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Subject: Re: Test Position (for computers or strong players) -- Can White Draw?

Author: Roy Eassa

Date: 15:40:24 04/19/02

Go up one level in this thread


On April 19, 2002 at 17:25:12, Terry McCracken wrote:

>On April 19, 2002 at 17:20:27, Terry McCracken wrote:
>
>>On April 19, 2002 at 16:08:23, John Merlino wrote:
>>
>>>On April 19, 2002 at 15:39:39, Terry McCracken wrote:
>>>
>>>>On April 19, 2002 at 14:07:13, John Merlino wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>This position came up in a game between myself and a friend:
>>>>>
>>>>>[D]6k1/5R2/7P/6K1/8/8/p5P1/6r1 w - - 0 1
>>>>>
>>>>>The question is: can White draw (after 1.h7+ Kxf7 2.h8=Q a1=Q)?
>>>>>
>>>>>Chessmaster says this, but I suspect that the eval is simply because of the
>>>>>difference in material (not the steadily dropping score):
>>>>>
>>>>>Time	Depth	Score	Positions	Moves
>>>>>0:00	2/3	-2.25	978		1.Ra7 a1=Q 2.h7+ Kh8 3.Rxa1 Rxa1
>>>>>0:00	3/4	-2.25	2266		1.Ra7 a1=Q 2.h7+ Kh8 3.Rxa1 Rxa1
>>>>>0:00	4/5	-2.63	6103		1.Ra7 a1=Q 2.Rxa1 Rxa1 3.g4 Ra5+
>>>>>					4.Kg6 Ra6+ 5.Kg5
>>>>>0:00	4/5	-2.60	7857		1.Rg7+ Kh8 2.Ra7 a1=Q 3.Rxa1 Rxa1
>>>>>					4.g4 Kh7
>>>>>0:00	5/6	-2.60	16712		1.Rg7+ Kh8 2.Ra7 a1=Q 3.Rxa1 Rxa1
>>>>>					4.g4 Kh7
>>>>>0:00	6/7	-4.04	45865		1.Rg7+ Kh8 2.Ra7 a1=Q 3.Rxa1 Rxa1
>>>>>					4.Kg6 Rg1 5.Kf5 Rxg2
>>>>>0:01	7/8	-4.66	145818		1.Rg7+ Kh8 2.Ra7 a1=Q 3.Rxa1 Rxa1
>>>>>					4.g4 Kh7 5.Kf4 Ra4+ 6.Kf5 Ra5+
>>>>>					7.Kf6 Kxh6
>>>>>0:02	7/8	-4.01	229288		1.h7+ Kxf7 2.h8=Q a1=Q 3.Qh5+ Kf8
>>>>>					4.Qf3+ Ke7 5.Qe4+ Kd6 6.Qg6+ Kc5
>>>>>					7.Qf5+ Kc4 8.g4
>>>>>0:04	8/9	-4.02	414062		1.h7+ Kxf7 2.h8=Q a1=Q 3.Qh5+ Kf8
>>>>>					4.Qf3+ Ke7 5.Qe4+ Kd6 6.Qg6+ Kc5
>>>>>					7.Qf5+ Kd4 8.Qg4+ Kd5 9.Kh4
>>>>>0:09	9/10	-3.93	898261		1.h7+ Kxf7 2.h8=Q a1=Q 3.Qh5+ Kf8
>>>>>					4.Qf3+ Ke7 5.Qe4+ Kd6 6.Qg6+ Kc5
>>>>>					7.Qf5+ Kd4 8.Qf6+ Kd3 9.Qg6+ Kc4
>>>>>					10.g4
>>>>>0:20	10/11	-3.76	2026714		1.h7+ Kxf7 2.h8=Q a1=Q 3.Qh5+ Kf8
>>>>>					4.Qf3+ Ke7 5.Qe4+ Kd6 6.Qg6+ Kc5
>>>>>					7.Qf5+ Kc6 8.Qe6+ Kc7 9.Qf7+ Kc8
>>>>>					10.Qf8+ Kb7 11.Qf7+ Kb6
>>>>>0:49	11/12	-3.63	4752637		1.h7+ Kxf7 2.h8=Q a1=Q 3.Qh5+ Kf8
>>>>>					4.Qf3+ Ke7 5.Qe4+ Kd6 6.Qg6+ Kc5
>>>>>					7.Qf5+ Kc6 8.Qe6+ Kc7 9.Qf7+ Kc8
>>>>>					10.Qe6+ Kb7 11.Qd7+ Ka6 12.Qd5
>>>>>1:39	12/13	-3.53	10149051	1.h7+ Kxf7 2.h8=Q a1=Q 3.Qh5+ Kf8
>>>>>					4.Qf3+ Ke7 5.Qe4+ Kd6 6.Qg6+ Kc5
>>>>>					7.Qf5+ Kc6 8.Qe6+ Kc7 9.Qf7+ Kc8
>>>>>					10.Qf8+ Kb7 11.Qe7+ Kb8 12.Qd8+
>>>>>					Ka7 13.Qc7+ Ka6
>>>>>4:01	13/14	-3.42	25036829	1.h7+ Kxf7 2.h8=Q a1=Q 3.Qh5+ Kf8
>>>>>					4.Qf3+ Ke7 5.Qe4+ Kd6 6.Qg6+ Kc5
>>>>>					7.Qf5+ Kc6 8.Qe6+ Kc7 9.Qf7+ Kb6
>>>>>					10.Qe6+ Kb5 11.Qd5+ Kb4 12.Qe4+
>>>>>					Kc3 13.Qe5+ Kc2 14.Qd5
>>>>>7:53	14/15	-3.35	50033731	1.h7+ Kxf7 2.h8=Q a1=Q 3.Qh5+ Kf8
>>>>>					4.Qf3+ Ke7 5.Qe4+ Kd6 6.Qg6+ Kc5
