opening novelty

[lkaufman]

In the following variation, 1d4 Nf6 2Bg5 d5 3c4 (?) Ne4 4Bf4 Black played 4...e5!! in a game yesterday. Although the databases show that this position occured in 28 (human) games, no one ever played this move before, although engine analysis confirms that it is best and gives Black a clear edge. A convincing novelty on move 4 is a very rare event in chess.
Question: What engine played the move in the game yesterday?

(answer to follow later)

[JuLieN]

After white's 4th move:

[d]rnbqkb1r/ppp1pppp/8/3p4/2PPnB2/8/PP2PPPP/RN1QKBNR b KQkq - 2 4

[zullil]

In the following variation, 1d4 Nf6 2Bg5 d5 3c4 (?) Ne4 4Bf4 Black played 4...e5!! in a game yesterday. Although the databases show that this position occured in 28 (human) games, no one ever played this move before, although engine analysis confirms that it is best and gives Black a clear edge. A convincing novelty on move 4 is a very rare event in chess.
Question: What engine played the move in the game yesterday?

(answer to follow later)

Which engine played c4? here?

[d]rnbqkb1r/ppp1pppp/5n2/3p2B1/3P4/8/PPP1PPPP/RN1QKBNR w KQkq d6 0 3

According to Critter-1.4, c4 is not even one of the top dozen moves:

Code: Select all

info multipv 1 depth 20 seldepth 51 nodes 1013014559 time 139633 nps 7254836 hashfull 0 tbhits 0 score cp -4 pv e2e3 c7c5 b1c3 c5d4 d1d4 b8c6 f1b5 e7e6 g1f3 c8d7 b5c6 d7c6 e1g1 f8e7 f3e5 e8g8 a1d1 d8b6 b2b3 b6c7 g5f6 e7f6 f2f4 a7a6
 
info multipv 2 depth 20 seldepth 51 nodes 1013014559 time 139633 nps 7254836 hashfull 0 tbhits 0 score cp -4 pv b1c3 c7c5 e2e3 c5d4 d1d4 b8c6 f1b5 e7e6 g1f3 c8d7 b5c6 d7c6 e1g1 f8e7 f3e5 e8g8 a1d1 d8b6 b2b3 b6c7 g5f6 e7f6 f2f4 a7a6
 
info multipv 3 depth 20 seldepth 51 nodes 1013014559 time 139633 nps 7254836 hashfull 0 tbhits 0 score cp -5 pv g1f3 f6e4 g5f4 c8f5 e2e3 e7e6 f1b5 b8d7 e1g1 f8d6 f4d6 c7d6 b5d7 d8d7 f3h4 f5g6 h4g6 f7g6 f2f3 e4f6 b1c3 e8g8 d1d3 a8c8 a1d1 a7a6 e3e4
 
info multipv 4 depth 20 seldepth 51 nodes 1013014559 time 139633 nps 7254836 hashfull 0 tbhits 0 score cp -8 pv g5f6 e7f6 e2e3 c8e6 g1f3 f8d6 b1d2 e8g8 c2c4 b8c6 c4c5 d6e7 f1b5 d8d7 e1g1 a7a6 b5c6 d7c6 d1c2 h7h6 a1e1 a8e8 c2d3 c6b5 d3b5 a6b5
 
info multipv 5 depth 20 seldepth 51 nodes 1013014559 time 139633 nps 7254836 hashfull 0 tbhits 0 score cp -12 pv b1d2 c7c5 d4c5 e7e6 d2b3 b8d7 d1d4 d8c7 g5f6 d7f6 e2e3 c8d7 g1f3 b7b6 d4e5 c7b7 c5b6 a7b6 c2c3 f6e4 b3d4 f7f6 e5h5 g7g6 h5g4
 
info multipv 6 depth 20 seldepth 51 nodes 1013014559 time 139633 nps 7254836 hashfull 0 tbhits 0 score cp -16 pv g5f4 c7c5 e2e3 b8c6 b1c3 c5d4 e3d4 d8b6 g1f3 c8g4 f1b5 e7e6 e1g1 a7a6 b5c6 b7c6 a1b1 g4f3 d1f3 b6d4 f1e1 f8c5 b1d1 d4c4 e1e2
 
