Hans Berliner, Master Chess Player and Programmer, Dies at87

[Ampzilla]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/16/busi ... at-87.html

[Daniel Anulliero]

Sad new ...
Hitech's "father" is gone ...

Repose en paix
Condoléances à toute sa famille et ses amis ..
Dany

[Rebel]

RIP Hans.

[supersharp77]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/16/busi ... at-87.html

A great loss....he will be missed

"Hans Berliner, a former world champion of correspondence chess who won one of the greatest games ever played on his way to the title and later became a pioneering developer of game-playing computers, died on Friday in Riviera Beach, Fla. He was 87." The System: A World Champion's Approach to Chess. $14.95. Paperback. Books by Hans Berliner ...One of the Great Chess Minds......Indeed! RIP

[reflectionofpower]

Definitely a well known figure in the computer chess world as well as a strong chess player in his own right.

RIP

[AdminX]

I remember reading about him and going over the games of Hitech in Chesslife magazine.

[pgn]
[Event "04, 1st Harvard Cup G/30 29 October"]
[Site "04, 1st Harvard Cup G/30 29 O"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alburt Lev"]
[Black "Hitech"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D02"]
[PlyCount "158"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nc6 3. d4 Bf5 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. O-O e6 6. c4 Be7 7. Ne5 Nxe5 8.
dxe5 Ne4 9. cxd5 Qxd5 10. g4 Bg6 11. Qxd5 exd5 12. f4 f5 13. Be3 fxg4 14. f5
Bf7 15. e6 Bh5 16. Bxe4 dxe4 17. Nc3 O-O-O 18. Nxe4 Rd5 19. Ng3 Be8 20. Rad1
Ra5 21. Bd4 Rg8 22. e4 Rxa2 23. e5 Bb5 24. f6 Bxf1 25. Rxf1 gxf6 26. exf6 Bxf6
27. Bxf6 Re8 28. e7 Ra6 29. Bg5 h6 30. Bh4 Re6 31. Nf5 c5 32. Ra1 a6 33. Rc1 b6
34. b4 Kd7 35. bxc5 bxc5 36. Rxc5 Re4 37. Rd5+ Kc7 38. Bg3+ Kb6 39. Rd6+ Ka5
40. Rd8 R8xe7 41. Nxe7 Rxe7 42. Rd6 Rh7 43. Rd5+ Ka4 44. Be1 h5 45. Ra5+ Kb3
46. Rxa6 h4 47. Rb6+ Kc2 48. Re6 Kd3 49. Kg2 Rh5 50. Bb4 g3 51. h3 Rb5 52. Rd6+
Kc4 53. Bd2 Rb2 54. Kf3 Kc5 55. Rd8 Rb1 56. Be3+ Kc6 57. Rd4 Rf1+ 58. Kg2 Re1
59. Bg5 Re2+ 60. Kf1 Rh2 61. Rxh4 Kc5 62. Kg1 Kc6 63. Bf4 Rb2 64. Bxg3 Rd2 65.
Rf4 Rd3 66. Kg2 Rd2+ 67. Rf2 Rd5 68. Re2 Rf5 69. h4 Kd5 70. Kh3 Kd4 71. Kg4 Rf7
72. h5 Kd3 73. Re6 Rg7+ 74. Rg6 Re7 75. h6 Re4+ 76. Bf4 Re7 77. Rg7 Re2 78. h7
Rg2+ 79. Bg3 Rxg3+ 0-1
[/pgn]

