Hi all, I have an absolutely phenomenal game
to show you today.
This is game 61 of the T6 season 15 super
final.
So Stockfish playing white against Leela.
D4, Nf6 and we get Bg5, the trompowsky.
So this opening is named after the one-time
Brazilian champion Octavio Trompowsky, 1897
to 1984.
He played it in the 1930s and 40s.
In more recent years i've witnessed GM Julian
Hodgson clear up the British championship
with beautiful wins with this opening and
we have some of those on the channel in fact.
So trompowsky, a dangerous weapon of choice.
We're still in the book given to both, so
Ne4, Bf4, c5, f3, Qa5++, c3.
Now here Nd2 is another plausible alternative
by the way.
For example this position has been seen before
where it's thought to be about equal.
But here we have c3 being play, which
Is also very popular.
The Knight going back, d5, Qb6, so hitting
b2 and we're approaching the end of the book
now, on the last book move.
Given is this Bishop retreat to c1.
On Qc2 there's Nxd5, that just hangs a pawn.
On b3 this has been seen before.
After e6 this position is thought to be about
equal.
So Bc1 and the book.
So Leela here now plays d6, e4 .you can see
out in the opening that actually right now
blacks got two pieces out the dark square
play is a particular interest.
Leela is often quite good with dark square
complexes, dark squares play in general.
E6, c4, so this does open up potentially this
diagonal if black is fianchettoing and
Leela does go for g6 here.
Ne2.
This does seem a little bit awkward because
of this pawn structure here.
This Knight actually seems a little bit awkward
and it goes actually to c3 using the square
of the other night.
Black castles, Be2.
Now Ne8, which means that f5 might be possible.
Now Stockfish kind of went on the attack with
h4, very aggressive move by Stockfish to his
credit.
Castling has been seen before.
F5 would seem to be possible here giving black
a reasonably good position so if white had
just normally just kind of canceled on the
kingside, this kind of scenario is actually
fairly pleasant for black, because look at
that pressure on b2 and the pieces they look
a bit awkward here and this position should
be actually quite good for black.
You can see very nice blockades on dark squares
and white pieces seem just awkwardly placed.
So yeah castling f5 is interesting on e takes,
this situation may be as a way for white to
have at least a quality though.
But this is much more exciting, Stockfish
is going for it with h4.
And Leela reacts with h6.
This is a common mechanism to keep the lines
closed to be able to react with g5 on h5 and
also if g4, g5, h5.
So both of these pawns are ready to react,
adaptive to white trying to break open a line.
We do see g4, Qd8, Be3 and now after f5 we
do get quite a lot of pawn tension, which
is exacerbated with Stockfish playing f4.
Now before we get into that, before f4 let's
have a look at Qd2 here.
On Qd2, which hits h6 perhaps Leela does best
to take on g4 and protect the pawn and this
should be a fairly good position.
You can see that black’s pieces on dark
squares are fairly good.
White should only have a small edge there.
So Queen d2 a viable alternative and if black
went defensive with Kh7, white could end up
getting a big advantage, everything that Stockfish
dreams of here after castling queenside.
Just ignoring her, because of the queening,
but casting queen side.
This kind of position would be right up Stockfishes'
street.
But anyway we have f4 and the tension is absolutely
getting maximized, the pawn tension here.
Qe7, there are a lot of pawn captures to consider.
Now and every move it seems.
So instead of Qe7 on F takes, h5 leads white
to having a nice target on the King side,
for example like this and picking up e4, it
should be grate for white.
Fxg4, Bishop takes and again this kind of
scenario should leave white to a big advantage,
this kind of thing.
It's an example sequence.
So Qe7 keeping the pawn tension.
Now after h5, the pawn tension is made even
more impressive now with g5.
So a huge amount of tension here between the
pawns, great stuff.
Kind of aesthetically interesting position.
We have Qd2, there's a lot of palm captures
to consider.
Instead of Qd2, let's say F takes, H takes,
the key consideration here one of them I believe
is there's past pawn potential now with f4.
So we say h6, Be5, E takes, E takes, Qd3,
f4, nice protected pass pawn there.
So this outcome seems favorable, in fact black
could tactically play stuff like this with
a lot of pressure and disasters like that,
check.
