Author: Oliver Y.
Date: 23:05:59 03/13/99
Go up one level in this thread
On March 13, 1999 at 21:19:29, James T. Walker wrote: >On March 13, 1999 at 21:08:42, Marc Plum wrote: > >>(snip) >>>>To give only one example: As far as I know GM Kasparov is not able to >>>>win with a Queen against a Rook when you use Ken Thompson's endgame >>>>tablebases. Of course the position should not be mate in one of course, >>>>but let us take just a position with mate in 27, for example, which >>>>is quite a common thing. >>>>Well believe it or not, neither Kasparov nor Karpov can win. They are >>>>helpless! >>>> >>> >>>Have you asked Kasparov or Karpov this? I've never heard either of them admit >>>that they can't win Q vs. R. It is a difficult ending, but if a GM like Walter >>>Browne can win it (and he can) then I'm sure Karpov and Kasparov are up to the >>>task. >>> >>> >>>--Peter >> >>For that matter, there is at least one computer on ICC that allows players to >>practice various kinds of theoretically won endings. The Bishop and Knight mate. >>Queen vs. Knight, and Q vs R. Unrated of course. Comparatively slow blitz time >>controls with increments. The computer is using tablebases, and kibitzes the >>number of moves until mate on each move. >> >>I once watched an IM using this program to practice the Q vs R ending, which he >>won twice in a row (maybe more, but it wasn't *that* interesting to watch!). >>According to the kibitzing from the computer, he missed the fastest line once or >>twice, but he still did it without serious danger from the 50 move rule. >> >>I'm sure I couldn't win in under 50 against optimum resistance (unless there was >>already some obvious short range tactic), but for Kasparov, Karpov, Anand, >>Kramnik, and many lesser GMs, I think it would be a piece of cake. >> >>Marc > >Hello Marc, >I think it depends on the individual and how much practice he gets on this >ending. I rember when Walter Browne tried this and could not do it. He studied >the ending and tried again. The second time I rember it was "ify" as to whether >or not he won the bet. It seems to me he "showed Progress" to conversion which >would have taken place about move 50/51 and was given credit for the win. In >any case I'm sure it was not easy after a lot of preparation. I'm not sure he >could do it on demand today. The problem is around the 18th move to conversion >for some reason. There seems to be a "wall" there. When they get past that >area it's not so bad. I'll bet there are many GM's like Walter Browne that can >not do it without a lot of prep/practice first. >Jim Walker I beat Taimanov in an untimed simul where I had Q vs R, and he had about 5 opponents left at that time, in 1987 when my rating was about 1987. I had never practiced that ending before, and I didn't seem to have too much of a problem with it. He didn't blunder, by the way. Funny thing though, we were out of ECO after 4 moves!
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