[pgn]
[Event "1st Harvard Cup 2 G/"]
[Site "1st Harvard Cup 2 G/"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hitech"]
[Black "Gulko Boris F (USA)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C16"]
[PlyCount "137"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 b6 5. a3 Bf8 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. Bd3 c5 8. Qg4 h5
9. Qf4 Nh6 10. dxc5 bxc5 11. Nf3 Nc6 12. Nb5 c4 13. Be2 Qa5+ 14. Nc3 Nf5 15.
O-O Be7 16. Nd1 Qb6 17. c3 Qd8 18. Be3 Rb8 19. a4 Rg8 20. Ng5 Bxg5 21. Qxg5
Qxg5 22. Bxg5 Nxe5 23. Bf4 f6 24. Bxh5+ g6 25. Bg4 Kf7 26. f3 g5 27. Bh5+ Ke7
28. Bxe5 fxe5 29. Re1 Kf6 30. Re2 Rh8 31. Bg4 d4 32. cxd4 exd4 33. a5 Bc6 34.
Rc1 Bd5 35. Ra1 Rb4 36. a6 Rhb8 37. Ra3 d3 38. Rf2 Nd4 39. f4 Nc2 40. Ra5 R8b5
41. Rxb5 Rxb5 42. Bf3 Ra5 43. fxg5+ Kxg5 44. Bxd5 exd5 45. Nc3 Ne3 46. Rf3 d4
47. Ne4+ Kg6 48. Rf6+ Kg7 49. Rc6 Rf5 50. Nd2 Ra5 51. Rc7+ Kg6 52. Rc6+ Kf5 53.
Kf2 Ra4 54. Kf3 Rb4 55. Rc7 Rxb2 56. Nxc4 Rc2 57. Nxe3+ dxe3 58. Rxa7 e2 59.
Re7 Rc1 60. Rxe2 dxe2 61. Kxe2 Ra1 62. Kf3 Rxa6 63. Kg3 Kg5 64. h4+ Kh5 65. Kh3
Ra3+ 66. g3 Rb3 67. Kg2 Kg4 68. Kf2 Rxg3 69. h5 0-1
[/pgn]

[pgn]
[Event "Reno NACCC"]
[Site "Reno NACCC"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Hitech"]
[Black "Deep Thought"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D20"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 Nc6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. d5 Ne5 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Bf4 Nfd7 8.
Qa4 Nxf3+ 9. gxf3 Bxf3 10. Rg1 a6 11. Qxc4 Rc8 12. Rg3 Bh5 13. Bh3 f6 14. Qb4
g5 15. Be3 b5 16. Qd4 c5 17. dxc6 Rxc6 18. Rxg5 fxg5 19. Qxh8 Nf6 20. Bf1 Qa5
21. Bd4 Qb4 22. Bxf6 Rxf6 23. Rd1 Bxd1 24. a3 Qxb2 25. Nxd1 Qxa3 26. Qxh7 Qa5+
27. Ke2 Rd6 28. Qh5+ Kd8 29. Qxg5 Bh6 30. Qg8+ Kc7 0-1
[/pgn]

[pgn]
[Event "ACM Albuquerque"]
[Site "ACM Albuquerque"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Deep Thought II"]
[Black "Hitech"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C08"]
[PlyCount "109"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 exd5 5. Ngf3 Nf6 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. Bxd7+ Nbxd7
8. O-O Be7 9. dxc5 Nxc5 10. Nb3 O-O 11. Nxc5 Bxc5 12. Bg5 d4 13. Qd3 h6 14. Bh4
Rc8 15. Rfd1 Re8 16. Qf5 Qb6 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. Qxf6 gxf6 19. Kf1 f5 20. Rac1
Rcd8 21. Rd3 Rd6 22. a3 a5 23. Rb3 b6 24. Ne1 Rc6 25. Rb5 Kg7 26. Nf3 Rd8 27.
Ne5 Rc7 28. Nd3 a4 29. Re1 Bf8 30. Re2 Bc5 31. g3 Rdc8 32. Re5 Kf6 33. Rd5 Re7
34. c3 Re4 35. cxd4 Rxd4 36. Rxd4 Bxd4 37. Rb4 Rd8 38. Rxa4 Ke6 39. Rb4 Kd5 40.
a4 Ra8 41. b3 Ra5 42. Ke2 b5 43. Rxb5+ Rxb5 44. axb5 Bb6 45. h4 Bc7 46. h5 Ba5
47. f4 f6 48. Nb2 Bb4 49. Nc4 Bc5 50. Kf3 Bf8 51. Ne3+ Kc5 52. Nxf5 Kxb5 53.
Ke4 Kc5 54. Ne3 Kb4 55. Kf5 1-0
[/pgn]

