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Hello,
I just looked at the game 3 of the match Adams vs. Hydra and I'm in awe
about the brilliant game this machine played!
Hydra - Adams
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6
8. c3 O-O 9. d4 Bg4 10. d5 Na5 11. Bc2 c6 12. h3 Bc8 13. dxc6 Qc7 14.
Nbd2 Qxc6 15. Nf1 Be6
This is still a book move, the main alternative is 15...Nc4 so White
will not play Ne3 aiming for d5.
16. Ng5
According to the online database of Chesslive, this move has been played
only 5 times before, with a score favoring Black 1.5 - 3.5. In every
instance Black retreated the attacked bishop. Not so Adams.
Ultimately this move has the purpose to both provoke h6 and attack this
point (Nf5, Ng4) at a later stage and to make d5 available to the other
knight. Then again, it is not so difficult to defend against all this.
If the defense begins early enough.
16...Bd8
This move is new, the idea might have been to relocate the bishop on the
a7-g1 diagonal. It is also protecting the knight at a5, allowing the Ra8
to move if the a-file is opened. It could be also a form of prophylaxis
against Ne3-d5, after that the bishop would be retreated to d8. But if
the bishop retreats so much in advance White can find a better place for
that knight in the first place. The drawback is that the bishop was well
placed on e7 protecting d6 and the diagonal d8-h4. Also note that the
rooks become disconnected. When White opens the a-file the Ra8 might be
without the protection it needs.
17. Ne3
White aims for f5.
17...Bd7
Now the bishop retreats anyway. Compared to 16...Bd7 17. Ne3 this leaves
Black with the odd choice of Bd8 instead of organizing the defense with
17...h6 18. Nf3 Nc4 when 19. a4 isn't very effective (19...Nxe3) and 19.
Nd5 Nxd5 20. exd5 Qb7 doesn't do Black any harm.
If Black leaves the bishop at e6 White may be enticed to finally take
it, for example 17...Nc4 18. Nxe6 fxe6 19. Nxc4 bxc4 20. Ba4 with the
plan Qe2, b5, axb5, Bxb5 or Bc2 and a4. The f-file is rather worthless
for Black since he will never get his knight to f4 or even d3. The
feasibility of the advance d5 is also questionable as White can put
pressure on d5 and the e-file easily, indirectly attacking e5. In the
long run White has good chances on the queenside while Black is lacking
counter play.
18. a4
The standard way in the Ruy Lopez to open the a-file.
18...h6
Probably Adams feared 19. Nd5 when 19...Nxd5 20. exd5 Qb7 21. Bxh7+ does
not work. With knights on d5 and g5 the white position would look
menacing. If Black doesn't dislodge the knight from g5 he will find
trouble soon. For example the plan Nc4 fails. Nc4 can't be played right
away because of 18...Nc4 19. axb5 axb5 20. Rxa8 Qxa8 21. Nxc4 bxc4 22.
Qxd6 which loses a pawn. So Black has to to move the rook out of the
way, say to c8. But then 18...Rc8 19. Nd5 Nc4 20. b3 Nb6 21. axb5 axb5
22. Ra6 is even worse than it looks because of 22...Nfxd5? 23. exd5 Qb7
24. Bxh7+ Kh8 25. Qh5 and Black will be mated.
18...h6 removes the knight but creates a target on the black kingside
which White seeks to attack. The first aim is to insert a knight at f5.
19. Nf3 Rc8?
Adams wants to play Nc4 but finds his queen overworked protecting both
a8 and d6. Therefore he moves his rook out of harm. 19...Nc4 20. axb5
axb5 21. Rxa8 Qxa8 22. Nxc4 bxc4 23. Qxd6 and Black is a pawn down.
To me it looks like Bd8 and Nc4 don't fit together and I wonder why
Adams didn't follow through with his original plan. 19...Bb6 doesn't
look that bad. I think Black is ok after 20. Nd5 Nxd5 21. exd5 Qc4
preventing both Qd3 and Nh4 or after 20. Qd3 Be6 21. Nh4 Bxe3 22. Bxe3
Rfd8 23. Nf5 Bxf5 24. exf5 d5 or 20. Nf5 Bxf5 21. exf5 Rfe8 plan e4, d5.
20. axb5 axb5 21. Nh4 Nc4
After this Black is lost. In the light of what happens next it is hard
to find a move that does not lose here. The only way to prevent
intruding a knight on f5 was the ugly g6, but the sacrifice at g6 wins.
