Frankfurt Chess Classic 2000: Giants and Masters day two by John Henderson

DO THE SHUFFLE!

1970s music and fashion is still pretty big here in Germany, so I was a bit hesitant at first when the press officer, Hartmunt Metz, asked, “You want to do the shuffle, Ja?”  I suddenly had visions of flared trousers and spinning globes as a 70s style discotheque, full of later day John Travoltas, was beating out that funky hit, “Do The Shuffle” by Van McCoy. 

Despite crude jokes throughout the week at the expense of my wardrobe, you can imagine how relieved I was when I discovered we were at cross-purposes here.  Hartmunt was in fact asking if I’d be attending the special computer challenge match between Artur Yusupov and Fritz on Primergy at Fischer-Random Chess, as opposed to an invitation to a 70s theme disco.

Fritz (on the left of the picture)

The brainchild of the enigmatic Bobby Fischer, the idea is to do away with opening theory, databases with millions of games and computers, to rely solely on the creativity generated by the old grey matter between the ears.  “It’ll never take off,” said an unbiased Freddie Friedel of ChessBase with a wife, two sons and a hefty mortgage to support. The idea is simple: you shuffle the pieces on the back rank for an entirely different approach to the game.

In the new Fischer form, the initial position of the pieces is random (a bit like my games really), with an identical positioning for both sides.  This makes it impossible for players to draw on chess theory – and at the same time improving your bank-balance with no need to further invest in overpriced books and software goodies – and make all the strategic decisions on the board.

With 960 possible starting positions, in a single-stroke it would make redundant all those Russian GMs clocking-in (presumably with a Fischer clock?) daily at the Kasparov TN factory in Moscow.  Mind you, knowing Gazza’s luck, he’d probably get the one option out of the 960 that shuffles the pieces to their original classical chess position!

Attempts to reform classical chess are, however, not new. In the twenties, world champions Lasker and Capablanca made serious proposals aimed at rejuvenating chess.  They proposed a larger board and new pieces, all in order to combat what they perceived to be a threat to the game by perfect technique.  The danger, they thought, was that all chess encounters could end in a draw.  But their reforms were not adopted and the degeneration of the game did not occur.

Artur Yusupov (or in German Jussupow)

Here at Frankfurt, the rules of Fischer Random which Yusupov and “the fridge” will have to follow are: the pawns are placed as usual; the two bishops must be on different coloured squares; the two rooks must be on either side of the king; the black and white pieces must be exactly reflected.  One modification of the original Fischer rules, which requires a complex form of castling, is that castling will only be permitted if the king and a rook happen to start on their normal squares.

One person here who has a unique insight into this variant of the game is Peter Leko, a personal friend of Fischer, who has played many shuffle games with the former world champion.  Speaking recently Leko says that the game requires a special kind of creativity, especially during the initial phase, where a player can take good and bad decisions.  This can decide the outcome of the game.  That should be the downfall of the computer, which has little long-term strategically understanding.  “Not so,” thinks ChessBase boffin Matthias Wuellenweber, who believes the computer has a big advantage at this form of chess, even confident enough to predict a 2-0 scoreline for the silicon beast.

“In Fischer Random Chess the normal patterns that a grandmaster has been trained to recognise are missing.  Humans have to adjust to unusual situations.  In Fischer Random, Fritz on Primergy is probably a couple of hundred Elo points stronger than any human because it is just a brutal, calculating machine.”  This was also bore out by Artur Yusupov.  “I cannot now use my vast experience to reach middlegame positions where I already know the typical plans,” said the German No.1.  However, fellow German internationalist, Eric Lobron, who has played many, many shuffle games with another Fischer confidante, Eugene Torre, claims that from his experiences what happens is that both players tend to reach a “typical” classical chess position as quickly as possible from the opening.  Lobron also says that in this form chess however, all eight pawns tend to stay on the board for much longer than is usual.

Eric Lobron

So, will Fischer Random one day replace the game as we know it?  “Currently it is not a serious contender,” says Yusupov, “but with the advent of computer analysis it could become more popular.  The amount of pre-game preparation is smaller, with the creativity required during the game.  But Chess is so beautiful and so difficult that it will be played for a long time to come.”

