QN vs RBB material distribution

[Nordlandia]

QN vs RBB Is a fascinating one. Normally the QN side is the dominating side but the underdog can put up some resistance. The imbalance is similar to RRN vs RBB.

Some example positions to highlight it.

[Nordlandia]

Example game:

[Event "?"] [Site "i7-5960X 4.5GHz"] [Date "2019.03.05"] [Round "?"] [White "komodo-12.3-64bit-bmi2"] [Black "stockfish_19030514_x64_bmi2"] [Result "1-0"] [FEN "r3kb1r/pp3ppp/2b1pn2/8/2p5/6P1/PP2PP1P/RNBQ2K1 w kq - 0 1"] [GameDuration "03:15:22"] [GameEndTime "2019-03-05T23:53:49.188 Vest-Europa (normaltid)"] [GameStartTime "2019-03-05T20:38:26.905 Vest-Europa (normaltid)"] [PlyCount "154"] [SetUp "1"] [Termination "adjudication"] [TimeControl "3600+30"] 1. Nd2 {+1.39/40 140s} Rd8 {-1.38/38 77s} 2. Qc2 {+1.52/40 119s} Be7 {-1.42/39 147s} 3. Nxc4 {+1.49/39 106s} O-O {-1.36/35 25s} 4. Be3 {+1.56/39 104s} Be4 {-1.46/39 95s} 5. Qa4 {+1.74/38 115s} a6 {-1.46/37 41s} 6. f3 {+1.85/40 93s} Bc6 {-1.48/40 63s} 7. Qc2 {+1.80/41 80s} Nd5 {-1.51/40 105s} 8. Bd2 {+1.80/44 101s} Bb5 {-1.77/40 109s} 9. Rc1 {+1.76/46 102s} Nb4 {-1.65/41 43s} 10. Bxb4 {+1.75/48 87s} Bxb4 {-1.67/42 95s} 11. Qb3 {+1.64/47 136s} Bc5+ {-1.39/40 41s} 12. Kf1 {+1.72/44 82s} b6 {-1.29/39 61s} 13. Rc3 {+1.64/46 137s} g6 {-1.53/47 270s} 14. Rd3 {+1.59/45 227s} Rxd3 {-1.65/44 51s} 15. Qxd3 {+1.68/44 70s} a5 {-1.67/44 88s} 16. a3 {+1.68/45 70s} Bxc4 {-1.55/39 58s} 17. Qxc4 {+1.70/45 150s} Rd8 {-1.52/45 62s} 18. Qc2 {+1.70/46 165s} h6 {-1.78/47 273s} 19. f4 {+1.85/47 201s} h5 {-1.71/41 135s} 20. Kg2 {+1.75/46 85s} Rd5 {-1.82/44 47s} 21. e4 {+1.86/49 102s} Rd4 {-1.82/49 47s} 22. Qe2 {+1.91/46 69s} Kg7 {-1.82/50 51s} 23. f5 {+1.92/45 67s} exf5 {-1.82/51 69s} 24. exf5 {+1.92/45 79s} Kf6 {-1.82/53 56s} 25. fxg6 {+1.93/44 80s} fxg6 {-1.82/52 54s} 26. Qf3+ {+1.92/41 63s} Ke7 {-1.91/51 182s} 27. Qe3+ {+1.93/41 129s} Kf6 {-1.91/53 191s} 28. Kf3 {+1.99/42 212s} Kf5 {-1.91/49 39s} 29. Qc1 {+2.04/39 83s} Rd3+ {-2.00/48 97s} 30. Ke2 {+2.07/40 75s} Rd4 {-2.48/51 485s} 31. Qh6 {+2.19/38 