The World versus G.J.Timmerman

[Mike S.]

In the "critical point" thread, some interesting remarks about correspondence chess have been made, and the Chessgames.com Challenge "The World vs Gert Jan Timmerman" has been mentioned. He is a former Correspondence Chess World Champion with an ICCF rating of 2698. He is also a FIDE Master with 2274 Elo (Oct. 2007).

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/challenge?gid=1464744

From the conditions:

Rate of play: 3 days per half-move
Current number of players: 2,018 vs 1

Maybe some would like to discuss the game here. The moves so far:

[Event "Chessgames Challenge"]
[Site "chessgames.com"]
[Date "2007.02.01"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "3"]
[Result "*"]
[White "The World"]
[Black "Gert Jan Timmerman"]
[ECO "A00"]

1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.c4 Bg7 5.Nc3 O-O 6.Nf3 d6 7.O-O c6 8.Qb3 Na6 9.Rd1 Kh8 10.Qa3 Nc7 11.d5 Bd7 12.Rb1 a5 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.c5 Ne4 15.cxd6 exd6 16.Bf4 d5 17.Be5 Re8 18.Bxg7+ *

I think we can assume 18...Kxg7 which will lead to this position:

[D]r2qr3/2nb2kp/2p3p1/p2p1p2/4n3/Q1N2NP1/PP2PPBP/1R1R2K1 w - - 0 19

After trying some engines in multi-pv - but at shallow depths only(!) - it seems like most would make their choice from either 19.Nd4 or 19.Rbc1, with various other moves evaluated as 3rd best.

[Marek Soszynski]

[D]r2qr3/2nb2kp/2p3p1/p2p1p2/4n3/Q1N2NP1/PP2PPBP/1R1R2K1 w - - 0 1

Analysis by Deep Shredder 11 UCI:

19.Nxe4 fxe4 20.Nd4
+/= (0.34) Depth: 1/2 00:00:00
= (0.06) Depth: 2/5 00:00:00
19.e3 Qe7
= (0.08) Depth: 2/5 00:00:00
19.Rbc1 Qf6 20.e3 Nxc3 21.Qxc3 Qxc3 22.Rxc3 Rab8 23.Rc2 Nb5 24.Rdc1 Kf6 25.Rc5
+/= (0.31) Depth: 2/5 00:00:00
+/= (0.26) Depth: 11/29 00:00:03 2014kN
19.Nd4 Qe7 20.Qxe7+ Rxe7 21.Rbc1 Ne6 22.Nxe6+ Bxe6 23.b3 Bd7 24.e3 Kf6 25.Na4 Be8 26.Nc5 Nxc5 27.Rxc5 Rb7 28.Rd4 Rb4 29.f4 Rxd4 30.exd4 a4
+/= (0.27) Depth: 11/29 00:00:03 2476kN
= (0.16) Depth: 17/41 00:01:46 130mN
19.e3 Qf6 20.Rbc1 Nxc3 21.Qxc3 Nb5 22.Qc2 Reb8 23.a4 Nd6 24.Nd4 Ne4 25.f3 Nd6 26.Bf1 Nf7 27.Qc3 Rb6 28.b3
+/= (0.34) Depth: 17/41 00:02:39 194mN
+/= (0.32) Depth: 20/46 00:17:33 1322mN
19.Rbc1 Qf6 20.Nd4 Reb8 21.e3 Kg8 22.Na4 Nb5 23.Qd3 Nxd4 24.Qxd4 Qxd4 25.Rxd4 Rb5 26.b3 Kg7 27.f3 Ng5 28.Rdd1 Re8 29.Nc5 Bc8 30.Kf2 Nf7
+/= (0.42) Depth: 20/47 00:23:21 1777mN
+/= (0.48) Depth: 21/46 00:29:36 2264mN

(Soszynski, 19.11.2007)

[Eelco de Groot]

