Author: Wybe Koopmans
Date: 02:44:15 01/08/00
Rebel will play again GM Scherbakov this saturday (january 8) 10:00 NY time at
ICC. The first game in October last year was won by Rebel in a beautiful
attacking style.
Wybe
[Event "Deventer - Monthly GM Challenge"]
[Site "Internet (ICC)"]
[Date "1999.10.02"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Comp Rebel Century (beta-2)"]
[Black "Scherbakov, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B65"]
[BlackElo "2541"]
[Annotator "Scherbakov,R"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "1999.10.02"]
{The game against Rebel was the highlight of the whole chess evening in our
city. I was just speaking some words for the public about forthcoming game
when the first move has appeared on the board...} 1. e4 {. Everybody can see
it on the big 72'' TV screen in the hall and spectators started laughing - it
was exactly when I was talking how I was hoping to meet 1. d4 which I've seen
in a couple of Rebel's games because it's very dangerous to play sharp
Sicilian positions against computer...} 1... c5 {Nevertheless I decided to
play as usually but remarked for the public: "I am afraid Rebel prepared
something special for me". Exactly to the point!} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4
Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 ({This system is more solid then} 7... a6 8.
O-O-O Bd7 {which I played many times.}) 8. O-O-O Nxd4 ({Just avoiding the line
} 8... O-O 9. Nb3) 9. Qxd4 O-O 10. f4 Qa5 11. Bc4 Bd7 12. e5 dxe5 13. Qxe5 $5 {
Here it is! I remembered I was little worried about it when started to study
this system but due to lack of time did not give more attention to this
possibility.} (13. fxe5 Bc6 14. Bd2 Nd7 15. Nd5 Qd8 16. Nxe7+ Qxe7 17. Rhe1
Rfd8 18. Qg4 Nf8 {is tabia of the system. White is known to be slightly better
here but Black has solid position here.}) 13... Qb6 ({
The only thing I was able to remember was sometimes Black played} 13... Qb4 {
and only after} 14. Rd4 {retreated with} 14... Qb6 {
but I failed to find what to do after.}) 14. Qe2 {
Good move to avoid important resource Ng4.} 14... Qc7 $2 {Probably decisive
mistake already! Playing the text move I already saw the line till the move 22
but I was not quite sure Rebel will go for it as, firstly, material has to be
sacrificed and secondly, there are an alternatives on the every move which
have to be assessed as less promising, for example, White would win a pawn
instead. Also I was hoping arisen position will be still playable but I was
wrong.} ({Of course} 14... Rad8 {looks natural but I was worried about both}
15. Ne4 {and after} ({and immediate} 15. f5 {
although here Black seems to be fine after} 15... Qc5 $1 ({after} 15... Bc8 {
I did not like} 16. Be3 $5 Qa5 17. fxe6 Bxe6 18. Bxe6 fxe6 {
and pawn e6 would be lost against computer very easy})) 15... Bc6 ({as I reveal
Ed after the game, there was the game Karpov - Kamsky, Buenos Aires 1994 where
Black has achieved good counterplay having sacrificed a pawn by} 15... Nd5 16.
Bxd5 Bxg5 17. Nxg5 exd5 18. Rxd5 Bg4 19. Qe4 g6 20. Rxd8 Rxd8 $132 {but it's pr
obably the position where computer can find something to prove material
advantage.}) 16. Nxf6+ Bxf6 17. Bxf6 gxf6 {arisen position is not only
objectively better for White but it's, in my opinion, one of the kind of
positions where computer is very strong. Black's King does not feel safe but
it would be no surprise that after someconsequtive threats on the kingside,
not even looking dangerous, suddenly something (for example, pawn a7) will be
lost on the other side of the board.}) 15. f5 h6 (15... e5 {
did not solve the problems as after} 16. Bxf6 Bxf6 17. Nd5 Bg5+ 18. Kb1 {
with next h4, g4 the attack seems to be very strong as White are dominating in
centre and Black does not have real counter chances on the queenside. Maybe
after} 18... Qc5 {immediate} 19. f6 $5 {is even stronger.}) 16. Rxd7 $1 ({
