[Event "nTCEC - Superfinal - Season 1"] [Site "http://www.tcec-chess.net"] [Date "2013.05.09"] [Round "48.

1"] [White "Stockfish 250413"] [Black "Houdini 3"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A29"] [WhiteElo "3102"] [BlackElo "3156"] [Annotator "Bram Mourik"] [PlyCount "156"] [EventDate "2013.??.??"] [TimeControl "9000+60"] 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. O-O Be7 8. d3 O-O {The English four knights variation a rather popular opening among GM's such as Kramnik, Carlsen, Aronian and Ivanchuk. Recently Kramnik won from Anand with white. Stockfish needed a win for levelling the match and getting a tiebreak in their last 48 encounter in the superfinal.} 9. Be3 Re8 10. Rc1 Bf8 11. Ne4 h6 $5 {I think this uncommon move will be played more often after this match. Prophylaxis and flexible} 12. Qc2 Nb4 {first novelty as far as I know. Black plays actively, attacks the queen and can place this knight from b4 to the central field d5. Further on he will later have time for pawn move c6 and can complete his development.} 13. Qb1 Nd7 {this knight goes back to f6} 14. Rfd1 Nd5 15. Bd2 {white doesn't want this bishop traded} (15. Bc5 Nxc5 16. Nxc5 b6 17. Nb3 Bb7 $15) 15... c6 {now white has nothing along the diagonal g2-a8 anymore} 16. Nc3 N7f6 {Apart for his c8 bishop black has developed his pieces, he has a solid position} 17. e4 {This move has its drawbacks, it creates a weak d3 pawn, while the e4 pawn is also blocking the g2 bishop. The pawn moves a3 or h3 though are no better choices for playing for a win. Black already has equalised the position out of the opening.} (17. h3 $5 Nxc3 18. Bxc3 Nd5 19. Be1 c5 20. a3 Bd7 $11 21. d4 exd4 22. Nxd4 Nf6 23. Nf5 Qb6 24. Bc3 Bc6 25. Bxf6 Bxg2 26. Kxg2 Qxf6 27. e4 Rad8) (17. a3 Nxc3 18. Bxc3 Qc7 19. Qc2 a5 $11) 17... Nc7 {black doesnt exchange, because he has more manoevring space} 18. Ne2 Bg4 19. Be3 Qc8 {prevents h3 and steps aside a potential pin on d-line} 20. a3 Ne6 21. Qc2 {Protects Ne2 so Nxe5 is a threat now} (21. d4 exd4 22. Nexd4 (22. Bxd4 Nxe4 23. Qxe4 Nxd4 24. Qxd4 Rxe2 25. Ne5 Rxe5 26. Qxe5 Bxd1 27. Rxd1) 22... Nc7 23. e5 Nfd5 24. Bd2 c5 25. Nc2 Qf5 26. Ne3 Nxe3 27. Bxe3 Qxb1 28. Rxb1) 21... Qc7 {defends e5 and makes place for Ra8} 22. Nh4 c5 {black tries to ensure the gained space and aims for posession of the field d4 by a black knight} 23. f3 Bh5 24. g4 {a point of no return. white decides to chase and trade of one annoying black bishop. White gets bishoppair, but in this case with blockaded position and a locked in g2 bishop it is nothing to be very proud of} (24. b4 Rac8 25. Qd2 (25. bxc5 Bxc5 26. Bxc5 Qa5 27. d4 exd4 28. Bb4 Rxc2 29. Bxa5 Rxe2 )) 24... Bg6 25. Nxg6 fxg6 26. b4 {White becomes active, he undermines c5 with this move. But does he get time for developing his g2 bishop...} (26. h4 Qf7) 26... Rac8 27. bxc5 Kh7 {Deep prophylaxis once again, preventing a pin over a2-g8 diagonal (Qb3) and defending already the pawn on g6 who needs perhaps protection after pawn advances in centre. The pawn on c5 black will win back sooner or later.} (27... Bxc5 28. Bxc5 Nxc5 29. d4 exd4 30. Nxd4 Qf4) 28. Qd2 Red8 {preventing the freeing move d4} 29. Bf2 Qf7 {after this move black can safely gain pawn c5 back} 30. c6 {white decides to give its pawn back himself and trades off a pair of rooks and creates an at first sight weak c6 pawn} Rxc6 31. Rxc6 bxc6 {Strange position for both sides. It looks as if two amateurs have designed these awkward pawn structure and silly piece development. When looking closer one can judge that black is better because of the locked in g2-bishop, for black having more possibilities and a strong d4 field. Engines

