MY FIRST WIN AGAINST TOGA
I am talking about the freeware chess engine Toga II.
As with some other similar programs, it is extremely difficult to win it, particularly while playing with black pieces.
Approximately from 30 games, I have received 10%–20% of draws. The proportion of the draws tends to be higher if you are not desperately trying to win.
The present winning game is a pure accident. Till the end of the game, the program was playing extremely strongly. It attacks well, and it defends well. Your best combination ends up with a new position slightly better for you. You have wasted your time and energy, but you have to start all over again from the entirely new position. In the endgame, it prepares all sorts of vicious knight forks everywhere and even if it seems to be impossible.
Thus, it is a great success for a Sunday player like me to have once won that computer program.
The game itself is beautiful and contains interesting motives.
Toga II - Eintalu Juri
[FEN "r4r1k/ppq2nbp/2ppB3/5p2/5P2/2N5/PPP3PP/R2QR2K w - - 4 19"]
19. Qd1-h5
After 19. Bxf5 Nh6 20. Bd3 Rxf4 the position is equal. For example, 21. Qh5 Qf7 and Black is safe.
19... Nf7-h6
After 19... d5 20. Bxf5 Nh6 21. Bd3 Qxf4! 22. Re6 Rf6 23. Rxf6 Bxf6 24. Rf1 Qg5 the position is still equal.
However, Black has to be careful concerning the knight on h6 and the attack against h7. For example, 21... Rxf4? 22. Re6! Qf7 23. Rxh6.
20. Ra1-d1
After 20. Bb3 d5 White's bishop is out of the game for a while.
20... d6-d5
Now, White's bishop on e6 is captured. Black has a strong centre, but a weak pawn f5 and a bad knight h6. White's knight on c3 is temporarily useless.
At the present moment, White's pawn f4 is attacked.
21. g2-g3
It only seems to be safe. Now, White has weak white squares around one's king, and the bishop on e6 is cut off.
However, 21. h3 Qxf4 22. Ne2 Qd6 23. Nd4 Bxd4 24. Rxd4 Rf6 25. Rh4 Qe7 and Black is safe, having an extra pawn.
21... Ra8-e8
22. Rd1-d2 Qc7-d6
23. Rd2-e2
23... d5-d4!
Black will give a check to White's king, using the square d5.
How to win White's bishop captured on e6?
Suppose Black moves Re7 and Rf6. Then White moves Bc8 and every attempt to attack it on c8 ends up with a safe return to e6.
Suppose Black moves Re7 and Rfe8. Then Bxf5 follows. The rook on e2 must be sufficiently defended.
If the moves d5-d4 and Nc3-b1 are included, then White moves Bc4, defending the rook e2.
But what if the move b5 is also included? Then after Bc4 bxc4 Qxe8+ Rxe8 Rxe8+ Bf8 White has won 2 rooks, Black has won a queen and a bishop. The situation around Black's king should be considered.
However, White has an extra resource g4 to free one's bishop.
And the plan b5 doesn't work out, it is too slow. For example, 23... b5 24. Kg2 Re7 25. Kf1.
But it is dogmatism to hold that Black's only plan is to win the piece e6!
23... d5-d4!
Black will give a check to White's king, using the square d5.
24. Nc3-b1
After 24. Nd1 the square d1 is not free for White's king: 24... d3 25. cxd3 Rxe6 26. Rxe6 Qd5+ 27. Kg1 Bd4+ 28. Kf1 Qh1+ 29. Ke2 Qg2+. However, then White must, and can to play 28. R6e3 Ng4 29. h3 Nxe3 30. Nxe3 Qe6! 31. Qf3 Re8 32. Kf2 and White has some hope to get free from this mess on the square e3. Then, Black has still not won that game.
24... d4-d3!
To make the square d4 free again for Black's bishop g7.
After 24. Nd1 the square d1 is not free for White's king: 24... d3 25. cxd3 Rxe6 26. Rxe6 Qd5+ 27. Kg1 Bd4+ 28. Kf1 Qh1+ 29. Ke2 Qg2+. However, then White must, and can to play 28. R6e3 Ng4 29. h3 Nxe3 30. Nxe3 Qe6! 31. Qf3 Re8 32. Kf2 and White has some hope to get free from this mess on the square e3. Then, Black has still not won that game.
24... d4-d3!
To make the square d4 free again for Black's bishop g7.
25. c2xd3 Re8xe6
26. Re2xe6 Qd6-d5+
27. Kh1-g1 Bg7-d4+
28. Kg1-f1 Nh6-g4
White has the exchange and an extra pawn. Black's captured knight on h6 suddenly turns out to be very active. It is White's queen h5 that doesn't participate in the game around White's king.
Still, Black has to be careful because White has a dangerous resource Re7 and Qxh7 checkmate.
At the present moment, however, Black threatens to give a checkmate Qf3.
White has the exchange and an extra pawn. Black's captured knight on h6 suddenly turns out to be very active. It is White's queen h5 that doesn't participate in the game around White's king.
