Hi,
round 2 for group 4 starts with VEB RFT Chess-Master Diamond + PM11 versus Hegener & Glaser Mephisto I-X. Again a balanced match, in the same area as the previous one, as far as probabilities are concerned: theoretically 56 points out of 100 in favor of the brikett.
The first game with Diamond playing White is thoroughly balanced from a material standpoint; the Diamond offered twice a nice opportunity for the 1X which failed to spot it. The game ends in a draw.
I am happy with the second game, where the Chess-Master achieves a win: it is such a nice device! Of course, both computers miss some opportunities across the whole game, but the Diamond finds the killer move 27 ... Bxf3! and the 1X will never recover from that
. At some point it could have drawn per repetition, but failed to play it.
[Event "The 64-cup"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2023.10.21"]
[Round "4-2"]
[White "VEB RFT Chess-Master Diamond + PM11 (lv 2)"]
[Black "Mephisto I-X (lv a3)"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "1304"]
[BlackElo "1345"]
[EventDate "2023.09.26"]
[ECO "D02"]
[PlyCount "178"]
1.d4 {No book} 1...d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 {Out of book} 3.Bf4 Nc6 4.e3 Bf5 5.Bb5 a6 6.Bxc6+ bxc6 7.Ne5 Qb8 8.Qc1 Qb7 9.O-O e6 10.Nf3 $6 {this Knight looked fine at this advanced post} 10...Rb8 11.Ne5 Bd6 12.c4 O-O 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.b3 Bxe5 15.Bxe5 Bd3 16.Rd1 Bxb1 17.Rxb1 Ne8 18.Bf4 Nd6 19.Rf1 Qb6 20.Ra1 f5 21.Rb1 a5 22.Qc3 Rfc8 23.Rbc1 Nb5 24.Qd3 Nd6 25.Qc3 Qa6 26.Rb1 Qb6 27.Qc5 Qxc5 28.dxc5 Ne4 29.Rbc1 Rb4 30.Rfe1 a4 31.bxa4 Rxa4 32.Re2 Rc4 33.Rxc4 dxc4 34.c6 c3 35.Re1 $2 {enables c2 threat, followed by Rc1 Rd8-d1} 35...Kf8 $2 {missed opportunity: see above} 36.Be5 $2 {enables again c2 threat} 36...Ra8 $2 {again, missed opportunity} 37.f3 Nd6 38.Bxc3 Ra6 39.Be5 Ne8 40.Rc1 Rxa2 41.Bc3 Re2 42.Re1 Rc2 43.Bb4+ Kf7 44.Rd1 Nf6 45.Rd4 Kg6 46.Rd1 Nd5 47.Rd4 Rc1+ $2 48.Kf2 Rxc6 49.Bd2 Rb6 50.Ba5 Rb3 51.Bd2 Nc3 52.Rc4 Rb2 53.Rxc3 Rxd2+ 54.Kg3 Rd7 55.Kf4 Kf6 56.Kg3 g5 57.h4 gxh4+ 58.Kxh4 h5 59.g3 Rd1 60.Kh3 Re1 61.e4 fxe4 62.fxe4 Rxe4 63.Rc6 Kf5 64.Rc3 c5 65.Rxc5+ e5 66.Rc3 Rd4 67.Rc5 Rd1 68.Rc3 e4 69.Rc5+ Kg6 70.Rc3 $6 {Re5 was natural} 70...Rd6 71.Rc5 e3 72.Re5 Rd3 73.Kg2 Rd2+ 74.Kf3 e2 75.Re4 Rd3+ 76.Kf2 h4 77.gxh4 Rd5 78.Re6+ Kh7 79.Re7+ Kg6 80.Re6+ Kh7 81.Re4 Kg6 82.Rg4+ Kf5 83.Rg5+ Ke4 84.Rxd5 e1=Q+ 85.Kxe1 Kxd5 86.h5 Ke5 87.Ke2 Kf6 88.h6 Kg6 89.Kd3 Kxh6 1/2-1/2
[Event "The 64-cup"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2023.10.21"]
[Round "4-2"]
[White "Mephisto I-X (lv a3)"]
[Black "VEB RFT Chess-Master Diamond + PM11 (lv 2)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1345"]
[BlackElo "1304"]
[EventDate "2023.09.26"]
[ECO "D06"]
[PlyCount "164"]
1.d4 Nf6 {No book} 2.c4 d5 3.cxd5 Qxd5 4.Nc3 {Out of book} 4...Qa5 5.e4 Nc6 6.Bb5 a6 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.Qc2 e6 9.Nf3 Bb4 10.O-O O-O 11.Bf4 Nh5 12.Be5 Nf6 $6 {enables damaging the Pawns structure & King safety} 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.e5 Be7 15.b3 $6 {Ne4 would have kept on pressure} 15...Bb7 16.Rac1 Qb6 $2 17.Qd3 $2 ( 17.exf6 Bxf6 18.Ne4 Kg7 19.Nxf6 Kxf6 20.Qxh7 {and the Black King is much exposed} ) 17...Qb4 18.Ne4 f5 19.Nf6+ {nice outpost!} 19...Kg7 20.Rc4 Qa5 21.Ra4 Qb5 22.Nh5+ $6 {Qe3 or Qd2 to add pressure to the ennemy King position was far better than moving this outposted Knight} 22...Kg6 23.Nf4+ Kh6 24.Rc1 Qxd3 25.Nxd3 Rg8 26.Nb4 $6 {Nc5 looked more promising} 26...c5 27.dxc5 $2 {Looks like the losing move. Ne1 was required} 27...Bxf3 $1 28.g3 a5 29.Nd3 Rgd8 30.Ne1 Be4 31.c6 Rd5 32.f4 Rc5 33.Rac4 Rd5 34.Ra4 Rc5 35.Rac4 Rb5 36.g4 Rd8 37.gxf5 Bxf5 38.Nf3 Rg8+ 39.Kh1 Rd5 40.Rg1 Rxg1+ 41.Kxg1 Bc5+ 42.Kg2 Bd3 43.Ra4 Be7 $6 {Bb4 would have locked the White Rook} 44.Rd4 Bc5 45.Ra4 Be3 $6 {Bb4 again was better} 46.Ng5 Bg6 47.Kf3 Bg1 48.Kg2 Be3 49.Kf3 Bd4 50.Kg4 Bh5+ 51.Kh4 Bf2+ 52.Kh3 Bd4 53.Kh4 Bg1 54.Kg3 Bd4 $2 {offers a draw opportunity if Kh4} 55.Kh3 $2 {fails to draw} 55...Bxe5 56.Nxf7+ Bxf7 57.fxe5 Rxe5 58.Kg3 Rc5 59.Rc4 Rxc4 60.bxc4 e5 61.Kf3 Bxc4 62.Ke4 Bxa2 63.Kxe5 a4 64.Kd4 Bd5 $1 65.Kxd5 a3 66.Ke6 a2 67.Kd7 a1=Q 68.Kxc7 Qe5+ 69.Kd7 Qf5+ 70.Kd6 Qf4+ 71.Kd5 Qxh2 72.Ke6 Qc7 73.Kd5 Kg6 74.Kc5 h5 75.Kb5 Qa7 76.Kc4 h4 77.Kd5 h3 78.Ke6 h2 79.Kd6 h1=Q 80.c7 Qd4+ 81.Ke7 Qhe4+ 82.Kf8 Qg7# 0-1
MfG,
Tibono