54s} Kf6 {-2.48/50 64s} 32. h3 {+2.14/40 77s} Kf7 {-2.48/50 43s} 33. Qh7+ {+2.14/42 74s} Kf6 {-2.48/53 56s} 34. Qg8 {+2.14/40 74s} Re4+ {-2.48/54 191s} 35. Kd2 {+2.19/36 54s} Rd4+ {-2.48/49 32s} 36. Kc3 {+2.24/44 169s} Re4 {-2.48/48 40s} 37. Qd8+ {+2.25/39 61s} Kf7 {-2.48/50 41s} 38. Qd5+ {+2.45/40 139s} Re6 {-2.58/52 129s} 39. b4 {+2.73/38 50s} axb4+ {-2.58/46 79s} 40. axb4 {+2.75/39 23s} Be3 {-3.10/47 107s} 41. Qb7+ {+2.81/40 127s} Kf8 {-3.37/50 81s} 42. Kc4 {+2.91/38 57s} Re7 {-4.52/49 376s} 43. Qc8+ {+3.42/36 95s} Kf7 {-4.61/47 60s} 44. Kd5 {+3.62/38 48s} Re8 {-4.70/46 154s} 45. Qd7+ {+3.65/40 56s} Re7 {-4.70/55 16s} 46. Qd6 {+3.66/37 61s} Re8 {-4.70/57 37s} 47. g4 {+3.69/36 47s} h4 {-3.92/46 37s} 48. g5 {+3.72/35 47s} Bxg5 {-4.11/51 76s} 49. Qxb6 {+3.75/35 43s} Bf4 {-4.35/46 43s} 50. b5 {+3.81/33 88s} g5 {-4.44/47 44s} 51. Qb7+ {+3.83/35 32s} Re7 {-4.45/49 37s} 52. Qc6 {+3.87/34 30s} Re5+ {-4.73/49 43s} 53. Kc4 {+3.94/35 35s} Re6 {-5.25/46 66s} 54. Qd7+ {+3.99/33 45s} Kf6 {-6.21/47 133s} 55. Qd8+ {+4.10/35 97s} Kf7 {-7.30/45 61s} 56. Qd7+ {+4.17/33 35s} Kf6 {-7.39/44 19s} 57. b6 {+4.32/32 38s} Re4+ {-7.48/47 34s} 58. Kc3 {+4.44/34 69s} Re3+ {-7.58/46 33s} 59. Kc4 {+4.52/34 48s} Re4+ {-7.58/49 15s} 60. Kc3 {+4.61/33 28s} Re3+ {-7.58/40 25s} 61. Kb4 {+4.64/35 64s} Re4+ {-7.67/45 20s} 62. Ka5 {+4.77/34 48s} Re5+ {-7.67/38 20s} 63. Ka6 {+4.82/33 29s} Re6 {-7.76/45 22s} 64. Qd4+ {+4.86/32 28s} Kf5 {-7.86/41 30s} 65. Kb5 {+4.93/33 30s} Rd6 {-8.05/42 36s} 66. Qb4 {+5.04/32 59s} Kf6 {-8.23/46 82s} 67. Qc3+ {+5.06/32 32s} Ke6 {-8.42/43 44s} 68. Qc8+ {+5.11/33 33s} Ke7 {-8.42/42 8.6s} 69. Qb7+ {+5.15/33 22s} Rd7 {-8.52/45 51s} 70. Qe4+ {+5.47/35 91s} Kf6 {-8.61/45 17s} 71. Qe8 {+5.79/36 24s} Rd3 {-8.70/42 36s} 72. Qh8+ {+5.98/31 38s} Kg6 {-9.08/37 37s} 73. Qc8 {+6.34/31 30s} Rb3+ {-9.61/35 30s} 74. Ka5 {+6.53/30 30s} Rb2 {-9.98/35 30s} 75. Qg8+ {+8.00/30 14s} Kf5 {-11.27/34 22s} 76. Qf7+ {+250.00/24 4.0s} Ke4 {-14.00/35 38s} 77. Qc4+ {+250.00/28 35s} Kf5 {-18.59/31 30s, White wins by adjudication} 1-0