Still, Black has to be careful because White has a dangerous resource Re7 and Qxh7 checkmate.
At the present moment, however, Black threatens to give a checkmate Qf3.
29. Nb1-d2
29... Bd4-f2!
First, now the pawn d3 is attacked. Second, the rook e1 is attacked. There is no use of 30. Re7?? Qh1+ 31. Ke2 Qxe1+ 32. Kf3 Qxe7.
Black has such a promising position, but it was complicated to see how to proceed with the attack. There is no time to waste because of the threat Re6-e7. And no little material gains alone are satisfactory.
29... Bd4-f2!
First, now the pawn d3 is attacked. Second, the rook e1 is attacked. There is no use of 30. Re7?? Qh1+ 31. Ke2 Qxe1+ 32. Kf3 Qxe7.
30. Re1-e4! f5xe4
31. Qh5xg4
It is a pure chance that Black has the winning move here.
31... Rf8-g8 !
It is a pure chance that Black has the winning move here.
31... Rf8-g8 !
32. Re6-e5 Rg8xg4
33. Re5xd5 c6xd5
34. Kf1xf2 e4xd3
35. Kf2-e3
Against Toga, your best attack and combination ends up with only a slightly better endgame.
Perhaps I dislike endgames and feel uncomfortable.
White's king and knight are in the centre. Black has an exchange — a rook against the knight. But surely Black will lose one's pawns d3 and d5, ending up with 2 extra pawns for White. Moreover, White has strong pawns on the kingside. The pawn f4 is a defended passed pawn. And White threatens here to create 2 mutually defending passed pawns, which can be extremely dangerous. Plus the fact that Black has to watch against the knight forks the computer is trying to create...
Against Toga, your best attack and combination ends up with only a slightly better endgame.
Perhaps I dislike endgames and feel uncomfortable.
White's king and knight are in the centre. Black has an exchange — a rook against the knight. But surely Black will lose one's pawns d3 and d5, ending up with 2 extra pawns for White. Moreover, White has strong pawns on the kingside. The pawn f4 is a defended passed pawn. And White threatens here to create 2 mutually defending passed pawns, which can be extremely dangerous. Plus the fact that Black has to watch against the knight forks the computer is trying to create...
35... Rg4-g6!
The rook has to be activated.
36. Ke3xd3 Rg6-c6
37. Nd2-f1
37... Rc6-c1!
The rook has to be behind the enemy's pawns, where it can attack, itself being in safe.
And it is advisable to keep your rook as far away from your king as possible. To avoid the forks.
37... Rc6-c1!
The rook has to be behind the enemy's pawns, where it can attack, itself being in safe.
And it is advisable to keep your rook as far away from your king as possible. To avoid the forks.
38. Nf1-e3 Rc1-h1
39. h2-h4 Rh1-h2
40. b2-b4 Rh2xa2
41. g3-g4 !!
This computer program is a real bastard.
41... a7-a5 !!
Creates a passed pawn and frees the 4. and 5. rows for Black's rook.
I regard it as dangerous to fix the pawn h4 to try to win it later:
41... h5 42. g5! Ra3+ 43. Kd2 d4 44. Nf5.
Then, the pawn h4 is still defended. Moreover, to try to catch it means to risk to get a fork. And it does not make sense to help White in creating 2 mutually supporting passed pawns.
White's pawns on f6 and g6 together with a knight can win against Black's rook.
White's pawns on f7 and g6 together with a knight can draw against Black's queen.
This computer program is a real bastard.
41... a7-a5 !!
Creates a passed pawn and frees the 4. and 5. rows for Black's rook.
I regard it as dangerous to fix the pawn h4 to try to win it later:
41... h5 42. g5! Ra3+ 43. Kd2 d4 44. Nf5.
Then, the pawn h4 is still defended. Moreover, to try to catch it means to risk to get a fork. And it does not make sense to help White in creating 2 mutually supporting passed pawns.
White's pawns on f6 and g6 together with a knight can win against Black's rook.
White's pawns on f7 and g6 together with a knight can draw against Black's queen.
42. b4xa5 Ra2xa5
43. g4-g5 Ra5-a3+
44. Kd3-e2 d5-d4
45. Ne3-d5 Ra3-h3
46. Ke2-d2 Rh3xh4
Only now I was sure that I would not lose this game. White's chances to create 2 passed pawns, mutually supporting each other, were diminishing to zero.
Only now I was sure that I would not lose this game. White's chances to create 2 passed pawns, mutually supporting each other, were diminishing to zero.
47. Kd2-d3 Rh4-h1
48. Kd3xd4 Kh8-g7
49. Nd5-c3 Kg7-g6
50. Nc3-e4 Rh1-a1
51. Ne4-f6 Ra1-a6
52. Nf6-e4 Kg6-f5
53. Ne4-c5 Ra6-a3
54. Nc5xb7 Kf5xf4
55. Nb7-d6 Kf4xg5
0-1
(Of course, the computer wanted to play till the checkmate.)
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