TCEC Season 17 CPU League 1 Game 302: Laser-rofChade "Laser's Immortal"

WORK IN PROGRESS

This game was titled "Laser's Immortal" by the ICCF Grandmaster Leonardo Ljubičić (28th ICCF World Champion).

Game overview

1. c4 c5 2. g3 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. O-O d6 6. Nc3 e6 7. e3 Nge7 8. d4 O-O

Book exit into a well-known position, played also at the super-GM level.

9. Re1 cxd4

The last move is interesting. Typically, the center tension is kept for a bit longer, and moves such as 9... Rb8 or 9... Re8 would be played.

10. exd4 d5 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bxe7 Nxe7 14. Qb3(N) Rb8 15. h4 a6 16. Ne5 Be6 17. Ne2 g5 18. hxg5 hxg5 19. Rad1 Nc6 20. Nc3 Na5

Black prepares to get the knight on c4 with tempo, but delays the move a bit, until the knight has to move.

21. Qc2 b5 22. Qe2 Rb6 23. Qh5 Rd6 24. b4

In such positions, the question is always about the long-term plan. 24. b4 is a somewhat committal move, although not necessarily a bad one. White could have also played 24. b3, controlling the c4 square and questioning the knight's positioning.

An interesting option might have been to play a useful waiting move provoking a line such as: 24. Rc1 Nc4 25. b3 Nxe5 26. dxe5. This would changed the game towards more double-edged direction, increasing the attacking potential for white at the cost of passed central pawn for black.

24... Nc4 25. a4

White pushes the a4-pawn to undermine the protection of the knight on c4. Black is not really keen on letting white to take on b5, since 25... Rb6 26. axb5 axb5 and the white knight on c3 is pressuring both the b5 and d5 and pawns. Further, a continuation such as 27. Nf3 f6 28. Nh2 Bf7 29. Qf3 would offer white some additional initiative along with the open a-file, as black needs to put some effort on defending the b/d pawns and the kingside.

Therefore, black exchanges a4-pawn straight away.

25... bxa4 26. Nxa4 Bf5 27. Nc5

This is multi-purpose move, threatening to fork on b7 winning a tempo, also closing access to the c-file for black, and coordinating with the knight on e5. The two white knights are now annoying black with the light-square control and fork potential. It should also be noted that the f7-square is pressured by white, limiting the options for the black rook on f8.

27... Bc8 28. Qf3 Nb2

This move has to be a waste of tempo, since where is the knight going? The poke at the rook on c1 simply asks the rook to reposition itself, which it was probably going to do anyways sooner than later. Often such moves are a sign of engines not having a clear plan.

White plays the rook to d2, which is a flexible move winning a tempo on the knight.

29. Rd2 Nc4 30. Rc2

Also other ideas were possible, such as doubling the rooks on the e-file. The rook on c2 threatens to win a pawn with Nxc4 later, and black creates a counter-threat to win the pawn back.

30... Qb6 31. Qb3

Taking the pawn here would be premature: 31. Nxc4 dxc4 32. Rxc4 Rxd4 and black won the pawn back.

31... Qd8 32. Qd3

White is adding protection to the d4-pawn against the counter-capture idea.

32... Bf6 33. Bf3 Bg7 34. Rce2

Since adding the pressure directly does not seem to work, white shifts the focus to the e-file. The threat now is Re7 and Bh5 to pressure the f7 pawn, and to use that leverage to double the rooks on the 7th rank.

To illustrate the threat, consider the following line: 34... Rf6 35. Bh5 Qc7 36. Ng4 Rf5 37. Re7 Qd8 38. Ra7 Qb6 39. Ree7. Since this is clearly out of the question for black, black would have to give up the center control with 35... Nxe5 36. dxe5 which does not look promising, either. Black tries to defend against this threat.

34... Rh6 35. Bg2 g4

The pawn on g4 puts a hard stop for the bishop entering the h5 square, but it is a committal move.