info multipv 7 depth 20 seldepth 51 nodes 1013014559 time 139633 nps 7254836 hashfull 0 tbhits 0 score cp -17 pv a2a3 f6e4 g5f4 g7g5 f4c1 b8c6 f2f3 e4d6 e2e4 e7e6 b1c3 f8g7 c1e3 e8g8 g1h3 h7h6 h3f2 d5e4 f3e4 e6e5 d4d5 c6d4 h2h4
 
info multipv 8 depth 20 seldepth 51 nodes 1013014559 time 139633 nps 7254836 hashfull 0 tbhits 0 score cp -19 pv c2c3 c7c5 g1f3 h7h6 g5f6 e7f6 b1d2 b8c6 e2e3 d8b6 d1b3 f8e7 d4c5 b6c5 e3e4 d5e4 d2e4 c5f5 f1d3 e8g8 e1g1 f8d8 a1d1 c6e5
 
info multipv 9 depth 20 seldepth 51 nodes 1013014559 time 139633 nps 7254836 hashfull 0 tbhits 0 score cp -24 pv h2h4 c7c5 e2e3 c5d4 e3d4 b8c6 b1c3 a7a6 g1f3 h7h6 g5f4 c8g4 f1e2 e7e6 f3e5 g4e2 e5c6 e2d1 c6d8 a8d8 c3d1 f6e4 d1e3 f8d6 f4d6 e4d6
 
info multipv 10 depth 20 seldepth 51 nodes 1013014559 time 139633 nps 7254836 hashfull 0 tbhits 0 score cp -28 pv g5h4 c7c5 e2e3 c5d4 e3d4 b8c6 b1c3 g7g6 g1f3 f8g7 f1b5 e8g8 e1g1 c8g4 b5e2 f6e4 c3e4 d5e4 f3e5 g4e6 e5c6 b7c6 c2c3
 
info multipv 11 depth 20 seldepth 51 nodes 1013014559 time 139633 nps 7254836 hashfull 0 tbhits 0 score cp -35 pv a2a4 f6e4 g5f4 g7g5 f4c1 g5g4 e2e3 b8c6 f1d3 c8f5 g1e2 d8d7 e1g1 e7e5 b1c3 e8c8 c3e4 d5e4 d3c4 c8b8 b2b3 f5e6 c1b2 e5d4 e2d4 

info multipv 12 depth 20 seldepth 51 nodes 1013014559 time 139633 nps 7254836 hashfull 0 tbhits 0 score cp -36 pv g2g3 c7c5 g1f3 b8c6 g5f6 g7f6 d4c5 e7e5 b1c3 c8e6 e2e3 f8c5 f1g2 e8g8 e1g1 a8c8 f3d2 c5b4 a1b1 d5d4 e3d4 c6d4 a2a3 b4c3 b2c3 c8c3 b1b7 c3c2 b7a7 

[lkaufman]

Okay, it was a trick question. The move 4...e5!! was my own novelty, found at the board, in the Eastern Open (still in progress). Game Barnakov (2270) - Kaufman, Washington D.C. Dec. 29, 2011. I won in 22 moves. An easy sacrifice for a strong engine to find, but no human ever found it before!

[zullil]

Okay, it was a trick question. The move 4...e5!! was my own novelty, found at the board, in the Eastern Open (still in progress). Game Barnakov (2270) - Kaufman, Washington D.C. Dec. 29, 2011. I won in 22 moves. An easy sacrifice for a strong engine to find, but no human ever found it before!

Good for you! How many cores were you using? How much hash did you eat at breakfast?

[IanO]

Okay, it was a trick question. The move 4...e5!! was my own novelty, found at the board, in the Eastern Open (still in progress). Game Barnakov (2270) - Kaufman, Washington D.C. Dec. 29, 2011. I won in 22 moves. An easy sacrifice for a strong engine to find, but no human ever found it before!

Well done! Was this move prepared with computer assistance or on your own? If found using Rybka or Komodo, that probably still counts as your own work. Here's hoping you get into the next Informator.

With the advent of super-GM engines and proof-like search extensions tailored for analysis, I would expect there to be an explosion of opening novelties. I know that Rybka's book team was proud of their work, but I wonder how much of that theory makes its way into GM tournament preparation?

[Ron Langeveld]

Okay, it was a trick question. The move 4...e5!! was my own novelty, found at the board, in the Eastern Open (still in progress). Game Barnakov (2270) - Kaufman, Washington D.C. Dec. 29, 2011. I won in 22 moves. An easy sacrifice for a strong engine to find, but no human ever found it before!

