Author: Howard Exner
Date: 22:20:20 07/16/98
Go up one level in this thread
On July 16, 1998 at 18:21:54, Danniel Corbit wrote: >I don't like Crafty's last move! I greatly prefer: > 56. c4+ >Now, clearly black is not going to give up the bishop for a pawn. That >leaves E.P. capture. But then white will be rid of that pesky black pawn >and still be one pawn up! Thoughts? > >[Event "Komputer Kup 2"] >[Round "?"] >[Site "?"] >[Date "1998.2.9"] >[White "Crafty (C)"] >[Black "Rebel 9 (C)"] >[Result "*"] > >1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. f4 O-O 8. >Nf3 c5 9. Qd2 Nc6 10. dxc5 Qxc5 11. O-O-O Nb6 12. Bd3 f6 13. exf6 Rxf6 14. g3 >Bd7 15. Rhe1 Nc4 16. Bxc4 Qxc4 17. Qe2 b5 18. Qxc4 bxc4 19. Ne5 Nxe5 20. Rxe5 >Raf8 21. Ne4 Rh6 22. Nc5 Bc8 23. Rd2 Kf7 24. h4 Re8 25. b3 cxb3 26. axb3 Re7 >27. Re3 Rc7 28. Nd3 Rf6 29. Ne5+ Ke7 30. Rde2 Kd6 31. Re1 Ba6 32. Kd2 Bb5 33. >Ra1 d4 34. Ree1 Rf5 35. Kc1 Rc3 36. Rxa7 Rxg3 37. Nf7+ Kd5 38. Ng5 h6 39. Nxe6 >Re3 40. Nc7+ Ke4 41. Rg1 Rf3 42. Rxg7 R3xf4 43. Ra5 Bf1 44. Re7+ Kf3 45. Rxf5 >Rxf5 46. Ne6 Ke4 47. Ng7+ Re5 48. Rxe5+ Kxe5 49. Kd2 Bb5 50. Nh5 Be8 51. Ng3 >Bd7 52. Ne2 Ke4 53. Nc1 Be8 54. Nd3 Bb5 55. Nb2 Kd5 56. Kc1 * This looks like an extremely difficult ending for white to convert to a win no matter what it plays. If Crafty can win this then it should be given 2 points :-). For most the game Rebel was on the ropes and I was guessing that Crafty would win this one but not now. If Crafty makes a break for it now with 56.c4+ dxc3 57.Kxc3 then 57 ... Ke4 looks like one drawing method (march over and pick up white's h pawn then sac the bishop for the b pawn). There is a technique where the Knight,King and pawn can win against a King and bishop but the pawn and king have to be more advanced than in this case. Here is an example from the book, "Bishop vs Knight Endings" by Yuri Averbakh:White:Kc3 Na3 pb4 Black:Kh1 Ba4 with white to move. Averbakh says,"there exists a whole series of drawn positions where the weaker side's lone bishop, without the assistance of the king, can prevent the queening of the pawn". This example is a draw according to Averbakh. Plus Black in Crafty/Rebel has his own h pawn as added insurance. Does someone have a big database with positions similar to these. I'd wager they end in draws as the bishop is an ideal piece for hindering a pawn march. An example of a win is this position: White: Kd4 Ne4 pc7 Black: Kd1 Bc8 with white to move. This is still a problematic win however according to Averbakh. He gives a 13 move line with side variations that are quite complicated. The tournament KKup game should continue for a while but GM's would shake hands on this game and save their energy for another day. In a computer game one never knows what will happen especially in an endgame. One KKUp game that can be safely stopped is the Rebel vs Fritz game. 1-0 for Rebel. Hiarcs vs Fritz is a draw also despite what now looks like a minute plus for Hiarcs. Fritz can even drop its pawn in this game and easily draw as its king covers the queening square for black.
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