“When I was a kid, my mother gave me a chess set and I started playing the game with myself.  Make a move, make a move for THE OTHER GUY, and so on.  I usually beat THE OTHER GUY you know!”  The flamboyant and high-spirited Robert James “Bobby” Fischer grinning in a 1972 TV-interview rerun after his death early this year.

The Other Guy -the Abominable Chess Man- has arrived.  Entrenched in mass produced microelectronic circuitry, he operates in attics, villas, suburban dwellings, shacks, prisons, ships, airplanes and trains.  And he makes his own moves and good ones too.  He comments on games like a professional expert in the press room in real time at major online chess events.  All this at the expense of 50$/Euros including an entire book store with 120 years of chess theory.  The best things in life are free.

The present generation of chess machines –(Deep) Fritz, Junior, HIARCS, Tiger, Shredder, Rybka, etc.- play around ELO-2800 level and are practically invincible under tournament conditions of head calculation in limited clock-time.  High ranked grandmasters (Kasparov, Kramnik) being defeated, will the computer be the ruling world chess champion forever after?  I do not think so and I doubt this will ever happen.

Chess computers do not actually “play” or “think”, they CALCULATE with superhuman stamina.  Millions of positions per second are evaluated at each stage to select favorable ones on the basis of NUMERICAL criteria of material balance, king safety, pawn structure, piece activity, etc. installed by the programmers.  IBM developed  Deep Blue, the Dutchman Frans Morsch pioneered the Fritz-series, Vasic Rajlich and his crew produced Rybka, Mark Uniacke is responsible for HIARCS.

For amateurs not equipped with prodigal calculative and memory capacities, there is only one option in computer chess: abandon head calculation altogether and concentrate on the typical characteristic human weapons of intuition, imagination, creativity and HUMOUR.

We set up a chess game between TWO robots and help one of them out by introducing at appropriate moments an offensive human “risk” move - preferably two or more- monitoring the evolution of the position via the quantitative rating, in particular the second order CHANGE in rating.  Look inside the head of The Other Guy and let “him” look into yours.  I called this approach “Man-Assisted-Machine Chess”, others call it Free Style or Advanced Chess (Kasparov).  Anything goes.  If you can not beat them, join them.

All first-order tactical traps and Swindles being avoided by the Other Guy, we concentrate on inventing long term positional and/or material moves to impose chronic asymmetry.  Gambits, piece-for-pawn(s) sacrifices, light piece/rook exchanges, queen for pieces, etc. in the first say 10-20 moves.  The human judgment of the transition of the midgame to the ending is decisive.

This attitude implies a shift of an old school chess paradigm: in computer chess, one can NOT play on a “safe & steady small but enduring advantage” and wait for a weaker human continuation of the opponent.  Playing white against machines, a human player should get restless if he/she is not at a DISADVANTAGE around move 10-12.  No risk, no win.  No guts, no glory.  And above all: NO FUN!

In the Man-Assisted-Machine mode lesser gods can contribute to opening theory in the same way correspondence players did in the previous era.  They analyzed positions with board-and-pieces for both sides without constraining time limits.  Euwe s books abound of citations to postal games of Estrin, Berliner, a former CWC and one of the early computer pioneers.  Now we have a rather anonymous fellow called Van Oosterom, an IT-millionaire (assisted by grandmaster protégé Piket?).  In the computer era we can ACT OUT positions on screen and investigate how and when the induced long term asymmetry tilts to a winning advantage.

Let me illustrate this with a computer-analyzed example and demonstrate that the typical no-risk calculative defensive manner of play is the essential weakness of the programs.  The differences in strength of the various programs are marginal when it comes down to imposed risk variations.

The virtuoso manner in which chess programs invent defensive lines can be used to the human advantage when playing black.  Fischer remarked that one particular insight was a turning point in his career: black has to equalize the position before trying to introduce risk moves.  I agree.

Open Sicilian Najdorf, the Poisoned Pawn Variation

First we play the line for Black:

Fritz 10 - AA
(2 Ghz, indefinite clock time, depth 16/17, full analysis mode)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3

And again I agree with R. J. Fischer: the Open Sicilian with its narrow risk-margin due to the asymmetry after 1.e4 c5 is the central battlefield in classic chess.  Topalov plays the Najdorf for White AND for Black.  8.Qd2 is a book move.  The defensive attitude of chess programs appears right away.  Without book, white protects the b-pawn with 8.Nb3.

We have two modes of attack for White, both re-raising the risk: A) 10.e5!? and B) 10.f5!?

A. 10.e5!?

10.e5 dxe5 11.fxe5 Nfd7

After either A1: 12.Bc4!? (Keres) or A2: 12.Ne4!? (Tal) we enter the Valhalla of the former legends of classic chess.  Both continuations raise the risk again and in the old days a wealth of dazzling white wins via high-tempo Sicilian violence emerged.