Fischer-random game in PGN

Start position for Fritz-Jussupow Game 1

Fritz on Primergy - Jussupow,A

1 Nf3 d6 2 d4 e6 3 c4 Ne7 4 Bd3 a6 Yusupov admitted after the game that he decided to adopt a cautious approach to this game, which is reflected in his early "Hedgehog-like" pawn moves. 5 Bd2 Ba7 6 Nb3 Ba4 7 Qc2 h6 8 Bc3 Kb8 9 Kb1 f6 10 Rd1 Nb6 11 h4 Nd7 12 h5 e5

Just twelve moves in, and already both the human and computer have reached a "normalish" position. 13 e3 Qe8 14 g4 Qf7 15 Nh4 Rc8 16 Rhe1 Nb6 Still too cautious.  Yusupov would have been better reaching out in the centre now with 16 ..d5!? 17 cxd5 (17 dxe5 dxc4; 17 c5 e4 18 Be2 Qe6) 17 ..exd4 18 exd4 Nxd5 17 Ba5 Nc6 18 Bxb6 cxb6 19 Bg6 Qc7 20 Bf5 Rcd8 21 Be6 Rhe8 22 d5 Na5 23 Nf5! White has a strategically won game based on the weakness of the kingside pawns. 23 ..Qxc4 24 Qxc4 Nxc4 25 Nxg7 Re7 26 Nf5 Rh7 27 Rd3 b5 28 Rc1 Bb6 29 e4 29 Ng3 with the idea of hoping into e4 was also an option. 29 ..b4? Black basically needs to grovel around with 29 ..Ka7 as  29 ..Bxf2 30 Nd2! Bc5 (30 ..Nxd2+ 31 Rxd2 Bc5 32 b3) 31 b3 is winning from White. 30 Rxc4 Bb5 31 Nxd6 Rxd6 32 Rc8+ Ka7 33 Rd2 a5 34 Rf8 a4 35 Nc1 Bd8 36 b3 a3 37 Ne2 Heading for f5 via g3. 37 ..Be7 38 Rc8 Bxe2 Black had no choice. If the knight reaches g3 and f5 he can resign now. 39 Rxe2 Rd8 40 Rec2 Rhh8 41 Rxd8 Rxd8 42 Rc7 Bd6 42 ..Re8 43 Rd7 and d6 wins. 43 Rh7 Bf8 44 Kc2 Kb6 45 Kd3 Ka6 46 Bf5 b6 47 Rf7 Bc5 48 Rxf6 Rd6 49 Be6 Rd8 50 Rxh6 Rf8 51 Bf5 Bxf2 52 g5 Rf7 53 Rc6 1–0

Well, so much for the shuffle variety, how about the normal game?  In the Giants, things were beginning to look up for India’s Vishy Anand, one of the world’s finest speed players.  Finding some of the form that wrecked havoc in the chess world in 1997 and 1998, the world no.2 took a half-point lead over Garry Kasparov after five rounds of the tournament thanks to some good fortune against Mr Fischer’s friend, Hungary’s Peter Leko.

Vishy in Frankfurt

Anand,V (2769) - Leko,P (2725) [C65]

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 0–0 Bc5 5 c3 0–0 6 d4 Bb6 7 Bg5 h6 8 Bh4 d6 9 Qd3 Bd7 10 Nbd2 a6 11 Bxc6 Bxc6 12 Rfe1 Re8 13 a4 13 Nc4!? exd4 14 Bxf6 Qxf6 15 Nxb6 cxb6 16 cxd4 Rac8 17 Rac1 and White can claim an advantage due to the crippled nature of Black's queenside pawns. 13 ..Ba7 14 b3 Qe7 15 h3 Rad8 16 b4 Bd7 17 b5! Bc8? Much better was 17 ..axb5 although after 18 axb5 Bb6 19 Ra4 White has a grudging edge. 18 Nf1 Qe6 Black is trying to provoke White into blockading the centre with d5.  Wisely, Anand keeps his options open. 19 Ng3 c6 20 Rab1 g5 21 Nxg5!