Actually not to win the Queen, but Ne5 and
then Bxg4, blacks getting a big advantage.
So that's on gxg5 here.
It doesn't seem to favor white at all.
Gxf5, e takes, again whilst the King's in
the center, the loose bishop on e3, this doesn't
look at all a good idea for white.
In fact black could take a pawn by taking
on c3, taking that Center pawn and the Queen
could come back to safety with a big advantage
to black.
So both F takes, and G takes don't seem to
be doing much for white.
E takes, again same outcome.
The bishops are target and in fact Nf6, this
position is very nice after Bd4 for black.
The dark squares are pretty vulnerable.
Ne3 stops white castling queenside like g2++,
taking on f4, this is just great for black
as well.
So all these options seem blacks doing well
in them.
So we have Qd2 and now if you thought the
aesthetics of the pawn tension was great,
check this out.
E5, a huge amount of tension now between these
pawns, really dramatic.
Probably the most dramatic form tension of
the whole match so far.
So what is going on here?
These engines are creating a position of beauty
already, if you want to Instagram this position.
So fxg5 was played.
This does lead to the potentially a protected
pass pawn.
On fxe5 again f4 protected pass pawn and black
having that lovely e5 square to play with
and a lovely g4 target.
In fact here there's things like f3 and Nxd5
would hit the queen with a big advantage.
That's great for black to install a knight
there and you might wonder, hold on, on Bxf3
here, then Bxb2 is a nice shot tactically
after Ne5, Knight takes, Nxg4 hits f2, that's
a vulnerable piece here in this line.
Black crashing through for example.
So yes fg was played.
So f takes doesn't seem to too much for white,
doesn't do any favors.
So we have actually fxg5, f4 protected pass
pawn and there's a blockading overhead.
We've seen recently on the channel an Anti
fish game which kind of tries to learn from
Stockfish weaknesses and in one of those games
we saw that there was actually a blockading
over header tying up resources to keep these
pawns under lock and key.
As Nimzovich says, the passed pawns
are criminals that need to be kept under lock
and key.
But as I mentioned, the prison is an over
headed in itself, the prison guards can take
up a lot of resources.
So we see Qd3.
So white is kind of locked down in a way on
this side of the board.
Any dreams of an attack with great tactics
seems to have disappeared and replaced with
a burden of responsibility to hold black’s
pawns.
So we have Nd7, Rg1, Bf6, Nd2, Qf7, white
castles Queen side and now a nifty maneuver,
Bd8.
Giving the idea that this bishop could reroute
sometimes and put pressure maybe indirectly
on e4 taking out maybe a defender of e4 later.
What black will ideally dream of now is trying
to make all of these pawns in to pass pawns
one day.
This has been the dream three connected pass
pawns, can it ever become a reality here?
Keep the dream in mind here?
Nf3 is played, Kh7, Rg2, a6 . So blacks King
seems fairly cozy here and not only that,
Leela has the pawn break b5 to prepare.
Rdg1, Rg8.
Which frees of course the bishop now.
Qc2, Kh8, Kb1.
Rb8 as of b5 one day is going to be played.
Now Nef6.
So the bishop doesn't need protecting the
rook is.
So g5 still held, pressure being put on e4
and now Ba5, you can see that this pressure
on e4 is becoming quite serious already.
So for example if Nc3, perhaps Bxc3 and if
Queen takes, Knight takes e4 bang!
So that sort of stuff already.
We see Stockfish play a very tactical move,
Nh4 here and Leela just actually ignores it,
Nf8.
If this is taken, Bxh4, in fact white spawns
become quite dangerously mobile like this,
not just for their own sake, but for potential
King attacks as well.
For example this line just to illustrate shows
that white could get a really strong attack
going as you might expect with these pawns
over here.
G7++ crashing through for example like that,
massive advantage as an example.
So it's ignored.
Nf8 and in fact the configuration now changes
very soon against this Knight, just there
hanging of the b5.
C3,
We have actually Qe8 and in this position
as an alternative if g takes here, again white
is going to be fine.
This situation is not going to be that promising.
However black might be able to draw this,
might be about equal.
So Qe8 though making slowly the threat of
gxh4, effectual.
Here after Rb7.
