MM5 – CT800

This is a game between the Mephisto MM5.1 and the CT800, both at 20 seconds per move.

[White "MM5.1"]
[Black "CT800"]
[Opening "Queen´s Gambit"]
[WhiteElo "2003"]
[BlackElo "2100"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Date "2016.08.19"]
[TimeControl "1/20"]
1. c4 {Transposing to the Queen’s Gambit.} Nf6 2. d4 e6
3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e3 O-O 6. Rc1 h6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6
8. Qb3 {Going after pawns.} Nc6 9. cxd5 exd5 10. Qxd5 Be6
{While Black has developed all pieces, the White kingside is
still asleep.} 11. Qb5 Bxa2 12. Qxb7 {This costs already
material. Developing with Bd3 would have been better.} Rab8
13. Qxc7 {Costs even more material. Qa6 was advised.} Ba5
{Prepares taking the second rank.}
14. Qg3 Rxb2 15. Nge2 Nb4 16. e4 Nc2+ 17. Kd1 Nxd4 18. e5 Nf3
{Threatens Rd2#.} 19. Qxf3 Qd8+ 20. Nd4 Qxd4+ 21. Bd3 Rd8
22. Ke1 Bxc3+ 23. Kf1 Qxd3+ 24. Qxd3 Rxd3 25. h4 Rdd2
26. Kg1 Bxe5 27. Rf1 Rb1 28. Rxb1 {White resigned because
the rook on h1 is lost.} 0-1

    MM5.1 vs. CT800

 1.  c2-c4  Ng8-f6 (Queen’s Gambit)
 2.  d2-d4   e7-e6
 3. Nb1-c3   d7-d5
 4. Bc1-g5  Bf8-b4
 5.  e2-e3     0-0
 6. Ra1-c1   h7-h6
 7. Bg5xf6  Qd8xf6
 8. Qd1-b3  Nb8-c6
 9.  c4xd5   e6xd5
10. Qb3xd5  Bc8-e6
11. Qd5-b5  Be6xa2
12. Qb5xb7    ...  (Costs already material, better was Bf1-d3.)
12.   ...   Ra8-b8
13. Qb7xc7    ...  (Costs more material, better was Qb7-a6.)
13.   ...   Bb4-a5
14. Qc7-g3  Rb8xb2
15. Ng1-e2  Nc6-b4
16.  e3-e4  Nb4-c2+
17. Ke1-d1  Nc2xd4
18.  e4-e5  Nd4-f3
19. Qg3xf3    ...  (19. e5xf6?  Rb2-d2#!)
19.   ...   Qf6-d8+
20. Ne2-d4  Qd8xd4+
21. Bf1-d3  Rf8-d8
22. Kd1-e1  Ba5xc3+
23. Ke1-f1  Qd4xd3+
24. Qf3xd3  Rd8xd3
25.  h2-h4  Rd3-d2
26. Kf1-g1  Bc3xe5
27. Rc1-f1  Rb2-b1
28. Rf1xb1
 (White resigned because the rook on h1 is lost.)

You can also save the game for offline use with your favourite chess GUI: download game (PGN).

The funny point is that the opening transposes from the English Opening into the Queen’s Gambit, and Black not only refuses the gambit, but instead plays its own one. So the MM5 neglects its development for going after pawns while the CT800 develops its pieces.

The white king stays trapped in the middle, which the CT800 correctly identifies as primary target. The CT800 keeps its attack going to prevent the MM5 from completing its development and from castling. The MM5 realises the danger far too late and cannot avoid massive loss of material, which the MM5 acknowledges by resigning.

The remarkable aspect here is that the CT800 beats the MM5 pretty much like humans would play against chess computers from that era, by relying on their material greed.