For example 21. Nd5 Nxd5 (after 21...Kg7 22. Qf3 (threat Rxa5) 22...Nh7
23. Qg3 what is the defense against the plan Nb4 and Nf5+?) 22. Nxg6
fxg6 23. Bxg6 and Qh5 is devastating (23...Qc4 plan Qh4 is answered by
24. Re4).
22. Nxc4!
Now watch how the guard of f5 is removed.
22...bxc4 23. Ba4 Qc7 24. Bxd7 Qxd7 25. Nf5
The point of the white manouvre beginning with 20. axb5.
25...d5
Black relied on this thrust. Finally Black has some counter play or what?
The alternative was to stand back against the wall and have a miserable
life. Like (I'm in somewhat cooperative mode here) 25...Be7 26. Qf3 Kh7
27. Qg3 Ne6 28. Qg4 (threat Nxe7) 28...Rc7 29. Ra8 Rg8 30. Be3 Qb5 31.
Rea1 (plan double on the 8th rank) 31...Qxb2? 32. Rxe8! Qxa1+ 33. Kh2
Bg5 34. Bxg5 Rxe8 35. Bxh6 or so.
26. Ra6!!
Awesome move on the a-file with the idea to attack the kingside! The
rook attacks on the sixth rank aiming for f6 and h6. A normal player
would have played 26. Qf3 with the idea 26...dxe4 27. Rxe4! Qe6
(27...Nxe4 28. Qg4 threats Qg7 mate and Nh6+/Qxd7) 28. Rh4 with great
attacking chances.
26...Qb7
26...Rc6 prevents the white idea but is of course hopeless: 27. Rxc6
Qxc6 28. exd5 Qb5 29. Rxe5 with a winning advantage.
27. Rd6 Be7 28. Bxh6! 1-0
The threat is Bxg7 and Bxf6. If 28...Bxd6 29. Bxg7 Be7 30. Bxf6 Bxf6 31.
Qg4+ Kh7 32. Qh5+ Kg7 33. Re3 wins, if 28...gxh6 29. Qf3 Nxe4 30. Nxh6+
Kg7 (30...Kh7 31. Qh5 threats Nxf7+ and Nf5+) 31. Rxe4! is also won.
Great game!
Claus-Juergen
Hello,
I just looked at the game 3 of the match Adams vs. Hydra and I'm in awe
about the brilliant game this machine played!
Hydra - Adams
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6
8. c3 O-O 9. d4 Bg4 10. d5 Na5 11. Bc2 c6 12. h3 Bc8 13. dxc6 Qc7 14.
Nbd2 Qxc6 15. Nf1 Be6
This is still a book move, the main alternative is 15...Nc4 so White
will not play Ne3 aiming for d5.
16. Ng5
According to the online database of Chesslive, this move has been played
only 5 times before, with a score favoring Black 1.5 - 3.5. In every
instance Black retreated the attacked bishop. Not so Adams.
Ultimately this move has the purpose to both provoke h6 and attack this
point (Nf5, Ng4) at a later stage and to make d5 available to the other
knight. Then again, it is not so difficult to defend against all this.
If the defense begins early enough.
16...Bd8
This move is new, the idea might have been to relocate the bishop on the
a7-g1 diagonal. It is also protecting the knight at a5, allowing the Ra8
to move if the a-file is opened. It could be also a form of prophylaxis
against Ne3-d5, after that the bishop would be retreated to d8. But if
the bishop retreats so much in advance White can find a better place for
that knight in the first place. The drawback is that the bishop was well
placed on e7 protecting d6 and the diagonal d8-h4. Also note that the
rooks become disconnected. When White opens the a-file the Ra8 might be
without the protection it needs.
17. Ne3
White aims for f5.
17...Bd7
Now the bishop retreats anyway. Compared to 16...Bd7 17. Ne3 this leaves
Black with the odd choice of Bd8 instead of organizing the defense with
17...h6 18. Nf3 Nc4 when 19. a4 isn't very effective (19...Nxe3) and 19.
Nd5 Nxd5 20. exd5 Qb7 doesn't do Black any harm.
If Black leaves the bishop at e6 White may be enticed to finally take
it, for example 17...Nc4 18. Nxe6 fxe6 19. Nxc4 bxc4 20. Ba4 with the
plan Qe2, b5, axb5, Bxb5 or Bc2 and a4. The f-file is rather worthless
for Black since he will never get his knight to f4 or even d3. The
feasibility of the advance d5 is also questionable as White can put
pressure on d5 and the e-file easily, indirectly attacking e5. In the
long run White has good chances on the queenside while Black is lacking
counter play.