So that second-ranked protection.
Now means actually gxh4 is on the cards.
White cannot afford to leave that Knight there
any longer and plays Nf5.
Now for example on Rh2, it can be taken and
here h3 this scenario is going to be fine
for black.
There's no problem there.
Black is going to have a big advantage.
So the Knight finally went to f5.
But there's more of a strain now on the pass
pawn potential of the Bxf5.
There's an issue really here, there's two
connected pass pawns essentially being blockaded
here.
If you check this out, the strain has just
been increased.
If white had played exf5, then e4, e3,Bxe1
for example.
This where black gets that e5 square, you
can see the pawns are mobile, it's fantastic
for black, this position.
So gxf5.
The Knight comes to protect g5.
So white is really under strain against g4
right now.
H6, Bd4, Qe2 and now bxc4 and white does not
recapture, Be1 is played.
If Qxc4, Qb5 and here after c4, c3.
Basically this is very very pleasant.
Because e4 is about to drop now.
E4 is under real pressure.
If Black gets another move, then Rb8, Rxb1
and Bxc3 for example is really dangerous.
So this looks like a desperate thing, Be2
and black could even sack the exchange.
Because now there really are the dream has
come alive.
The undertone is there's three connected pass
pawns here for the exchange.
This is a massive possession and even there
were games with all versions only showing
this great skill of managing connected pass
pawns against Stockfish way back in Leela
terms.
So these variations show you know Leela hasn't
lost her skill for managing pass pawns.
If we look at this position, so Queen takes
just to check this out again.
This whatever white does, it seems as though
blacks doing well.
For example Knight takes this position with
g4.
It's going to be great.
E4 is going to drop here.
Then there's two connected pass pawns, White's
pawns here a bit disconnected as well.
Black has the two connected pass pawns, big
advantage.
So it was left, we have Be1, now Qd8, Nc3,
Rb8, Kb1, Ba3, Na4 and Leela plays actually
c3.
There's some interesting possibilities here
on Qd7 hitting the Knight.
Qc2, Bb4 is probably best, for example like
this taking out Cc3, playing g4 and hitting
hard e4.
White would have to react tactically with
h7.
But this kind of scenario is quite nice for
black.
There's no real attack there for white.
That's an interesting scenario for black.
So c3.
So Qd2, sorry Qd7, Qc2, Bb4 would be a good
move.
Let's go back, so let's go back to the game.
So c3, Bxc3 was played.
Qd7, Qd1, Bb4, Ka1.
Now we have Qb7, Qc2.
If white dares take on b4, Qxb4, a3.
This position, blacks making inroads on the
Queen side and once g4 happens, even tactically
like this, this is good for hitting e4 believe
it or not.
For an example like this hitting e4 and blacks
doing extremely well there even tactically
against White's pieces.
So Qc2, we have a5, Qe2.
If the bishops merged or it could just be
left there, it can be ignored.
So for example c4, this would be massive.
There's a problem on a file being demonstrated
there.
So Qe2, Qd7, Qd1, c4 and a little bit like
that now the game a3 and it's ignored, Qb5.
So we've got this Bishop that just offered.
Qc2 is played now.
Just to show this particular configuration,
if a take, a take, let's say Bishop takes,
this is looking rather desperate.
Black ends up for example like this crashing
through with a big advantage and you might
think, well hold on a sec in this line forget
Bxe5, was there anything else Bishop d2, well
Ra8 and then taking on a4, this is just great.
The tourists can be given up for a queen,
because there's a loose bishop on f3.
So yeah it's pretty dangerous.
So Qc2 not taking this bishop.
Qe8, Be2, Qd7, Bf3.
On Bxc4 here, Bxc3 and then g4 is strong.
So for example like this, this is massive
for black with Ng5 coming in.
The Knights are really infiltrating along
with the connected pass pawns.
So Bf3, Qb5, Bd1.
Bxc3, nxqc5.
Now Leela’s plan here is pretty clear in
a way, to try and unblockaded this pawn to
make it three connected pass pawns, that's
the dream and it's almost realizable now.
It's kind of realizable with this potential
exchange sac to hit e4, they write this pawn.
So we see Qd2, Qd4, white dare not take the
Queen here and plays Qe1.
