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Subject: Re: We need some good Christmas test positions

Author: Ross Boyd

Date: 12:54:07 12/25/04

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Hi,

Two favourites? Okay, let's see...

This is my favourite for over a decade. Most engines should find it very quickly
but its worth playing through the mate. The final position is surprising.

TRACE 1.33B needs about 25 seconds on a P3-450.... the latest beta solves it in
less than a second... due to single reply extensions.

The key move gives Mate in 9...

[D] 3Q4/5q1k/4ppp1/2Kp1N1B/1RR5/3P1r2/4nP1b/3b4 w - - 0 1


The other fav position is very well known... Botvinnink v Capablanca at the Avro
tourney. I am a great fan of Capablanca's effortless style - but he didn't win
this one... :-)

Mainly, it interests me because Botvinnik used it as an example for his work
with Pioneer ... and Tim Harding used it to test early chess computers in his
New Computer Chess Handbook... none of his programs solved it in 1981.

TRACE 1.33B needs about 1 min 30 on a P3-450. Latest beta needs 24 seconds.
Again, thanks to single-reply extensions.

Enjoy!

[D] 8/p3q1kp/1p2Pnp1/3pQ3/2pP4/1nP3N1/1B4PP/6K1 w - - 0 1



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