36. Qc3 Bf5 37. Qc1

As the queen sidesteps the x-ray of the Bg7 bishop, the Nxd4 threat winning a pawn is now renewed. To illustrate why this was necessary, consider the following variation:

• 37. Nxc4 dxc4 38. Rd1 Rd6 39. Nb7?? Rxd4 and black is winning because the queen on c3 is pinned.

However, now as the queen is on c1 protecting the rook on d1, the rook cannot enter the d6 square because of the Nb7 fork. Also, the direct Bxd4 counter-capture would not work either. Consider the following line for the rationale: 37... Kh7 (wasting a tempo) 38. Nxc4 dxc4 39. Rd1 Bxd4. The black queen is now pinned behind the bishop, and white can take full advantage of the exposed black king. 40. Ne4 Bxe4 41. Bxe4+ f5 42. Qf4 fxe4 43. Qxe4+ Kh8 44. Rxd4. In this variation, white will be pawn or two up, easily winning against an open king.

Therefore, this black bishop retreats to protect the b7 forking square.

37... Bc8 38. Ned3

Now the rooks threaten to enter the 7th again, so the knight is repositioned to f5 via d6 to control the e7 square.

38... Nd6 39. Nf4

White concretely threatens the d5 pawn now and there's not much that black can do about it.

39... Nf5 40. Nxd5 Rd6

Black cannot win the pawn back, since white's initiative would be too strong: 40... Nxd4 41. Ne7+ winning an important tempo in clearing the e-file for the pin. 41... Kh8 42. Rd2 (pinning the queen) Qb6 43. Re4 Rd6 44. Rexd4 Bxd4 45. Ne4 Re6 46. Nxc8 Qxb4 47. Ne7 Qxe7 48. Rxd4 with two minors for a rook for white, and open king for black. Unfortunately, black did not have 43... Qxb4?? 44. Rexd4 Bxd4 45. Rxd4 leaving the black rook on h6 hanging: 45... Qxd4?? 46. Qxh6#

41. Qc4 Rh6 42. Re5

White offers the rook for a bishop.

