11th World Microcomputer Chess Championship
Karen Richards
The 11th World Microcomputer Chess Championship is now under way at the
University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.The tournament is run
as a seven round swiss competition. Tournament Director M. Valvo seeded
the entries as follows:
1, Mephisto GER/ENG Richard Lang & Ossi Weiner 68030
2, M Chess USA Marty Hirsch 80486
3, Gideon NLD Ed Schroeder & Jan Louwman 68010 in 80286
4, Spracklen USA Kathe & Dan Spracklen SPARC
5, The King NLD Johan de Koning 68010 in 80386
6, Echecs FRA Jean-Christophe Weill 80486
7, Cumulus FRA Marc-Francois Baudot Sony News Stn
8, Patzer GER Werner Koch & Thomas Schaefer 80386 9, Brainstorm
HUN Gyula Horvath 68010 in 80286
10, Nightmare GER Gabi Rekowski & Reinholdt Gellner 80386
11, Hiarcs ENG J.Uniacke SPARC
12, Now USA Mark Lefler 80386
13, Woodpusher ENG John Hamlen 80486
14, Innovation USA Jeff Mallett Mac II 68030 15, Centaur
URS Victor Vikhrev & Leonid Berezovikov 80386
ROUND 1
M Chess vs Nightmare 1:0
Innovation vs Patzer 0:1
The King vs Woodpusher 1:0
Cumulus vs Echecs 1:0
Centaur vs Gideon 0:1
Now Vs Spracklen 0:1
Brainstorm vs Mephisto 0:1
The King vs Woodpusher
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4. Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 Nc6 6.e3 O-O 7.Bd3 h6 8.Bxf6
Bxf6 9.O-O b6 10.a3 a5 11.Qc2 Ba6 12.cxd5 exd5 13.Bxa6 Rxa6 14.Nb5 Qd7
15.Qe2 Raa8 16. Rac1 Rfe8 17.Rc3 Nxd4 18.Nbxd4 c5 19.Qb5 Qd6 20.Rd1
cxd4 21.Nxd4 Be5 22.Rc6 Bxh2+ 23.Kh1 Qe5 Nf3 Qh5 25.Rxd5 Be5+ 26.Kg1
f6 27.Qc4 Kf8 28.Rxb6 Rac8 29.Nxe5 fxe5 30.Rc6 Rxc6 31.Qxc6 Qe2 32.Qc3
a4 33.Rd7 Now Black "saw" five (5) Kings and unable to continue resigned.
Round II
Echecs vs Now 1:0
Nightmare vs Hiarcs 0:1
Gideon vs Cumulus 1:0
Woodpusher vs Innovation .5:.5
Patzer vs Brainstorm 0:1
Mephisto vs The King 0:1 No, this is NOT a typo!!
Spracklen vs M Chess .5:.5
The first surprise. The King ambushed Mephisto (World champion since time
immemorial) with a prepared variation. Spracklen vs M Chess encounter was
most violent. M Chess should be named Houdini after this performance. With
five rounds to go, the tournament is now wide open. In the past Mephisto
won these events with considerable margins.
Mephisto vs The King (2)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ne4 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Nxd2 6.Nbxd2 Nc6 7.a3
Bxd2+ 8.Qxd2 Qe7 9.Qf4 O-O 10. O-O-O (That is the move The King had
based its preparation on) 10...Re8 11.Rd5 b6 12.e4 Bb7 13.Qf5 Rad8 14.Ng5
g6 15.Qf4 Na5 16.Rd1 h6 17.Nf3 Qe6 (Black is ahead in development and his
King is safer. "He" should be better now) 18.Qxh6 Bxe4 19.Nd4 Qxe5 20.f3
d5 21.Qe3 c5 22.cxd5 Qxd5 23.fxe4 Rxe4 24.Qf3 Rxd4 25.Qxd5 R4xd5 26.
