Fritz vs Junior – Game six drawn
The last game in the Ultimate Computer Chess Challenge ended in a draw. The
final result of the match is 4-2 in favor of Deep Junior. This time, Deep Fritz
chose the English opening with Deep Junior selecting the Hedgehog variation.
Black departed from known theory by playing 14… Qe8?! Which, in hindsight,
looks rather slow. After Deep Fritz played 15. g4 Deep Junior replied with 15…Qa8
losing time. Deep Fritz managed to swap Deep Junior’s Sicilian bishop.
Both programs evaluated the position after the opening as promising for White.
However, after move 26 Deep Fritz was convinced it is winning while Deep Junior
kept evaluating the position as +0.6 for white. Deep Junior thought Deep Fritz
could still preserve some winning chances if instead of 28.Rxa6 it would play
28. Rd6 however Deep Fritz put her faith in the three connected passed pawns
in the queenside. Whites move 32.f4 looked suspicious to Deep Junior as it weakened
its king and opened many possibilities for a perpetual check. Indeed after the
last five moves Deep Fritz acknowledged the draw… – Shay Bushinsky
of the Deep Junior team.
In game 6 Fritz had a nice advantage right after the opening. Junior played
the Hedgehog System of the English Opening but the resulting position did not
seem to be to Junior's liking. 14... Qe8 in particular did look quite strange
indeed. Fritz unorthodox move 15.g4 forced Junior to give up an important pawn
on d6, and for the first time of the match Junior's evaluation nearly dropped
to -1. But despite Fritz high score of more than two pawns he could not convert
his advantage and overcome Junior's tenacious resistance.
It is hard to tell where Fritz could have played better, but I just want to
point out the moves 32.f4, weakening his king, and 35.a4, maybe pushing the
wrong passed pawn. Junior's queen permantently peered at Fritz's king and after
it nicely sacrificed its knight, which Fritz was forced to accept, Junior could
force a perpetual. – Alex Kure of the Deep Fritz team.
DEEP FRITZ - DEEP JUNIOR [A30]
Ultimate Computer Challenge Elista RUS (6), 11.06.2007
1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.Rd1
Nbd7 10.Be3 Rc8 11.Rac1 0-0 12.Qh4 a6 13.b3 Rc7 14.Bh3 Qe8 15.g4 Qa8 16.Bd4
e6 17.g5 Ne8 18.Bxg7 Nxg7 19.Rxd6 Bxf3 20.exf3 Qxf3 21.Ne4 Nh5 22.Bg2 Qf5 23.Rcd1
Nc5 24.Nf6+ Nxf6 25.gxf6 h5 26.Rxb6 Rd7 27.Rxd7 Nxd7 28.Rxa6 Nxf6 29.Qd4 Qb1+
30.Bf1 Qf5 31.h3 Kg7 32.f4 Re8 33.Qe5 Qb1 34.Ra7 Qc1 35.a4 Qd1 36.Rb7 Qf3 37.Bg2
Qg3 38.Rb8 Rxb8 39.Qxb8 h4 40.Qe5 Kh7 41.Qxf6 Qe3+ ½-½.
The typical posture of chess programmers – Amir Ban and Shay Bushinsky
Match arbiter David Levy announces the start of the final game...
... and then starts the clocks, while the computer operators shake hands
Amir Ban and his youthful Kalmyk helper who executes the moves on the official
board
Alex Kure and Fritz with a young helper in traditional costume
The helpers follow the game on the computer monitor and transfer the moves on
the board
Sorry, folks, we simply can't resist: just one more picture...
The Fritz screen after move 34
... and the Junior screen in the same position
Amir Ban and Shay Bushinsky get their winner's plaque from chief organiser
Valery Bovaev
Alex Kure gets his plaque for Fritzh from Bovgaev and Berik Balgabaev, personal
assistant to FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
The chess helpers get their own certificates
...and are proud and delighted to have assisted in the computer match
A final group photo of all participants at the end of a six-day event
Photos by Frederic Friedel in Elista
Final standings
| Computer |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
Tot. |
| Deep Junior |
½ |
½ |
1 |
1 |
½ |
½ |
4.0 |
| Deep Fritz |
½ |
½ |
0 |
0 |
½ |
½ |
2.0 |
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