My game against Stockfish 1.8 and other stuff

[Michael Sherwin]

(sorry I am too tired to spell check this and it is way past my bedtime but I think that it might be interesting)

On July 21st I put my mom in a nursing home after almost 3

years of taking care of her by my self. I really hated to

have to do that. But, I had no choice. I could no longer take

care of her and trying to continue doing so was litterally

killing me.


Since then I have been trying to write code or play against

strong engines or study openings, but I guess that I was just

too worn out as I quickly got tired and just could not keep

my eyes open. I have spent most of my free time sleeping this

last 6 weeks. Today is the first game that I have started

that I was able to go the distance and not terminate early

due to exhaustion and/or stupid blunders caused by

exhaustion--move 15 was about my limit.


I just want to show that it is possible to play 'normal

chess' against these monsters. And I am only playing the

black side because I have trouble with black in human

tournaments. And I do hope to start playing in tournaments

again. One U.S. open that I played in when I was in my early

20's I had 5 wins with white and 5 loses with black! Boris

Spasky watched an amazing draw that I made with black. And

Sammuel Reshevsky watched a nice win that I had as white. I

noticed Reshevsky walking down the boards and it just so

happened that I was able to play one of his experimental

moves just as he reached my board. He watched me get a

winning advantage before continuing on. Then in a game with

black against a master I saw that I was loosing, so, I

sacrificed a whole rook in the early middle game to get

doubled passed pawns on the QR file. It took a lot of work

but I got a drawn game that I gave away because I saw a win

that was not there. I do want to get back to playing in

tournaments again, now that I can afford it!


I am interested in any opinions that someone might have about

my thinking in this game! I think that it is an interesting

game with a very instructive rook and pawn ending. Others may

have a different opinion.


Played at TC 40/120 on a 1.81 GHz Core 2 Duo Toshiba laptop

using the Stockfish 1.8 book.

Code: Select all

1.    e4    e5   Usually I would prefere a sicilian,
                 caro-kann or even a french, however
                 I am contimplating playing e5 in
                 tournaments

2.   Nf3   Nc6
3.   Bc4   Nf6   If I do play in tournaments again someday
                 I plan on knowing the two knights very
                 well. 

4.    d3   Be7   So Stockfish plays a line that I have not 
                 gotten around to looking at yet. Figures!
                 I did not even know that Be7 was book. I
                 was just looking for slow and solid.

5.   O-O   O-O 
6.    c3    d6   d5 was a more correct move, however
                 giving Stockfish an easy and open
            

                position before developement was
                 further along did not appeal.

7.    a4   Bg4   a4 seemed like a lost tempo so I decided
                 to see if white was willing to part with
                 a few more. Though, giving up the two
                 bishops was not the best choice

8.    h3   Bf3
9.   Qf3   Qd7
10.  Nd2   Rd8   Now the d5 break is well prepared

11.   a5    a6   But first, white was planing to weaken
                 the white squares with a6

12.  Qd1    d5   Got the break and all the extra tempos
                 that I was looking for, but those bishops
                 will nearly kill

13.   ed   Nd5   
14.  Nf3   Nf6   The position for black is not that good
                 after all. Was there a useful move?

15.  Qb3   Rb8   Well, so much for extra tempos

16.  Ng5   Bd6   Guarding f7 and e5

17.  Be3    h6   The BQ wants to get to f5 so the knight
                 needed to go

18.  Ne4   Qf5
19.  Nf6   Qf6   I was hopeing for NxB that would give black
                 a strong center and a king side attack

20.  Bd5   Nd8   
21. Rae1   Kh8 
22.  Re2   Qg6   I needed to deflect something from the KS

23.  Rd1   Re8   It worked but f5 may have been better. 
                 Let's see, R85g3 liked f5 until depth 12
                 then switched to Ne6, yuck. SF1.8 likes
                 the move that I made!

