November 2015 Journal Chess Games

King's Gambit Accepted

I played white against the Homeostatic Chess Player on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 2^nd and 3^rd. The computer can't resist taking a gambit pawn due to the look-ahead limitations of ordinary hardware.

Rick vs. Intel Core i7 on Windows 7.

	White	Black
1.	e4	e5
2.	f4	exf4      Accepting the gambit pawn, which is also usual tournament practice.
3.	Nf3	Nc6       The chess player has no programmed-in opening moves, but computes from scratch every time.
4.	d4	Qf6       Holding onto the gambit pawn.
5.	e5	Qf5       White's mobile pawn center doing its thing.

Position after ... Qf5.

6.	Bd3	Qg4
7.	O-O	Be7
8.	Nc3	Nb4
9.	Bc4	a6
10.	a3	b5

Position after ... b5.

11.	Bb3	Nc6
12.	Nd5	Bd8
13.	Bxf4	Ng8e7     White recovers the gambit pawn.
14.	h3	Qh5       ... Qf5 might have been better here.
15.	Ne3	h6
16.	Qd2	Bb7       White has a lead in development and control of the center.

Position after ... Bb7.

17.	d5	Na7       Mobile pawn centers are always dangerous.
18.	e6	d6        Which pawn for white to advance? Flip a coin.
19.	exf7+	Qxf7
20.	Nd4	Qg8       The black queen gets off the open file.

Position after ... Qg8.

21.	Ra1e1	Kd7       The black king gets off the open file.
22.	Nd4f5	Ng6       Black wisely avoids the exchange of a defender.
23.	Bg3	h5
24.	c4	bxc4
25.	Bxc4	Bg5       The bishop must recapture or white loses a pawn.

Position after ... Bg5.

26.	Qe2	Re8       Black is achieving some semblance of counterplay.
27.	Bxa6	Bxd5
28.	Qd3	Be4
29.	Qd1	Nc6
30.	Nxd6	Bc2       Here it all falls apart for black. He must give up material to avoid checkmate.

Position after ... Bc2.

31.	Nxc2	Rxe1
32.	Rxe1	Nd4
33.	Qxd4	Bf6
34.	Qa7	Be5
35.	Bb5+	Kxd6      Black is no safer for taking the knight.

Position after ... Kxd6.

36.	Rd1+	Ke7
37.	Rd7+	Ke6
38.	Qa6+	c6
39.	Qxc6+	Bd6
40.	Qxd6+   Resigns

Position after ... Resigns.

Nimzowitsch Defense

Rick vs. computer, November 7-8, 2015. Minimal look-ahead depth is six.

	White	Black
1.	e4	Nc6
2.	d4	d5
3.	e5	e6
4.	f4	Bd7
5.	Nf3	Nh6
6.	Be3	Rg8
7.	h3	Nf5
8.	Bf2	Bb4+
9.	c3	Bf8
10.	Bd3	g6
11.	Nb1d2	Rb8
12.	g4	Nh6
13.	Qe2	Be7
14.	O-O-O	Kf8
15.	Rd1g1	Rh8
16.	h4	Ng8
17.	Nf1	a6
18.	Ne3	b5
19.	f5	Ke8
20.	fxg6	f7xg6
21.	Ng2	Nh6
22.	Nf4	Rf8
23.	Be3	Nf7
24.	Nxg6	hxg6
25.	Bxg6	Rg8
26.	Bh5	Kf8
27.	Rf1	Kg7
28.	Qd3	Nh8
29.	Ng5	Bxg5
30.	Bxg5	Qc8
31.	Bf6+	Kh6
32.	Bxh8	Ne7
33.	Rf6+	Ng6
34.	Rxg6+ Black resigns

Unusual Opening

Computer vs. Rick, November 20-21, 2015. Minimal look-ahead depth is six.

	White	Black
1.	Nc3	d5
2.	e4	d4
3.	Nb1	e5
4.	Qh5	Bd6
5.	Bc4	Qe7
6.	Nh3	Nf6
7.	Qe2	O-O
8.	f3	a6
9.	O-O	c5
10.	a4	Nc6
11.	Nf2	Bd7
12.	b3	Nb4
13.	c3	Nc6
14.	Qd1	h6
15.	Ra2	Rf8b8
16.	Bb2	Na5
17.	Bd3	b5
18.	axb5	axb5
19.	Ng4	c4
20.	Nxf6+	Qxf6
21.	b4	cxd3
22.	Rxa5	Rxa5
23.	bxa5	dxc3
24.	dxc3	Bc5+
25.	Kh1	Qd6
26.	Qd2	Be6
27.	f4	f6
28.	Rf3	Bc4
29.	Qc1	Qa6
30.	fxe5	fxe5
31.	Ba3	b4
32.	cxb4	Bxb4
33.	Nd2	Bxd2
34.	Qxd2	Rb1+
35.	Bc1	Qxa5
36.	Rf8+	Kxf8
37.	Qf2+	Kg8
38.	Qg1	d2
39.	Bxd2	Rxg1+
40.	Kxg1	Qxd2
41.	g4	Qe1+
42.	Kg2	Qxe4+
43.	Kh3	g5
44.	Kg3	Qf4+
45.	Kg2	Qe3
46.	h3	Bd5+
47.	Kf1	Qd2
48.	h4	Bf3 White resigns

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com