[pgn]
[Event "9th AEGON man-comp"]
[Site "The Hague NED"]
[Date "1994.05.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Voorthuijsen PW van"]
[Black "Hitech"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C21"]
[PlyCount "117"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Bc5 5. Bc4 Qe7 6. O-O Nc6 7. e5 d6 8.
Bg5 Qd7 9. Re1 d5 10. Bb5 a6 11. e6 Qd6 12. Bxc6+ bxc6 13. exf7+ Kxf7 14. Ne5+
Kf8 15. Qh5 g6 16. Qf3+ Bf5 17. g4 Kg7 18. gxf5 Rf8 19. Nd3 Rxf5 20. Qg3 Qxg3+
21. hxg3 Bd6 22. Bf4 Nf6 23. Nd2 c5 24. b3 Kf7 25. Kg2 g5 26. Be5 h5 27. Bxf6
Kxf6 28. Re2 Kg7 29. Rh1 h4 30. g4 Rff8 31. Kh3 Rf6 32. Rhe1 Rhh6 33. f4 Bxf4
34. Re7+ Rf7 35. Nxf4 gxf4 36. Nf3 Rh8 37. R1e5 c6 38. Rg5+ Kf6 39. Ree5 Rhf8
40. Rh5 Rc8 41. Kxh4 Rg7 42. Rhf5+ Kg6 43. Re6+ Kh7 44. g5 a5 45. Rff6 Kg8 46.
g6 Rgc7 47. Kg5 c4 48. Nxd4 a4 49. bxa4 Ra8 50. Nf5 d4 51. Ne7+ Rxe7 52. Rxe7
f3 53. Rxf3 c5 54. Rff7 Kh8 55. Kh6 Kg8 56. Rg7+ Kh8 57. Rh7+ Kg8 58. Reg7+ Kf8
59. Rh8# 1-0
[/pgn]

[pgn]
[Event "9th AEGON man-comp"]
[Site "The Hague NED"]
[Date "1994.05.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hitech"]
[Black "Pam/Wind, Max"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C45"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Qd2 a6 8.
f4 d6 9. Be2 Bd7 10. O-O h6 11. b4 Ba7 12. Na3 O-O 13. Nc4 Ng6 14. Nxc6 Bxc6
15. Bxa7 Rxa7 16. Qe3 Raa8 17. Na5 Rfe8 18. Nxc6 bxc6 19. g3 a5 20. Bf3 axb4
21. cxb4 Ra6 22. a3 Nf8 23. Rfe1 Ne6 24. e5 dxe5 25. fxe5 Qg5 26. Qc3 h5 27.
Bxc6 Rd8 28. Qc4 Rb6 29. Bd5 Rxd5 30. Qxd5 h4 31. Qa8+ Nf8 32. Rad1 hxg3 33.
Rd8 gxh2+ 34. Kh1 Qe7 35. Re8 1-0
[/pgn]

[pgn]
[Event "9th AEGON man-comp"]
[Site "The Hague NED"]
[Date "1994.05.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hitech"]
[Black "Tim Krabbe"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C45"]
[PlyCount "120"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8.
c4 Ba6 9. Nd2 O-O-O 10. Qe4 Nb6 11. c5 Bxf1 12. cxb6 Ba6 13. bxa7 Kb7 14. b3 f6
15. Nc4 Bxc4 16. bxc4 Qxe5 17. Qxe5 fxe5 18. Be3 c5 19. Rb1+ Kxa7 20. Ke2 Rb8
21. Rxb8 Kxb8 22. Kd3 c6 23. Ke4 Bd6 24. a4 Kc7 25. Bd2 Ra8 26. a5 Kd8 27. Ra1
Ra6 28. Bc3 Ke7 29. Bxe5 Bxe5 30. Kxe5 d6+ 31. Ke4 Ke6 32. h4 d5+ 33. Kd3 Kd6
34. Ra4 Ke5 35. f3 Kd6 36. Ra2 Ke5 37. g3 Kd6 38. Ra3 Kc7 39. h5 Kb7 40. f4 Kc7
41. Ra2 Kd6 42. g4 Ke6 43. Ra1 Kf6 44. Ra2 Ke6 45. Ra1 Kf6 46. Ra4 Ke6 47. Ra2
Kd6 48. Ra4 Ke6 49. Ra2 Kd6 50. h6 g6 51. Ra1 Ke6 52. Ra2 Kd6 53. Ra1 Ke6 54.
Ra4 Kd6 55. Ra3 Ke6 56. Ra1 Kd6 57. Ra2 Ke6 58. Ra1 Kd6 59. Ra4 Ke6 60. Ra3 Kd6
1/2-1/2
[/pgn]