4...e5 has been played in this correspondence game from 2008


[Event "corr 40.DFM/V7 Server"]
[Site "www.remoteschach.de"]
[Date "2008.04.28"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alf, Henning"]
[Black "Mantovanelli, Marco"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D06"]
[WhiteElo "2383"]
[BlackElo "2543"]
[PlyCount "59"]


1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 d5 3. c4 Ne4 4. Bf4 e5 5. dxe5 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 dxc4 7. Bxb4 Qxd1+
8. Kxd1 Nxf2+ 9. Ke1 Nxh1 10. g3 Nc6 11. Bc3 h5 12. Bg2 Nxg3 13. Bxc6+ bxc6 14.
hxg3 h4 15. gxh4 Rxh4 16. Nd2 Be6 17. Kf2 Rh1 18. Kg2 Rh4 19. Ngf3 Rg4+ 20. Kf2
c5 21. Rh1 Kd7 22. Ne1 Rb8 23. Ng2 Bd5 24. e4 Bxe4 25. Nxe4 Rxe4 26. Rd1+ Ke6
27. Kf3 Rd4 28. Bxd4 cxd4 29. Ke4 g5 30. Rxd4 1/2-1/2

[lkaufman]

Okay, it was a trick question. The move 4...e5!! was my own novelty, found at the board, in the Eastern Open (still in progress). Game Barnakov (2270) - Kaufman, Washington D.C. Dec. 29, 2011. I won in 22 moves. An easy sacrifice for a strong engine to find, but no human ever found it before!

Well done! Was this move prepared with computer assistance or on your own? If found using Rybka or Komodo, that probably still counts as your own work. Here's hoping you get into the next Informator.

With the advent of super-GM engines and proof-like search extensions tailored for analysis, I would expect there to be an explosion of opening novelties. I know that Rybka's book team was proud of their work, but I wonder how much of that theory makes its way into GM tournament preparation?

I found the move myself at the board. There is no way I would have anticipated the unusual third move of my opponent, nor was there any time to prepare before the game.

[lkaufman]

Okay, it was a trick question. The move 4...e5!! was my own novelty, found at the board, in the Eastern Open (still in progress). Game Barnakov (2270) - Kaufman, Washington D.C. Dec. 29, 2011. I won in 22 moves. An easy sacrifice for a strong engine to find, but no human ever found it before!

4...e5 has been played in this correspondence game from 2008


[Event "corr 40.DFM/V7 Server"]
[Site "www.remoteschach.de"]
[Date "2008.04.28"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alf, Henning"]
[Black "Mantovanelli, Marco"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D06"]
[WhiteElo "2383"]
[BlackElo "2543"]
[PlyCount "59"]


1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 d5 3. c4 Ne4 4. Bf4 e5 5. dxe5 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 dxc4 7. Bxb4 Qxd1+
8. Kxd1 Nxf2+ 9. Ke1 Nxh1 10. g3 Nc6 11. Bc3 h5 12. Bg2 Nxg3 13. Bxc6+ bxc6 14.
hxg3 h4 15. gxh4 Rxh4 16. Nd2 Be6 17. Kf2 Rh1 18. Kg2 Rh4 19. Ngf3 Rg4+ 20. Kf2
c5 21. Rh1 Kd7 22. Ne1 Rb8 23. Ng2 Bd5 24. e4 Bxe4 25. Nxe4 Rxe4 26. Rd1+ Ke6
27. Kf3 Rd4 28. Bxd4 cxd4 29. Ke4 g5 30. Rxd4 1/2-1/2

Since correspondence games nowadays are computer-assisted games, I think it still counts as a novelty for me in human play.

[mwyoung]

Okay, it was a trick question. The move 4...e5!! was my own novelty, found at the board, in the Eastern Open (still in progress). Game Barnakov (2270) - Kaufman, Washington D.C. Dec. 29, 2011. I won in 22 moves. An easy sacrifice for a strong engine to find, but no human ever found it before!

Nice move, but you may not have been the first. On the cloud, Chessbase fritz 13 live book. This move has been played before, 1 time on Sept. 2011 by a player rated 2543. Sorry it does not give the players name. The game results was a draw. The move on the live book was evaled at -/+.