Computer Chess / Handicap Chess
REMOVE A1-ROOK, B8-KNIGHT, MOVE A8-ROOK TO B8 Komodo GM Hikaru Nakamura Handicap match,
Chess.com(3), 01.07.2016
the kingside.
21. Qb2 Ng4 22. Ke2 h5 23. h3 Nh6 24. Rg1 Bb6 25. Ke1 Bxb5 26. Bxb5 Qd6 27. Ne2 d4!?
The move 27. ... Qd8 kept a safe, solid plus for Black.
28. Nxd4 Qf6 29. Qb4 Rc1+ 30. Kf2 Ng4+ 31. hxg4 Qh4+ 32. g3 Qh2+ 33. Rg2 Qh1 34. Nc2 Rxc2
This appears to lead to a forced draw. The alternate line 34. ... Bxe3+ 35. Kxe3
Qxg2 36. Qb2 Rd1 37. Qb4 hxg4 38. Be2 Qxg3+ 39. Kxe4 Qg2+ 40. Kd3 Qd5+ 41. Qd4 Qb3+ 42. Qc3 Qxc3+ 43. Kxc3 g3 44. Ne3 Ra1 45. Kb2 Re1 46. Bf3 b6 gives Black has the better side of a probable draw.
1. c4 The game suggests that this was already a
poor choice. Probably 1. e4 was better. White’s problem is that he has to make concessions to avoid exchanges, since most endgames down the Exchange are lost. Hikaru felt that this handicap was his best chance to win, and indeed he obtained a huge advantage. But no grand - master has beaten Komodo with an Exchange handicap yet with either color in 11 tries!
1. ... Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 e4 4. Nd4 Bc5 5. Nb3 Bb4 6. Qc2 Qe7 7. e3 0-0 8. Nd4?!
Relatively better was 8. d4 though still quite bad for White.
8. ... d6 9. Nde2 c6 10. a3 Ba5 11. b4 Bc7 12. Bb2 d5 13. cxd5 cxd5 14. f4
35. Qxe4 Rxd2+ 36. Be2 hxg4 37. Qe8+ Kh7 38. Qb5 g6 39. Qxb6 Rxe2+ 40. Kxe2 Qxg2+ 41. Kd3 Qxg3 42. Qxb7 Kg7 43. Qb2+ Kg8 44. Qb8+ Kg7 45. Qe5+ Kg8 46. Qe8+ Kg7 47. Qe5+ Kg8 48. Qe8+ Kg7 49. Qe5+, Draw agreed.
WHITE PLAYS E4, D4, AND NF3 BEFORE MAKING HIS FIRST MOVE. GM Hikaru Nakamura Komodo
Handicap match,
Chess.com (4), 01.07.2016
Four-move handicap was novel. Some
thought it would be easier for Hikaru than the material handicaps, but others felt it would be the hardest for him. I rated it as more than f2 but less than f7 or the Exchange handicaps.
1. c4
20. Nca4?! The followup 20. Qd2 Rac8 21. dxc6 Rxc6
22. Nba4 would have kept a small advantage due to the backward d6-pawn.
20. ... f5 21. Nxc5 bxc5 22. f3?! The line 22. dxc6 Bxc6 23. Bf3 kept equality.
22. ... Nf6 23. g4 Rf7 24. Rf1 Raf8 25. Kh2 fxg4 26. fxg4 h5 27. gxh5 Nxh5 28. Rxf7+ Qxf7 29. Rf1 Nf4 30. Bg4 cxd5 31. exd5 Qc7 32. Qg3 Rf6 33. Rf2 Bc8 34. Nd1 Bxg4 35. Qxg4 Qf7 36. Qh4 Rf5 37. Ne3?!
Necessary was 37. Qg4 with a poor but defensible game.
37. ... Rh5 38. Qg4 Qe7 39. Rf3 Rg5 40. Qc8 Ne2 41. Qe6 Qxe6 42. dxe6 Nf4 43. Rg3?
Better is 43. Nd5 Nxe6 44. Nf6 Rf5 45. Ne8+
Kh6 46. Kg2 Nf4+ 47. Kg1 d5 48. cxd5 Nxd5 when White has just a little compensation for the pawn, but he’s not clearly lost.
43. ... Rh5 44. Nd5 Nxe6 45. Nc3 Nd4 46. Ne4 Nf5 47. Rd3?!
Necessary was 47. Rg4 to stop ... Rh4. But, perhaps Black would win anyway.
Up to this point Nakamura has outplayed Komodo and I was expecting a loss.
14. ... a5? Nakamura probably overlooked that White
now regains the Exchange, although Black retains a large advantage due to a lead in development, king safety, and the bishop pair. Capturing en passant would leave Black with a winning material and positional advantage.
15. Nb5 Bb6 16. Be5 Bd7 17. Bd6 Qd8 18. bxa5 Bxa5 19. Bxb8 Qxb8 20. Ned4 Rc8?
The line 20. ... Ng4 21. Ke2 g5 22. g3 Qd8
leaves Black with a huge positional advantage. The move played blocks the queen’s access to
I think playing for development, for example
1. Bd3, was more appropriate than playing for space, but perhaps Hikaru knows best.
1. ... d6 2. Nc3 g6 3. Qb3 This looks strange, but it’s not clearly bad.
3. ... c6 4. Be2 Qb6 5. Qc2 Bg7 6. 0-0 Nf6 7. h3 0-0 8. Be3 Qc7 9. Rac1?!
The line 9. b4 b6 10. a4 would keep a large
space advantage and initiative. The move played was a bit slow.
9. ... Nbd7 10. Rfd1 b6 11. Qd2 Bb7 12. b3
47. ... Rh4 48. Nxd6 Rf4 49. Nxf5+?! gxf5 Why did White allow Black two connnected
passed pawns? Perhaps there was no defense anyway. Black is now winning.
50. Rd5?! No better is 50. Rd7+ Kf6 51. Kg3 Re4.
50. ... e4 51. Rxc5 Kf6 52. Rc8 Rf2+ 53. Kg3 Rf3+ 54. Kg2 Ke5 55. h4 Kf4 56. h5 e3 57. h6 Rg3+ 58. Kh2 Rg6, White resigned.
More handicap matches are planned this
year. Human versus human handicap matches, such as Nakamura giving f7 handicap to the U.S. Cadet champion, would be of interest.
www.uschess.org 33
Rad8 13. Bh6 e5 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15. d5 a5 White now has the “wrong” color bishop
for the pawn structure, and little remains of his four move lead in the opening.
16. Qe3 Ra8 17. Ne1 Nc5 18. Nd3 Qe7 19. Nb2 Nfd7
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