Hi all. I have an absolutely epic chess game to show you today.
Neural Network Leela Chess (lc0) playing against the mighty Stockfish. So all games up until this
game were all drawn between the two.
With Stockfish leading TCEC Season
15 so 5 draws I believe. And this game
Leela is playing white. We have d4 so Leela
ID 41800 and Stockfish as of the 19th
of April version of 19th of April 2019
So we have here Knight f6.  The King's
indian defense has entered into. So the
book moves given to both. This is all
book moves the Sämisch King's Indian.
This is named after Friedrich Sämisch  who
once lost a lot of games on time in one
tournament (but to be fair he was 73 years old!). That was one of the stories and
he's he's been involved in other very
opening variations like the Sämisch 
against the nimzo-indian. So this idea of
f3 is very  interesting and it's one
that I've used quite a lot as well of
great enjoyment so after Bishop e3 like if I am playing against the Sicilian Dragon.
You are ruling out the use of the
g4 square from black. You're preparing
simply to create a battery and exchange
off quite often the dark square Bishop
to kind of make these dark squares more
vulnerable. So there's a basic undertone
of a crude kind of plan there.  And often
castling queenside so it was a one of my
favorite systems against the Kings
Indian Defence. We have a6 here being the book
given to them still . a6 -  there are three
viable alternatives : c5 has been seen
before for example this has been seen
before and White is supposed to have a small
edge.  Knight c6 immediately and it can
transpose into the a6
so this is known. And White has got a
small edge generally. Or e5
immediately encouraging d5 and this
position is quite interesting. White again
could have a small edge here. So we have
a6 - it's a very good move generally
Qd2 Nc6 Nge2 Bd7.
This is the end of the book given to both of
them. And now we have Nc1. Now
Nc1 strengthens White's control in a way
of the b5 square
so if blacks preparing something that
rook b8 and b5 that's locked down a bit
here.  It also sometimes means Knight b3
controlling the d4 square which
means that if ever black plays e5 white
can react with d5 and have that control
of d4. So no Nc1 is a pretty standard
move in this type of position.  Knight c1
as an example if whites had castled
Queen side instead then b5 here is
actually pretty good for black. Because
a2 is vulnerable here in some of the
variations and if Knight d5 this kind of
thing.  White might be okay but why
give black this counter play and even
worse if C takes then blacks gonna get a
big advantage like this kind of thing
with even exf6 possible and then
later f5 with not just the diagon pressure but also a-file pressure.  This is not the position you want
basically you want to minimize black's
counterplay especially if you're going to be
casting on the Queen side so Leela does
a very good move. Not castling
immediately it seems. Nc1 and now black
commits to e5. If rook e8 then as
mentioned Nb3 strengthens that
d4 square so any e5 now d5 and unless black
wants to just give up that pawn for virtually
nothing then this position in fact the
knight is also useful for pushing
through with c5 here with a big
positional advantage. So this is the
underminable part of the pawn chain -
the most exploitable base and if
d6 goes then e5 is weak and that
echoes for a lot of Kings Indian games.
The battle to undermine each other's
pawn chains.
So anyway e5 d5 so e5 immediately
Knight d4 and now it's too dangerous to
take on d4 -  black is getting a lot of play
and in fact with the King in the center
there might even be really dangerous
tactics - this is just giving black you know
huge things like Knight takes e4
potentially and then Re8.
You wouldn't think of doing that
basically as White.  It would be absurd so
basically you want to minimize counterplay
generally and so here after Nd4
the knight goes back to e2 to to challenge
that knight now. Also b3 has
been seen before
and White accepting doubled pawns. This kind of
thing might also be quite pleasant for
white.  There's still the c5 break and in
fact that pawn is now being used for the
c5 operation and that's plausible as
well.  But this is this is good as well
Ne2 - now Stockfish played Nxe2
Playing instead c5 for some
dynamic play doesn't really work. Because dxc6 (en passant)
and then take you on d6 is fine for
white to do. There's no
backfire here.  So Knight takes e2.
