Matches of the best human players against computer programs are very common nowadays as the question of human or computer superiority in chess is still open and more than ever. Last year Kramnik drew 4:4 against Fritz in Bahrein and Kasparov scored 3:3 against Deep Junior in New York at the beginning of this year. Can one side change this now?
In the first game Kasparov had good chances, but could not use them in slight time trouble. But see for yourself:
1.Nf3
Does Kasparov play like this to avoid the Tarrasch variation of the Queen's Gambit or is this the best move order in his opinion to reach a Meran? Mig: 'Kasparov almost always opens with 1.e4 these days, at least against humans. But over the course of his 25 year professional career he has played just about everything.'
1...d5
2.c4
c6
3.d4
Nf6
4.Nc3
e6
Mig: 'Logical and normal development into what is called the Slav Defense. This is a well-known system that is particularly well-known to Garry Kasparov! The X3D Fritz team shows no fear and heads right into Kasparov's strength. They wanted to show they didn't fear his preparation.
This choice is also relevant because in Kasparov's last computer match, against Deep Junior in January '03, he crushed the machine in this exact opening in the first game!'
5.e3
Nbd7
6.Qc2
Bd6
[ 6...b6
7.cxd5
exd5
8.Bd3
Be7
9.Bd2
0-0
10.g4
Nxg4
11.Rg1
Ndf6
0-1 Kasparov,G-DEEP JUNIOR/New York USA 2003/(36)]
7.g4
Mig: 'A very aggressive move that offers a pawn in exchange for attacking chances. If Black captures the pawn with ..Nxg5 White gets a lot of pressure on the open g-file. Kasparov has played this position three times, twice with white and once with black! He won all three games, including one against the computer program Deep Junior earlier this year.'
7...Bb4
Mig: 'A normal move still in the "book" of both players. X3D Fritz has almost three million positions in its library of opening moves and sequences. Kasparov is legendary for his opening preparation and knowledge. He is a walking encyclopedia of opening theory and his opponents have a healthy fear of his surprises in the openings.
This move also takes the game away from the game Kasparov won against Deep Junior in this line. That's a sort of psychological advantage, being the first to spring something unexpected. Between two humans it could also be sort of like a game of chicken, with the first player to turn off from the previous game being the chicken. No matter how well it plays chess, this aspect is lost on X3D Fritz. It is not, however, lost on its creators and operators! ' [ 7...dxc4
8.Bxc4
( 8.g5
Nd5
9.Bxc4
Nxc3
10.bxc3
e5<=>
; 8.e4
e5!
9.g5
Ftacnik,L. 0-1 Adams,M-Kasparov,G/Dortmund 1992/CBM 29/22) ( 9.dxe5
Nxe5
10.Nxe5
Bxe5
11.g5
Nh5=/+
) ; 8.g5
Nd5
9.Bxc4
Nxc3
10.bxc3
e5<=>
; 8.Bxc4
Anand) 8...b6
9.e4
e5
10.g5
Nh5
11.Be3
0-0
12.0-0-0
Qc7
13.d5
b5
14.dxc6
bxc4
15.Nb5
Qxc6
16.Nxd6
Bb7
17.Qc3
Rae8
18.Nxe8
Rxe8
19.Rhe1
Qb5
20.Nd2
Rc8
21.Kb1
Nf8
22.Ka1
Ng6
23.Rc1
Ba6
24.b3
cxb3
25.Qxb3
Ra8
26.Qxb5
Bxb5
27.Rc7
1-0 Kasparov,G-DEEP JUNIOR/New York USA 2003/ (27); 7...0-0
8.g5
Nh5
9.Bd2
f5
10.gxf6
Nhxf6
11.Ng5
Qe8
12.0-0-0
h6
13.h4->
Shirov,A-Thorhallson,T/Reykjavik/1992/]
8.Bd2
Qe7
9.Rg1
[ 9.a3?!
leads to the famous game Gelfand-Kramnik: 9...Bxc3
10.Bxc3
b6
11.Bd3
Ba6
12.Qa4
dxc4
13.Qxa6
cxd3
14.Qxd3
0-0
15.g5
Nd5
16.Bd2
f5
17.0-0-0
c5
18.Kb1
b5
19.Qxb5
Rab8
20.Qa5
Rb3
21.Ka2
Rfb8
22.Rb1
e5
23.Rhc1
Qe6
24.Ka1
exd4
25.Rxc5
Nxc5
26.Qxc5
Nc3
27.Nxd4
Rxb2
28.Rxb2
Qa2+
0-1 Gelfand,B-Kramnik,V/Berlin 1996/CBM 55 (28)]
9...Bxc3
[ 9...b6
is played more often.]