>>>>>					7.Qf5+ Kc6 8.Qe6+ Kc7 9.Qf7+ Kc8
>>>>>					10.Qf8+ Kb7 11.Qf7+ Kb6 12.Qg6+
>>>>>					Kb5 13.Qd3+ Kc6 14.Qg6+ Kd5 15.Kf4
>>>>>
>>>>>jm
>>>>
>>>>I'm just curious John, who had the White pieces and how did the game end?
>>>>Did White get a draw, or let it slip away into a loss?
>>>>
>>>>There is no question about it that 1.h7+!! is not only the "Best" move but a
>>>>"Forced" move as well.
>>>>
>>>>Everthing else loses quikly!
>>>>
>>>>Terry
>>>
>>>White resigned in this position. I was Black. This should show you the quality
>>>of our play here at the CM offices. ;-)
>>>
>>>jm
>>
>>LOL! Thanks, however it's not so easy to see this draw accurately over the
>>board, so your opponant shouldn't feel too bad for missing the draw.
>>Nor you if you missed it! I know I'd have to think hard to keep the King in
>>check!;)
>>
>>
>>Here's a position, which is easy for computers for about 15 years well before
>>5 and 6 man EGTB's or  4 in this case on micros.
>>
>>My old Mach III Master finds the drawing move instantly but needs to run to
>>about 16 ply to see the draw is forced.
>>
>>Never even bothered to give this problem to modern chess programmes with or
>>without tablebases.
>>
>>
>>In this position White is to move and can draw, I'll quote an excerpt from
>>Technique in Chess by Gerald Abrahams, copyright 1961. Opps....I hope I'm not
>>in trouble for doing this!;)
>>
>>I remember solving this problem 21 years ago, when first learning the game.
>>I think at the time it took me 20 min. to see all variations, not too bad for a
>>beginner!:o)
>>
>>Now it looks like child's play, yet it does stump most beginners and even some
>>good players who don't fully understand King and Pawn endings.
>>
>>I find it amusing when the "truth" is buried in such a simple pawn ending:o)
>>Oh White was a master if I'm not mistaken?:o))
>>
>> "The Rocket-propelled King" A study by Richard Reti.
>>
>>The position in the diagram was actually reached, in 1921, in a game played in
>>Berlin. White confidently resigned. It was left to the genius of Reti to
>>discover the draw. The King is terribly far from the Black pawn, and is far too
>>slow to catch it in an ordinary way; but there is something in this position
>>that seems to accelerate it tremendously.
>>
>>
>>[D]7K/8/k1P5/7p/8/8/8/8 w - -
>>
>>Please no computers! Unless they are micros over 15 years old;)
>>
>>Terry


I think it's the most famous chess puzzle of all time.  Way too easy for today's
desktop computers/apps, but Chess Genius on a 41 MHz Sony Clie (Palm OS) takes
over a long time to show a draw score (I stopped it at 3 minutes).  It shows the
correct first move in about 5 seconds.  Of course, the engine in this program
was reportedly last updated in 1987, and the CPU is equivalent to a Pentium at
about 3 MHz or less.  :-)



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