Bishop takes e2 and you can see that
white has really good control over b5
here and the possible use of c5. So
Knight h5 white does Castle queenside
here. f5 and now King b1. Now I've often
enjoyed games in this position when you
play King b1 and black ever plays f4
quite then often you can just simply play on
the Queenside because black has
released that tension on the center and kind of giving you a free hand on the Queen
side and that's where White has more
space.  That's where the pawn chain points
as a general rule where the point pawn
chain points is where you want to build
up your pressure and increase your
pressure and open up lines. And it's on
the Queen side in fact if black releases
the tension that the bishop drops back
and you can start playing for c5
generally speaking if it was a human
game.  And for a moment black is not
compelled to play f4 releasing that
tension and you might think well isn't
white foregoing the attacking
opportunities that I mentioned earlier
Bishop h6? That's true but it's adapting
to the position if blacks going to close
up there then ok black has increased
King safety but has reduced counter play
in the center when you play the flank
attack on the Queen side. So here we see
Knight f6 putting more pressure on e4 so
White is kind of tied down to e4 here and
a strengthening move is played - Bishop d3
Stockfish reacts with Queen e7 and you might think - well is taking pausable
After Knight takes it gives white really
a comfortable position. This is quite a
comfortable position.  There's no real
entry points on the f-file. The bishop is
hemmed in by its own pawn on e5. This is
pretty comfortable for white and in fact
white could play like h4 and still
actually have an attack. Without the F
pawn as a shield the position reverts
now back to the crude elements of the
original plan with h5 to take out the
bishop
and maybe sacrifice later on the H file. So
that's really dangerous so black played
Queen e7. We have Queen c2 - a really nifty
positional move so Leela is really
positively encouraging now with this
pressure this battery on the f5 pawn for
black to release the tension.  In fact
Stockfish does now release the tension
and the question can start to be posed.
Is black being strategically crushed. Is
this already positionally becoming
crushing if black has no real play on
the King side and is just waiting for
white to build up on the Queen side. It
seems a big strategic commitment to play
f4 however F takes e4 as we've noted
before. This this kind of position white
still now got attacking prospects so and
still can play in fact on both sides of
the board in this scenario with with c5
as well as h5 imminent and apparently
a move like  Rh3 is very dual
purpose not just for h5 but sometimes
switching the rook over to the C file so
very flexible rooks in this
position maybe sometimes for both sides
amusingly
but White ends up being better basically
if if the black rooks are showing flexibility
as well it's the C pawn which is a big
target in this scenario and white could
end up with big advantage just with the C
pawn as well and also of course the
bishop is tied down.  With this move on this
location hitting a5 all time then the
bishop can't really help
that easily as well.  So these scenarios
really perhaps encourage black - Stockfish
to kind of release the tension - this 
free hand is give them for white on the
queenside so it's very interesting if
one could consider this as strategically
winning.  If black strategically lost
there and in a certain regard. Rab8
and we have King a1 Rfc8.  If black
tries to do the active b5 here it seems
as though white can play Qb3
and it doesn't really matter about
b4 Na4 but let me just show you bxc4 Qxc4.
In this position c7 is attacked and it's very
very comfortable for white in fact with
a move like Bishop c2 and Bishop b3 this
is just really solid for white.  With that
C file pressure and the Queen side
generally. But also let's have a look on
b5 Qb3.  And on b4 it does
seem in some variations as though Knight
a4 is playable.And on Qe8 then at least there's Bishop c2
sometimes and supporting that knight. And
still with c5 so it's still very
comfortable potentially.  So anyway Rfc8
- that was an unchecked variation by
the way I hope that's correct. Most
of the variations you'll find in the
annotated PGN so Rfc8 and we have
g4 now here h6 is played on fxg3
hxg3 and this is very good for the
pressure on the King side. And in fact
white can still play with c5 here for
example like this and then g4 even.  This
position is going to be very nice for
white
once that c5 goes.  Black's pawn chain is
absolutely wrecked in this scenario.  Look
at it how diced it is.White has got a big
advantage structurally. It is
structurally that often Leela it seems
to be to me World class - the number one in
terms of pawn structure and pawn
management. So fxg3
although it seems active it gives 
less shield to the king and there's all
to play for for white on both sides of
the board basically.  So h6 not taking up
that opportunity so g4 really reduces
black's potential counterplay on the King
side as well. h4 Ra8 - it looks as
though the whole Kingside is about to
be locked down. If black plays g5 here
then Queen e2 this position is very good
for white. This is just a fictional
scenario. White playing for c5 and even
d6 because we've got tactics now like
Bishop c4 check and taking the queen.