10.Bxc3
Ne4
[ 10...b6
was again an alternative, e.g. 11.Bd3
dxc4
12.Bxc4
Bb7
13.g5
Nd5+/=
0-1 Szeberenyi,A-Izsak,G/Budapest 1997/CBM 61 ext (63)]
11.0-0-0!?N
Mig: 'A new move instead of the usual 11.Bd3.' [ 11.Bd3
Nxc3
12.Qxc3
dxc4
( 12...0-0
13.0-0-0
dxc4
14.Bxc4
c5
( 14...b5
15.Bd3
Bb7
16.Ne5
Nxe5
17.dxe5
Rfd8
18.Kb1
a6
19.Qc2
1-0 Malakhov,V-Potkin,V/Togliatti RUS 2003/The Week in Chess (39)) 15.g5
cxd4
16.Qxd4
a6
17.Kb1
b5
18.Be2
0-1 Milanovic,D-Djerfi,K/Belgrade 2003/CBM 96 ext (33)) 13.Bxc4
b6
14.0-0-0
0-0
15.Bd3
Bb7
16.Qc2
g6
17.Ne5
Nxe5
18.dxe5
c5
19.Be4
c4
20.Rd6
Rac8
1/2-1/2 Kobalija,M-Ramesh,R/Biel 2001/CBM 83 ext (20)]
11...Qf6
'!?' Mig. Mig: 'Now that we are out of X3D Fritz's opening library of recorded moves it is thinking, calculating, for itself. And right away we see a very "computer-like" move from the computer. It immediately plays to win a pawn by attacking the unprotected knight on f3.'
12.Be2
Mig: 'Kasparov protects his knight and offers the f2 pawn for capture.'
12...Nxf2?!
Did Kasparov hope for this greedy pawn grab to happen? He gets now a murderous initiative based on his advantage in development, his mighty pair of bishops and the unsafe black king. A human would be shaking in his shoes with Black here. Mig: 'And X3D Fritz takes the pawn! This will give White a lot of pressure against the black position in compensation for the sacrificed pawn. It's ironic that we have the strongest chess computer of all time here and it is playing in the materialistic mode of the first chess programs. In X3D Fritz's opinion, it has enough defensive resources to rebuff Kasparov's initiative.
This battle of material vs initiative is what chess is all about. Kasparov gives up a pawn for an attack, but if his attack doesn't succeed then X3D Fritz will have good chances to win with the extra material. Kasparov loves to have the initiative and such sacrifices are his stock and trade.' [ 12...Nb6!?
]
13.Rdf1
Mig: 'Attacking the black knight.'
13...Ne4
Mig: 'Retreating the knight. One of the drawbacks of X3D Fritz's pawn grab is that now the f-file is open for White's pieces. Right now Kasparov is threatening a discovered attack on the black queen. That means when he moves his knight, there will be a line of attack opened for his rook.'
14.Bb4!
prevents the short castling and emphasizes Black's weak dark squares. Mig: 'Kasparov moves his bishop away so the knight can't capture it. He uses it to prevent the black king from castling by attacking the f8 square.' [ 14.Ne5
This is the discovered attack. Note that now Black's queen is under fire from the rook on f1. When the queen moves Kasparov would be able to capture the pawn on f7. But X3D Fritz saw well in advance that its queen would be able to counterattack effectively. It's hard to fool a computer looking at four million moves per second. 14...Qh4
15.Nxf7
0-0!
Creating a double attack on the f7 knight. 16.Ne5
Rxf1+
17.Rxf1
Nxe5
18.dxe5
Qxh2
Black maintains its extra pawn and has a clear advantage.]
14...c5
Mig: 'This move apparently came as a surprise to Kasparov, who now went into a deep think after playing all of his previous moves at tremendous speed. X3D Fritz gives back the pawn in order to block the white bishop's diagonal and open lines toward the White king.' [ 14...Ng5
15.Kb1
with powerful compensation.; Throwing 14...a5?!
15.Ba3
in helps only White, e.g. 15...c5
16.cxd5
exd5
17.dxc5
Qe7
18.c6
Ndc5
19.cxb7
Bxb7
20.Bb5+
Kd8
21.Nd4+/-
]
15.cxd5
Why did Kasparov think so long here? The alternative [ 15.dxc5
leads after 15...Qe7
16.cxd5
exd5
17.Nd4
to transposition to the game.]
15...exd5
[ 15...cxb4?