NOT in computer chess.

A1: 12.Bc4 Be7(N) (Black avoids all the tactical traps after Ne6 or Be6, in book is 12. ..Bb4 invoking uncertain outcome after Rb4 in combination with Ne6/Be6) 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Nf3 Nc6 15.Ne4 0–0 16.Qf4 Qd8 and black clearly better 16.Qf4 Qd8 17.0–0 Ndxe5 18.Nxe5 Qd4+ 19.Kh1 Qxe5 20.Qh4 h6.

12...Be7 is a simple and effective antidote against the poisoned b2-pawn.  One particular book line contains a weaker continuation:

12.Bc4 Nxe5!? 13.Nxe6 Qa5 14.Bb5+ Nbd7 15.Bd8 (?) (in book , better is the updated 15.Nf8! ) Qa3 16.Bxd7+ Bxd7 17.Nc7+ Kxd8 18.Nxa8 and black has the initiative after 18...Bb4 19.Rxb4 Qxb4 20.0–0 Re8

We evaluate A2. 12.Ne4?!

A2. 12.Ne4!? Tal's idea has Morphyan brilliance.  It is based on 12...Qxa2 13.Rb3 Qa1+(?) 14.Kf2 Qa4 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.Nd6+ Bxd6 17.Qxd6 Rf8+ 18.Kg3 Nf6 19.exf6 gxf6 20.Be2 fxg5 21.Bh5+ Rf7 22.Bxf7+ Kxf7 23.Rf3+ Kg6 24.Qd3+ and sudden death for black.  However, after 13...Qa4!? the sacrifice on e6 is not effective because after 13.Rb3 Qa4 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Nd6+ Bxd6 16.Qxd6 the black queen can return via a5 or c5 via a check on Ke1 now not moved to f2.

In this line white can retaliate via 12.Ne4 Qxa2 13.Rb3 Qa4 14.Bb5! (anything goes in this crazy circus) axb5 15.0–0 Nxe5 16.Nxb5 Qa5 17.Ned6+ Bxd6 18.Qxd6 f6 19.Nc7+ Kf7 20.Nxa8 and white is better.

The venom of the poisoned pawn line is ultimately is neutralized by 12.Ne4 h6! 13.Bh4 Qxa2 14.Rd1 Qd5 15.Qe3 Bc5 and black is better.

B. 10.f5!?

The attack prescribed by the books via 10.f5!? from the diagram above is a human blunder-festival:

10.f5!? Nc6 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.e5? dxe5 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Ne4? Be7 16.Be2 h5 17.Rb3 Qa4 18.Nxf6+?? Bxf6 19.c4? Bh4+ 20.g3 Be7 21.0–0

All in the books up to here.

Now on 21...h4(N) both 22.Qd3 and 22.Qc2 are terrible miscalculations due to the optical illusion that the black king is trapped between open f-d-b-files.

22.Qd3? Qxa2 23.Bh5+ Rxh5 24.Qg6+ Kd8 25.Rd3+ Kc7 26.Qxh5 Kb6 the black king walks through the minefield.

22.Qc2? Qa5 23.Bh5+ Kd8!(N) (in book 23...Rh5? but black does not have to give up Rh8) and again the black king crosses the d-file without getting in trouble.  The latter two lines leave Black rated with an overwhelming numerical advantage of -3.

The erratic sacrifice in this book line 10.f5 with 18.Nxf6+? Bxf6 only makes sense after 19.0–0 (not c4) Qd4+ 20.Qxd4 exd4 21.Rxf6 Ke7 22.Rg6 but then again black has the better ending with a former poisoned pawn up and bishops running on equal color.

I think it can be established via computer analysis that the notorious Poisoned Pawn Variation is a winner for BLACK in all lines.  This is a remarkable conclusion.  In computer chess, Black is a chronic underdog.

Needless to say: computers without book will not venture both 10.e5 nor 10.f5 but continue with moderate moves like 10.Be2 with a pawn down.  Black is better in these lines as well.

Now let us make a move for The Other Guy and play the line for White again aiming at the essential weakness of the machines: their inclination to defend in a no risk-mode:

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rd1(N)

Out of book.  I think I saw Radjabov continue like this once.

The idea is: Black has to spend tempi to hit on b2 and bring his/her queen back into play.

9.Rb1 more or less helps him out as we saw above playing the line for black.  The queen on a3 has a better position and the rook on the b-file is not really effective.

We have to keep the black king centralized and prevent him from crossing the d-file to the queenside.

9...Nbd7 10.f5

One more human move, ignore all advice to play Rb1.

10...Nc5 11.Bd3

The critical position.

