In diagram
1, a Russian program beat a Stanford University program, in a 1966-67 four-game
match, with 15 Rxh7! Rf8 16 Rxg7 c6 17 Qd6. White's 15th move created a
sensation at the time. Return to my Chess pages
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© Copyright 2003, Jim Loy
Remember when computers were weak? This article originally appeared in Chess 'n' Stuff, under the title "Computer Brilliancies,' quite a few years ago:
Accurate tactical play is one of the main features of a good computer program. The following are the most famous of the brilliant computer combinations.
In diagram
1, a Russian program beat a Stanford University program, in a 1966-67 four-game
match, with 15 Rxh7! Rf8 16 Rxg7 c6 17 Qd6. White's 15th move created a
sensation at the time.
Diagram 2
is from game 1 of the Levy-Chess 4.7 match in 1978. Chess 4.7 moved 12...Nxe3!!
13 fxe3 Qg5 14 g4 Qxe3+ 15 Rf2 (15 Kh1 Qg3) 15...Bg3 wins the exchange. Levy
played the ending very well and drew the game.
Another
example is shown in diagram 3 from Blitz-Belle, North American Computer Chess
Championship. Belle moved 10...Rxh2!! 11 Kxh2? (11 Nxe4 Qh4 12 Ng3 Qxg3!! or 11
Qg4 Rh4 12 Qxg6 Ng5!! planning 13...Qe5. This is according to Belle) 11...Qh4
12 Kg1 Ng3 mates.
Still
another example is shown in diagram 4, from Duchess-Kaissa, World Computer
Championship 1977. Black moved 34...Re8, losing the rook. What both programs
and none of the spectators (including Levy and Botvinnik) saw, was that
34...Kg7 loses instantly to 35 Qf8+!!
Finally, it
has been said that programs never make positional sacrifices. This is almost
true. While people may make sacrifices on a hunch, a program requires immediate
positional compensation. And this compensation must be more valuable than the
material sacrificed. An example is the excellent knight sacrifice by Chaos
against Chess 4.0 in the 1974 World Computer Championship (diagram 5). White
moved 16 Nxe6!! fxe6 17 Qxe6+ Be7 18 Re1 Qd8 19 Bf4 Kf8 20 Rad1, planning Bd6
with a win. White took another 59 moves to finish Black off!