John Watson comments on a computer game

[jdart]

See:

http://www.chesspublishing.com/content/2/index.htm

I have been saying for some time that relying on computer evals for openings is dubious and IM Watson seems to agree here: Houdini almost immediately played into a bad line (not unplayably bad, but giving a long-term disadvantage).

I am posting the game below, but without Watson's comments (have to subscribe to the site to see those - I am a subscriber). I will mention though that Harikrishna's opponent played 10. Nb3 and drew.

[pgn]
[Event "chess.com Computers Final"]
[Site "chess.com INT"]
[Date "2017.11.16"]
[Round "19"]
[White "Houdini 6.02"]
[Black "Stockfish 051117"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C02"]
[PlyCount "186"]
[EventDate "2017.11.16"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "20"]
[EventCountry "USA"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Qb6 5. Be2 Nc6 6. Nf3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nh6 8. Bxh6
Qxb2 9. Nbd2 gxh6 10. Rb1 Qxa2 11. O-O Qa5 12. Qc2 Qd8 13. Rfd1 Bg7 14. Nf1 O-O
15. Bb5 Bd7 16. Ng3 a5 17. Qd2 f5 18. exf6 Qxf6 19. Ba4 Ra7 20. Bxc6 bxc6 21.
Nh5 Qg6 22. Nxg7 Rxf3 23. Nh5 Rf8 24. Nf4 Qf6 25. g3 a4 26. Qb4 a3 27. Ra1 Rfa8
28. Re1 a2 29. Kg2 Ra4 30. Qd6 Be8 31. Qc5 Bf7 32. Re5 Rb8 33. h4 Kh8 34. Qd6
Rd8 35. Qc5 Rg8 36. Kf1 Rd8 37. Kg2 Rc4 38. Qb6 Ra8 39. Qb2 Rca4 40. Qb6 Rc4
41. Qb2 Rca4 42. Qb6 Rg8 43. Kh2 h5 44. Nh3 h6 45. Qc7 Qg7 46. Re2 Rga8 47. Rd2
e5 48. dxe5 Be6 49. Qxc6 Qxe5 50. Rdd1 R8a6 51. Qe8+ Kh7 52. Qe7+ Qg7 53. Qc5
Rc4 54. Qe3 Qb2 55. Nf4 Bf7 56. Nd3 Qf6 57. Nf4 Raa4 58. Nxd5 Rxh4+ 59. Kg1 Qf5
60. Nc3 Qh3 61. Qf3 Ra7 62. Qg2 Qxg2+ 63. Kxg2 Rg4 64. Rd2 h4 65. Rd3 hxg3 66.
fxg3 Ra3 67. Rf3 Kg6 68. Ne4 Ra5 69. Nc3 Rc4 70. Kg1 Ra3 71. Rxa2 Raxc3 72.
Ra6+ Rc6 73. Rxc3 Rxa6 74. Rc5 Rf6 75. Kg2 Rf5 76. Rc6+ Kg5 77. Rd6 Bd5+ 78.
Kh3 Re5 79. Rd8 Be6+ 80. Kg2 Re2+ 81. Kf1 Ra2 82. Re8 Bh3+ 83. Ke1 Rg2 84. Rg8+
Kh5 85. Rg7 Bg4 86. Rd7 Bxd7 87. Kd1 Kg4 88. Kc1 Bf5 89. Kd1 Kxg3 90. Kc1 Bd3
91. Kd1 Kf4 92. Kc1 Ke3 93. Kd1 Rg1# 0-1
[/pgn]

[Lyudmil Tsvetkov]

See:

http://www.chesspublishing.com/content/2/index.htm

I have been saying for some time that relying on computer evals for openings is dubious and IM Watson seems to agree here: Houdini almost immediately played into a bad line (not unplayably bad, but giving a long-term disadvantage).

I am posting the game below, but without Watson's comments (have to subscribe to the site to see those - I am a subscriber). I will mention though that Harikrishna's opponent played 10. Nb3 and drew.

[pgn]
[Event "chess.com Computers Final"]
[Site "chess.com INT"]
[Date "2017.11.16"]
[Round "19"]
[White "Houdini 6.02"]
[Black "Stockfish 051117"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C02"]
[PlyCount "186"]
[EventDate "2017.11.16"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "20"]
[EventCountry "USA"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Qb6 5. Be2 Nc6 6. Nf3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Nh6 8. Bxh6
Qxb2 9. Nbd2 gxh6 10. Rb1 Qxa2 11. O-O Qa5 12. Qc2 Qd8 13. Rfd1 Bg7 14. Nf1 O-O
15. Bb5 Bd7 16. Ng3 a5 17. Qd2 f5 18. exf6 Qxf6 19. Ba4 Ra7 20. Bxc6 bxc6 21.
Nh5 Qg6 22. Nxg7 Rxf3 23. Nh5 Rf8 24. Nf4 Qf6 25. g3 a4 26. Qb4 a3 27. Ra1 Rfa8
28. Re1 a2 29. Kg2 Ra4 30. Qd6 Be8 31. Qc5 Bf7 32. Re5 Rb8 33. h4 Kh8 34. Qd6
Rd8 35. Qc5 Rg8 36. Kf1 Rd8 37. Kg2 Rc4 38. Qb6 Ra8 39. Qb2 Rca4 40. Qb6 Rc4
41. Qb2 Rca4 42. Qb6 Rg8 43. Kh2 h5 44. Nh3 h6 45. Qc7 Qg7 46. Re2 Rga8 47. Rd2
e5 48. dxe5 Be6 49. Qxc6 Qxe5 50. Rdd1 R8a6 51. Qe8+ Kh7 52. Qe7+ Qg7 53. Qc5
Rc4 54. Qe3 Qb2 55. Nf4 Bf7 56. Nd3 Qf6 57. Nf4 Raa4 58. Nxd5 Rxh4+ 59. Kg1 Qf5
60. Nc3 Qh3 61. Qf3 Ra7 62. Qg2 Qxg2+ 63. Kxg2 Rg4 64. Rd2 h4 65. Rd3 hxg3 66.
fxg3 Ra3 67. Rf3 Kg6 68. Ne4 Ra5 69. Nc3 Rc4 70. Kg1 Ra3 71. Rxa2 Raxc3 72.
Ra6+ Rc6 73. Rxc3 Rxa6 74. Rc5 Rf6 75. Kg2 Rf5 76. Rc6+ Kg5 77. Rd6 Bd5+ 78.
Kh3 Re5 79. Rd8 Be6+ 80. Kg2 Re2+ 81. Kf1 Ra2 82. Re8 Bh3+ 83. Ke1 Rg2 84. Rg8+
Kh5 85. Rg7 Bg4 86. Rd7 Bxd7 87. Kd1 Kg4 88. Kc1 Bf5 89. Kd1 Kxg3 90. Kc1 Bd3
91. Kd1 Kf4 92. Kc1 Ke3 93. Kd1 Rg1# 0-1
[/pgn]

Did not he pass away earlier this year?

[jdart]

Did not he pass away earlier this year?

Nope. He played in the Isle of Man International Masters in November.

--Jon

[Lyudmil Tsvetkov]

Did not he pass away earlier this year?

Nope. He played in the Isle of Man International Masters in November.

--Jon

He has resuscitated then, coz I read couple of obituaries.

[MikeB]

Did not he pass away earlier this year?

Nope. He played in the Isle of Man International Masters in November.

--Jon

He has resuscitated then, coz I read couple of obituaries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_L._Watson

Everything you read on the internet is always true ... 🤪