Houdini's Pawn Storm

[Bean]

[Bean]

[Bean]

Bean said:

[david omweno ongori]

pray for the demons

[Bean]

Was there an attempt on POTUS during an exchange for ES?

PRAY4POTUS.png

[Bean]

updated graphic here - https://cdn-04.anonfile.com/9bT2Ibd9b7/4d58ef74-1520120895/SAFESAFE...

3/3/18

[Bean]

Published on Oct 7, 2016 by Chess Network

"This is a Game from Season 9 of the Ongoing Top Chess Engine Championship. I think you'll enjoy this."

(0:09) This is the game between the engine Naum, playing on the white end, and Houdini.

(0:22) This is a rapid-time-control game.

(0:40) Let's see what it is about this game exactly, that has me titling it Houdini's Pawn Storm.

(0:49) Starts quiet enough. D4, D5...

(0:55) The calm before the storm.

(2:55) Aaand the first move of this game that caught my attention: knight takes knight.

(3:55) But now comes one of the most committal, or --yeah, could probably say it-- the most committal move in chess: G5

(4:15) Sooo, black's basically going All-In with a move like G5

(4:32) F5. yeahh, all 8 pawns are rolling.

(4:37) King, F7. Let's just stop for a moment. Ummm, what to say here? This is a don't-try-this-at-home type position. Aahh, a lot of, uh, "principles have been violated here," let's say --16 moves in> 9 pawn advances> aaand you're making a king move.

(5:32) Now, how is it that black can get away with maybe doing something like this?

(5:52) There's a lot of pawns that had to move forward, but where is that key pawn break?

(6:09) Sure, there can be a capture here, but is this really benefiting team white, you know? The knight-- can he not be the one to re-capture and improve and maybe eye out B4? Not a great way to get at the black king. Not a great way to exploit these violations: several pawn moves --9 pawns moves of the first 16 moves-- and a king move like this? Let's see how play follows:

(6:40) We now have a completely opened H-file.

(6:46) Serious space disadvantage here for white. Yeah, these pawns are a bit much.

(6:58) Queen to E1. Let's see how white tries to defend.

(7:02) This is one of the last --well, really the only defender-- of white's king. So black's trying to eliminate that.

(7:22) We saw the idea now, behind Queen to E1. But this is already gone for team white.

(7:33) Preparing to double-up, triple-up --whatever it takes-- this is the in-roads into white's position, the H-file.

(8:20) this is game over for white

(8:28) all pieces are playing for black

(9:19) aaand there's nothing here. there hasn't been anything here for white

(9:40) after D4, pawn takes; enters, the bishop with an E3 move. in the game tho, the move --this is the last move of the game-- F5, and it goes no further at this point. white throws in the towel. this is the End of the game. it's already calling for a mate in 8. (a m8 in 8 you say? but i digress..)

(10:25) what more is there?

(10:38) after F5 it's already an off-the-charts calling for mate.

(10:41) interesting game

(11:04) making multiple pawn moves; every pawn is advancing in this one. buut, how can you get away with this? how can you-- what allows stuff like this to happen in the game? welll, the position cannot be cracked open so easily --black can go on castle, black can make Nine pawn advances in this specific case-- black has control over the key pawn breaks. and there wasn't a good way for white to put to use that lead and development in this tremendous space advantage. this tremendous pawn storm was really interesting to see just crashing through here on the H-file, broken right down.

(11:52) an aesthetically pleasing game, seeing all those pawns advance so early on.

...

*note - both chess engines were rated right around 3k in Oct. 2016.  Naum has since fallen far below that number.  Houdini has risen, and is still one of the top-ranked chess engines.

[Bean]

Bean said:

updated graphic here - https://cdn-04.anonfile.com/9bT2Ibd9b7/4d58ef74-1520120895/SAFESAFE...

3/3/18