24.  Bf4   Ne6   I missed whites move, now a KS attack is
                 not going to be in the cards

25.  Bh2   Re7   Looking to bring the b1R over after c6

26.  Kf1    c6
27.  Bc4   Qg5   Now I'm ready to attack with Nf4

28.  Be6   Re6   SF; "I saw that"

29. R1e1   Qd8   My only defence seems to be the BQ looking
                 at two weak pawns

30.   f3   Qc7   Now I am well protected

31.   d4    ed   Win or loose I was tired and just wanted
                 to get to a playable endgame

32.  Re6    fe
33.  Bd6   Qd6   
34.  Re6   Qc7
35.  Qb4    dc
36.  Qc3   Kh7 
37.  Qb4   Rd8
38.  Re7   Qg3
39.  Qe4   Kh8
40.  Qe1   Qe1
41.  Ke1   Rd5   This was the position that I was hopeing for
                 as I felt that it is defendable

42.  Rb7   Ra5
42.   g4   Kh7   it seems that g4 makes drawing easier

43.  Kd2   Rc5   keeping the King away from its b2P

44.  Rb3    g5   A draw is getting closer

45.  Rb7   Kg6
46.  Re7   Kf6
47.  Re4    a5
48.  Kd3   Rd5 
49.  Kc3   Re5   Now black has quick access to the white
                 pawns

50.  Rc4   Re3
51.  Kd4   Rf3
52.  Rc6   Kg7
53.  Rc3   Rf2
54.   b3   Rf4   Now the QS pawns are exchanged and I have
                 my draw

55.  Kd5    a4
56.  Rc6   Kg2
57.   ba   Ra4   The rest of the moves are in the pgn

[Event "Computer Schach Partie"]
[Site "c2"]
[Date "2010.09.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Stockfish 1.8 JA 64bit"]
[Black "Michael"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[BlackElo "2350"]
[ECO "C55"]
[Opening "Two Knights Defence (Bishop's Opening, 5.c3)"]
[Time "12:57:06"]
[TimeControl "40/7200:40/7200:7200"]
[Termination "normal"]
[PlyCount "130"]
[WhiteType "program"]
[BlackType "human"]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Be7 5.O-O O-O 6.c3 d6 7.a4 Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3 9.
Qxf3 Qd7 10.Nd2 Rad8 11.a5 a6 12.Qd1 d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Nf3 Nf6 15.Qb3 Rb8 16.
Ng5 Bd6 17.Be3 h6 18.Ne4 Qf5 19.Nxf6+ Qxf6 20.Bd5 Nd8 21.Rae1 Kh8 22.Re2 Qg6
23.Rd1 Re8 24.Bf4 Ne6 25.Bh2 Re7 26.Kf1 c6 27.Bc4 Qg5 28.Bxe6 Rxe6 29.Rde1 Qd8
30.f3 Qc7 31.d4 exd4 32.Rxe6 fxe6 33.Bxd6 Qxd6 34.Rxe6 Qc7 35.Qb4 dxc3 36.Qxc3
Kh7 37.Qb4 Rd8 38.Re7 Qg3 39.Qe4+ Kh8 40.Qe1 Qxe1+ 41.Kxe1 Rd5 42.Rxb7 Rxa5 43.
g4 Kh7 44.Kd2 Rc5 45.Rb3 g5 46.Rb7+ Kg6 47.Re7 Kf6 48.Re4 a5 49.Kd3 Rd5+ 50.Kc3
Re5 51.Rc4 Re3+ 52.Kd4 Rxf3 53.Rxc6+ Kg7 54.Rc3 Rf2 55.b3 Rf4+ 56.Kd5 a4 57.
Rc7+ Kg6 58.Rc6+ Kg7 59.bxa4 Rxa4 60.Rc7+ Kg6 61.Ke5 Ra3 62.Rc6+ Kg7 63.Rc7+
Kg6 64.Rc6+ Kg7 65.Rc7+ Kg6 1/2-1/2

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

Great game Michael,I am so pleased that someone else here is playing these monsters beside running tournaments or/and programming
I will start soon to play humans in our Royal Chess Club here in Amman....we'll see how will I fare against the poor human chess entities
Dr.D

[Michael Sherwin]

Thanks and good luck Dr. D against those pesky little humans!