E.g. here the Queen is taken. So Nd5 this scenario is just really strong here.
There's tactics again dxc5 Bishop c4
check winning the Queen so there are
very favorable scenarios if black plays
g5 so black didn't commit to g5 as an
example. Just Ra8 so Stockfish
is reduced it seems to waiting now. Black cannot
play on the King side unless h5 which
is still possible - more plausible than g5
basically. But the Queen side punch c5
seems to be just hanging around here and
in fact rook c1 echoes that Queen side
break c5 which one can really prepare
and play at the most effective time
possible. Ne2 getting out the way
the Queen on c2 is looking at c5 again. We
have h5. Black does do something on the
King side.  This locks down the King side
now so really this free hand it seems
very tempting to just place c5 here. In
fact it's waited on with Rhd1. You
might think that with Rhd1 can't black "batten down the hatches" (do something about c5).  b6 but there's always
potentially things like b4 and c5 anyway
so maybe there's actually still no hurry
for c5. We have Rcb8
Rd2 Queen f7 Knight c3
Bf8 and in fact yeah it looks as
though black is "battening down the
hatches". It look it looks as though you know c5 is really dissuaded now.
What is Leela doing? Is this a bit too
casual? The thing is the kingside has
been locked out now of the equation. So
if white can totally optimize the c5
break then why not. 
And it seems as though if there
were two rooks in front of the Queen
this would be called the Alekhine's gun
Is this very useful? Sometimes it is to
double forces as a tactic in its own
right  - doubling rooks or creating an
Alekhine's gun is a very powerful
tactical construction and here it can
potentially make c5 more effective. We
have Ng7 and now night Na4 so
disregarding blacks preparations against c5.
White is just building up to c5
even more so we have the knight building
up c5 the bishops there. The rooks there
that partial Alekhine's gun ready to
take opportunities on the D file. The
bishop is also ready to swing to c2 if
there's a battery on on the a4 knight. Now
black didn't bother with Qe8. Black
played b5 in this position. If we just
get an idea of Bishop takes a4 which is
a kind of sin in a way giving up the
light square bishop because black is
already very vulnerable now on the light
squares. Even more so without that bishop
this is not what black generally wants to
do. But this plan of b4 would be even
more effective if even the Queen's came
off. This is still white with the bishop
pair is going to have a very  juicy c5 pawn break coming up. So b5 was played - a slight
downside of blacks activity could leave
a weak pawn which could be picked off
later potentially. And in fact Leela 
doesn't want to activate black's rook
necessarily so plays just Knight c3
teasing the pawns forward.  We have if
just as to illustrate you don't really
want to give the opponent counterplay
C takes then this position in fact is
going to be very nice for black as an
example. This would be a way of black
getting all the play and that would
wreck White's position so Knight c3 is
important trying to minimize the counter
play over here.