An intuitive sacrifice that Anand said was calculated entirely on Black's bad bishops. 21 ..hxg5 22 Bxg5 axb5 23 axb5 exd4 24 cxd4 cxb5 25 Rxb5 Nh7? Black would have been better off moving out of the pin with  25 ..Rd7 although after 26 Bd2 Nh7 27 Nf5 followed by Re3 gives White a big advantage. 26 Bxd8 Rxd8 27 Nf5 Qf6 28 Rd1 Also an option was 28 Ra1!? Bb8 29 Ra8 Bc7 30 Ne3! Be6 31 Ra7 Rb8 32 Rbxb7 Rxb7 33 Rxb7 28 ..d5 29 Ng3 Better was 29 Qg3+! Kh8 30 Qc7 29 ..dxe4 30 Nxe4 Qg6 31 Nc5 Bf5 32 Qa3 Bxc5 33 Rxc5 Ng5 34 Rc3 34 Qg3! Ne4 35 Qxg6+ Bxg6 36 Rc4 with the idea of Rb4 and pushing the d-pawn was White's best option. 34 ..Ne4 35 Re3 Kh7 36 d5? White spoils his position by missing the crucial  36 Qe7! A) 36 ..Rd7 37 Qh4+ Kg7 38 Rde1 Ng5 (38 ..Nf6 39 Rg3; 38 ..Rxd4 39 Rg3 Nxg3 40 Qxd4+) 39 Rg3; B) 36 ..Rg8 37 Qh4+ Kg7 38 Rde1 Re8 39 Rg3! Nxg3 40 Rxe8 Nh5 41 g4 Bd7 42 Rd8 36 ..Rg8 37 g3 Bxh3 38 Qe7 Ng5 38 ..Nd6! with the idea of Bf5-e4 was also good. 39 d6 Bg4 39 ..Qc2! 40 Rde1 Qc6 41 f3 Rg6 and White suddenly has problems. 40 Rdd3 Ra8 41 Qe5 Qh5 41 ..Ra2! threatening ..Nh3+ was very strong for Black. 42 Qf6 Bd7 43 f3 Rg8? 43 ..Ra2! wins on the spot.  Unfortunately, Leko had precious little time left on his clock. 44 Re7 Bc6 45 d7 Qh3 46 Rxf7+ Nxf7 47 Qxf7+ Rg7 48 Qxg7+ Kxg7 49 d8Q Qxg3+ 50 Kf1 Qh3+? 50 ..Bb5 draws. 51 Ke1 Qh1+ 52 Kd2 Qh2+ 53 Kc3 Qh6 54 Qe7+ 1–0

Garry Kasparov

Kasparov,G (2851) - Shirov,A (2751) [C11]

1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Bg5 dxe4 5 Nxe4 Nbd7 6 Nf3 Be7 7 Nxf6+ Bxf6 8 h4 0–0 9 Bd3 c5 10 Qe2 cxd4 11 Qe4 g6 12 0–0–0 Qa5 12 ..e5!? 13 Bxf6 Qxf6 14 Rde1 Nc5 15 Qxe5 Nxd3+ 16 cxd3 Qa6 17 h5 Bf5 18 Kb1 Be6 19 b3 Rac8 20 Rd1 Bxb3 21 axb3 Rc2 22 Kxc2 Qa2+ 0–1 Astengo,C-Del Rio Angelis,S/Lugano 1999/EXT 2000 (22) 13 Bxf6 Nxf6 14 Qxd4 Nh5 15 a3 The more active option looked like a promising avenue for White: 15 g4!? Rd8 16 Qe3 (16 Qe5 Rd5) 16 ..Nf6 17 Qe5! Qxe5 18 Nxe5 Bd7 19 g5 Nd5 20 h5 Rac8 21 hxg6 hxg6 22 Rh4 15 ..Rd8 16 Qe3 Bd7 17 g4 Nf6 18 Qf4 Nd5 19 Qh6 Nf6 20 Ng5 Bc6 21 Bxg6 hxg6?

A bad mistake from Shirov.  At the press conference after the game, Kasparov conceded that the other recapture just draws: 21 ..fxg6! 22 Nxe6 Rxd1+ 23 Rxd1 Kf7 24 Ng5+ Kg8 25 Ne6 (25 h5 Qc7 26 hxg6 hxg6 27 Qxg6+ Qg7 28 Qf5 Qe7!) 25 ..Kf7 22 Nxe6 fxe6 23 Qxg6+ Kh8 24 Qxf6+ Kh7 25 Rhe1 Rxd1+ 26 Rxd1 Qc5 26 ..Re8 27 Qf7+ Kh8 28 f4 Qc5 29 Qf6+ Kh7 30 h5 and the Black position becomes untenable 27 g5 Rf8 27 ..Qf5 28 Qh6+ Kg8 29 g6 Qf6 30 h5 Qe7 31 Rg1 is hard to meet. 28 Qh6+ Kg8 29 Qxe6+ Kg7 30 Qh6+ Kg8 31 Qg6+ Kh8 32 Qh6+ Kg8 33 Qe6+ Kg7 34 Rd6 Be8 35 Qe7+ 1–0