Toga Blueberry was thinking hard now about 19.g4?!? as maybe better than 19. Rbc1 or a transpositioned line with 19. Nd4, but eventually discarded it with a -0.76 eval after fxg4. Maybe the MV analysis is not working totally correct? Here are the four best moves according to Toga:

r2qr3/2nb2kp/2p3p1/p2p1p2/4n3/Q1N2NP1/PP2PPBP/1R1R2K1 w - -

Engine: Toga II MP Blueberry Winfinder (256 MB, 2009 MHz)
by Fabien Letouzey, Thomas Gaksch and Zach Wegner

17 20:32 +0.15 19.Nd4 Qf6 20.Rbc1 Reb8 21.e3 Kh8
22.b3 g5 23.Na4 Nb5 24.Nxb5 Rxb5
25.Nc5 Be8 26.Bf3 Rb4 27.Bxe4 fxe4
28.Rd2 Bh5 (956.409.925) 661

17 39:39 +0.15 19.Rbc1 Qf6 20.Nd4 Reb8 21.e3 Kh8
22.b3 g5 23.Na4 Nb5 24.Nxb5 Rxb5
25.Nc5 Be8 26.Bf3 Rb4 27.Bxe4 fxe4
28.Rd2 Bh5 (1.639.713.204) 661

17 41:04 +0.01 19.e3 Qb8 20.Qa4 Ne6 21.Qc2 Kh8
22.Nxe4 fxe4 23.Qc3+ Ng7 24.Ng5 Rf8
25.Nxe4 Bf5 26.Nc5 Bxb1 27.Nd7 Qd6
28.Nxf8 Rxf8 29.Rxb1 (1.690.855.335) 661

17 50:22 -0.08 19.Qb3 Nf6 20.e3 Qe7 21.Qa4 Ne6
22.Rbc1 Rab8 23.b3 Kh8 24.Rd2 Qd6
25.Qxa5 Ng4 26.Nd4 Ra8 27.Qb6 (1.998.190.358) 661

When I increase the number of variations to five best moves:



r2qr3/2nb2kp/2p3p1/p2p1p2/4n3/Q1N2NP1/PP2PPBP/1R1R2K1 w - -

Engine: Toga II MP Blueberry Winfinder (256 MB, 2009 MHz)
by Fabien Letouzey, Thomas Gaksch and Zach Wegner

16 3:43 +0.26 19.Nd4 Qf6 20.Rbc1 Reb8 21.e3 Rb7
22.b3 Nxc3 23.Rxc3 Nb5 24.Nxb5 Rxb5
25.Rc5 Rxc5 26.Qxc5 Qe5 27.Bf1 Kh8
28.Be2 g5 29.Rd4 (2.500.159.307) 10313

16 3:50 +0.14 19.Rbc1 Qe7 20.Qxe7+ Rxe7 21.Nd4 Ne6
22.Nxe6+ Bxe6 23.Na4 Bd7 24.b3 Nd6
25.e3 g5 26.Nc5 Be8 27.Bf3 g4 28.Be2 Bf7 (2.504.626.892) 10313

16 4:03 0.00 19.e3 Qb8 20.Qa4 Ne6 21.Qc2 Kh8
22.Rbc1 Nf6 23.Na4 Ne4 24.Nc3 (2.511.827.362) 10313

16 4:04 -0.08 19.Qb3 Nf6 20.e3 Qe7 21.Qa4 Ne6
22.Ne5 Nc5 23.Qd4 Qxe5 24.Qxc5 Ne4
25.Bxe4 fxe4 26.Rd4 Qf6 27.Ne2 Qe7
28.Qb6 (2.512.319.574) 10313

16 4:04 -0.17 19.Nd2 Qe7 20.Ncxe4 fxe4 21.Qe3 Nb5
22.Nb3 a4 23.Nc5 Bf5 24.Rd2 Kh8
25.Rc1 Rf8 26.f3 Bc8 27.Kh1 Qe5
28.fxe4 (2.512.361.693) 10313

[Mike S.]