42... Kh8 ( 42... Bxe5 43. dxe5 { [%cal Rc4g4]} 43... Ne7 ( 43... Rg6 44. Rd1 { [%cal Rd1d8]} 44... Kh8 45. Qc2 Qg5 46. Ne4 Qh6 47. Nef6 Be6 48. Be4 Bxd5 49. Rxd5 Ne7 50. Rd6 { [%cal Rd6h6,Re4g6]} 50... Kg7 51. Bxg6 Qxg6 52. Qd1 Qg5 53. Qxg4 Qxg4 54. Nxg4 )( 43... Be6 44. Qxg4+ Kh8 ( { Does not work, because } 44... Rg6 $2 45. Nxe6 Rxg4 46. Nxd8 Rxd8 $4 { Cannot take back, because of fork} 47. Nf6+ ) 45. Rd1 Rg8 46. Nf6 { [%cal Rd1d8]} 46... Qxf6 ( 46... Rxg4 $4 47. Rxd8+ Rg8 48. Rxg8# ) 47. Qxg8+ Kxg8 48. exf6 )44. Qf4 Kh7 45. Rd1 { [%cal Rd1d8]} 45... Ng6 46. Nf6+ Kg7 47. Rxd8 Nxf4 48. Rxf8 Ne2+ 49. Kf1 Nxg3+ 50. fxg3 Kxf8 )43. Qd3 Bxe5 ( 43... Qg5 44. Re8 Nd6 45. Rxf8+ Bxf8 46. Nxa6 { white is 2 pawns up} )44. Rxe5 { The simple threat here is to win 2 pieces for the rook[%cal Re5f5]} 44... Qd6 ( 44... Nd6 45. Ne7 Re8 46. Qe3 { [%cal Re7g6]} 46... Kg7 47. Bd5 { [%cal Re7c6,Rd5c6]} 47... a5 ( 47... Reh8 48. Qg5+ Kf8 49. Nxc8 Qxc8 50. Qe7+ Kg7 51. Rg5+ { Forced mate} )48. Nc6 Qf6 49. Rxe8 Nxe8 50. Qxe8 )45. Rxf5 Bxf5 46. Qxf5 Re8 ( { Trying to hang on with the pawn would not work } 46... Qg6 47. Qe5+ Qg7 48. Qf4 Rd8 49. Nb7 Rf8 50. Nd6 Qg6 51. Nf5 Rh5 52. Nde3 Rc8 53. Nh4 Qh6 54. Qxg4 { white wins the pawn anyways} )47. Qxf7 Re1+ 48. Bf1 Rh7 49. Qf6+ { White forces the queens off the board to enter the BNN vs RR endgame.} 49... Qxf6 50. Nxf6 $201 { The black pawns are doomed. White's plan is to maintain enough pawns after grabbing the black pawns. What white then needs to do is to ensure that the pawns and pieces are protected and start rolling with the white pawns. Black's idea for drawing would be to win 2 pieces for a rook and play rook vs minor and pawns ending. Alternatively, if black can win some of white pawns, then exchange sacs can be used to exchange rook for piece and pawn for draw. Thus, white needs to have 3 pawns to win. [%cal Rc5a6,Rf1a6,Yf6g4,Yf1e2,Ye2g4]} 50... Rg7 51. Nd5 Rf7 52. Ne3 Rb1 ( 52... Rg7 53. Kg2 Rg6 )53. Nxa6 Rb2 ( 53... Rd7 54. d5 Ra1 55. b5 )54. Nxg4 Rd7 55. Nc5 Rd6 ( 55... Rxd4 { Black could have won a pawn already here, but decided to win it a bit later.} 56. Nd3 { [%cal Rd3b2,Gd3b4]} 56... Rd2 57. Nge5 Kg7 58. Kg2 )56. Ne3 { Anchor square [%cal Gf2e3]} 56... Rxd4 { If the b2-rook moves from the b-file, white has the pawn's way protected up to b7 [%cal Gf1b5,Ye3c4,Yc4b6,Rc5b7]} 57. b5 { Now white is up 3 pawns, but maintaining the lead is not trivial.} 57... Rd8 58. g4 { Time to start pushing from two fronts} 58... Rf8 59. Bc4 Rd8 ( 59... Rfxf2 $4 60. Nd3 )( { An interesting try here was to double the rooks on the f-file winning a pawn. If black could now exchange sac one rook for piece and pawn, draw would be in sight. However, this does not quite work out tactically. } 59... Rbxf2 60. Nd7 $7 { The only move to maintain win.} 60... R8f4 61. Ne5 $7 { White must maintain coordination and keep the threats on-going. [%cal Re5d3]} ( 61. b6 $2 Rb2 $1 { [%cal Rf4e4,Ye4e3,Ye4c4]} 62. Bf1 Re4 63. b7 Rxe3 64. b8=Q+ Rxb8 65. Nxb8 { Draw. Now black can simply try to sacrifice the rook for a piece and pawn again for trivial draw.} )61... Rf6 62. g5 Rf8 63. Ng6+ Kg7 64. Nxf8 )60. g5 Rb4 61. Bf7 Kg7 62. g6 { Anchoring the bishop} 62... Rb1+ 63. Kg2 Rc8 64. Ne6+ Kf6 65. Nd5+ Ke5 66. g7 Ra1 ( 66... Kxd5 67. Nf8+ Kd6 68. g8=Q )67. Nf8 { Typical idea to protect the queening square by intercepting the rook's visibility. [%csl Gg8][%cal Gg7g8,Rc8g8]} 67... Rcc1 { [%cal Gg7g8,Gc1g1]} 68. Kf3 Ra3+ 69. Ne3 Rg1 70. Ng6+ { Disruption again. This is with a check. Now the queening is inevitable.} 70... Rxg6 71. Bxg6 Ra8 72. Bf7 Kd6 73. g8=Q Rxg8 74. Bxg8 { White wins by the TCEC win rule.} ( 74. Bxg8 Kc5 75. Bc4 Kb6 76. Nd5+ Kb7 77. b6 Kc6 78. Ke4 Kb7 79. f4 Kc6 80. f5 Kb7 81. Bb5 Kb8 82. f6 Kb7 83. f7 Kb8 84. Ba6 Ka8 85. f8=Q# ) 1-0