Ne8. In this position if b4 here
Na4 is possible
supporting c5. It might be on the rim
But in this circumstance of Queen
e8 then Bishop c2 - that aforementioned
resource Bishop c2 can come to the
rescue there. And still white can play
now for c5 - a juicy moment indeed so c5
was played
We have Bishop f1 King h8 Qb3
Rb7. On b4 here again Na4
comes into play and if a5 c5 and in this
position White's getting a big advantage
there's a target c5 and E5 have been
weakened.  There's no backward support no
pawns are going to support e5.  It has to be pieces how for protecting e5 later as
well as you know c7. So these pawns are
major liabilities in this position. So we
have rook b7 a3 - and now a very nifty
move indeed and this morning I was
looking at my iPhone very early in
the morning and someone was asking about a3 if
that just like equalized. And is that throwing away things - what's the point of a3 it
turns out a3 is super nifty. I
thought in some vague abstract sense a3
might  support b4 and c5 at some
point but actually in practicality more
practical the use of the a2 square for
this route to d5 gives the option of
hitting c6 on route to d5 and that is a
very interesting finesse as we're
about to see. So Bishop e7 Rdc2 so
again this build up. What's happening
here? Where is the commitment Na2 is played. so it looks as though now
Nb4 to c6 potentially is
dangerous. c6 is played so why did
Stockfish commit to c6? If king h7 just
to illustrate now as an example if black
just played a waiting move like King h7
Queen c3 cxb5 and now Knight
b4 - this position like going into c6
basically dislocates the b5 pawn
here. That's a really juicy target here so for
example rook c8 Bishop takes - b5 is
dropping off - it's dislocated. If Bishop
takes Queen takes. It is still dropping. Look at the light square bishop. Black's bishop is a
prisoner inside the pawn chain - an
absolute prisoner if you look at this
pawn chain.  This is a nightmare there's
no kingside counterplay.  There is no tension
in the center. White has got a pure
freedom here, and has dislocated the b5 pawn and that
pawn is going to be snapping off here
with a big advantage. So black
resorts to c6 just to illustrate this a
little bit more in this variation.
So in the Kh7 waiting move variation
let's go to move thirty-eight here on
instead of rook c8 oh we've already said
that sorry.  So c6 we have dxc6
Bxc6 and now  Knight d4 cute
rather than Knight c3 it's hitting c6
enroute to d5. So white has now got
another thing to play for this - this strategic
square d5 doesn't just have a pawn on it. 
It can have a piece a strong piece on it
hitting in all directions reducing
blacks counterplay further. Although you
could argue with c6 at least this Bishop
is given some light of day that
sometimes the bishop can come on this
diagonal but yeah swings and roundabouts
let's see Bishop d7.  On Nc7 the
Bishop's hanging here so has to be moved.
We have Qd3 not immediately
going into d5 Queen d3 we have a5
and now the Knight goes into that beautiful
square Knight d5. We have Bishop d8 okay
the bishops got some light here it seems.
But now here c5.  This undermines the
pawn chain. It immediately challenges the
structure weakening e5. That is a
pivotal support of the e5 pawn here this
d6 pawn. And also White is breaking
through that C file as well Qc3
very nifty now. Not even taking on c5 Qc3
immediately eyeing both c5 and e5
and black defends e5 with Queen g7 and
then we have Bishop takes e5. Black is
strategically busted one could
argue in this position. Even though the
bishop okay doesn't entirely miserable we'll
look at white's pieces by contrast. That
huge knight on d5 we have b4 Qb3
On axb4 this is this will be a
tactical disaster after check.
Leela is not going to do
that now - maybe in the past. Queen b3 a4 is
played on bxa3 then Queen takes
this. This variation with Bishop c4 shows
White dominating the position with that
fantastic knight outpost. The bishops
control key entry points like b3.
Everything's pretty secure here and in
fact white can play invasive moves like
this with a big advantage so that's
hitting that rook on a6. Big advantage
it's very nasty scenarios for
black indeed as an illustration. Here
if King h7 a4 and here is an
illustration where Knight takes f4
becomes dangerous after Bishop d4
pinning the Queen against King so yeah
black cannot resort to waiting moves with
the king.  There are horrible things about
to happen on some of these diagonals for
example like this and then White crashing
through the D file. So a4 is played.  It is
a commitment-- pawns don't go back. Is
this going to be a target in the future
this a pawn? The Queen goes to d3 bxa3.
Bxa3.  The pawn is
constrained. It's blockaded and when we
talk about blockades Aron Nimzovich was a
big fan of the blockade. We're talking
about absolute control not relative
control. You know you could control pawns
from afar but if you blockade them you
are making it totally illegal for that
fixed target to be moved. It really is a
fixed target. It cannot move it's not just
controlled it's absolutely controlled so
is the a4 pawn a true liability in
this position or not? Let's see ... Rb7
Queen d1 looking at a4 - starting to
look at a4 but also partially
an Alekhine's gun. Because this rook can
swing and we look at the d-file as well
and there
could be terrible things with that D
file for black in store.  Queen f7 rook c5
Queen g7 and now Bishop c4 Raa7
Bishop a2 - where is this Bishop
going? Rb8 R5c3 Rab7
Rd3 Bishop e6 is played here now
white is actually threatening something
quite subtle here. I wonder if you can
spot what white is threatening if I
gave you five seconds to pause the video.