Of course, nobody would like to play position after} 16. Bxf6 $2 Bxf6 17. fxe6
Bxe6 18. Bxe6 Bxc3 19. bxc3 fxe6 20. Qxe6+ Kh8 {
and Black has nothing to worry about.}) (16. fxe6 $2 Bxe6 17. Bxe6 hxg5 {
was also fine for Black.}) 16... Qxd7 17. fxe6 Qc7 18. Bxf6 $1 (18. exf7+ $6 {
was much weaker as after} 18... Kh8 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Nd5 $2 {
is impossible because of} 20... Qxf7) 18... Bxf6 19. Nd5 $1 Bg5+ ({
Unfortunately} 19... Qe5 $2 {was losing immediately:} 20. exf7+ Kh8 21. Qxe5
Bxe5 22. Ne7 $18) 20. Kb1 Qd6 (20... Qc5 {was even worse as after} 21. exf7+
Kh8 22. h4 {Qc5 is not defending the King.}) 21. exf7+ Kh8 22. h4 $1 ({After}
22. Qe4 $6 Rxf7 23. Bd3 g6 24. h4 Bd8 {Black can still hold on.}) 22... b5 $5 (
22... Bf6 23. Qe4 {with ideas Bd3 or Nf4 was hopeless.}) (22... Bxh4 23. Rxh4
Rxf7 {was also not very fun.}) 23. hxg5 $1 ({
Of course, White was clearly better after} 23. Bb3 Bd8 {
but Black is still fighting here.}) 23... bxc4 24. gxh6 $1 {
It seems like Rebel has already calculated everything till the end.} ({
Although I did not see forced mate after this move I had a strong feeling the
game is over. Once again Rebel sacrifices material instead of collecting some
pawns afterpossible} 24. Qf3 Rad8 $8 25. Qf5 $1 Rxf7 $8 (25... Qxd5 26. Rxh6+
gxh6 27. Qf6+ Kh7 28. g6#) (25... Rd7 26. g6 {with next Qg5!}) 26. Qxf7 Qxd5
27. Qxd5 Rxd5 28. gxh6 $18 {and the endgame should be winning.}) 24... Qxd5 (
24... gxh6 25. Qe3 Kh7 26. Nf4 $5 (26. Qe4+ Qg6 27. Nf6+ Kg7 28. Ne8+) 26...
Rad8 27. Ne6 Qd1+ 28. Qc1 $1 $18) (24... g6 $5 25. Qf3 Qe5 {
was probably more tenacious but of course Black has little to hope for.}) 25.
hxg7+ (25. Qe3 $2 {was no mate after} 25... Rad8 $1) 25... Kxg7 26. Qg4+ Kf6 ({
After} 26... Kxf7 {White was winning by} 27. Rh7+ Kf6 (27... Ke8 $4 28. Qe2+)
28. Qg7+ Kf5 29. Rh5+ Ke6 30. Qh6+ $1) 27. Rf1+ ({I did not like} 27. Rh5 {
but probably Rebel has found it less precise.}) 27... Ke7 28. Rf5 Qe6 ({
Black will lose one of his remaining pawns in the endgame after} 28... Qxf5 29.
Qxf5 Rac8 30. a4 $18 {
but after some moves in the game I would be sorry not to go here.}) 29. Qh4+ $1
(29. Qg5+ $2 Kd7 30. Rd5+ Kc6 31. Rc5+ Kd6) 29... Kd7 30. Qd4+ Kc7 31. Qc5+ Kb7
(31... Qc6 32. Qe7+ Kb6 33. Rf6 $18 {was absolutely hopeless.}) 32. Qb4+ $1 ({
I was hoping for} 32. Qb5+ Qb6 33. Qd7+ Ka6 34. Qa4+ Kb7 35. Rb5 {and after}
35... Rac8 $1 36. Rxb6+ axb6 {Black keeps all his pawns!}) 32... Kc7 {
Only now I realized that} 33. Rc5+ $1 {is winning easily.} 33... Qc6 {
Another good decision was resign here. I just wanted to see the way which
Rebel will prefer.} ({After} 33... Kd8 {White wins with very beautiful Queen's
manoeuvre which was absolutely impossible to foresee:} 34. Qd2+ $1 Ke7 (34...
Qd7 35. Qg5+ Qe7 36. Rd5+) 35. Rc7+ Kf6 36. Qh6+ $1 Ke5 37. Rc5+ Kd6 38. Rc6+
$1 $18) 34. Qxc4 ({I was curious if Rebel choose} 34. Rxc6+ Kxc6 35. Qe7 {
keeping the King away from the pawn and the Rooks passive. G-pawn will be on
g7 soon.}) 34... Qxc5 35. Qxc5+ Kd7 36. c4 Ke6 37. Qd5+ Kf6 38. Qb7 Kg7 ({
The only idea would be to provoke weakness of the second rank but after} 38...
Rac8 {39. b3 is not neseccary:} 39. Qxa7 $18) 39. c5 Rad8 40. Qxa7 Rxf7 41. Qa4
Rd2 42. Qg4+ Kf8 {I still have drawish idea: to take g-pawn and when the King
is closer to c-pawn then to take on b2. It's a joke.} 43. a4 Rff2 44. Qb4 Ke8
45. g4 Rd1+ 46. Ka2 Rff1 47. c6 Ra1+ 48. Kb3 Rf3+ 49. Kc2 Rf2+ 50. Kd3 {
Finally Black resigned. Excellent performance by Rebel which playing style was
very human-looking. I think if the header of the game is not discovered one
would hardly believe computer was playing. Congratulations! And the last. I
suppose such games help to clear up the weak points of chess programs. It
looks like it was Rebel who showed me a weak point of my opening repertoir!
Thanks a lot!} 1-0
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