Hello chess world!
I am a 1500 rapid player but able to beat Li bot. It is not quite a trial and error to beat Li. In fact, I beat her most of the times. Before 2023, I beat her like 80% of the times and played bunch of brilliant moves. But after some updates in early 2023, I found Li much stronger and she played 90 something accuracy and I just can't win but only to draw. And now after some updates, Li just keeps blundering a piece and I beat her 50% of the time because I also blunder. None of our accuracy looks good.
This is not improving my chess understanding because Li just keeps blundering. So I switched to bot Sofia. I played a few times with not much expectation. How 1500 rapid player can win this 2300 bot? So I just tried to play for a draw and flex to my cousins. In fact, I draw by repetition with Ian bot with the Pirc by memorizing some engine lines. I tried the same line over and over again and still Ian bot draws with me. It is hilarious and I can flex to the others.
For your interest, this is the Ian game.
So I became very obsessed drawing with the engines. I tried to play with Ding bot. He keeps playing d4 c4 and I equalized the position for just one game. Then I blundered. Painful. Later, he became the world champion. So um... it feels accuarate for me to lose and not to play against him.
I lost a game with Sofia because I failed to win with the Pirc (I was up a pawn in the one rook endgame, so my endgame is bad). I usually don't equalize the position. Even if I equalized, I still blunder back. I lost 90% of the time. So I stopped playing against bot and begin reading chess book about the Pirc.
Last night I was studying the Pirc Standard line (I am tired for playing the Classical line) with c6. I did analysis on Stockfish to evaluate whether the book's idea matches the engine. So I experiment the line on Sofia. I found that she is actually very good. The idea suggest in the book is prevented in the first place and I followed up incorrectly because the move order has changed. I thought I can transpose that but no. Then, I restarted the game to play Pirc and Sofia plays 1. c4.
Excellent move by Sofia!! Prevents Black from playing the Pirc and the preparation Black has done. I'm like fine... English can be equalized if White plays g3.
Full game:
Indeed, Sofia plays 3. g3 preparing 4. Bg2. It is very common for this move when I was playing with Ding bot's English and Stockfish 3200. This move is also suggested in GM Seirawan's St Louis chess club videos. g3 then Bg2 control the d4 square. He commented that this move works with the knight on c3 and pawn on c4 in harmony. Therefore, it is hard for Black to challenge d4.
However, the evaluation says the position is 0.00 something. Black can play moves to equalize. Therefore, it is not particularly good for White. Still, as an English player, I also like g3 then Rb1 going for queenside expansion (if Black plays e5 instead of c5, because c5 itself prevents b4). This is also suggested in GM Seirawan's video.
However, the b4 expansion move is usually stopped by a5 or 1. c4 c5 immediately from Black. In my elo rating, it is very rare for my opponent to play a5 because they seems not knowing queenside expansion is good for White. Of course, if White cannot expand on the queenside, usually it is an equal position.
Apart from the evaluation value, the move g3 allows my copying move g6. I tried to creating symmetry for White and White can't gain anything as long as the symmetry is maintained. I didn't go for a more active engine lines. Just follow Sofia to draw with Sofia, simply as that.
Therefore, Sofia plays 6. d4 to break the symmetry. This tranpose the game back to a queen's gambit system where Black can still draw the game. This move is anticipated by me because Ding bot and stockfish also like to play this move in this position. They also like to capture on d5 with c4 if I play d5 in the queen's gambit declined games. So I took on d4 according to the Sicilian opening principle. Sofia took back with her knight.
My idea here is not to trade knights and help her queen to get up. In fact, I like her trading knights with me. So I castled. If she trades, I am very happy and equalized the game.
Because then my center is support with a pawn on c6. I can play d5 very soon. This bxc6 move is not liked by the engine (inaccuaracy). Instead I should take with the d pawn. But my idea is due to the structure is noted in many other openings like the Evans gambit or the Ponziani and I saved a move for doing that. Usually, my human opponents will take my knight.
So Sofia the engine castles, but then she take my knight. I am very happy about this because the game goes back to the idea mentioned where White should not trade knights. White should retreat the knight (suggested by Stockfish).
Sofia now makes the first inaccuaracy. I follow up inaccuarately as I should have take with the d pawn. If I take with the b pawn, the c6 pawn blocks my bishop on c8, forming a cage. I knew something went wrong after few moves.
Sofia made a cage for my bishop. I already feel scared that she will begin to slowly strangle me. But then she let me get away.
Following the idea to draw the game, I exchange all the bishops to allow myself to live longer. Then, a critical moment came.
White is threatening to grab my pawn here. But then I realized I am fine here because taking the pawn is a blunder. Can you spot the idea?
I replied d5, just to follow my idea on controlling the center. Neglecting her threat.
Now, the mighty engine Sofia blunders. I knew she was hoping to win a pawn, I can win forcefully.
My rook and queen are connected. It causes severe damage on White. White simply lose a rook as I foresee it. If she didn't take the pawn, the game continues in my flavor.
The game ends in my poor butchering technique.
I hope this game act as an encouragement to all low elo players. With proper study and experience, you can still beat a strong bot or at least draw with them. Defeating a bot is not possible, but playing for a draw is always a good idea. There is no need to play all the best moves for a win but a drawing line can also work. You can still punish a bunch of humans for not playing accuarately in you prep lines. Therefore, I like playing the Pirc and the English.
It is a long essay. Just want to share my joy with you all. Thank you for your time. Have a nice day! I am the low elo Pirc player.
Bye!!
