[Event "TCEC Season 23 - Superfinal"] [Site "https://tcec-chess.com"] [Date "2022.11.04"] [Round "24.1"] [White "Stockfish dev16_20221027"] [Black "LCZero 0.30-dag-9a9c42d_78496"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B80"] [WhiteElo "3625"] [BlackElo "3599"] [Annotator "Monokroussos,Dennis"] [PlyCount "127"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] {[%evp 0,127,28,28,42,42,63,40,42,37,30,42,66,65,50,50,76,80,82,49,42,39,52,16,47,44,23,24,26,27,19,40,50,65,73,79,71,70,92,103,81,80,79,120,100,97,97,51,79,80,13,38,48,62,86,80,82,67,78,84,95,182,98,138,139,132,124,181,64,68,181,124,124,-84,208,206,214,213,198,198,206,265,294,397,449,474,499,463,478,490,499,493,495,366,380,383,406,408,422,422,426,428,435,425,470,516,630,749,1218,1079,1279,1309,1431,1540,2409,2526,2734,29988,29977,29980,29981,29986,29989,29990,29991,29992,29997,29998,29999,-30000]} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be3 Be7 7. Qf3 a6 8. O-O-O {The starting position for the game.} Qc7 9. g4 Nc6 10. g5 Nd7 11. Nxc6 $146 Qxc6 12. Qg3 {I assumed the point was to clear the way for f4, but Stocky has a different idea in mind. (Er, in "mind".)} b5 13. a3 Rb8 ({In case of} 13... Qc7 {, getting off the long diagonal and preparing to meet Bf4 with ...Ne5, White will play} 14. f4 {this time around.} ({Or perhaps} 14. h4 {, but the point is that f4 is now a good fit for the position.})) 14. Bf4 $1 {This is nice. Black can't play ...Ne5 here, and ...Rb6 is pretty ugly. So Black plays ...e5, creating a gaping hole on d5.} e5 15. Be3 a5 16. Nd5 $16 b4 17. axb4 axb4 18. b3 $1 Nc5 19. Bc4 Be6 (19... Nxe4 $4 20. Qf3 $18 {wins a piece, as retreating the knight loses the queen to 21.Nf6+ and 22.Qxc6(+).}) 20. h4 Rc8 {Now that the queen is defended, it's time for White to protect e4.} 21. Qf3 Bd8 {Castling doesn't look appealing for Black, but then again, neither does not castling.} 22. h5 O-O {Now for something surprising. Stockfish apparently had Tigran V. Petrosian on speed dial, and their consultation produced the following unusual idea.} 23. Kd2 $3 {Prophylaxis! Before going on to the next stage of its kingside attack, White evacuates the king, even though it doesn't seem to be in any danger.} Ra8 24. Ke1 Ra2 25. Rc1 {Nice. The king is safe, c2 is safe, and Black has no obvious next idea. It's time therefore for the attack to go forward.} Qc8 26. Qg2 Kh8 27. g6 Rg8 (27... h6 {would be a good practical try in a human game. Most players would be attracted by 28.Bxh6, but that's a mistake.} 28. Bxh6 $2 gxh6 29. g7+ Kg8 30. gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 31. Rg1 Bg5 32. Rd1 Rxc2 {Black has very decent compensation here. In fact, a second exchange sac is coming:} 33. Qf3 Rxc4 $1 34. bxc4 Bxd5 35. Rxd5 Qa6 $11) ({That's a nice trap, but there is a reason LCZero didn't play} 27... h6 {; to wit,} 28. Rg1 $1 {and now Bxh6 is a serious threat. It's not immediately over, but White's advantage is greater than it was after 27...Rg8.} Bg5 29. Bxg5 hxg5 30. Qxg5 Nxe4 31. Qe7 $1 Qd8 32. gxf7 Bxf7 33. Qxd8 Rxd8 34. Nxb4 Bxc4 35. Nxa2 Bf7 $18 {Black will pick up the h-pawn, but he'll still be down a full exchange. White is winning.}) 28. Rg1 Ra7 29. Rd1 $1 {Black's rook needs to stay on the 7th rank for defensive purposes, so White takes time out to improve this rook before taking further action on the kingside.} Bh4 30. Nb6 Qc6 31. Bxe6 Nxe6 (31... fxe6 32. Nc4 {is also very bad for Black.}) 32. Nc4 Nd4 {A nice pawn sac. Unfortunately for Black, White decides to be the sacrificer instead.} 33. Rxd4 $1 exd4 34. Bxd4 {Some combination of gxf7 and h6 is coming; Black will not be able to keep White at bay for much longer.} Rd7 35. Qg4 $1 (35. gxf7 Rxf7 36. h6 {is a clear winner. White's way is meaninglessly better, but it's definitely prettier.}) 35... Re7 36. Kf1 $1 {If Black doesn't take on e4, the bishop is lost, but of course taking on e4 is what Black's play has been all about.} Rxe4 ({In case you thought for a moment that Black could save the bishop without taking on e4, here's the problem:} 36... Bf6 37. Bxf6 gxf6 38. g7+ {and mate next move.}) (36... Qxe4 {is essentially like the game.} 37. Qxe4 Rxe4 38. Nxd6 $18) 37. Qxe4 $1 Qxe4 38. Nxd6 {Threatening the queen, obviously, and above all mate with Nxf7.} Rd8 (38... Re8 39. Bxg7+ $1 Kxg7 40. gxf7+ Kh6 (40... Kf8 $2 41. Rg8+) 41. fxe8=Q Qxe8 42. Nxe8 $18) 39. Nxe4 Rxd4 40. gxf7 {White is up two pawns, and the f-pawn will eventually win a piece. Needless to say, White's demonstrates excellent technique the rest of the way.} Be7 41. Rg5 g6 (41... Bxg5 42. f8=Q#) (41... Rxe4 42. Ra5 h6 43. Ra8+ Kh7 44. Re8 $1 $18) 42. h6 $1 {Taking on g6 also won.} Bf8 43. Re5 Bxh6 44. Re8+ Bf8 45. Rxf8+ Kg7 46. Ng5 $1 {Cute, but not the only winning move.} Kxf8 47. Ne6+ Kxf7 48. Nxd4 {Black could resign here, but that's not how engines roll.} Ke7 49. Nc6+ Kd6 50. Nxb4 Kc5 51. Nd3+ Kb6 52. c4 h5 53. f4 Kc7 54. Kg2 Kd8 55. b4 Kc7 56. Ne5 g5 57. fxg5 Kd6 58. g6 Kc7 59. c5 Kd8 60. Kf3 h4 61. g7 h3 62. g8=Q+ Ke7 63. Qf7+ Kd8 64. Qd7# 1-0