Now after 11...b5 (?) 12.fxe6 fxe6 13.0–0 b4

The program expects 14.Nce2 to hit on the e-pawn, but White can re-raise the risk and induce classic Sicilian violence.  14.e5 dxe5 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.Nc6 and Black lost in all lines!  16...Bb7 17.Be2 h5 18.Nd5 1–0

From the diagram above: 14.e5 Qxc3 15.Qxc3 bxc3 16.exf6 Ra7 17.Be2 Ne4 18.fxg7 Rxg7 19.Bh5+ Kd7 20.Bh6 Rgg8 21.Rf7+ Be7 22.Nf3 Kd8 23.Ne5 Bd7 24.Be3 dxe5 25.Bb6+ Kc8 26.Rxe7 Nf6 1–0

With an earlier 12.e5:

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.f5 Nc5 11.Bd3 b5(?) 12.e5 b4 13.Ncb5 Nd5 14.0–0 Nxd3 15.Qxd3 axb5 16.fxe6 fxe6 17.exd6  we have a miniature win at +8 for White.

Modern chess machines have a self-learning option.  They remember how and when they lost.  In reruns, they steal the human novelty, so on higher levels we have no 11...b5 but 11...Be7:

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.f5 Nc5 11.Bd3 Be7 12.Nb3 Qa3 13.0–0 Nxd3 14.cxd3 0–0 15.Rc1 b5 16.Nb1 Qa4 17.Nc3 Qa3 DRAW.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.f5 Nc5 11.Bd3 Be7 12.0–0 Nxd3 13.Qxd3 Qb4 14.Qg3 0–0 15.Bh6 Nh5 16.Qg4 Qxc3 17.f6 Bxf6 18.Rxf6 Qc5 19.Rf3 f6 20.Be3 g6 21.Qh4 Qc7 22.Bh6 Rf7 23.g4 Ng7 24.Rxf6 Rxf6 25.Qxf6 e5 26.Nf5 Bxf5 27.gxf5 gxf5 28.Rxd6 Re8 29.exf5 Nh5 30.Qg5+ Kh8 31.Qxh5 Rg8+ 32.Rg6 DRAW

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.f5 Nc5 11.Bd3 Be7 12.0–0(M) Nxd3 13.Qxd3 Qb4 14.Qg3 0–0 15.Rf3 Qc5 16.Rdd3 Nh5 17.Qh4 Bxg5 18.Qxg5 Nf6 19.Rg3 Ne8 20.Qh4 Qe5 21.Rg5 h6 22.Qxh6 f6 23.Rg6 exf5 24.Nce2 fxe4 25.Rdg3 f5 26.c3 f4 27.R3g5 Qe7 28.Qh4 e3 29.Rh6 Qe4?(but forced) 30.Ng3 Qb1+ 31.Nf1 Kf7 32.Rh7 Qxa2 33.Qxf4+ Ke7 34.Qxe3+ Kd8 1–0.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.f5 Nc5 11.Bd3 Be7 12.0–0 Bd7 13.Nb3 Rc8 14.Nxc5 Rxc5 15.Ne2 Qa3 16.Be3 Rc8 17.Rb1 b5 18.Rb3 Qa4 19.Qe1 d5 20.Nc3 Qa5 21.e5 Ng4  22.Bd4 (tilt to adavantage for white)  b4 23.Ne2 Bc5 24.a3 exf5 25.axb4 Bxd4+ 26.Nxd4 Qb6 27.c3 Qh6 28.Qg3 Qe3+ 29.Qxe3 Nxe3 30.Re1 Nc4 31.Nxf5 Bxf5 32.Bxf5 Rc6 33.Rbb1 Ke7 34.b5 axb5 35.Rxb5 Rd8 36.Rb7+ Ke8 37.Bh3  1-0.

Or: in this line [22.Bd4 Bb4 23.h3 Nh6 24.f6 g5 25.Rxb4 Qxb4 26.Nxb5 Qxe1 27.Nd6+ Kf8 28.Rxe1 and White is overwhelming.]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.f5 Nc5 11.Bd3 Be7 12.0–0 Bd7 13.Bc4 b5 14.Bb3 Ncxe4 15.Nxe4 Nxe4 16.Qe3 Nxg5 17.fxe6 fxe6 18.h4 e5 19.Nf5 Bxf5 20.Rxf5 Rc8 21.hxg5 Qc3 22.Qe4 Rc7 23.Qa8+ Rc8 24.Qe4 01-0

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.f5 Nc5 11.Bd3 Be7 12.Nb3 Nxb3 13.axb3 Qa3 14.0–0 Qb4 15.Qe1 Bd7 16.Bd2 Qc5+ 17.Be3 Qc7 18.Na4 0–0 19.Qg3 Rae8 20.c4 Bd8 21.Bh6 Nh5 22.Qg4 b5 23.cxb5 axb5 24.Qxh5 bxa4 25. Bg7!! WIN

We have wins playing for White and for Black in this variation.

I usually beat THE OTHER GUY you know!
 

Albert Alberts
www.howtofoolfritz.com
 

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