May 2017 Chess Games

Games shown here were played against my chess applet, the Homeostatic Chess Player, a computer program I wrote in the first year of this century.

Bird's Opening

Rick vs. Homeostatic Chess Player on Intel CORE i7 , May 22-23. Minimal look-ahead set at six tempi.

	White	Black
1.	f4	e6             Bird's opening is P-KB4 (f4). Some think it's weak but it's completely sound.
2.	g3	Nh6            e6 is among several acceptable responses to Bird's opening. 2. ... Nh6 is unusual.
3.	Bg2	d5             White prefers the Leningrad system of development (fianchetto of the king's bishop).
4.	Nf3	Nc6            
5.	O-O	Bd7
6.	d4	Bd6

Position after 6. d4.

7.	Nc3	a6
8.	e4	dxe4            White's e4 is the liberating stroke which black could have prevented had his king's knight been 
9.	Nxe4	Bf8             better placed. A human's pride would never let him make a move like Bf8.
10.	Bd2	Bc8             Black stations both of his bishops on the back rank.

Position after 10. ... Bc8.

11.	Bc3	f5
12.	Nc5	Nf7
13.	Qe2	Qf6
14.	d5?!	Bxc5+           White sacrifices his knight for play in the center.
15.	Kh1	Bd4
16.	Nxd4	Nxd4

Position after move 16.

17.	Qd3	O-O             White gets a piece back and black gets his king to safety.
18.	Bxd4	Qe7
19.	dxe6	Nd8             White comes out a pawn up, but can it be held?
20.	Rf1e1	Nc6
21.	Bc3	Nb4
22.	Qe2	Rd8

Position after move 22.

23.	a3	Nc6             Nd5 by black would have been more troublesome for white.
24.	Qe3	Rb8
25.	Re2	g6?             Black now loses a piece.

Position after move 25.

26.	Bxc6!	bxc6            Countering white's mating threat costs a piece.
27.	Qe5	Bxe6
28.	Qxe6+	Qxe6
29.	Rxe6	Rb6
30.	Ra1e1	Rd7
31.	Re7	Rxe7
32.	Rxe7	Rb7
33.	Be5	c5              Now it's just a losing endgame for black.

Position after move 33.

34.	Rxc7	Rxc7
35.	Bxc7	Kf7
36.	Kg2	Ke7
37.	c4	Kd7
38.	Ba5	Ke7
39.	Kf3	Kd6
40.	h3	Kd7
41.	g4	Kc6
42.	gxf5	gxf5
43.	Kg3	Kd6
44.	Kh4	Kd7
45.	Kh5	Kc6
46.	Kh6	Kd6
47.	Kxh7	Ke7
48.	Kg7	Kd6             It's all over but the inevitable checkmate. White wins.

Queen Pawn Opening

Homeostatic Chess Player on Intel CORE i7 vs. Rick, May 23-24. Minimal look-ahead set at six tempi.

	White	Black
1.	Nf3	c5
2.	d4	e6            The human prefers subtlety.
3.	d5	Nf6           The push past is an attempt at refutation.
4.	dxe6	f7xe6         White declines the invitation to push past again.

Position after move 4.

5.	Qd3	Qc7           White develops the queen early.
6.	Na3	a6            The knight on a6 is poorly posted. Challenging the center with e4 or c4 is better.
7.	g3	d5            White's neglect of the center begins to tell.
8.	Bf4	Bd6

Position after move 8.

9.	Bxd6	Qxd6
10.	Bh3	Nc6           White's bishop at h3 has no future.
11.	O-O	O-O
12.	c3	e5            Black's center is on a roll.

Position after move 12.

13.	Bxc8	Ra8xc8
14.	Qd1	e4
15.	Nd2	Qe6           
16.	Qa4?	Qh3!           White's Qa4 is a mistake. Black's queen move is obvious so doesn't really deserve an exclamation mark.

Position after move 16.

17.	Qb3	Ng4            It's pretty much over now.
18.	Qxd5+	Kh8            Black allows the check. It will have no effect on the outcome.
19.	Qh5	Qxh5           White is forced to give up his queen to delay checkmate. A human player would resign at this point.
20.	h4	g5

Position after move 20.

21.	Nxe4	gxh4
22.	gxh4	Qxh4
23.     White resigns          Finally. I would increase the look-ahead depth, but I need a more powerful computer. It already takes
                               up to two hours for a move at a depth of six.

Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com