18. a4
The standard way in the Ruy Lopez to open the a-file.
18...h6
Probably Adams feared 19. Nd5 when 19...Nxd5 20. exd5 Qb7 21. Bxh7+ does
not work. With knights on d5 and g5 the white position would look
menacing. If Black doesn't dislodge the knight from g5 he will find
trouble soon. For example the plan Nc4 fails. Nc4 can't be played right
away because of 18...Nc4 19. axb5 axb5 20. Rxa8 Qxa8 21. Nxc4 bxc4 22.
Qxd6 which loses a pawn. So Black has to to move the rook out of the
way, say to c8. But then 18...Rc8 19. Nd5 Nc4 20. b3 Nb6 21. axb5 axb5
22. Ra6 is even worse than it looks because of 22...Nfxd5? 23. exd5 Qb7
24. Bxh7+ Kh8 25. Qh5 and Black will be mated.
18...h6 removes the knight but creates a target on the black kingside
which White seeks to attack. The first aim is to insert a knight at f5.
19. Nf3 Rc8?
Adams wants to play Nc4 but finds his queen overworked protecting both
a8 and d6. Therefore he moves his rook out of harm. 19...Nc4 20. axb5
axb5 21. Rxa8 Qxa8 22. Nxc4 bxc4 23. Qxd6 and Black is a pawn down.
To me it looks like Bd8 and Nc4 don't fit together and I wonder why
Adams didn't follow through with his original plan. 19...Bb6 doesn't
look that bad. I think Black is ok after 20. Nd5 Nxd5 21. exd5 Qc4
preventing both Qd3 and Nh4 or after 20. Qd3 Be6 21. Nh4 Bxe3 22. Bxe3
Rfd8 23. Nf5 Bxf5 24. exf5 d5 or 20. Nf5 Bxf5 21. exf5 Rfe8 plan e4, d5.
20. axb5 axb5 21. Nh4 Nc4
After this Black is lost. In the light of what happens next it is hard
to find a move that does not lose here. The only way to prevent
intruding a knight on f5 was the ugly g6, but the sacrifice at g6 wins.
For example 21. Nd5 Nxd5 (after 21...Kg7 22. Qf3 (threat Rxa5) 22...Nh7
23. Qg3 what is the defense against the plan Nb4 and Nf5+?) 22. Nxg6
fxg6 23. Bxg6 and Qh5 is devastating (23...Qc4 plan Qh4 is answered by
24. Re4).
22. Nxc4!
Now watch how the guard of f5 is removed.
22...bxc4 23. Ba4 Qc7 24. Bxd7 Qxd7 25. Nf5
The point of the white manouvre beginning with 20. axb5.
25...d5
Black relied on this thrust. Finally Black has some counter play or what?
The alternative was to stand back against the wall and have a miserable
life. Like (I'm in somewhat cooperative mode here) 25...Be7 26. Qf3 Kh7
27. Qg3 Ne6 28. Qg4 (threat Nxe7) 28...Rc7 29. Ra8 Rg8 30. Be3 Qb5 31.
Rea1 (plan double on the 8th rank) 31...Qxb2? 32. Rxe8! Qxa1+ 33. Kh2
Bg5 34. Bxg5 Rxe8 35. Bxh6 or so.
26. Ra6!!
Awesome move on the a-file with the idea to attack the kingside! The
rook attacks on the sixth rank aiming for f6 and h6. A normal player
would have played 26. Qf3 with the idea 26...dxe4 27. Rxe4! Qe6
(27...Nxe4 28. Qg4 threats Qg7 mate and Nh6+/Qxd7) 28. Rh4 with great
attacking chances.
26...Qb7
26...Rc6 prevents the white idea but is of course hopeless: 27. Rxc6
Qxc6 28. exd5 Qb5 29. Rxe5 with a winning advantage.
27. Rd6 Be7 28. Bxh6! 1-0
The threat is Bxg7 and Bxf6. If 28...Bxd6 29. Bxg7 Be7 30. Bxf6 Bxf6 31.
Qg4+ Kh7 32. Qh5+ Kg7 33. Re3 wins, if 28...gxh6 29. Qf3 Nxe4 30. Nxh6+
Kg7 (30...Kh7 31. Qh5 threats Nxf7+ and Nf5+) 31. Rxe4! is also won.
Great game!
Claus-Juergen
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