Dylan Sharp Vs. Harvey Williamson (G4)

[Harvey Williamson]

[pgn]1. g4 d5 2. g5 e5 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 c5 5. Bg2 Ne7 6. c3 dxc3 7. Nxc3 Nbc6 8. O-O d4 9. Ne4 Ng6 10. a3 Bg4 11. Bd2 Bd6 12. Rc1 O-O 13. Nxc5 Bxc5 14. Rxc5 Qd7 15. Qb3 Rad8 16. Re1 Be6 17. Qd3 Rfe8 18. e4 b6 19. Rcc1 Bg4 20. Rxc6 Qxc6 21. Nxd4 Qc5 22. Be3 Ne5 23. Qc3 Qxc3 24. bxc3 Rc8[/pgn]
current position

[Jouni]

I have played some SF testgames after move 24. White evaluation goes fast to about -2,8. BUT it seems to stop there! Obviously very difficult for black to win by one pawn advantage.

[Ovyron]

Yeah, so I tag such positions as 0.00 and backsolve, and search for better attempts by black. High eval I can deal with, what I can't deal with is positions where I can go up to move 40 or so and remain in sub-2.00 territory, but those turn out to be lost endgames.

If I can force my way into one of those drawn endgames no matter what black tries, I have this draw in the bag. The reason I'm hopeful is that those draws exist, and I can reach them for many black attempts. If the position was lost I couldn't find them, and I would have resigned already.

A thing Harvey and me have in common is our dislike for people that drag lost games on and on and on, playing right before the next time control, playing till mate and such crap. I'm not like that, if I see black wins I'll resign, no "I hope Harvey doesn't see the win" nonsense.

[Uri Blass]

I think that it is wrong to evaluate positions as 0.00 only because you did not find a win.
The fact that you did not find a win does not prove that there is no win but only increase the probability for a draw.

0.00 is only for positions that you are sure that they are drawn or you think both sides have equal probability to win.

[Raphexon]

You don't use 7 piece TBs, do you Ovy?

[Zenmastur]

You don't use 7 piece TBs, do you Ovy?

No giving the players hints! Besides, I don't think his hardware will handle them.

[Raphexon]

You don't use 7 piece TBs, do you Ovy?

No giving the players hints!

Not planning to.

[Ovyron]

0.00 is only for positions that you are sure that they are drawn or you think both sides have equal probability to win.

I'm sure those positions are drawn even though I can't prove it. Also, Harvey's moves up to this point have been pretty much forced, because other alternatives were 0.00. Even if I can't prove it.

I think you and other people on the forum have this idea that you have to prove something to know it, but sometimes proof is something unreachable, and you just need to reach a level of certainty to know something.

You don't use 7 piece TBs, do you Ovy?

I don't even have 6 piece TBs

[Spliffjiffer]

i rather think white is lost but it will be pretty interesting how effectively both sides will play this out...i wish both sides happy analysing and happy Thanksgiving, may the better succeed

[Ovyron]

Thanks Spliffjiffer. This has become my most famous game of my life, even my family and friends keep asking me about it I have played hundreds of games, and all of them have been like dust in the wind, except for this one.

What is difficult to explain is the "unable to win as white" thing, and how drawing the game would be like winning it. I just gave up because when they ask me "have you found the winning move yet?" I just answer "not yet."