[Graham Banks]

Engines understanding material imbalances has been exciting for computer chess. Not as many plain, boring games as there used to be.

[hgm]

This is why I like Spartan Chess so much, as a variant: every end-game there is imbalanced, because white and black play with completely different pieces.

[cdani]

Not exactly the same endgame but in the first game of the current Ccc event happened this:



[Event "CCC 6: The Winter Classic Playoffs (10|10)"] [Site "?"] [Date "2019.02.24"] [Round "1"] [White "Stockfish"] [Black "Andscacs"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B90"] [GameDuration "00:58:47"] [GameEndTime "2019-02-24T12:59:02.502 PST"] [GameStartTime "2019-02-24T12:00:15.223 PST"] [Opening "Sicilian"] [PlyCount "239"] [Termination "adjudication"] [TimeControl "600+10"] [Variation "Najdorf, Adams attack"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e5 7. Nde2 h5 8. g3 Be7 9. Bg2 Nbd7 10. a4 Nc5 11. Bg5 O-O 12. O-O Be6 13. b3 Rc8 14. a5 Re8 15. Re1 Bd7 16. h4 Be6 17. Qd2 Ncd7 18. Rec1 Rc5 19. Nd1 Qc7 20. Be3 Rb5 21. Bg5 Rc5 22. c4 Bd8 23. Be3 Rxa5 24. Rab1 Ng4 25. b4 Ra3 26. Nec3 Qxc4 27. Bf1 Qc6 28. Nd5 Nxe3 29. Rxc6 Nxf1 30. Kxf1 bxc6 31. Qc1 Rxg3 32. fxg3 cxd5 33. Ra1 dxe4 34. Rxa6 Bh3+ 35. Ke1 d5 36. Ra8 Rf8 37. Qc6 Be7 38. Rxf8+ Bxf8 39. Qa8 Kh7 40. Qxd5 Bxb4+ 41. Kf2 Bc5+ 42. Ke2 Be6 43. Qxe4+ g6 44. Ne3 Kg7 45. Qc6 Kf8 46. Qa8+ Kg7 47. Qc6 Kf8 48. Qe4 Kg7 49. Qa8 Nf6 50. Qa5 Nd7 51. Qb5 Kh7 52. Nc2 Kg7 53. Ke1 Bd6 54. Ne3 Bc5 55. Nf1 Bd4 56. Nd2 Bg4 57. Ne4 Nf6 58. Ng5 Nh7 59. Qd5 Bc3+ 60. Kf1 Nxg5 61. hxg5 Bd4 62. Ke1 Bc3+ 63. Kf2 Bd4+ 64. Ke1 Bc3+ 65. Kf1 Bd4 66. Qd6 Kg8 67. Qa3 Kg7 68. Qe7 Bh3+ 69. Ke1 Be6 70. Qf6+ Kg8 71. Ke2 Bc4+ 72. Kd1 Be6 73. Qd8+ Kg7 74. Qf6+ Kg8 75. Qd8+ Kg7 76. Qd6 Bh3 77. Qe7 Be6 78. Qd8 Bg4+ 79. Kd2 Bf5 80. Qf6+ Kg8 81. Qe7 Bg4 82. Qa3 Kg7 83. Qe7 Kg8 84. Qa3 Kg7 85. Qd6 Bf5 86. Qf6+ Kg8 87. Qd8+ Kg7 88. Qd6 Be6 89. Ke1 Ba1 90. Kf2 Bh3 91. Ke3 Bd4+ 92. Kd2 Ba1 93. Ke3 Bd4+ 94. Kd2 Be6 95. Kd3 Bh3 96. Qf6+ Kf8 97. Qh8+ Ke7 98. Qf6+ Kf8 99. Qd6+ Kg7 100. Qd8 Bf5+ 101. Kd2 Kh7 102. Ke2 Bg4+ 103. Kf1 Be6 104. Kg2 Bf5 105. Qf8 Be6 106. Qd6 Kg7 107. Qa3 Bg4 108. Qd3 Bf5 109. Qf3 Kh7 110. g4 hxg4 111. Qd5 Be6 112. Qd6 Bc3 113. Qd1 Kg7 114. Qc2 Bd4 115. Qc7 Bf5 116. Qc1 Bd7 117. Kg3 Be6 118. Qc7 Kh7 119. Qc1 Kg8 120. Qc7 1/2-1/2