16.Qxe4+/-
]
16.dxc5
Qe7
Mig: 'Getting the queen away from the discovered attack on the f-file and also attacking the c5 pawn. Material is now equal, Kasparov has an edge in development and X3D Fritz has a very well-placed knight on e4.' [ Oliver Reeh suggested to solve the problems of Black's king radically with 16...0-0?!
in his live comments, but after 17.c6
bxc6
18.Bxf8
Nxf8
White has 19.Bd3
with nice prospects.]
17.Nd4!
a mighty square for White's knight, which is liked an octopus here. It can for instance jump to f5 to imcrease the pressure on the dark squares. Mig: 'A typically dynamic Kasparov move. He will play his knight to the aggressive f5 square. He ignores the threat to the c5 pawn since capturing it would cost Black a great deal of time.'
17...0-0!
The human looking move, which was again suggested by Oliver Reeh was a surprise. Fritz evacuates his king at the cost of an exchange. Mig: 'Getting the king to safety, but allowing Kasparov to play a powerful sequence of moves here that will win a rook for a bishop and pawns. A rather surprising decision from a program that has already shown itself to be a bit of a materialist!' [ 17...b6?
18.Nf5+-
; We (IM Heiko Machelett, Prof.Dr.Althöfer and I) thought the the more "Fritz-like" 17...Ndxc5?
18.Bb5+
Kf8
Mig: 'Now the black king is stuck in the middle of the board.' 19.Rf4
b6
would follow. Black keeps his pawn and cements his knights. But his rook h8 is out of game at the moment. This is a typical shuffle chess problem by the way. So Heiko, who played an Advanced shuffle chess match against me in Jena last year, suggested options like h7-h6 followed by Kf8-g8-h7 rsp. g7-g6 and Kg7. But the whole line has a hole, which was seen by Fritz in time: 20.Bc6!
Bb7?
( 20...Nd6!
21.Kb1+/-
) 21.Nf5+-
Qc7
22.Bxb7
Qxb7
23.Rxe4
dxe4
24.Bxc5+
bxc5
25.Qxc5+
Kg8
( 25...Ke8
26.Rd1
Rc8?!
27.Nxg7#
) 26.g5
h6
( 26...Rc8?
27.Nh6+
gxh6
28.gxh6#
) 27.Ne7+
Kf8
28.Nd5+
Ke8
29.Nc7++-
; 17...Nexc5?
18.Nf5
Qf8
19.Rd1
g6
20.Rxd5
gxf5
21.Bb5
Nd3+
22.Qxd3
Qxb4
23.Qxf5+-
]
18.Nf5
Mig: 'Attacking the queen.'
18...Qe5
19.c6
Mig: 'Kasparov goes for it. This pawn push is a discovered attack. The pawn attacks the knight and at the same time the diagonal for the b4 bishop is opened up to attack the rook on f8. He is going to win a rook for his bishop, a gain in material, but he usually likes to be the one giving up the material for the attack. Now X3D Fritz will have the initiative and more active pieces.'
19...bxc6
20.Bxf8
Kasparov invests again a lot of time. Later he will be a bit short of time. Mig: 'The logical continuation, although he could also have checked the black king and infiltrated with his knight with 20.Ne7+.' [ 20.Ne7+?
Kh8
21.Nxc6
is strongly met by 21...Qg5!
, e.g. 22.Bxf8
Qxe3+
23.Kb1
Nd2+
24.Ka1
Nxf1
25.Bxg7+
Kxg7
26.Rxf1
Bb7
]
20...Kxf8
a tempo played by Fritz. It must have had enough time to calculate it in advance on Kasparov's time. Mig: 'Our Grandmaster commentators were expecting X3D Fritz to recapture with the knight instead of moving his king into the middle of the board. The machine prefers to keep its pieces more active and isn't worried about its king at all. A human would instictively worry about putting his king out into traffic. A computer just looks at a few hundred million positions, sees no danger, and plays what it thinks is best.' [ 20...Nxf8
21.Bd3+/=
/+/- is very pleasant for White. ( 21.Qxc6?
Rb8
gives Black strong attack. Mig: 'With great attacking chances for Black.') ]
21.Ng3!
Mig: 'Kasparov wants to trade material. He has a material advantage and every exchange will bring him closer to realizing it.' [ 21.Bd3?
Ndc5
22.Bxe4
dxe4
23.Nd4
Nd3+
24.Kb1
Rb8
and Black has good counterplay.; Nach 21.Qxc6?
Rb8
22.Qc2
Nb6
and Black can fish in muddy waters.]