I play better against computers than humans as I do not get nervous against computers. However, when I enter what I call 'the zone' (a near trance like state) I win every game with ease as I am not affected by nerves and I see everything instantly and I move instantly. This phenomenon happens mostly when I have the white pieces and rarely when I have the black. But, for some strange reason it does not happen when I play computers so I have to work my butt off against them in very long time controls. My last tournament (or one of my last) that I played in many decades ago I did not 'enter the zone' even one time and I went 0-6. I am trying to re cultivate the ability to 'enter the zone' while playing the black pieces against strong engines, but so far, nothing. If I can't ever find 'the zone' again then I will have to conquer my nerves if I want to play against humans. Just another strange but true story.

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

Thanks and good luck Dr. D against those pesky little humans!

I play better against computers than humans as I do not get nervous against computers. However, when I enter what I call 'the zone' (a near trance like state) I win every game with ease as I am not affected by nerves and I see everything instantly and I move instantly. This phenomenon happens mostly when I have the white pieces and rarely when I have the black. But, for some strange reason it does not happen when I play computers so I have to work my butt off against them in very long time controls. My last tournament (or one of my last) that I played in many decades ago I did not 'enter the zone' even one time and I went 0-6. I am trying to re cultivate the ability to 'enter the zone' while playing the black pieces against strong engines, but so far, nothing. If I can't ever find 'the zone' again then I will have to conquer my nerves if I want to play against humans. Just another strange but true story.

I do believe you Michael....playing humans is another story and requires a lot more than chess skills,it requires mostly a nerves of steel which is not always the case....
Dr.D

[Graham Banks]

Your own health is important too, so I'm glad that you took that into consideration. Hopefully you'll overcome your tiredness and gain a better quality of life now.

Cheers,
Graham.

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

Your own health is important too, so I'm glad that you took that into consideration. Hopefully you'll overcome your tiredness and gain a better quality of life now.

Cheers,
Graham.

....and release a new version of Romichess that said

[Graham Banks]

Your own health is important too, so I'm glad that you took that into consideration. Hopefully you'll overcome your tiredness and gain a better quality of life now.

Cheers,
Graham.

....and release a new version of Romichess that said

That too!

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

Your own health is important too, so I'm glad that you took that into consideration. Hopefully you'll overcome your tiredness and gain a better quality of life now.

Cheers,
Graham.

....and release a new version of Romichess that said

That too!

[Eelco de Groot]

Hi Michael,

Good to hear the news. I'm very glad to hear that you got some deserved rest Michael! It seems you had some catching up to do with your sleep too! Pure exhaustion. And it was a difficult decision I'm sure, but it must be better this way.

I will play through your game against Stockfish later, I didn't know you played in tournaments too! Playing against humans is very different from playing computers. Computers are aliens! No figuring out what they are calculating or thinking. It is very interesting what you describe as The Zone Michael. Maybe there is some telepathy involved Vulcan mindmelds and stuff

Sometimes I still firmly believe we have this sixth sense, or something like that. Maybe it just lying dormant for us to discover. I'm sure I read way too much SF.

Good Michael, you quite had some catching up to do on some very important things! And sleeping is very important too! Trying to figure out what a program does is not very relaxing for me if I don't understand why it doesn't do ever what I want it to do, but it can put you in some kind of repetitive trance too, that is maybe more relaxing.

Best wishes,
Eelco

[Michael Sherwin]

Thanks Eelco,

I also want to acknowledge the pm that you sent me awhile back. It was helpful. I was just too besieged at the time to make a thoughtful response.