Ba6 Nb3+ 27.Kc2 Nd4+ 28.Kb1 b5 29.Rhe1 R5d6 30.Bb7 f5 31.g3 R6d7
32.Bg2 c4 33.Rd2 Kg7 34.Red1 Rd6 35,h4 Kf6 36.Bh1 a5 37.Bg2 b4 38.axb4
axb4 39.Rc1 Nb3 40.Rxd6+ Rxd6 41.Bf1 Nxc1 42.Kxc1 Rd4 43.Be2 c3
44.bxc3 bxc3 45.h5 Rd2 46.Bf3 gxh5 47.Bxh5 Kg5 48.Bf3 Rf2 49.Bd5 Kg4
50.Bc6 Kxg3 51. Kd1 O:1
Spracklen vs M Chess (2)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.Nc3 d5 5.Bg5 dxc4 (Considered a mistake) 6.e4
c5 7.d5 Qb6 8.Qb1 Nfd7 9.Bxc4 Qb4 10. Nd2 Bxc3 11.bxc3 Qxc3 (A sad
position for one pawn) 12.O-O Nb6 13.Rc1 Qg7 14.Bb5+ N6d7 15.Rxc5 a6
16.Bxd7+ Nxd7 17.Rc1 f6 18.Be3 Ne5 19.Qb3 Ng4 20.Nc4 Nxe3 21.Nb6 Rb8
22.Rxc8+ Rxc8 23.Nxc8 Ng4 24.Qxb7 O-O 25.Nxe7 (Surely Blacks position
must be as bad as it looks?) 25...Kh8 26.h3 f5 27.Rb1 Nxf2 28.e5 Ne4 29.Qc7
Qh6 30.e6 Qe3+ 31.Kh2 Nf6 32.Rb3 Qh6 33.Rb7 Qg7 34.Kh1 Ne8 35.Qf4 g5
36.Qg3 g4 37.a3 Nf6 38.Qb3 gxh3 39.gxh3 f4 40.d6 f3 41.Qxf3 Nd5 42.Qe2
Qg3 43.Qg2 Qe1+ 44.Qg1 Qe4+ 45.Kh2 Qe5+ 46.Kh1 Nxe7 47.dxe7 Qd5+
48.Kh2 Qd6+ 49.Kh1 Qd5+ DRAW
Standings after two rounds
1, Gideon 2
The King 2
Hiarcs 2
4, M Chess 1.5
Spracklen 1.5
6, Mephisto 1
Echecs 1
Cumulus 1
Patzer 1
Brainstorm 1
Centaur 1
12,Woodpusher .5
Innovation .5
14,Nightmare O
Now O
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Karen_R...@mindlink.bc.ca Vancouver, Canada
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paolo ciancarini
Thank you for the good job done reporting
the 11th World Microcomputer Chess Championship!
Go on with the next games!
and what about the Harvard Cup? I know that last friday may 3
in Harvard square 4 GMs should have played against four strong
computers. What happened? Anyone from the Boston area can
illuminate us?
Paolo Ciancarini
David L. Cox
>
>and what about the Harvard Cup? I know that last friday may 3
>in Harvard square 4 GMs should have played against four strong
>computers. What happened? Anyone from the Boston area can
>illuminate us?
Well, I sat next to Lary Kaufman on the plane ride down here, and thier
program "alpha"" won the Harvard cup (On the micro side) They won two games
out of the four. (Patrick Wolf and I can't remember the other, maybe Dlugy)
Mephisto beat Gulko if I remember right.
It was a very interesting flight!
David Cox
da...@encore.com
Karen Richards
Gideon has few problems overcoming Spracklen and secures
the Software Championship with one round to spare.
Mephisto and M Chess win again.
