Raymond Keene

Game changer

Game Changer, the long-awaited book by Matthew Sadler and Natasha Regan, has now appeared. This represents the most thorough inside story about the sensation that is AlphaZero. It includes material by the DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis and by Garry Kasparov, who must be gratified by the authors’ conclusion that DeepMind’s brainchild plays in the style of the 13th world champion — aggressive, sacrificial, seeking the initiative while keeping its own king safe. All these are hallmarks of Kasparov.
 
AlphaZero-Stockfish: London 2017, Queen’s Indian Defence
 
1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 b6 3 d4 e6 4 g3 Ba6 5 Qc2 c5 6 d5 exd5 7 cxd5 Bb7 8 Bg2 Nxd5 9 0-0 Nc6 10 Rd1 Be7 11 Qf5 Nf6 12 e4 g6 13 Qf4 0-0 14 e5 Nh5 15 Qg4 Re8 This is new. Black has tried many other moves here including 15 … Qc8, 15 … Qb8 and 15 … d5. 16 Nc3 Qb8 17 Nd5 Bf8 18 Bf4 Qc8 19 h3 Ne7 20 Ne3 Bc6 21 Rd6 Ng7 22 Rf6 A very unusual placement of the rook. It exerts unexpected pressure on the black position, especially against the f7-square. 22 … Qb7 23 Bh6 Nd5 24 Nxd5 Bxd5 25 Rd1 Ne6 26 Bxf8 Exchanging dark-squared bishops and thus weakening the defence of the dark squares. This makes it harder for Black to evict the white rooks. 26 … Rxf8 27 Qh4 Bc6 28 Qh6 Rae8 29 Rd6 (see diagram 1) White’s other rook also occupies an advanced outpost. There is no immediate decisive combination but Black’s mobility is severely restricted. 29 … Bxf3 30 Bxf3 Qa6 31 h4 A wonderful situation with the white pieces entrenched deep in the heart of Black’s position. With 31 h4, AlphaZero brings up the reserves. 31 … Qa5 32 Rd1 c4 33 Rd5 Qe1+ 34 Kg2 c3 35 bxc3 Qxc3 36 h5 Re7 37 Bd1 Qe1 38 Bb3 Rd8 39 Rf3 Qe4 40 Qd2 Qg4 41 Bd1 Qe4 42 h6 Again very typical AlphaZero, restricting the mobility of the black king.



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