[pgn]
[Event "9th AEGON man-comp"]
[Site "The Hague NED"]
[Date "1994.05.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hitech"]
[Black "Vaganian, R."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C15"]
[BlackElo "2625"]
[PlyCount "129"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. exd5 exd5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. a3 Be7 7. Bf4 a6 8. Nf3
Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. g4 Bg6 11. Bxg6 hxg6 12. Qe2 Qd7 13. Ne5 Nxe5 14. Qxe5 O-O-O
15. Nxd5 Bd6 16. Qxd6 Qxd6 17. Bxd6 Rxd6 18. c4 c6 19. Nb6+ Kc7 20. O-O-O Nf6
21. c5 Re6 22. f3 Re3 23. Rhe1 Rhe8 24. Rf1 Nd5 25. Nxd5+ cxd5 26. Kc2 Kc6 27.
Rd3 R3e7 28. Kb3 Rh8 29. Rfd1 g5 30. R1d2 Rxh3 31. Kb4 Re1 32. Rb3 Rhh1 33. Ka5
Kc7 34. c6 bxc6 35. Kxa6 Rd1 36. Rxd1 Rxd1 37. Rb7+ Kd6 38. Rxf7 Rxd4 39. Rxg7
Rd3 40. Rg6+ Kc7 41. Rxg5 Rxf3 42. Rh5 Rb3 43. Rh7+ Kd6 44. Rh2 d4 45. Rg2 c5
46. g5 Kc6 47. Ka5 Rb8 48. Ka4 c4 49. g6 d3 50. Ka5 Kc5 51. Rg5+ Kd4 52. g7 Rg8
53. Rg2 c3 54. bxc3+ Kxc3 55. Rg3 Kc2 56. Kb4 d2 57. Rc3+ Kb2 58. Rd3 Rb8+ 59.
Kc4 Kc2 60. Rc3+ Kd1 61. Rh3 Rg8 62. Kb3 Rb8+ 63. Kc4 Rc8+ 64. Kb3 Rb8+ 65. Kc4
1/2-1/2
[/pgn]

[pgn]
[Event "9th AEGON man-comp"]
[Site "The Hague NED"]
[Date "1994.05.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hitech"]
[Black "Wim van der Pol"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B29"]
[PlyCount "46"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nc3 Nc7 5. d4 cxd4 6. Qxd4 Nc6 7. Qa4 g6 8.
Bf4 Bg7 9. O-O-O O-O 10. h4 a6 11. Qe4 b5 12. h5 b4 13. hxg6 hxg6 14. Na4 Ne6
15. Be3 Qa5 16. Nb6 Rb8 17. Qh4 f6 18. Qh7+ Kf7 19. Bd3 Ke8 20. Bxg6+ Kd8 21.
Bf5 Qxa2 22. Bxe6 Qxe6 23. Qxg7 Re8 1-0
[/pgn]

[pgn]
[Event "9th AEGON man-comp"]
[Site "The Hague NED"]
[Date "1994.05.04"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ed Voortmeijer"]
[Black "Hitech"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A16"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. e4 Nb4 5. d4 Qxd4 6. Be3 Qxd1+ 7. Rxd1 Nc2+
8. Kd2 Nxe3 9. Kxe3 e5 10. Nf3 Bc5+ 11. Ke2 Nc6 12. Nd5 Bb6 13. Nxb6 axb6 14.
a3 Bg4 15. Ke1 Ra4 16. Bd3 Bxf3 17. gxf3 Nd4 18. Be2 Ke7 19. Rg1 Kf6 20. h4 Rd8
21. Rc1 Rd7 22. Bd1 Ra8 23. Rg3 Rad8 24. Bc2 g6 25. Bd1 c6 26. Bc2 Nxc2+ 27.
Rxc2 Rd1+ 28. Ke2 Rh1 29. Rg2 h5 30. Rd2 Rxd2+ 31. Kxd2 Rxh4 32. Rg1 Rf4 33.
Ke3 h4 34. Rh1 Ke7 35. b4 b5 36. Rh2 f5 37. Rh1 Kf6 38. Rd1 h3 39. Rd6+ Kg5 40.
exf5 Kxf5 41. Rd1 h2 42. Rh1 Rh4 0-1
[/pgn]

[Dann Corbit]

His book on how to play chess was really interesting.

The earliest attempt I know of to carefully quantify things other than piece values.

[Gerd Isenberg]

A computer chess giant and pioneer has gone - rest in peace, Hans Berliner.

[reflectionofpower]

A computer chess giant and pionerr has gone - rest in peace, Hans Berliner.

https://chessprogramming.wikispaces.com/Hans+Berliner

[AdminX]

A truly fascinating game that is interesting to go over with or without a computer. Analysis by Sugar Shah.

