Computer Chess Club Archives


Search

Terms

Messages

Subject: Junior Verses Brutus --> Rxc4 "The best PC chess move ever?"

Author: Dann Corbit

Date: 13:14:56 07/31/02


From time to time, people will post messages about moves that no computer could
ever find.  Or a famous chess player will shout "No computer can find this
move!"
Well, the move by Junior to sacrifice the rook is probably the most brilliant
and dramatic computer move ever made by a PC based program.  Here is the
position, and 5000 second analysis by Crafty:

[D]r1r5/3nbpk1/4qnp1/4p1Bp/1pN1P3/1PP2Q2/4N1PP/3R1R1K b - - acd 15; acn
-1478595477; acs 5002; ce -70; pv Ra6 cxb4 Bxb4 Nc1 Ra1 Nd3 Rxd1 Rxd1 Bc3 Nc5
Rxc5 Rd6 Qe8 Bxf6+ Nxf6 Qxf6+ Kg8 Kg1;

Here are all of the alternatives suggested by various programs.  Only Junior
suggests the rook sacrifice.  *After* making the move Rxc4, and thinking for
5000 seconds, Crafty still does not see it (positive score is good for White and
bad for Black):
[D]r7/3nbpk1/4qnp1/4p1Bp/1pr1P3/1PP2Q2/4N1PP/3R1R1K w - - acd 16; acn
-1428499645; acs 5002; ce 169; pv bxc4 b3 Rd5 Nb6 Rb5 Nxc4 Rb7 Ng8 Bxe7 Nxe7 Qd3
Ra2 Kg1 Na5 Rb8 Rc2;

The other suggested moves all look better to Crafty after a good long think.
[D]1rr5/3nbpk1/4qnp1/4p1Bp/1pN1P3/1PP2Q2/4N1PP/3R1R1K w - - acd 14; acn
-1549106077; acs 5001; ce 51; pv cxb4 Rxb4 Rd5 Rc7 Ng3 Rb8 Rdd1 Nh7 Bxe7 Qxe7
Rd5 Ng5 Qe3 h4 Ne2;
[D]2r5/3nbpk1/r3qnp1/4p1Bp/1pN1P3/1PP2Q2/4N1PP/3R1R1K w - - acd 15; acn
-1491400395; acs 5000; ce 48; pv cxb4 Bxb4 Nc1 Nh7 Be3 Nhf6 Nd3 Bc3 Bg5 Nh7 Nf4
Qg4 Be7 Qxf3 Rxf3 Bd4;
[D]r1r5/3n1pk1/4qnp1/2b1p1Bp/1pN1P3/1PP2Q2/4N1PP/3R1R1K w - - acd 15; acn
-1366506792; acs 5001; ce 59; pv cxb4 Bxb4 Nc3 Nh7 Bc1 f6 Nd5 Bc5 Rd3 Ra2 Nc3
Ra7 Nb5 Ra6 Be3 Ra2;
[D]2r5/3nbpk1/4qnp1/4p1Bp/1pN1P3/1PP2Q2/r3N1PP/3R1R1K w - - acd 15; acn
-1426777798; acs 5000; ce 110; pv cxb4 Bxb4 Nc3 Ra7 Nd5 Nxd5 exd5 Qe8 Rde1 Bxe1
Nd6 Qf8 Qxf7+ Qxf7 Rxf7+ Kg8 Nxc8 Kxf7 Nxa7;
[D]r1r5/3nbpk1/4qnp1/4p1Bp/2N1P3/1Pp2Q2/4N1PP/3R1R1K w - - acd 15; acn
-1386374479; acs 5001; ce 87; pv Nxc3 Bc5 Na4 Ra6 Nxc5 Rxc5 Rd2 Qg4 Qe3 Rc7 Rdf2
Re6 h3 Qxe4 Qxe4 Nxe4 Rxf7+ Kg8;

It seems that the sacrifice is sound.  In the log for Crafty, the score is
steadily dropping for the rook sacrifice move, but it looks like it might take a
week to see it.

Full log to follow.



This page took 0.01 seconds to execute

Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700

Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.