK -- Prestige 8-ply The machine still thinks it is ahead positionally. Its evaluation dropped from 13% of a pawn to 8% of a pawn. The Game So Far --------------- 1. e4 (P-K4) c5 (P-QB4) 11. Be2 (B-K2) Nxe2 (NxB) 2. Nf3 (N-KB3) d6 (P-Q3) 12. Qxe2 (QxN) 3. Bb5+(B-N5ch) Nc6 (N-QB3) 4. o-o (O-O) Bd7 (B-Q2) 5. c3 (P-QB3) Nf6 (N-KB3) 6. Re1 (R-K1) a6 (P-QR3) 7. Bf1 (B-KB1) e5 (P-K4) 8. d4 (P-Q4) cxd4 (PXP) 9. cxd4 (PXP) Bg4 (B-N5) 10. d5 (P-Q5) Nd4 (N-Q5) Commentary ---------- JPERRY@SRI-KL I vote for NxN rather than NxB because White's king bishop is a bad bishop (as is Black's). We would rather give up our, heretofore, inactive queen's knight for White's active king knight rather than his KB which is hampered by his own pawns. If white replies BXN (likely), then Q-Q2 would be a better reply than BXB because the Queen can cause more damage on White's vulnerable light squares. AVG@SU-AIMVAX Please put avg@diablo on the list for this game. I vote 11 .... Nxe2. Move 11 looks obvious, but what should our plan be for the future? White has the Q-side, so our chances lie on the K-side and the theme is to attack the base of White's pawn chain with f5. Two development plans are: (A) Be7 and retreat Bd7 if the bishop is kicked. Then O-O and Ne8, preparing f5. This keeps our d-pawn well guarded, but offers little scope for the B on e7. Also, White can capture exf5 and gain e4 for a knight, leaning on the d-pawn. We might play g6 before f5 so we can recapture gxf5. (B) Like (A), but retreat Bh5 if the bishop is kicked with h3. This may well provoke g4, inhibiting our f5. (C) g6 and Bg7 and retreat Bd7 if the bishop is kicked. Then O-O and Ne8 or Na5, preparing for f5. Now if exf5, we have gxf5, with control of e4 and a mobile pawn center; thus White is unlikely to capture exf5. The drawbacks are the weakness of the d-pawn and the pin after Bg5. I would favor (C) against a person because it is more active. I dont think White can build enough pressure on the d-pawn to cause serious problems. If Bg5 h6, Bh4 we can break the pin at the right moment with g5 and get in f5 soon after. This furthers our overall plan of a King-side attack. However against a computer, (A) is probably better. Without any obvious targets, the computer may have trouble forming a plan. Meanwhile we can prepare quietly for f5. (B) maintains a pin, but I dont see any value in the pin for us, and dont care to provoke g4. ACHEN.PA@XEROX 11 ... Nxe2 is the only sensible move. White's Be2 is just a set up for possible 12 Nxd4 and threatening with Bxf4. for the same reason, Black can't 11 ... Nxe4. I thought White's 10 d5 was too conservative, this move took the most of the pressure off King file. If 10 Be2 ... Black would be forced to retreat the lone bishop else stand a chance of either losing it or King's pawn. I am willing to agree with Prestige that the current position does favor the White, since Black's attack seem to be stalling. Solicitation ------------ Your move, please? Replies to Arpanet: mclure@sri-prism or Usenet: ucbvax!menlo70!sri-unix!sri-prism!mclure