21...Ndc5
22.Nxe4
Nxe4
23.Bd3
Mig: 'Threatening yet more trades.'
23...Be6
Mig: 'Finally developing this bishop and preparing to lodge it on the d5 square after Kasparov captures on e4. The bishop also protects the f7 square on the vulnerable f-file. Computers always defend tenaciously.'
24.Bxe4!?
Kasparov clarifies the situation by exchanges. Not only against the computer a good strategy as White's dominance on the dark square is emphasized by this. [ 24.Rf4?!
Nc3
25.Rg3
Nxa2+
26.Kb1
d4
is unneccessary tactical.]
24...dxe4
Mig: 'Kasparov's mission to exchange pieces has been successful, but how to now convert his slight material advantage into a win?'
25.Rf4
[ 25.Kb1!?
]
25...Bd5
Mig: 'Protecting the attacked e4 pawn. Black has set up a solid defensive wall and it's up to Kasparov to find a way through.' [ 25...Bxa2!?
26.Rxe4
Qb5
27.Rd4
c5
came into consideration to give Black more attacking prospects.]
26.Qc5+
Mig: 'Activating the queen with check, forcing the black king back. This move also pins the bishop against the queen.' [ 26.Qc3
Many expected this move, offering to exchange the queens and driving the black queen from her excellent central post. X3D Fritz definitely wouldn't exchange queens because then Kasparov's material advantage would be close to crushing. X3D Fritz needs the powerful queen on the board to keep counterchances. 26...Qd6
]
26...Kg8
the key of White's strategy in this position is the prevention of any counterplay by slow prophylactical improvement of all his men using his dominance on the dark squares. This is very strong especially against Fritz, who needs activity like a fish the water.
27.Rgf1
threatens Rxf7, which Fritz of course will never overlook. Mig: 'Threatening the brutally blunt capture Rxf7, taking advantage of the pin on the bishop. This move was criticized by several of the assembled Grandmasters as "too subtle." Black's reaction develops a piece and White's threat is easily parried. The more direct 27.Rd1 was more to the point.' [ 27.g5?!
Qe6
28.a3
Qh3
and; 27.Rg2?!
Qg5
give Black counterplay.; The prophylactical 27.h4!?
Rb8
28.Rg2
came strongly into consideration. If g4-g5 is played later then the 3 white pawns make it very difficult to mobilze Black's kingside majority and may even be used to lauch an assault on the dark squares by h4-h5-h6 (White's queen threatens to land on g7 and back rank mates loom large).; 27.Rd1
Mig: The suggestion of GMs Lautier, Gulko, and Alburt at the match in New York. 27...Rb8
28.Rd4
]
27...Rb8
Mig: 'Answering Kasparov's threat with an even stronger one. X3D Fritz threatens a lethal capture on b2.' [ 27...a5??
28.Rxf7
Bxf7?
( 28...a4??
29.Rf8+
Rxf8
30.Qxf8#
) 29.Qxe5+-
]
28.R1f2
Mig: 'Protecting b2 and so reviving the threat to capture on f7.' [ 28.Rxf7??
Qxb2+
29.Kd1
Bxf7-+
]
28...Qc7
Mig: 'Removing the pin on the bishop and so threatening to capture the unprotected a2 pawn.'
29.Rc2
Mig: 'Kasparov prefers to answer a threat with a counterthreat instead of playing defense. Now if Black plays ..Rb5 Kasparov exploits the new pin on the c-pawn and captures the rook with Qxb5.' [ 29.Kb1
Protecting the a2 pawn with the king.]
29...Qd7
[ 29...h6
is tactically playable as 30.Qxd5?
can be met by 30...Qxf4
; 29...Bxa2
Grabbing the pawn immediately was playable, but now White's rooks get a lot of play.; 29...Rb5??
30.Qxb5!
]
30.h4!?
Mig: 'Another aggressive surprise from Kasparov. Just when all the action was on the queenside and in the center, he threatens to open a new front by pushing his kingside pawns against the black king.' [ 30.b3?!
is aimed against the Bd5, but can be answered by 30...Rb5
31.Qd4
Qe7
when the lever a7-a5-a4 is in the air.]
30...Qd8
threatens to take on h4 and on a2.
31.g5
Mig: 'This move made X3D Fritz very happy, at least according to its evaluation function. It now considers it safe to capture the hanging pawn on a2.
Kasparov wants to play h5 without allowing Black to block his pawns with ..h6. But this plan is just to slow and now X3D Fritz grabs a pawn on a2.' [ 31.h5
This push instead of g5 wouldn't have given X3D Fritz time to capture on a2 because of the threat of h6. 31...Bxa2?
