Contest: Win a Free Copy of Gothic Vortex

I have decided that the ChessV versus Gothic Vortex game is so complex to analyze, that I am having a contest. Whoever anotates the game the best, as judged by me, will win a free copy of the same version of the program used in the 2007 Gothic Chess Computer World Championship.

Here is the link to the game: ChessV vs. Gothic Vortex

Grading system:

"Points" will be given for:

Tactical correctness of lines
Demonstrating relevant variations (keyword: relevant!)
Writing sytle
Strategic insights and summary of objectives
Originality!

If you have never annotated a game before, read over some of the comments I have posted, and see if you can make similar remarks about the germane aspects of a given position. Since all posts will be recorded chronologically, the earliest poster will get credit for the lines/variations that might be "copied" in later posts. This should not discourage later posters since you might be able to find something wrong in their posts, or use it to build on more relevant descriptions.

You can start.... now! Good luck, and may the best annotator win!

Vortex 2.2.3 Destroys ChessV with a mate in 27

The Vortex vs. SMIRF mate in 28 was a "middlegame mate" -- SMIRF played the opening well and Vortex found a tactical strike to end the game abruptly. The Vortex vs. ChessV mate, while only mating one move faster, is much more impressive, and is appears to be tactically motivated right from the opening!

Here is a link to the complete game:

Gothic Vortex 2.2.3 vs. ChessV

1.d4 g6 2.Nh3 Nh6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Nc3 Af6? 5.Bg5! Axd4 6.Ni5! Kg8 7.Nxj7!!



At first glance, Nxj7 looks to be a blunder, since both Rxj7 and Nxj7 appear perfectly playable. But after 7...Rxj7?? white has 8. e3!! which strikes at the Archbishop with the pawn and it also reveals the Queen on d1 to strike at the Rook now on j7. With 7...Nxj7 the same type of tactic awaits, since Bxi7 will entice the Rook to move, e3 will prompt the Archbishop retreat, and as before, the Queen will have Qxj7 which will now threaten the Rook which will have moved to i8 most likely.

The game continuation was even more interesting...

7...Nxj7 8.e3 Ae6 9.Bxi7 Ac4+ 10.Cd3 Nc6 11.Bd5



ChessV is suffering from the "horizon effect" described by Dr. Hans Berliner decades ago. It cannot see how to get out of the mess, so by playing Ac4+ it will "postpone" the diaster two more plies, effectively pushing the danger out of its own principal variation. Vortex searches further and sees the danger is real.

11...Axd3+ 12.cxd3 Bxc3 13.Bxj8 Bxb2 14.Rb1 Cd6 15.Qxj7 Cxd5

You need a scorecard to try and figure out who has what...



It is now white to move, and you expect 16. Rxb2 next, having white pick up the hanging Bishop. But Vortex uncorks 16. h4!! which sets up an Archbishop mate with Aj4 and Ah6 if the threats are not dealt with immediately!

16.h4!! Bh8 17.Aj4 Cf5 18.e4 Ch5



From here the threats have finally culminated to the point of execution.

19.Qxh5!!

The point: Black can't recapture with the pawn or else Ah6 is checkmate!

19...Bg7 20.Bh6 Bc3 21.Qj5



Vortex had announced mate in 7 with its last move.

21...f5 22.Ai5 Kf7 23.Qxh7+ Ke6 24.Qxg6+ Bf6 25.Qxf5+ Kf7 26.Ag6+ Kg8 27.Qj5#

Another tremendous game from Gothic Vortex.

Vortex vs. SMIRF, the final position

The final position: checkmate on move 28.

Vortex vs. SMIRF, black to move after Ad2!

With the white queen on d1 under attack by black's archbishop on c3, white plays Ad2! in this critical position. If black takes the white queen with the archbishop, a viscious attack begins with Bxh6+!

Vortex vs. SMIRF, view from the operator console

From lower left to upper right: The SMIRF program (on screen), Gothic Vortex (on screen), Richard Pariseau (top left) and his opponent, Vinko Rutar is crouching looking at something at the top towards the right, and Dan Heisman is turning towards the camera as the photo is being taken.

Vortex vs. SMIRF at the Main Line Chess Club

Ed Trice operating the computer for Gothic Vortex vs. SMIRF, round 2.

One of the coolest things about Tornado...

One of my favorite things about Tornado is the cool startup screen that flashes while you wait for the program to load. Tornado is named after the horse in The Legend of Zorro, and his programmer shows this cool looking screen at startup. One of the things I did not realize that was in Tornado I found out at Thanksgiving over my parents' house. I installed Tornado on my father's computer to test the new version. I don't have speakers on my computer, but my father's system does. Apparently whenever Tornado captures an enemy piece's knight, it lets a wild horse's whinnying sound rip through your speakers in an eerie echo. It reminded me more of Ichabod Crane's encounter with the Headless Horseman's steed from Sleepy Hollow.

It has a menu to turn this off, and I guarantee it would give anyone a jolt the first time they hear it!

This new version of Tornado got revenge over TSCP Gothic with a victory as Black. What was surprising was how TSCP "developed its Rook" to j3 after pushing a pawn from j4 to j5 to j6 on consecutive moves. I have noticed this beavior before from TSCP, and it is most unusual. Even more strange, TSCP was able to "predict" some moves by Black that I thought where unlikely, namely 17...Ab4, 18...Qa5 and 19...Ng6 back to back to back. (I just wasn't looking for a combination based on moves of this sort.) It amazes me that programs that are so different occasionaly agree on subsets of their principal variations, especially those that don't seem to be likely candidates to a human.

I will post the game later, as well as some pictures.