If white had another move white could
play Knight c7 in some variations. 
Black played Bishop e6 so for example
rook a8 bang wham bang knight c7 here
behold rook takes rook takes and then
look Rook takes d7 crashing through
the seventh rank
checkmating the Queen. The Queen has no
squares here. It's been checkmated - the
Queen would have to be lost there so
that's on Ra8.  Bishop c8 Nb4
behold the power of the D file. Rook
takes d8 for example here crashing
through and then taking and scooping
up loads of material crashing through
the 8th rank. Bishop a5 is an example
Knight c7 crushing so rook takes rook
takes and then rook takes d7 back to
chat mating the Queen stop fish helpless
here so this move Bishop e6 reflects desperate tactical circumstances giving up that
pawn. That fixed target the blockaded
pawn the one which was totally under
control from the blockade is now
dropping off the board.  It's official
Leela is now material up still with a
very dominant position, superior pieces
here.  We have Bishop d7 if Bishop takes
d5 then that drops the knight here
tactically just absolutely losing. So
Bishop d7 protecting the knight.  The Queen
just drops back so a pawn has been
knocked off blacks position. Is black
getting it to be in a
critical state? The light square bishop
come off the board. Does this help black?
Black is still a pawn down. It's the same color
bishop here - it's not even an opposite
colored bishops scenario.
We have Queen f7 Rc6 infiltration
and also preparing to double rooks but
looking at g6 now laterally.  As Aron Nimzovich says - the point of infiltrating
on files is to put pressure on
across the ranks from the infiltration
squares. Rook a7 Queen c2 we have Knight
g7 rook c8 not minding the exchange of rooks
crashing to the eighth rank pinning the
Bishop Raa8 Rxb8 Rxb8
Queen c6 - the Queen is now threatening
things like Queen d6 hitting the loose
rook and hitting e5. If e5 drops then f4 is
under scrutiny therefore would be
severely weakened. We have Qe6
and in fact this is a very desperate
move because there's still an issue with
e5 in this position. Leela just takes and
obliges with the Queen exchange because
now Bishop d6 forking the rook and e5.
The rook plays a check to gain a tempo
but it doesn't help the e5 situation
here. Kg8 bishop takes e5 Leela is
now two pawns up. Is this the end of
Stockfish here  - is this the first
official game in history that a neural
network beating stockfish in the main TCEC event season 15. It looks as though
Stockfish is in big trouble here. King f7
another pawn bites the dust
Knight takes F4 -Stockfish is three pawns down now and it's not even opposite colored
bishops. Bishop e7 King c2 - Ra1
rook d1 the rook goes back Bishop e3.
What's the technique here - is it good
Rd1 Ra4 Kd3 Rb4
Bishop d4 holding B2.  Rb3 Check. The bishop drops back. White surely can just push
these pawns now. Ra1
coming for that a-file rank to put
lateral pressure if needed. F4 -  the
pawns start being pushed - f5
rook f1 the rook doesn't use the F-file.
It comes back here.  The King comes in.
Kc4 f6 these pawns look absolutely huge. e5 - black desperate to blockade them to
no avail.
It seems hopeless.  Check and the game ended here.
Both engines reached the magic threshold
for an auto declaration - an auto
adjudication. Black basically lost now
this game because it based on the
evaluations of both engines being above
ten I believe now. As a sample
continuation king d3 Bishop c5 rook a8
is strong with the idea check and then e6
and in fact the bishop could be put back
in prison and white can casually play
for e7.  So this could be a scenario - a
fantastic win. This is a historic day in
neural network chess history. This is a
historically important game in my view. I
hope you enjoyed it as much as me. If you
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