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Mis-assessing your chess (engines)
By FM Doug Eckert
One nice feature about Correspondence Chess is that sometimes we still keep in contact with our opponents long after our games have been completed. One such pal is CC-IM and OTB FM Doug Eckert. During the course of our game, we spent much time typing about our CC and OTB chess experiences as well as our tournament situation and we still keep in contact pretty frequently. Doug, a 2 time US Junior Open Champion and the defending Memphis State Champion, not surprisingly won the tournament we played in (ICCF/EM/M/A083) by a clear point from yours truly.
Doug had attributed part of his success in this tournament to his opponents’ blind compliance to computer assessments. In the following two games, Doug had forecasted a possible loss and draw midway through the games but he managed to win both! Here, I’ll let him take over to explain how this happened – Jr
I think in today's environment if you are not using a computer, the game will be both frustrating and too time consuming to compete. However, the computers really do not come up with good plans. If the position is tactical in nature, I don't think it matters how good you are, it is going to be difficult to beat the machine. That is why I like positional games. The computers judgements are much less meaningful when the differentials are measured in the 1/100s of a pawn.
While I ended up at 8 points in this section, I firmly think one needs luck to do so well. As you will find out below, I should have lost this game even if my only mistake, 19 Rfd1 was rather imperceptible. . Also, in the game, the computer thought my 28 h4 was an error, suggested 28 f3 which I do not understand and evaluated Black as better after 28 h4. However, if Fritz is run at a search depth of say 25 ply, I would imagine it may change its assessment. But who has time for that?
Illustrative Game 1
1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.e3 Nd7 8.Bd3 g6 9.0-0 Bg7 10.e4 dxc4 11.e5 Qe7 12.Bxc4 0-0 13.Qe2 Rd8 14.Rac1
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Blindly following theory, I think the rooks belong on d1 and e1 for White
14...b6 15.Rfe1 Bb7 16.Bd3 a5 17.Be4 Ba6 18.Qe3 Rac8 19.Rcd1
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ECO D#3 D43 footnote 191 gives 19 h4 with a clear advantage for White. But after 19...c5 20 d5 Nxe5 21 Nxe5 Bxe5 22 Qxh6 Bg7 23 Qf4 Qd6 Black is at least equal. 22 dxe6 gives White some chances, but I don't think White will ultimately get an advantage. For example even 22...Kg7 may be OK for Black. In any case, I should have played this way since Black is probably winning after 19 Rcd1
19...c5 20.d5 Nxe5 21.Nxe5 Bxe5 22.dxe6 Rxd1 23.exf7+ Kg7 24.Rxd1 Bd4 25.Nd5 Qxf7
Black plays what I would call a computer move. Fritz recommends this move and does not really even consider the stronger 25...Qe5! when after 26 Qf3 Rf8 27 Qg4 g5 Black is winning
26.Rxd4!
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The combination I saw when playing 19 Rfd1. Black is probably lost after this. Fritz does not consider this combination because Fritz values the material over the increased White piece coordination
26...cxd4 27.Qxd4+ Kg8 28.h4 Rc1+
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Maybe after 28...Bb7 Black has drawing chances. After this move, even though the postion is complex, I can no longer find a Black defense
29.Kh2 Rc6 30.Nc3 Qc7+ 31.g3 Rxc3
31...Rd6 32 Bd5+ followed by Ne4 and White wins
32.bxc3 Bb7 33.Bc2 Qc6 34.Qd8+ Kg7 35.Qe7+ Kh8 36.f3 Bc8
36...Qxf3 37 Qe8+ Kg7 38 Qxg6+ followed by Qxh6+ and a check on the f file will allow White to simplify to a winning endgame
37.Qf8+ Kh7 38.h5 Bf5 39.hxg6+ Bxg6 40.Qf7+ Kh8 41.Bxg6
A far from perfect game, but one I am proud of none-the-less. I think computers played a big role here. I think my opponent blindly followed them to his ultimate detriment. I didn't believe theory and played a weaker alternative 19 Rfd1 and escaped punishment based on both some luck and greater creativity 1-0
Illustrative game 2
I don't save the valuation sheets from Fritz but I know Fritz still evaluated Liebson at least 0.7 pawns ahead when he was probably already lost. Liebson would have held the draw had he also not relied on his computer giving him the false comfort that he had an advantage when in fact he did not.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Be3 c5 8.Qd2 Qa5 9.Rb1 b6 10.Rb5 Qa4 11.dxc5
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ECO's mainline is 11 Rb3 leading to equality.) 11...0-0 (11...Qxe4 may be better.)
11...0-0 12.Rb4 Qc6 13.Bb5 Qc7 14.cxb6 axb6
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Classical theory holds Black has compensation for the pawn in the form of White's weak a and c pawns
15.Ne2 Na6 16.Ra4 Bb7 17.0-0 Rfd8 18.Qc2 Be5
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18...Nc5 19 Rc4 seems better for White
19.f4 Bd6 20.e5 Bc5 21.Nd4 e6 22.Qe2
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White seems to lose his advantage with thisf move or the next move and needs to find a more incisive plan here
22...Qc8 23.Rd1 Nc7 24.Rxa8 Qxa8 25.a4 Nd5 26.Bd2
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Black offered a draw. White's best is probably to accept the repetition at this point
26...Nc7 27.Be1 Nxb5 28.axb5 Bxd4+ 29.cxd4
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White overplays his hand. It's hard to imagine White will lose in 5 more moves but now Black's pieces take over the whole board. White could defend better over the next couple of moves but at the least, Black will regain his pawn with a strong initiative in an opposite color bishop middlegame. These types of positions are very difficult for the defending side to hold
29...Qa4 30.Bf2 Rc8 31.Qf1 Rc2 32.Rb1 Qa2 33.Rc1 Rb2 34.h3 Qd5
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Black's plan is simple, take on b5, push the b-pawn in for a queen to remove the protection from g2 and it is all over 0-1