Gideon vs Spracklen
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 O-O 5.Nf3 c5 6.d5 d6
7.Bd3 Na6 8.O-O Bg4 9.Be2 Qb6 (This does not look
reasonable) 10.Rb1 Bd7(Another dubious move) 11.Be3 Ng4
12.Bg5 Qc7 (Black's position is already very
difficult,but Nf6 or Re8 should give more
prospects.)13.Bxe7 Rfe8 14.Bh4 Qc8 15.Bg3 Bxc3 16.bxc3
Nf6 (Black is a pawn down and has given up his
fianchettoed King B, it is essentially over.) 17.Nd2 Qc7
18.e5 ( f4 or h4 come to mind) dxe5 19.Bh4 Kg7 20.Bxf6+
Kxf6 21.d6 (White has exchanged his previous advantages
for a passed dpawn on the sixth rank) Qc6 22.Bf3 e4
23.Nxe4+ Rxe4 24.Bxe4 Qxe4 25.Re1 Qxc4 (Maybe Qc6)
26.Qf3+ Kg7 27.Rxb7 Be6 28.Re7 Bd5 29.Qg3 Qxa2 30.Qe5+
Kh6 31.Qf6 Nb8 32. R7e3 Bxg2 33.Kxg2 Qd5+ 34.Kg1 Qg5+
35.Qxg5+ Kxg5 36.Re8 (Computers should learn sometime in
the future to resign. On the other hand it is of course
never to late to resign.) 36...h5 37.d7 Nxd7 38.Rxa8
Black resigned on move 51 1:0
Now vs Centaur
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.Qg4 Nf6
7.Qxg7 Rg8 8.Qh6 Rg6 9.Qe3 Nc6 10.Ne2 Ne7 11.f3 Ned5
12.Qf2 Bd7 13.c4 Nb6 14.Nf4 Rg8 (A messy position, but
White does have an edge) 15.Be2 Qe7 16.O-O e5 17.dxe5
Qxe5 18.Be3 Qa5 19.Qh4 Qc3 20.Bxb6 axb6 21.fxe4 Qd4+
22.Kh1 Qxe4 (Loses by force) 23.Qxf6 Qc6 24.Nd5 Qxf6
25.Nxf6+ Ke7 26.Rad1 Bc6 27.Nxg8+ Rxg8 (A full Rook down
Black stumbles on to move 40 before resigning) 1:0
Round seven, Tuesday May 7th
Gideon, the new software champion finally faces Mephisto
and loses a very exciting game. Some measure of revenge
for Mephisto at least. (The playoff for the absolute
championship is a four game affair for Wednesday the
8th). M Chess defeated Brainstorm and becomes the PC
based World champion and also placing overall second.
Mephisto vs Gideon
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Bc4 e6
7.N1e2 Nf6 8.Nf4 Bd6 9.Bb3 Qc7 10.Qf3 Nbd7 11.O-O a5
12.c3 c5 (O-O is more solid) 13.Bxe6 (A sacrifice on
speculation!) fxe6 14.Nxe6 Qb6 15.Nxg7+ Kf7 16.N7f5 cxd4
17.cxd4 Bxg3 18.Nh6+ Kg7 19.Qxg3 Rhe8 20.Rd1 Kh8 21.b3
Rac8 22.d5 Re2 (D.Suttles suggested ..Rc2! 23.Be3 Rxe3!!
and White's attack Bishop is removed, it's King opened
and it's Queen subject to continous harrassments.) 23.Be3
Qb5 24.Bd4 Rce8 25.Bc3 Qb6 26.d6 Qd8 27.Qg5 b6 28.f4 Rf8
29.f5 Be8 30.Re1 Bh5 31.Qxh5 Rxe1 32.Rxe1 1:0
M Chess vs Brainstorm
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.nc3 Be7 5.e3 O-O 6.cxd5 exd5
7.Bd3 c5 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.Bd2 Nc6 10.O-O Bg4 11.h3 Bxf3
12.Qxf3 Ne5 13.Qf5 Nxd3 14.Qxd3 d4 15.exd4 Bxd4 16.Qb5
Qe7 17.Rfe1 Qc7 18.Ne2 a6 19.Qb3 Bc5 20.Rac1 (Of course)
Rfe8 21.Be3 b6 22.Bxc5 bxc5 (The first target is the c5
pawn on which White will go to work) 23.Qa3 Re5 24.Ng3
Rd5 25.Qf3 Rad8 26.Nf5 Re5 27.Re3 Rdd5 28.Rce1 Rxe3
29.Qxe3 Qd7 30.Ne7+ Kf8 31.Nxd5 Nxd5 32.Qxc5+ Ne7 33.Qb6 Qc6 1:0
Notes on all games are my own or taken from the bulletin
which was produced faithfully every day by IM Mike Valvo
who also acted as the tournament director. Some notes to the tournaments. Yes
the World
Microcomputer Chess Championship, which is held annualy
consists of two (2) tournaments with a total of four
titles at stake.
The Sofware Championship, as you have seen, was won by
Gideon from the Netherlands in convincing fashion. The PC
Champion was M Chess which also placed second overall
with 5.5 points. Hiarcs became Amateur Champion with four
points.
The Manufacurer's Championship was won by Mephisto by
default since it was the only entry. This situation has
been the same since quite a few years!!
In the past Mephisto won the Software Championship as
well, rendering the Match for the Absolute Championship
redundant. Vancouver finally broke this pattern.
