Well, there was no disgrace in losing this game as White from here.
I ran this position through Sigma Chess HIARCS 12.1 MP, which supposedly plays at Elo 2950 on my computer, and it didn't even give a number for a score. It just said that Black had a mate in 25.
So, from this position, without a blunder by Black, you really didn't have a chance.
So, on to the next game!
Nice to have your comments, Master. "Plenty of chances for human beings" is an idea worth remembering. (I don't know how the guys who play with computers, like on ICCF, can keep from folding when their computers begin giving them bad news.)
Just out of curiosity, I had HIARCS autoplay both sides of this game, allowing it an average of 3 minutes a move, if it wanted it. It actually took 28 moves to play itself to mate for Black. It just went directly after one lead pawn with the King, scooped the other up with the Rook, then the two Black pieces combined forces on the two trailing pawns.
From the position given, this is what it came up with:
1...Ke3 2.Kg2 Kf4 3.Kf2 Kf5 4.Kg3 Kg6 5.Kf4 Kxh7 6.Kf5 Ra8 7.Kf6 Rxa7 8.f4 Rg7
9.f5 Rg4 10.h5 Kh6 11.Kf7 Kxh5 12.f6 Kg5 13.Ke6 Re4+ 14.Kd5 Rf4 15.f7 Rxf7 (and the rest is technique, as GM authors like to say)
16.Ke5 Rf4 17.Ke6 Rf5 18.Ke7 Rf6 19.Kd7 Kg6 20.Ke7 Kg7 21.Kd7 Kf7 22.Kd8 Ke6
23.Kc7 Ke7 24.Kc8 Kd6 25.Kb7 Kd7 26.Kb8 Kc6 27.Ka8 Kb6 28.Kb8 Rf8# 0-1
Fun to think about this one. Thanks for showing us this one, Gabe.
Thanks for the replies, nimbleswitch and tonydal. I had that familiar sinking feeling after I noticed 62...Re2+, and that Black could stop the pawns after all. It would have been better to play 61. Bd1, giving Black a choice between pushing his own pawn or chasing down mine. If I could have held on to the bishop in a rook endgame, it should have been a draw.
What makes this game especially interesting is the way the tables turned drastically after I played a new opening line (6. e6 in the Alekhine Defence). I got a good position for the pawn and felt I was winning for almost the entirety of the game; a couple of loose moves towards the end and my opponent took full advantage. For a large part of the middlegame it was he who was pushing pawns down the board, but I think I had them contained.
I don't know if either of you noticed but you can go backwards on the diagram as well - move 64 seemed the apt place to focus the game. I think I could have played some of the preceding moves better, perhaps to a better result.
To be honest I didn't think you had any chance in the endgame, because opponent's king a lot more active than yours, and pawns split. It looked more natural to play 64 ...ke3 65 kg2 kf4, but don't think makes much difference because king heads for h7, and then rook can win a7. King and Rook can draw against Rook f-pawn and h-pawns, but without rook looks hopless. Tonydal is usally very acurate with analysis, so must be missing something...
In the opening 4...Nc6 does not look right, so think you are right should have had advantage.
I am not sure 61Bd1 is drawing either after 61...rxp with rh6 to follow. The rook looks too powerful.
since you had no connected pawns, that position is lost for white
Yes White K was far too away from the pawns and Black K could easily reach important h file.. Probably on move 66 Ke3 would have been better so that If Black K approache h side.. white K can try to reach a pawn to put pressure there..
Still, I notice that no one has actually discussed the game continuation (only what might have been). I still don't see the win from the position I gave after 66 Ke3.
I think it's the same principle as the HIARCS line I gave above, except that--according to HIARCS--it's important to reply to your 66. Ke3 with 66...Ra8 to start it off:
66...Ra8 67. f4+ Kf6 68. Ke4 Kg7 69. h8=Q+ Kxh8 70. Ke5 Rxa7 71. Kf6 Ra6+ 72. Kf7 Rh6 73. f5 Rxh4 74. f6 Kh7 75. Ke7 Kg6 76. Ke6 (76. f7 Re4+ 77. Kf8 Rf4 78. Kg8 Rxf7) Rf4 77. f7 Rxf7
67 h5...? (67... Kf6 68 h6; 67... Kf5 68 f4).
I'm sorry I'm only regurgitating my computer here, but I'm no expert much less an NM. Anyway, according to HIARCS:
After 66...Ra8 67. h5 Kf6 68. h6, Black has 68...Kg6, and White has only
69. h8=Q Rxh8 and anything White does from here is equally ineffective, e.g.:
70. Kf4 Kxh6 71. Ke5 Ra8, etc.
66.Ke3 was also the obvious move to me--it's better to make flexible, dual-aim moves whenever you possibly can. If 66...Kf6+ 67.Kd4= and if 66...Kd5 67.Kf4=. I think gabriel had reasonable drawing chances against a human after 66.Ke3.
66...Rd8! This is the natural way for Black to make progress. He both shoulders the White king and cuts him off from the queenside.
67.h5 - Note: Sac'ing one h-pawn would foil the cut-off, if another took its place.
67...Kf5 - Continuing to shoulder / cut-off.
68.f4 - Advancing another pawn and helping defend the h-pawns.
68...Kf6 - and now White's position falls apart. -+
Note: I'm using "!" as meaning "good move", not "only move".
I am sure you are right about 67...kf5, but isn't 67...kf6 good enough too?, trying to work out what white is playing for if king can't get to a7 pawn? 68h6 Kg6 looks hopeless.
TwoMove> I am sure you are right about 67...kf5, but isn't 67...kf6 good enough too?
In fact, your immediate 67...Kf6! is better than my 67...Kf5 68.f4 Kf6. 3am analysis, you know? :) They both should win without any serious trouble.
Here's a game I just finished, that I lost. I actually thought I'd won it about 15 moves before the end, but as it turned out I was wrong. The question is, could I have won this endgame? It's a pretty interesting game throughout, and ends with four of my unconnected passed pawns against Black's rook.
The position at move 64 is one I've not seen before. It looks like White surely must be able to promote one of the pawns, but I couldn't find a way.
Any comments are appreciated.