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Subject: Re: Grandmasters at home with their PCs

Author: Uri Blass

Date: 15:09:18 09/05/01

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On September 05, 2001 at 16:37:12, Francesco Di Tolla wrote:

>On September 05, 2001 at 12:42:38, Roy Eassa wrote:
>
>>How do the top grandmasters use applications like Fritz, Junior, Shredder, and
>>Tiger at home on their PCs?  Do they play against them?  (If so, fast or slow?
>>Do they win or lose a majority of games?)  Do they analyze with them?
>>
>>I've heard grandmasters use chess databases, which is no surprise, but I haven't
>>heard much about how they use today's really strong engines.  Does anybody have
>>good information on this?  How about any grandmasters who read this forum?
>
>In NewInChess (the famous dutch magazine) there are often commentators that
>report computer found tactical shots. Among the youngsters of course anybody
>does (Morozevich, Van Wely, Leko, Kramnik, Anand....)
>
>E.g. in the last issue Morozevich gives the following line found in a sideline
>from a 'his electornic friend' (most probably Fritz):
>
>Morozevich - Kasparov (Astana 2001)
>
>[D] r3nrk1/2qb1ppp/p2ppP1B/4b3/1p2P1Q1/1BNR4/PPP3PP/5RK1 b - - 0 1
>
>white has just played
>
>18.f6!
>
>and he explains that after 18...Bxf6 19.Rxf6 bxc3 white should play 20.Rxc3
>and says that 20.Bxg7 does not work, because of the line (found with computer
>aid) 20...Qxc5! 21.Kh1 h5
>
>this 21....h5 is an example of strange move which a computer easely finds while,
>humans hardly find over the board.


I disagree that 21...h5 is a strange move.
I believe that the main problem is that humans did not learn to ask themsleves
questions during the game.

21...h5 is a clearly logical move and humans can see it before move 20 of white
by asking themselves the right questions

Here are the relevant thought process that humans need to learn in order to
avoid 20.Bxg7

First thing to ask is what are the candidate moves of black in order to avoid
mate or losing material by Bxf8+

The logical moves are checks or captures or threatening white's pieces
Remember when you analyze always to look for these ideas and not only in the
first move:
In the first move there are 3 checks Qc5+,Qb6+,Qa7+(I ignore the analysis of
these lines in this post)
Captures seems to be bad:
Ng7 Rg3
Nxf6 Bxf6#
cxb2 Bxf8+

threatening the queen:
what are all the possible ways for black to play a threat against the white
queen?
I expect GM's who ask themselves this question to see e5 and h5:
e5 Qg5 and black cannot play a threat against the white queen again and cannot
find a good move.

h5 seems not to be bad for black because black can answer Qg5 by Qc5+ or Nxg7
with the idea of Qc5+ and starting with Qc5+ may be even a better idea to
prevent white to go forward with the queen.

The main problem is that this strategy of asking questions cannot be productive
in blitz and humans play too many blitz games.

Uri



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