( 31...h6
) 32.h6
]
31...Bxa2
Mig: 'A surprise for Kasparov. Perhaps that pawn had sat there immune for so long that Kasparov started to believe it couldn't be captured! Not only does Black win a pawn but suddenly White's king is feeling a draft.' [ 31...Rb5
32.Qd4+/-
]
32.Rxe4?
played after thinking for about 15 minutes. Did Kasparov want to force a draw now or did he miss Black's reply? Mig: 'Almost a draw offer since it is now very hard for White to find any move to avoid the repetition that does indeed end the game.' [ 32.Rd2!
would have emphasized Black's wound again: the weak dark squares, e.g. Mig: 'This move was expected by most commentators. It pushes the black queen off the d-file and claims it for White. Then Kasparov could continue his kingside push.' 32...Qe8
( 32...Bd5?!
33.Rxe4
a5
( 33...Rb5?
34.Qxc6+-
) 34.Red4
f5
( 34...Qe8?
35.e4+-
) 35.gxf6
Qxf6
36.Rf4
Qg6
37.Rdf2+/-
) 33.h5!
a6
( 33...Bd5?!
34.h6
g6
( 34...Qf8
35.Qxa7+/-
) 35.Qxa7+/-
) 34.Rd6
( 34.h6?!
Bd5
35.Qd4
Qf8!
) 34...Bd5
35.Qa7
Qf8
36.Qc7
Rc8
37.Qd7+/-
; 32.Qxc6
]
32...Qd3!
forces the draw as White can't escape the coming checks Mig: 'Bringing the queen to a dominating position and creating threats around the white king.'
33.Rd4
Mig: 'Giving up another pawn in order to remove the worst of the black threats.' [ 33.Qxc6
Qf1+
34.Kd2
Rd8+
35.Rd4
Qf2+
36.Kd3
Qf1+=
]
33...Qxe3+
Mig: 'X3D Fritz alarmed the commentators by spending eight minutes on this obvious and forced move. Seirawan, Ashley, and Hoffman wondered if there was a malfunction! Nothing of the sort. X3D Fritz had plenty of extra time, so it was in no hurry. It had started to see the repetition draw that now comes and when a decisive result comes into its analysis horizon the program gives itself more time.'
34.Rcd2
Mig: 'The other moves are suicidal. Kasparov has no choice but to accept the perpetual check draw if X3D Fritz wants it.' Mig: 'The only move.' [ 34.Rdd2??
Rxb2!
Whoops, giving up the queen but getting checkmate in return! A fine illustration of the dangers around White's king. 35.Qxe3
( 35.Rxb2
Qxc5+
; 35.Kxb2
Qb3+
36.Ka1
Qb1#
) 35...Rb1#
Checkmate!; 34.Kd1??
Re8
]
34...Qe1+
Mig: 'Black is in considerable danger as well. Not only does Kasparov have a material advantage, but the black king is not safe.' [ 34...Rf8?!
35.Qc3+/=
; 34...Re8
Black can keep the game going this way, but it was very risky and without any advantage. 35.Qc3
; 34...Qe8?
35.Rd7
]
35.Rd1
Mig: 'The only move. The open white king, hemmed in by the bishop on a2, is too vulnerable.' [ 35.Kc2??
Bb1+
36.Kc3
Qc1+
37.Rc2
Qxc2#
]
35...Qe3+
Mig: 'The first repetition of the position. If the same position is about to appear on the board for the third time, the player can claim a draw by repetition. We call theversion here a "perpetual check."' [ 35...Qe8?!
helps only White, e.g. 36.Rb4
Ra8
37.Rb7+/=
]
36.R1d2
[ 36.Kc2??
Qb3+
37.Kd2
Qxb2+
; 36.R4d2??
Qxc5+
]
36...Qg1+
Mig: 'This was the last fork in the road. X3D Fritz could have continued the game with ..Re8. The machine decides that there is no way to play for a win and forces the repetition draw.'
37.Rd1
The pressure on Kasparov has not become smaller after this draw. Will he be able to withstand it and show his powerful strength? Thursday we will already know more!
Co-commentators IM Heiko Machelett and Prof.Dr.Althöfer. Mig: 'Now the draw is completely forced because the black queen has no alternative to checking on e3 again and creating a third repetition. Any other move loses immediately. White is threatening to win instantly with Rd8+. So going to g1 for check instead of back to e1 was just a show of computer humor, if you will! The result is the same: draw.
A rich and exciting battle with chances on both sides and unexpected play from the beginning.' 1/2-1/2