In 2016, the naming of a polar research ship was put to a public vote, and ‘Boaty McBoatface’ was the overwhelming winner. Should humanity’s fate ever be staked on a game of chess against alien invaders, I hope we don’t get a vote. If the internet has taught me anything, we would end up playing the Bongcloud Opening ‘for the lols’ and be vaporised. Even ignoring the saboteurs, the wisdom of crowds does not reliably select good chess moves. The recent game between former world champion Viswanathan Anand and ‘The World’ was a case in point.
In the first diagram above, you can see why the world voted for 14…Qd8xd5, which mops up a pawn, defends the pawn on e4, and attacks d2. But it’s a superficial choice, since Anand’s response 15 Qd1-h5 led to a crushing kingside attack. Instead 14…Qd8-g5 or 14…f7-f5 would have been stronger. Anand’s opening choice was particularly astute, heading for a murky variation of the English Opening (1 c4) where there was plenty of scope for the World to go astray.
Viswanathan Anand-The World
Chess.com, September-October 2024
1 c4 e5 2 Nc3 Nf6 3 Nf3 Nc6 4 g3 Bb4 5 Bg2 O-O 6 Nd5 e4 7 Nh4 d6 8 O-O Re8 9 b3 g5 10 Bb2 Nxd5 11 cxd5 Ne5 12 f4 gxh4 13 fxe5 dxe5 14 e3
Qxd5 15 Qh5 Bxd2 16 Qg5+ Kf8 17 Rad1 Qa5 18 Qh6+ Kg8 19 Rxf7! Kxf7 20 Rf1+ Ke7 20…Kg8 21 Qg5+ Kh8 22 Qf6+ Kg8 23 Qf7+ wins 21 Qf6+ Kd7 22 Bh3+ Re6 23 Qxe6+ Kd8 24 Rf8 mate
Last month marked 25 years since the 1999 ‘Kasparov against the World’ game ended, four months after it began. In those dotcom boom years, the whole concept was still novel, and the game was hosted on Microsoft’s MSN Gaming Zone. Voting participants could review the recommendations published by the world’s team of teenage analysts (Etienne Bacrot, Irina Krush, Elisabeth Paehtz and Florin Felecan), and the game was so fascinating that many grandmasters weighed in with their suggestions. In that game, the World put up a tremendous fight, seizing the initiative with an innovative sacrifice in the opening, and posing Kasparov myriad problems.
Garry Kasparov-The World
Internet Game, 1999
54… b4? Modern computers indicate that 54…Qd5 would suffice for a draw, e.g. 55 g6 b4 56 Qxb4 Qe5+ and White cannot retain the g-pawn while dodging the checks. 55 Qxb4 Qf3+ 56 Kg7 d5 57 Qd4+ Kb1 58 g6 Qe4 59 Qg1+ Kb2 60 Qf2+ Kc1 61 Kf6 d4 62 g7 Black resigns The conclusion could be 62…Qc6+ 63 Kg5 Qd5+ 64 Qf5 Qg2+ 65 Kh6 Qc6+ 66 Qg6 Qh1+ 67 Qh5 Qc6+ 68 Kh7 Qe4+ 69 Kh8 and the pawn promotes.
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