Author: Bruce Moreland
Date: 01:47:06 07/14/99
Go up one level in this thread
On July 14, 1999 at 00:01:58, Robert Hyatt wrote: >On July 13, 1999 at 21:33:59, Phil Dixon wrote: > >>On July 13, 1999 at 20:19:30, Bruce Moreland wrote: >> >>> >>>On July 13, 1999 at 19:26:56, Phil Dixon wrote: >>> >>>>On July 13, 1999 at 00:23:03, Robert Hyatt wrote: >>>> >>>>> >>>>>Earlier tonite, Crafty was involved in a match with GM Loek van Wely on >>>>>ICC. 5 3 time control, and crafty was winning about its normal percentage >>>>>against him (about 80%, match was 9 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw at the point >>>>>where the following game was played). In this game, Crafty was >>>>>in book until move 23. As we passed move 20, I was counting pawns >>>>>and pieces and concluded white was probably lost. At move 23, >>>>>Crafty's first search said -4.00, and I thought aha, book learning >>>>>to the rescue as this is dead lost. But without spoiling anything, >>>>>this was the result. :) >>>>> >>>>>Actually, I will spoil it. At move 40, it announced a mate in 38 moves. >>>>> >>>>>:) >>>> >>>>Did GM Van Wely know that Crafty had announced a mate in 38? Do you think it is >>>>demoralizing to the GM when computers announce mates in a large number of moves? >>>> In analyzing the game with Fritz, move 18 for White, and move 31...?? for >>>>Black are not looked on favorably. Would you agree with that assessment? >>> >>>Crafty was in book until approximately move 23. I haven't played over the game, >>>but I know that the opening is well known. >>> >>>bruce >> >>After searching the "Big 98" database from ChessBase on position, I find a total >>of 46 games out of 875,000. I think this hardly qualifies as "well known". No >>less than 15 had the move 18.c4 instead of 18.Nxf6+. With the move 18.Nxf6+, >>White won 32% of the games and Black won 25%. The move 18.c4 has 26% wins for >>White and 40% for Black. While it appears that 18.Nxf6+ is the more playable >>move, Black did make several errors in this game. >>However, on move 32...Kb5 is the only move. > > >Crafty was in book thru move 23. But that doesn't mean that those moves are >considered 'opening theory'. > >I think Bruce was talking about this particular variant of the Sicilian called >the poison pawn variation. It is well known, and perhaps one of the 'sharpest' >openings in the Sicilian library. But by the time we got to Nxf6+ we are well >beyond what would be called the 'opening'. BTW van Wely had other prepared >openings that he tried... one where he gave up a queen for two minor pieces >plus a huge bind. But crafty broke the bind and the game fell apart. But it >took 20+ moves to break out of his prepared analysis... After the sac had >happened, I should add... Very deep stuff these GMs try... As I stated elsewhere, this has been heavily analyzed, and in Nunn's book on the 6. Bg5 Najdorf, he cites approximately a hundred games in ten pages of analysis of positions after 18. Nxf6+. This isn't just random stuff, this is a well travelled variation. bruce
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