Hello folks.
Here is the second part of my BCM article entitled 'Computers and Ideas'.
Apologies for the delay. I'll try to be quicker about posting the third part,
but then again you may find you want to spend a lot of time looking at the
position after Black's 39th move in this installment. Happy studying.
Tyson
Text begins:
White: ME Brigden
Black: AT Mordue
Club Championship Game, 1992
White: King g1, Queen d2, Rooks d1 and e1, Knight d4, Pawns a2, b3, f4, g3 and
h2.
Black: King g8, Queen f6, Rooks d5 and e8, Bishop f7, Pawns b7, e3, g6 and h7.
[In time-trouble Mike failed to appreciate that 32 Rxe3 Red8 34 Re4 is safe
despite the pin down the d-file. White is then two safe pawns up. After his
next White has to shed material.]
32.Red8
33 Nb5 Rxd1
34 Qxf6 Rxe1+
35 Kg2 Rd2+
36 Kh3 Red1
37 Nc7 e2
[The sealed move. I was grateful that I had survived a poor position and that
my opponent, my team captain and a correspondence IM, now had to play for a
draw. Black is on the brink of obtaining a brand new Queen and having a couple
of extra Rooks so White must try to take advantage of the exposed enemy king.
The first bit of calculation is easy.]
38 Ne6 Bxe6+
39 Qxe6+ Kf8
[Lots of queen checks coming up. White has to be careful about where he checks
in case the Black Rooks can interpose without dropping the Pawn on e2, or by
letting the Black king away. My original idea was to head for shelter behind
White's Queenside Pawns. However, adjournment analysis uncovered something odd.
My computer, ChessMaster 9000 (CM), says this position is drawn. I believe CM
is wrong. I stand by my judgment of 23 years ago. I invite the reader to have
a close look before going on.
Specific note for USBCA readers. Firstly, the position is currently:
White: King h3, Queen e6, Pawns a2, b3, f4, g3 and h2.
Black: King f8, Rooks d2 and d1, Pawns b7, e2, g6 and h7.
Secondly, there is a lot to analyse here because the White Queen has lots of
choice but so does the Black King. However, you are looking for a specific idea
which may not at first be apparent. Please do not be discouraged if you don't
find this idea. It took me a long time to find it and it took me hours.
Moreover, it took me years before I fully understood why Black is winning or,
more precisely, why White fails to draw this position.
Finally, you may ask is there practical value in studying this position? Fair
question. If at some time in the future you have an analogous position it may
be that what you learn here now could be applied then, whenever it may be, to
your benefit. It might gain you an extra half-point in round one of an event
which you go on to win by a half-point. It could even happen in the last round
or at some other critical point in the event. Indeed, I had the incentive that
if I won it I wrapped up a club championship. However, the same point applies
to all the instructional postings made on this site. The value you get out of
it depends on the study that you put into it. Then again if you wish to to see
the game unfold then carry on.]
40 Qf6+ Ke8
41 Qe6+ Kd8
42 Qf6+ Kd7
43 Qf7+ Kc6
44 Qe6+ Kc5
[Now if White chooses 45 Qe5+ Kb4, the Black King is getting close to its
holiday destination, while 45 Qe7+ Kd4 and His Majesty might even end up in the
shelter of the Kingside foothills.]
45 Qc4+ Kd6
46 Qb4+ Ke6
47 Qb6+
[If a) 47 Qc4+ Kf6 48 Qc3+ Rd4 wins, or b) 47 Qe4+ Kf7! 48 Qc4+ (48 Qxb7+ Rd7
is convincing) 48.Kf6 49 Qc3+ Rd4 is a simple transposition to the previous
line. The White Queen and the Black King are getting further apart.]
47.Kf7
48 Qc7+ Kf8
49 Qc5+ Rd6
50 Qc8+ Kg7
51 Qc7+ Kf8
[A cold feet moment. 51.Kf6 immediately saves a couple of moves.]
52 Qc8+ Kg7
53 Qc7+ Kf6
54 Qc3+ R6d4
[Safe at last.]
55 g4 R1d3+
0-1.
What I discovered during the adjournment was that in any series of checks the
White queen had to land at some point either on c4 or c3. If it did then in
order to win I had to reply with .Kd6 or .Kd7 respectively. This is important
because the Queen goes 'off track' in trying to maintain the perpetual check.
The variations may be ten moves long or so, but eventually the Black King gets
to a safe haven. I had trouble in understanding why.
I analysed with my friend 'Ideas Man' Peter Richmond. He established that the
two principal pivot points for the queen are c4 and e5, and that in order to
maintain a perpetual check Her Majesty must be able to go directly from one to
the other. Clearly, she can't and this is why Black wins. Do you expect a
computer to tell you this in so few words? No, which is why the human is so
much better than a computer at concepts. Computers are good learning tools and
can do lots of analysis, but are incapable of the flash of intuition that can
take us further.
Text ends.