The World has decided to move 19.Rbc1:

[D]r2qr3/2nb2kp/2p3p1/p2p1p2/4n3/Q1N2NP1/PP2PPBP/2RR2K1 b - - 0 19

Rybka's best 3 variations, at depth 16:

Analysis by Rybka 2.3.2a 32-bit :

1. = (0.10): 19...Qe7 20.Qxe7+ Rxe7 21.Nd4 Ne6 22.Nxe6+ Bxe6 23.Na4 Bd7 24.b3 Kf6 25.Rc2 g5 26.Bxe4
2. ² (0.27): 19...Qf6 20.Nd4 Rec8 21.Bxe4 fxe4 22.Na4 Rab8 23.Nc5 Bh3 24.Qxa5 Nb5 25.Nxb5 Rxb5 26.Qa7+
3. ² (0.37): 19...Qb8 20.Nd4 Nf6 21.b3 Ne6 22.e3 Nxd4 23.Rxd4 Qa7 24.Na4 Ne4 25.Nc5 Rf8 26.Nxe4

[RVisitor]

Here is a link to my analysis of this game:

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessuse ... domVisitor

[RVisitor]

Timmerman has requested a 1-week extension for his next move. This is the 2nd of the 5 allowed 1-week extensions - normally he has 3 days to make a move.

[Mike S.]

Meanwhile, J.G.Timmerman has offered to exchange queens (19...Qe7), which the world accepted. That did not make the position more exiting...

[D]r7/2nbr1kp/2p3p1/p2p1p2/4n3/2N2NP1/PP2PPBP/2RR2K1 w - - 0 21

[Event "Chessgames.com"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2007.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "The World"]
[Black "Timmerman, Geert Jan"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "A88"]
[PlyCount "40"]

1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. c4 Bg7 5. Nc3 O-O 6. Nf3 d6 7. O-O c6 8. Qb3
Na6 9. Rd1 Kh8 10. Qa3 Nc7 11. d5 Bd7 12. Rb1 a5 13. dxc6 bxc6 14. c5 Ne4 15.
cxd6 exd6 16. Bf4 d5 17. Be5 Re8 18. Bxg7+ Kxg7 19. Rbc1 Qe7 20. Qxe7+ Rxe7 *

Quick suggestions of of Rybka, set to slightly optimistic outlook, and of Fruit 05/11/03, both in two variations mode and after depth 17:

Analysis by Rybka 2.3.2a 32-bit so-a:

1. = (0.18): 21.Na4 Rb8 22.Nd4 Rb4 23.Bxe4 Rxe4 24.Nc5 Rbxd4 25.Rxd4 Rxd4 26.Nxd7 Rd2 27.Rxc6 Ne8 28.Re6 Kf7 29.Rb6 Rxe2 30.Kf1 Re7 31.Rb7 a4 32.Ne5+ Ke6 33.Rxe7+
2. = (0.17): 21.e3 a4 22.Nd4 Nf6 23.Nce2 Ra6 24.Rd3 Ng4 25.Ra3 Ne5 26.Nf4 g5 27.Nd3 Nxd3 28.Rxd3 Rb6 29.Rc2 Re8 30.Ra3 Reb8

Analysis by Fruit 05/11/03 51103:

1. = (0.23): 21.e3 Rb8 22.b3 Rb4 23.Bf1 Ne6 24.Ne5 N4c5 25.Bg2 Rb7 26.Rd2 Rb8 27.Rdc2 Kf6 28.f4 Kg7 29.Rd2 h6
2. = (0.16): 21.Nd4 Ne6 22.Nxe6+ Bxe6 23.Na4 Bd7 24.b3 h6 25.Rc2 Rb8 26.Bxe4 fxe4 27.Rc5 Rf7 28.e3 Rbf8 29.Nb6 Bg4 30.Rd2 Rf6 31.Rxa5