Author: Mike Byrne
Date: 07:05:32 05/25/02
Crafty Wins Game 1 in a Surprising Upset – Tiger Vows Revenges in Game 2
Crafty takes the lead 1-0 in the first to win 10 game match.
The first game of the Frank J. Byrne Memorial Computer Chess Challenge pitting
the world's best freely available commercial computer chess program -- Chess
Tiger v14 by Christophe Theron against the world's best freely available
non-commercial computer chess program - Crafty v18.15 by Robert Hyatt, was won
by Crafty is a surprising upset. The game really turned against Tiger on
Crafty’s strong move 28. …Qf4. Crafty was able to achieve equality with the
freeing move 15. …d5.
Like the days of yore, it is the first program to win 10 games and the program
must have a margin of victory of 2 games. A winning score could be 10-8 or
21-19 it all depends on how the games go. Draws do not count - it just wins
that count.
For further background information on this match, please see this link.
http://www.talkchess.com/forums/1/message.html?231517
After a slow start by the underdog Crafty v18.15, it came on strong in the
second half the first time control and was able to follow through with a win on
move 91. …Qg5#. Tiger fought valiantly for a draw, but after 78. …Qh5, it knew
it was over. He played until the bitter end, vowing revenge in game 2.
The game moves:
[Event "Frank J. Byrne Memorial Computer Chess Challenge"]
[Site "Philadelphia, PA"]
[Date "2002.05.24"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Chess Tiger v14"]
[Black "Crafty v18.15"]
[Result "0-1"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O exd4 8.
Nxd4 Re8 9. f3 c6 10. Kh1 Nbd7 11. Nc2 Nb6 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bh4 Be6 14. Ne3
g5 15. Bf2
{
Last move in book for both side.
}
15... d5
{
Crafty didn't switch to this move until nearly the end of search - after
200,000,000 nodes - it was looking at the weaker Nh5 up until that point.
Im my opinion, this move was the critical move from black’s perspective as it
appeared to achieve equality,
}
16. cxd5 cxd5 17. Nf5 Bxf5
{
For these first several moves out of book, Crafty was going about 12 ply, Tiger
about 15 ply.
}
18. exf5 Nc4 19. Bxc4 dxc4 20. Qa4 Nd5 21. Ne4 Qc7 22. Rac1 Rec8 23. b3 c3
{
At this point, both programs favor white at a plus .3-.4. Crafty is hitting 13
ply, Tiger 15 ply.
}
24. f6 Bf8 25. Rfd1 Rd8 26. Rd4 Qf4
{
Although Tiger predicted this move, it was still showing as +.32. Meanwhile,
Crafty showed a 1.32 gain on this move. This kind of a disconnect in the
scores usually mean one side is right and one side is wrong - but who? Tiger
went into a long think after this move - 17 ply and returned a score that showed
it too believe black is now winning -.74
}
27. Rc2 Ne3 28. Rxc3 Nd1 29. Rcd3 b5 30. Rxd1
{
Now we know - the queen is history - 19 ply by Tiger on this move. b5 was
played after 13 ply by Crafty. Crafty was showing this move in its analysis on
move 28. Tiger did not predict this move.
}
30... bxa4 31. Rxd8 Rxd8 32. Rxd8 g4 33. Bc5 Qc1+ 34. Bg1 gxf3 35. gxf3
axb3 36. axb3 Qf1 37. Nd2 Qd1 38. b4 a6 39. h3 Qa1 40. Ra8 Qc3
{
First time control met. Tiger with a few extra minutes, Crafty with 25 minutes.
Tiger is now going to about 19 ply - Fitter is hitting 17 ply. Fitter shows
+2.67, Tiger -1.10.
}
41. Bc5 Qc1+ 42. Kh2 Qxd2+
{
Fiiter +2.73 l Tiger -1.20 -> things are not looking well for Tiger.
}
43. Kg3 Qg5+ 44. Kf2 Qh4+ 45. Kg2 Qxf6 46. Rxf8+ Kh7 47. Ra8 h5 48. Ra7 Kg6
49. Be3 h4
{
Carfty didn't switch to 49. ... h4 until ply 14 ~ around 100,000,000 nodes.
}
50. Bf2 Kf5
{
Tiger is down to 55 minutes for the remaining 30 moves of the second time
control. It has gone into several long thinks here as its score is fading on
very move. Now sitting at -1.76 Crafty is still sitting on over 2 hours - it
hasn't yet gone into it's second time control allotment. It's been doing very
well in its predictability. The score is hovering around the +3 mark.
}
51. Rd7 Qg6+
{
Tiger took over a 15 minute think - and to Crafty's good fortune, it had
correctly predicted 50. Rd7. Crafty analysed over 500,000,000 nodes while
thinking on Tiger's time. Tiger is down to 42 minutes with 28 moves to go.
Fitter has 2:05:00 left - just over two hours.
}
52. Kh2 Kf4
{
If Tiger did not have to deal with the a and b pawns - perhaps it would have a
chance. But if Fitters win the b pawn here, that may be all "she wrote".
}
53. Rd2 Qh6 54. Rd3 Qe6 55. Ra3 Qg6 56. Re3 Qf5 57. Kg2 Qg5+ 58. Kf1 a5 59.
bxa5 Qxa5 60. Kg2 Qg5+ 61. Kf1 Qh5 62. Ra3 Qe5 63. Ra4+ Kxf3 64. Ra3+ Kf4
65. Ra4+ Kf5 66. Rxh4 Qh2 67. Ke2 Qg2 68. Rh8 Kf4 69. Rh4+ Ke5 70. Rh8 f5
71. Re8+ Kf6 72. h4 Qd5 73. Re3 f4 74. Rd3 Qe6+ 75. Kd2 Qc4 76. Rf3 Qa2+
77. Kd3 Qd5+ 78. Ke2 Qh5
{
It's over - at least Crafty thinks so.
}
79. Be1 Kf5 80. Kf2
{
Forced, the threat of Ke4 was too strong. Tiger sees the mate for Crafty.
Crafty does not see it until move 81.
}
80... Qxh4+ 81. Kf1 Qh1+ 82. Kf2 Ke4 83. Rxf4+ Kxf4 84. Ke2 Qd5 85. Bc3 Ke4
86. Bd2 Qd3+ 87. Kf2 Qxd2+ 88. Kg3 Qa2 89. Kg4 Qg2+ 90. Kh4 Kf4 91. Kh5
Qg5#
{
Crafty uspets Tiger in Game 1. After the game, Tiger grows at a couple of beat
reporters covering the game – but no one was injured. He vowed revenge in game
2. Crafty attributed his win to strong preparation by his handlers. He also
noted that it’s a long match and it will not be easy to put up 10 wins against
Tiger.
}
{Black mates} 0-1
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Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700
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