who judge the two bishops rather high think that white is better by +0,4 which seems beside the truth} 32. Qc2 (32. d4 $2 Bc5) 32... c5 {second time this pawn move and this time it ensures the d4 field for black for good} 33. Qa2 { annoying blacks queen by pinning it.} (33. a4 g5 34. a5 (34. Bg3 Bd6 35. Rb1 Ng8) 34... Nd7 (34... Qd7 35. Qb3 Bd6 36. h4 Rb8 37. Qa2 gxh4 38. Bxh4 Bc7 39. Bh3 Qd6 40. g5 hxg5 41. Bg3 g4 42. Bxg4 Nxg4 43. fxg4 Nf4)) 33... g5 $1 { burying the white fielded bishop on g2} 34. Bf1 {An other choice would have been Be1 as suggested by Komodo5 who thinks white is better by +0,2 at depth 18, which is way to optimistic(see variants)} (34. a4 $5 Nd7 35. Bg3 Bd6 36. Nc3 (36. h4 gxh4 37. Bxh4 Be7 38. Bg3 Bg5 39. a5 Be3+ 40. Kf1 Rb8) 36... Ndf8 37. Rb1 Ng6 $15) (34. Be1 Nd7 35. a4 Nb8 $1 36. Qc4 Nc6 37. a5 Kg8 38. Rc1) 34... Nd7 {This knight is on the road again, coming from g8-f6-d5-b5-d7-f6 now moving to d7 and later it will go to b8-c6-d8-c6-d4-f3-e5-g4-e3-f5} 35. Bg2 { white is clueless and bishop must go back defending the f3 pawn so he moves his bishop back again after previous move Bf1. Also this position is first time where SF evals black as being better.} Qf6 {black queen steps out of the pin, prevents h4 break and protects e5} 36. Ng3 Nb8 37. Rb1 {White rook wants to go to b7} Nc6 38. Qc4 {but pawn d3 needs to be defended first} Rd7 { preventing Rb7} 39. Qb5 Ned4 {And now black has very good position. White has too many holes and pretty useless bishop on g2 only defending f3 usefully atm} 40. Qa6 Qf7 $1 {stronger than Rf7} (40... Rf7 41. Rb7 Qf4 42. Rxf7 Qxf7 43. Kh1 Qb3 44. Qc8 Be7) 41. Nf5 Ne2+ 42. Kh1 (42. Kf1 Ncd4 43. Qc4 Nf4 44. Qxf7 Rxf7 45. Rd1 (45. Ne3 Nxd3 $17) 45... Rb7 46. Ne3 Rb3 $17) 42... Qa2 {black queen invades the Whitehouse} 43. Rf1 Nd8 {black knight is safe here and can come to d4 in two moves. Black threatens to attack and win d3 with both rook and queen. } 44. Qc4 {this is an emergency break but white is already too late stop the black train. See for instance Ne3 or Qb5} (44. Qb5 Rb7 45. Qa5 Ne6 46. Qa6 Rb1 47. Qc4 Qxc4 48. dxc4 Rb3) (44. Ne3 Nf4 45. Nd5 Nde6 46. Kg1 Qe2 47. Qc6 Rf7) 44... Qxa3 {black is a pawn up now and has a good passer on a-file. Secondly it threatens to win another and white still cannot free his position, he is helpless} 45. Rd1 Nf4 46. Bf1 Rb7 47. Qc1 Qa2 48. Bg3 Nc6 49. Qa1 Rb2 {all very logical and elegant, Qxa1 would win also} 50. Ne3 a5 {a-pawn is running..} 51. Nc4 Rc2 52. Qxa2 {what else, white is lost, black can break through} (52. Na3 $6 Rf2 {the strongest here} 53. Bxf2 Qxf2 54. Nc4 Qxf3+ 55. Kg1 Qxg4+ 56. Kh1 Qf3+ 57. Kg1 Nd4) (52. h4 gxh4 53. Bxf4 exf4 54. Qxa2 Rxa2 55. Bh3 g5 56. Bg2 Bg7) 52... Rxa2 53. Bxf4 exf4 54. d4 Nxd4 55. e5 g6 {Blacks a-pawn passer decides the game. White e-pawn goes knowhere} 56. e6 Kg7 57. Ne5 Rb2 58. Bd3 Kf6 59. Nc4 Rf2 60. Nd2 Kxe6 61. Bc4+ Ke7 62. Ne4 Rc2 63. Bd3 Rb2 64. Rd2 Rxd2 65. Nxd2 {its over Houdini 3 wins the superfinal of the new TCEC competition 2013} a4 66. Nc4 Nxf3 67. Bc2 a3 68. Nxa3 Ne5 69. Bb3 Nxg4 70. h3 Ne3 71. Nc4 Nf5 72. Kg2 h5 73. Bd1 Ke6 74. Bb3 Nd4 75. Ba2 Kf6 76. Kf2 g4 77. Nd2 gxh3 78. Bb1 Be7 0-1