On Queen takes just to show this, white just
collapses.
Yep, e4 drops and this is terrible, the pawns
are just, even just two connect pass pawns
will be enough.
This is just crushing this position.
So Qe1, Qub6, Qc5 here, Rb4 and now you might
think b3 is covered here.
After Qd2, in fact b3 is not covered for this
moment of the game, move 63.
Why isn’t b3 covered?
Because now Rb3 taking out c3.
The thing is why it's pretty stuck at this
point, indeed.
If the Rook moves, there's Qxg1.
So no Rd2.
The Queen's eyeing g1, yeah White's pretty
stuck here.
If Qd2 will just take on d2 and then play
d4, big advice to black.
So if Bg4, then Nxe4.
No problem for black there.
On Nb5, black could build up and basically
consider sacking the exchange with this and
then Nxe4 with the outcome loads of pass pawn
potential here.
So this is just huge as well as white center
also collapsing, and a knight being installed
on e3.
Amazing positions to have with black there.
So it is kind of Stockfish is stuck here and
plays Qc2.
So now the dream is really coming true, these
three connected pass pawns are going to crash
through via an exchange sacrifice.
Rb3, Be2 and here it got comes.
Rxc3, powerful exchange sacrifice.
Queen's come off, but three connected pass
pawns.
Leela is the master of pawn structure in my
view and here is a great illustration of that
with connected postpone potential here being
demonstrated.
These are worth their weight in gold, these
pass pawns and in fact the g5 Square is a
great perk for this Knight to spring back
into the game and protects d6 here.
Now the pass pawn stopped moving.
Nd6 hitting the rock and the Knights are kind
of being centralized here and now yes, the
pawns are absolutely menacing.
They start winning material here.
Stockfish gives up a bishop, but there's now,
there's another pass pawn.
There's two passports and there's Nf3 on the
way.
So Re3, Nf3 winning more material.
There wasn't too much else to do here.
If Re1, g3xg2, that's horrible as well.
As an example, this looks fairly horrible.
So, even more material was shed now to stop
the pawns.
Nf3 and Rxg4, so two Knights up.
Leela is down to the last two pawns though.
But the game actually ended here.
Both engines thought it was +10
for black.
So, Stockfish also resigns.
Let's say the game continues, Rxf7, this leaves
either with just one pawn.
But it's enough.
The two knights do a good job here.
For example, this position, all of white’s
pawns will basically disappear and there will
be a nice outside pass pawn, which will be
winning.
So really fantastic game there.
Lessons to learn.
I think we see a classic Stockfish weakness
being exposed here in kind of under estimating
the resources tied up to stop and blockades
potential pass pawns.
So, with all that palm tension, with the attack
it led to a situation there was kind of one
protected pass pawn.
Then later there was another via Stockfishes’
Nh4 to f5 created two pass pawns and then
that third pass pawn created via an exchange
sacrifice, Rb3 taking out c3 to win e4.
The free connected pass pawn dream came true
for Leela in this game.
A truly aesthetic passed pawn immortal game
of Leela.
Which I hope you enjoyed as much as me.
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bell, really appreciate it.
Thanks very much.
There is a puzzle book for this game available
at www.chessworld.net.
On the improved puzzle books.
So, look out for trompowsky attack.
So, this first one, this is a little test
in a variation of Qc2, then there's Nxd5 weakness
of the last move basically.
Here I think black can get good position with
this kind of playing.
So, was it here?
Rf7, alright that pawn is endangered, yeah.
Here okay there's a weakness with, there's
a weakness here on d6 and that Knight yeah
had to be taken basically.
Nxd6 otherwise.
Let's just do five just to get the gist.
This would be doubtful, there's a bishop takes.
Believed Nb6, that'll be doubtful.
Won't happen if you end up with an edge there.
Here I think c3 looks good.
Okay yeah, you can test yourself on these
and also check out on the puzzle books, the
famous player puzzle books.
So, there's a lot of possible champions as
well as Paul Morphy, an uncrowned King arguably.
Steinitz, Tal,, Morphy, Kasparov, Colson,
Kramnik at the moment.
Okay that's all at www.chessworld.net and
you could also invite me for a game of course.
Thanks so much.
