TCEC stage 2: Stockfish vs. Andscacs

[jdart]

I know the objective is to have unbalanced positions, but I think in this game 8. .. O-O? is bad (there are lots of choices here, but best is probably 8. .. a5). Andsacs also erred in its first non-book move with .. b6. And then it is was downhill from there. Stockfish did a good job of increasing the pressure and won, but I think Black was worse right out of book.

[pgn]
[Event "TCEC Season 10 - Stage 2"]
[Site "http://tcec.chessdom.com"]
[Date "2017.11.07"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Stockfish 051117"]
[Black "Andscacs 0.921"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C05"]
[WhiteElo "3228"]
[BlackElo "3100"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventDate "2017.11.07"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 6. c3 Nc6 7. Bd3 Be7 8. O-O
O-O $2 (8... a5 $1) 9. Re1 b6 $2 (9... a5 $1) 10. Nf1 Bb7 11. Ng3 Re8 12. Nh5
g6 13. Qd2 a5 14. Qh6 Bf8 15. Qf4 Be7 16. Qh6 Bf8 17. Qf4 Be7 18. a3 Ba6 19.
Bb1 a4 20. Qg4 Ra7 21. Bh6 cxd4 22. cxd4 Bf8 23. Qf4 Re7 24. Nf6+ Nxf6 25. exf6
Rec7 26. Bxf8 Qxf8 27. h4 Na5 28. h5 Nb3 29. Ra2 Rab7 30. g3 Qc8 31. Qh6 Qf8
32. Qg5 Bb5 33. Kg2 Be8 34. Qf4 Rc4 35. Bd3 Bc6 36. Rh1 Be8 37. Qe5 Rc1 38. Rh4
Rd1 39. Ba6 Ra7 40. Be2 Rd2 41. Nxd2 Nxd2 42. Qb8 Rd7 43. hxg6 fxg6 44. Bb5 Rf7
45. Qxe8 Qxe8 46. Bxe8 Rxf6 47. Ra1 Ne4 1-0
[/pgn]

[Jouni]

Andsacs was lossless in stage 1 and loses first stage 2 game .

[Guenther]

I know the objective is to have unbalanced positions, but I think in this game 8. .. O-O? is bad (there are lots of choices here, but best is probably 8. .. a5). Andsacs also erred in its first non-book move with .. b6. And then it is was downhill from there. Stockfish did a good job of increasing the pressure and won, but I think Black was worse right out of book.

[pgn]
[Event "TCEC Season 10 - Stage 2"]
[Site "http://tcec.chessdom.com"]
[Date "2017.11.07"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Stockfish 051117"]
[Black "Andscacs 0.921"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C05"]
[WhiteElo "3228"]
[BlackElo "3100"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventDate "2017.11.07"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 6. c3 Nc6 7. Bd3 Be7 8. O-O
O-O $2 (8... a5 $1) 9. Re1 b6 $2 (9... a5 $1) 10. Nf1 Bb7 11. Ng3 Re8 12. Nh5
g6 13. Qd2 a5 14. Qh6 Bf8 15. Qf4 Be7 16. Qh6 Bf8 17. Qf4 Be7 18. a3 Ba6 19.
Bb1 a4 20. Qg4 Ra7 21. Bh6 cxd4 22. cxd4 Bf8 23. Qf4 Re7 24. Nf6+ Nxf6 25. exf6
Rec7 26. Bxf8 Qxf8 27. h4 Na5 28. h5 Nb3 29. Ra2 Rab7 30. g3 Qc8 31. Qh6 Qf8
32. Qg5 Bb5 33. Kg2 Be8 34. Qf4 Rc4 35. Bd3 Bc6 36. Rh1 Be8 37. Qe5 Rc1 38. Rh4
Rd1 39. Ba6 Ra7 40. Be2 Rd2 41. Nxd2 Nxd2 42. Qb8 Rd7 43. hxg6 fxg6 44. Bb5 Rf7
45. Qxe8 Qxe8 46. Bxe8 Rxf6 47. Ra1 Ne4 1-0
[/pgn]

I have to agree that position looks a bit too good for White.
Moreover I don't like it, when White gets an extra ply from book, as it happened in this game.
Despite the Rules info for TCEC10 below, they use onbviously already now in stage 2 variable lengths, sometimes with uneven ply length,
which again favours white.
Why can't they simply use books which end at even plies? I hope Andscacs wins the return match of that opening for justice.

Code: Select all

Opening Book
In Season 10 TCEC uses openings put together by experts in the field - Nelson Hernandez (Stages 1 and 2) and Jeroen Noomen (Superfinal).
Stage 1 will use a depth-limited opening book of 2 moves. Stage 2 and Stage 3 will use an opening book of 8 moves. The Superfinal will use a variable opening book.

[Event "TCEC Season 10 - Stage 2"]
[Site "http://tcec.chessdom.com"]
[Date "2017.11.07"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Stockfish 051117"]
[Black "Andscacs 0.921"]
[Result "1-0"]
[BlackElo "3100"]
[ECO "C05"]
[EventDate "2017.11.07"]
[GameDuration "02:28:14"]
[Opening "French: Tarrasch, Closed, 7.Ngf3 Be7"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[Termination "adjudication"]
[TerminationDetails "TCEC win rule"]
[TimeControl "5400+10"]
[WhiteElo "3228"]

{ WhiteEngineOptions: Protocol=UCI; Hash=16384; Threads=43; SyzygyPath=C:/Syzygy/; Move Overhead=1000; OwnBook=false; Ponder=false;, BlackEngineOptions: Protocol=UCI; Hash=16384; Threads=43; OwnBook=false; Ponder=false; }
1. e4 { book } e6 { book } 2. d4 { book } d5 { book } 3. Nd2 { book }
c5 { book } 4. Ngf3 { book } Nf6 { book } 5. e5 { book } Nfd7 { book }
6. c3 { book } Nc6 { book } 7. Bd3 { book } Be7 { book } 8. O-O { book }
O-O { book } 9. Re1 { book } => last book move!

[Graham Banks]

I have 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Ne4 in my book rather than 5.....Nfd7.

[Dann Corbit]

Book exit EPD:
[d]r1bq1rk1/pp1nbppp/2n1p3/2ppP3/3P4/2PB1N2/PP1N1PPP/R1BQR1K1 b - -

[jdart]

IMO even better is to deviate on move 4 with 4. .. cxd4.

--Jon