Chess Informant 97 : no computer analysis?

[Jouni]

After a long pause I checked Informator 97 (2006) combinations. There are errors in a lot of combinations (also in endings). Aren't they checking with computers at all??

Example 1:

[D]2b3k1/5pp1/1q5p/1P1Pp2n/pQ2P1P1/4bP1P/R6K/1R3B2 b - -

Solution: 1. -Qf6! 2. gxh5 Qf4 ... = 0,5 - 0,5 but why not simple 2.Kg2 1- 0 ?

Example 2:

[D]6k1/5p2/p3bbpp/8/q5P1/2p2P2/P1R4P/K1Q1R3 b - -

Solution: 1. Bb3! 2. Ree2 Bxa2 ... = 0 - 1 but not 1. - Bxa2 because of 2. Rxa2 c2+ 3. Qb2 Bxb2 4. Kxb2 = draw? but 3. -Qf4 is mating white!

Jouni

[James Constance]

Yes - good point. It would be interesting to hear what CI say

[Jouni]

Also one example from endings:

[D]2b5/1p6/2p2k1p/2Pp1p2/3P1K1P/3BPP2/8/8 w


Solution 1.Bf1! Be6 2. Bh3 h5 3. e4!! dxe4 4. fxe4 fxe4 5. Bxe6 Kxe6 6. Kxe4 1-0. Really? after 3. -fxe4 = draw.

Jouni

[Karlo Bala]

After a long pause I checked Informator 97 (2006) combinations. There are errors in a lot of combinations (also in endings). Aren't they checking with computers at all??

Example 1:

[D]2b3k1/5pp1/1q5p/1P1Pp2n/pQ2P1P1/4bP1P/R6K/1R3B2 b - -

Solution: 1. -Qf6! 2. gxh5 Qf4 ... = 0,5 - 0,5 but why not simple 2.Kg2 1- 0 ?

Example 2:

[D]6k1/5p2/p3bbpp/8/q5P1/2p2P2/P1R4P/K1Q1R3 b - -

Solution: 1. Bb3! 2. Ree2 Bxa2 ... = 0 - 1 but not 1. - Bxa2 because of 2. Rxa2 c2+ 3. Qb2 Bxb2 4. Kxb2 = draw? but 3. -Qf4 is mating white!

Jouni

I don't know for positions, but games that are in CI are commented by the players. Lot of players gives wrong analysis with intention especially in opening.

[shiv]

I got the anthology of chess combinations from chess informant. There are many errors in it even though it was supposedly computer checked. I guess the combinations are not computer checked at all.

Of course for a tournament player, discovering these errors without computers is a good exercise. However, for chess engine authors, errors are annoying.

I think annotated games are usually better computer checked than the tactics. Of course, we cannot expect top players to reveal secrets of the positions and they often conceal variations which they plan to use later. Still, the quality is reasonable.

[Jouni]

After checking more endings, it's difficult to find good test positions from
Informator. Reason: 50% of positions are too easy and almost 50% incorrect.

Jouni