I cannot recall where I first read or heard this no-doubt exaggerated tale, but pieceless chess is more interesting than it might appear at first sight.
The game is played to normal rules, but without pieces - apart from kings - so each side starts with a king and eight pawns.
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| The starting position of pieceless chess |
Spanton - Stockfish12
1.e4 e6 2.Ke2 d5 3.f3 Kd7 4.d4 Kd6 5.Kd3 f6 6.h4 g6 7.b3 b5 8.c4 dxc4+ 9.bxc4 a6
Not 9...b4? 10.c5+, eg 10...Kc6 11.Kc4 a5 12.d5+ etc.
10.cxb5 axb5 11.a3 g5 12.g3 c6 13.Kc3?
Stockfish12 and Komodo11.01 reckon 13.hxg5 fxg5 14.g4 is dead equal.
13...gxh4 14.gxh4
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| Black to play and win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
14...e5!
Black will get a connected passed pawn.
15.Kd3
Equally hopeless is 15.d5+ cxd5 16.exd5 Kxd5 17.Kb4 Kc6 etc.
14...e5!
Black will get a connected passed pawn.
15.Kd3
Equally hopeless is 15.d5+ cxd5 16.exd5 Kxd5 17.Kb4 Kc6 etc.
15...exd4 16.Kxd4 c5+ 17.Kc3 Ke5 18.Kd3 Kf4 19.Ke2 h5 20.Kf2 b4 0-1
Naturally Stockfish12 agreed to my request for a rematch.
Stockfish12 - Spanton
1.e4 e5 2.Ke2 Ke7 3.Ke3 Ke6 4.d4 d5!?
This is probably OK but it does give the better player - Stockfish12, in case you were wondering - a chance to unbalance the pawn-structure.
5.dxe5 Kxe5 6.f4+ Kd6!?
The engines prefer 6...Ke6, presumably because the text allows the e pawn to be pushed with tempo.
7.e5+ Ke6 8.Kd4 c6 9.b4 b6 10.g3
Komodo11.01 reckons 10.g4!? gives a slight edge, but Stockfish12 rates the game as still even.
Naturally Stockfish12 agreed to my request for a rematch.
Stockfish12 - Spanton
1.e4 e5 2.Ke2 Ke7 3.Ke3 Ke6 4.d4 d5!?
This is probably OK but it does give the better player - Stockfish12, in case you were wondering - a chance to unbalance the pawn-structure.
5.dxe5 Kxe5 6.f4+ Kd6!?
The engines prefer 6...Ke6, presumably because the text allows the e pawn to be pushed with tempo.
7.e5+ Ke6 8.Kd4 c6 9.b4 b6 10.g3
Komodo11.01 reckons 10.g4!? gives a slight edge, but Stockfish12 rates the game as still even.
10...a6 11.c4?!
This may be a mistake. We were moving almost instantly, but given more time Stockfish12 much prefers 11.g4, although only Komodo11.01 reckons White then has a slight edge.
11...dxc4 12.Kxc4 h5
I briefly considered 12...g5! but dismissed it because I thought White would be able to create a passer on the a or b file. But if I had not been moving so quickly I would like to think I would have realised 12...g5! 13.fxg5 Kxe5 gives winning chances thanks to Black's queenside majority, although the position is not clear.
13.Kd4 g6 14.Ke4
*****
This may be a mistake. We were moving almost instantly, but given more time Stockfish12 much prefers 11.g4, although only Komodo11.01 reckons White then has a slight edge.
11...dxc4 12.Kxc4 h5
I briefly considered 12...g5! but dismissed it because I thought White would be able to create a passer on the a or b file. But if I had not been moving so quickly I would like to think I would have realised 12...g5! 13.fxg5 Kxe5 gives winning chances thanks to Black's queenside majority, although the position is not clear.
13.Kd4 g6 14.Ke4
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| How should Black proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
14...a5?
This loses. Komodo11.01 reckons 14...c5+!? wins, but Stockfish12 rates the position as even, as does Komodo11.01 when the follow-up moves 15.bxc5 bxc5 are inputted. Also equal seems to be 14...f6.
15.bxa5 bxa5 16.h3 Ke7 17.a4 Ke6 18.g4 hxg4 19.hxg4 f6 20.exf6 Kxf6 21.Kd4 Ke6 22.Kc5 Kd7 23.Kb6 1-0
A humbling experience.
This loses. Komodo11.01 reckons 14...c5+!? wins, but Stockfish12 rates the position as even, as does Komodo11.01 when the follow-up moves 15.bxc5 bxc5 are inputted. Also equal seems to be 14...f6.
15.bxa5 bxa5 16.h3 Ke7 17.a4 Ke6 18.g4 hxg4 19.hxg4 f6 20.exf6 Kxf6 21.Kd4 Ke6 22.Kc5 Kd7 23.Kb6 1-0
A humbling experience.
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