Mephisto vs Gideon (1st game)
1.d4 d6 2.e4 e5 3.dxe5 dxe5 4.Qxd8+ Kxd8 5.Bc4 f6 6.Be3
c6 7.Nc3 Kc7 8.Nge2 b5 9.Bb3 Na6 10.O-O Bc5 11.Bxc5 Nxc5
12.Ng3 h5 13.Bxg8 Rxg8 14.Nxh5 b4 15.Nb1 Nxe4 16.f3 Nd6
17.a3 Bf5 18.axb4 Bxc2 19.Rc1 Bg6 20.Ng3 Rgb8 21.Ra4 Nf5
22.Nxf5 Bxf5 23.Na3 Kb6 24.Ra5 Be6 25.Rac5 Rc8 26.Nc4+
Bxc4 27.R1xc4 Draw agreed.
Gideon vs Mephisto (2nd Game)
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.N1e2 e6
7.Nf4 Bd6 8.c3 Ne7 9.h4 Bf5 10.Bc4 O-O 11.Qf3 Qa5 12.Nxf5
Nxf5 13.Bd2 Re8 14.O-O-O Be7 15.h5 Nd6 16.Bb3 c5 17.dxc5
Qxc5 18.h6 g6 19.Be3 Qc6 20. Qh3 Nc4 21.g4 Rc8 22.Bxc4
Qxc4 23.Kb1 Nc6 24.Qf3 Ne5 25.Qg2 Qb5 26.Bd4 Nc4 27.b3
Na3+ 28.Kc1 Qg5 29.Qe4 Bd6 30.Kb2 Qxf4 31.Qxf4 Nc4+
32.bxc4 Bxf4 33.Kb3 Rc7 34.Bf6 Rac8 35.Rd4 e5 36.Re4 Rc6
37.Bxe5 Bxe5 38.Rxe5 Rxc4 39.Rh3 Rxg4 40.Re7 Rb8 41.Rf3
f5 42.Rfe3 Rh4 43.Re8+ Rxe8 44.Rxe8+ K7f 45.Rb8 g5
46.Rxb7+ Kg6 47.Rxa7 Rf4 48.Ra6+ Kh5 49.Re6 Rxf2 50.c4 g4
51.c5 Rf3+ 52.Kb2 g3 53.Re1 Rd3 54.Rh1+ Kg5 55.Rg1 f4
56.c6 Rd8 57.Kb3 Rc8 O:1
An exciting game with fortunes swinging back and forth. A
case of nerves for chips??
Mehisto vs Gideon (3rd Game)
1.d4 b6 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d5 Na5 4.Nc3 e6 5.dxe6 fxe6 6.e4 Bb7
7.Bg5 Be7 8.Bxe7 Nxe7 9.Bb5 a6 10.Be2 O-O 11.O-O Ng6
12.Qd4 d6 13.Rad1 Nf4 14.b4 c5 15bxc5 Rc8 16.Rd2 Rxc5
17.Nd1 Qc7 0:1 Gideon vs Mephisto (4th game)
1.c4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bg4 6.Ne5 Bh5
7.f3 Nfd7 8.Nxc4 e5 9.Ne4 Bb4+ 10,Bd2 Qh4+ 11.g3 Qe7
12.dxe5 O-O 13.Rc1 a5 14.Bb4 axb4 15.Qd6 Re8 16.Rd1 Qxd6
17.Nexd6 Re7 Draw agreed.
And so the Absolute World Champion Title is shared
between Gideon and Mephisto. While Vancouver may mark the
end of a the Mephisto Dynasty it could also act as a
catalyst for others.
A question which is most often asked relates to the
current strength of these machines. A small event took
place at the end of the closing Banquet giving us a few
more hints in this direction. Four two game Mini maches
at 30 minutes per player/machine took place.
The pairings :
IGM D.Suttles (2500) vs Gideon
ICGM J.Berry (2400) vs Mephisto
IM M.Valvo (2400) vs Spracklen
IM M.Leski (2400) vs M Chess
Immediately prior to this event I collected the following
predictions :
Humans Machines
T.Marsland 3.5 4.5
K.Richards 4 4
N.Divinsky 5.5 2.5
W.Koch 2 6
P.Stockhausen 2.5 5.5
R.Gellein 6 2
S.Kaminski 5 3
W.Sparreboom 4 4
TOTAL 32.5 31.5
"Predictions" from you are welcome. I will post games
this Sunday.
Peter Stockhausen
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Karen_R...@mindlink.bc.ca Vancouver, Canada
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