Wednesday, 24 May 2023

Who Was Right?

MY round-four game at the Amateur Chess Organization's Super Senior (65+) event on the Greek isle of Kos could have reached the following position.
Analysis position after Black's 29...Ke6-e5
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I noted that Stockfish15.1 and Komodo14.1 claim a slight edge for Black.
But I added: "I find this very difficult to believe as White has the much-superior pawn-majority, and can put the white queenside pawns on a dark-square V formation (a3, b2, c3), where they cannot be attacked by the bishop and where they prevent Black creating a passed pawn. I would be disappointed if I did not win such a position with white over the board."
I intend putting this to the test by playing out the position against the engines.
When they disagree on Black's best move, I will flip a coin to decide.
30.g3
Also tempting is getting the knight back into play with 30.Ng3, but White has to be careful of the bishop targeting the g pawn.
30...Ke4 31.Kd2 Kf3 32.Nf4 c6
Black can go after the h2 pawn, eg 32...Kf2 33.a3 Kg1, but 34.h3 Kh2 35.g4 Bd7 36.Ke3 Kg3 37.Ke4 seems to hold.
33.a3 b6 34.c3 a5 35.Kd1 Kf2 36.Kd2 c4 37.Kd1 Be4 38.Kd2 Bd5 39.Kd1 Bf7 40.Kd2 Kg1
The engines finally go for the white h pawn
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41.Ke2 Kxh2 42.Kf2 b5 43.Ne2 Kh3 44.Nd4 Bd5 45.Nf5 Kg4 46.Nd6
Not 46.Nxh6+?? as 46...Kg5 traps the knight.
46...a4 47.Ne8 Kf5 48.Nd6+ Ke6 49.Nb7 Ke5
The black king cannot catch the knight, eg 49...Kd7 50.Ke3 Kc7 51.Nc5 Kd6 52.Nb7+ etc.
50.Ke3 Kf5 51.Nd6+ Kg4 52.Kg2
Black cannot make progress, but clearly the engines' assessment of the position in the first diagram was more accurate than my assessment

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