Position from CM9000 v Christiansen (2002)

[JVMerlino]

I've dug this one up a few times since it was played almost twenty years ago, and I don't think any engine definitively answered the question one way or another. It's been almost five years since I last posted it, so I guess it's about time to let the top engines/hardware have a crack at it once again.

This is a position from round 3 of Chessmaster (Botvinnik personality) vs. GM Larry Christiansen, played over ICC in September, 2002, and in which I was operating CM9000:

[d]8/p1p5/Pp1p2nk/1P1Bq1r1/2P1Pprp/1Q6/5RPP/3R3K b - - 0 53

At this point, Larry played 53...Rg3?! Afterwards, he claimed it was winning. But unfortunately he blundered later on in the game and lost.

But with today's powerful engines and hardware (neither of which I have), I would very much appreciate it if any of you could run this position and see if any engine can find a win for black AFTER playing Rg3. Bonus if an engine actually DOES play Rg3!

Here's the game, for your amusement:

[pgn]
[Event "ICC 2 120 u"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2002.09.29"]
[Round "3"]
[White "CM9000 (Botvinnik)"]
[Black "LarryC"]
[TimeControl "120+120"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A28"]

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 Bxc3+
8.bxc3 Ne5 9.e3 d6 10.Be2 Ng6 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.O-O O-O 13.Qc2 Re8 14.Rfd1
Nf8 15.Bd3 Ne6 16.Nb3 Rb8 17.a4 Qe7 18.a5 Bd7 19.a6 b6 20.Nd4 Nc5 21.Nb5
Bxb5 22.cxb5 Qf6 23.Bc4 Re5 24.Bd5 Rbe8 25.Rd4 Ne6 26.Rd2 g6 27.Ra4 Kg7
28.Rd1 Re7 29.Rb4 g5 30.Bc6 Qg6 31.Qb2 f5 32.Qb1 Qf6 33.Bd5 f4 34.e4 Nf8
35.f3 h5 36.Qc2 Ng6 37.Qa2 Kh6 38.Qd2 Rg7 39.Qd4 g4 40.fxg4 Nh4 41.Rb2
Rxg4 42.Kh1 Ng6 43.Rf2 Qe7 44.Qd2 Reg5 45.Ra1 h4 46.c4 Qe5 47.Rc1 Kg7
48.Bc6 Qe7 49.Rcf1 Re5 50.Qc3 Kh6 51.Bd5 Reg5 52.Qb3 Qe5 53.Rd1 Rg3
54.hxg3 hxg3 55.Ra2 Rg4 56.Kg1 Qh5 57.Kf1 f3 58.Ke1 f2+ 59.Kd2 Rh4
60.Qe3+ Kg7 61.Rf1 Qe5 62.Kc2 Rh2 63.Qf3 Qf4 64.e5 Qxf3 65.Bxf3 Nxe5
66.Bd5 Rh5 67.Ra3 Rg5 68.Kd2 Ng6 69.Re3 Ne5 70.Ke2 Kf6 71.Rh1 Ng6 72.Rh7
1-0
[/pgn]

Many thanks in advance,
jm

[Paloma]

Hi John,

Position after 53.Rd1 is equal

Analysis by Stockfish 271221: (depth 40)

1. = (0.00): 53...Qf6 54.Qb2 Qxb2 55.Rxb2 Re5 56.Rf2 Re7 57.Bb7 Rg5 58.Rdf1 Rh5 59.Kg1 Kg7 60.Rf3 Kf6
2. = (0.00): 53...Rh5 54.Bf7 h3 55.gxh3 Qxe4+ 56.Qf3 Qxf3+ 57.Rxf3 Rgh4 58.Rg1 Rg5 59.Bxg6 Rxg1+
3. = (0.00): 53...h3 54.Qxh3+ Rh4 55.Qa3 Rg3 56.Rd3 Qd4 57.Rxd4 Rxa3 58.Kg1 Ne5 59.Rd1 Kg5 60.Rdf1
4. = (0.00): 53...Rg3 54.hxg3 hxg3 55.Rf3 Rh5+ 56.Kg1 Rh2 57.Rdd3 Qa1+ 58.Rd1
5. = (0.00): 53...Qe7 54.Rdf1 Qe5 55.Qh3 Kg7 56.Kg1 Kf6 57.Rd1 Kg7 58.Rdf1

55...Rg4 is bad, 55...Rh5+ wins, Kg1 Qg5, Kf1 -7.10

56...Qh5 is 0.00, 56...Rh4 57.Kf1 f3, Qxf3 Rf4, Rd3 Nh4, Qxf4 Qxf4 is little better:

1. (-0.69): 56...Rh4 57.Kf1 f3 58.Qxf3 Rf4 59.Rd3 Nh4 60.Qxf4+ Qxf4+ 61.Ke1 Ng6
2. (0.00): 56...Qh5 57.Kf1 Qh1+ 58.Ke2 Qxg2+ 59.Kd3 Ne5+ 60.Kd4 Qh3 61.Be6 Kg5

57...f3 is 0.00, 57...Qh1+ 58.Ke2 Qxg2+ 59.Kd3 is also 0.00

58...f2+ is a blunder, best is 58...Rf4 59.Kd2 0.00

After 59.Kd2
1. (2.51): 59...Nh4 60.Qe3+ Kg6 61.Qd3 Kg7 62.Qf1 Ng6 63.Ra3 Ne5 64.Kc2 Qg5

After 59...Rh4:
1. (7.72): 60.Qe3+ Kg7 61.Qc3+ Kh6 62.Raa1 Qg5+ 63.Qe3 Rg4 64.Qxg5+ Kxg5