[pgn]
[Event "Correspondence World Cup"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1965.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Estrin, Yakov"]
[Black "Berliner, Hans"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C57"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "1965.??.??"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 {To play such a move in correspondence
chess is not a great idea. This line could work in a tournament game, due to
the constraint of available time. However, in correspondence chess it is a
completely different world.} d5 5. exd5 b5 $5 6. Bf1 $1 {This paradoxical move
is the best in the position. The idea is to keep g2 pawn defended so that Qxd5
can be met with Nc3, developing with a tempo.} (6. Bxb5 Qxd5 {is completely
fine for Black.}) 6... Nd4 7. c3 Nxd5 8. Ne4 (8. cxd4 Qxg5 9. Bxb5+ Kd8 10. O-O
Bb7 {The position remains unbalanced and complicated.}) 8... Qh4 9. Ng3 {
This move not only saves the knight but also blocks the h4-e1 diagonal. Now
Bg4 can be met with f3.} (9. d3 Bg4 {is not so easy to meet.}) 9... Bg4 10. f3
{The bishop on g4 is attacked and so is the knight on d4. What must Black play?
} e4 $3 {You put the third one under attack as well! How many pieces can White
take in one move!} 11. cxd4 (11. fxg4 Bd6 {already gives Black excellent play.}
) 11... Bd6 {It's not about how many pieces you have on the board. It's all
about how many pieces are actively taking part in the game.} 12. Bxb5+ (12. Qe2
$5 O-O (12... Bxg3+ 13. hxg3 Qxh1 14. Qxb5+ (14. Qxe4+ Be6 $17) 14... Bd7 15.
Qxd5 $18) 13. fxg4 Bxg3+ (13... Nb4 14. Qxb5 Nc2+ 15. Kd1 Nxa1 16. Nxe4 $18)
14. Kd1 $5 {The computer thinks that this position is winning for White. I
have my doubts. You can try to analyze this deeper. Remember, you can start a
chess engine in our Javascript player and try alternate lines.}) 12... Kd8 13.
O-O exf3 14. Rxf3 (14. gxf3 Bxg3 $19) 14... Rb8 $1 {The way Berliner gets all
his pieces into the game is quite inspiring. It doesn't matter if you are a
piece down, as long as the number of forces playing in the game is to your
favour.} 15. Be2 $2 (15. Bf1 Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Qxd4+ 17. Kh1 $16) 15... Bxf3 16.
Bxf3 Qxd4+ 17. Kh1 Bxg3 18. hxg3 {Black is better now because he brings in the
rook into the attack.} Rb6 $1 {A strong move threatening Rh6#} 19. d3 Ne3 20.
Bxe3 Qxe3 {Once again Rh6 is a big threat and there is only one way to stop it.
} 21. Bg4 h5 22. Bh3 g5 23. Nd2 (23. Bf5 h4 24. g4 h3 $19) 23... g4 24. Nc4
Qxg3 25. Nxb6 gxh3 26. Qf3 hxg2+ 27. Qxg2 Qxg2+ 28. Kxg2 {After all the
complications, material sanity has been restored. However, it is Black who now
has an extra pawn. How would you recapture the knight on b6?} cxb6 $1 {
Capturing away from the center, but now White has no way to create a passer on
the queenside.} (28... axb6 {looks logical, but in endgames it is better to
not allow the opponent to get an outside passed pawn, which White can do with
a4, b4 and a5.} 29. a4 Kd7 30. b4 Kc6 31. Rh1 $17) 29. Rf1 (29. Kh3 $5 $17)
29... Ke7 30. Re1+ Kd6 31. Rf1 Rc8 $1 {I like this decision very much. You
give up a pawn and get all your pieces co-ordinated.} 32. Rxf7 Rc7 33. Rf2 Ke5
{The h5 pawn ensures that all pawn endings are winning. Now Black uses his
king to inflict the damage.} 34. a4 Kd4 35. a5 Kxd3 36. Rf3+ Kc2 37. b4 b5 38.
a6 Rc4 39. Rf7 Rxb4 40. Rb7 Rg4+ 41. Kf3 b4 42. Rxa7 b3 {A great game by Hans
Berliner. The way he brought all his pieces into the attack is something to
learn from.} 0-1
[/pgn]

A very good writeup by Frederic Friedel on Chessbase.com

http://en.chessbase.com/post/hans-berli ... dies-at-87