[Event "Zappa - Ehlvest Exhibition Match"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2005.07.06"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Zappa"]
[Black "GM Ehlvest"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 

{Comments by GM Ehlvest, info@nychessclub.org }

c5

{!? I was advised before the match to play e7-e5 to fight for the center, but for some reason I badly wanted to play very risky chess against the computer to test my game in as difficult a way as possible.}
 
2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 

{This Paulsen line is a popular choice to play against weaker opponents when you do not like forced lines in other Sicilians like the Najdorf where one can prepare 20 or more moves at home.}

 5. Bd3 Bc5 6. Nb3 Be7 

{ This line I had in mind.}

 7. Qg4 g6 8. Qe2 d6 9. O-O Nd7 10. Nc3 Qc7 11. a4 b6. 

{ Black has a solid position and I was wondering what is coming next. I was analyzing this position as white and did find anything special.}

  12. Rd1 

{!! At first this seems like a useless patzer move, but I of course did not underestimate the powerful computer, and the ideas with the sacrifice on b5 immediately got my attention.}
 
Bb7 13. Be3 h5!? 

{An ambitious move. The white pawn is still on f2 and after Be7 white has annoying Bh6.}

 14. f3 h4?!
 
{This is too much. Much safer was Nf6, but I did not like 15.Bg5 and White has small plus.}

15. a5 b5 16. Nxb5 

{This came as surprise; I was more concerned about 16.Bxb5.}
 
axb5 17. Bxb5 

{White has compensation and it is difficult to play as defensively against computer. If the plan started with 12.Rd1 followed the piece sacrifice I am astonished. During practical games humans do not think so deeply; they prefer to prepare this kind of plan in home. Zappa does not have yet good opening book, so it has something to improve. We humans however did not improve much our hardware! the brain last million or so years. Computers in other hand can and must improve still. }
Nf6 18. a6 Bc6 19. c4 Ne5 20. Bd4 O-O 21. Na5 Bd7 22. b4 Bc8 23. f4 Bxa6 24. Bxa6 Rxa6 25. fxe5 dxe5 26. Bc3 Bxb4 27. Bxb4 Qb6+ 28. c5 Qxb4 29. Qxa6 Qxc5+ 30. Kh1 Nxe4 31. Ra2 Nf2+ 32. Rxf2 Qxf2 

{Making only moves I have nearly saved the game, but around here I became frustrated. Black has three pawns for the piece and the position is very close to draw, but it is a typical computer position. It requires from Black very accurate play.

Anthony: one of the great questions of my life is what would have happened had I offered Ehlvest a draw here.  I suspect that if Zappa were to self-play the position, there is a good chance it would be drawn, but I felt I had good practical chances to win here, and Zappa had a moderate plus score for white (+0.7 or so).  Against a computer winning the first game is of no particular importance other than the point, but against a human there are psychological problems.  It is a hard thing to cheer against your own machine, but Ehlvest really fought like a lion in this game, and the human side of me was hoping he would hold the draw. }

33. h3 e4 34. Rf1 Qd2 35. Qb6 Rc8 36. Qa7 Rf8 37. Nc4 Qc3 38. Ne3 f5 39. Qb6 Kg7 40. Rd1 Rf7 41. Nf1 Qe5 42. Qd8 Qf6 43. Qa5 

{White can play on and on and Black can only wait. There are some positions when you are happy to switch to computer mode; this is one of them.  My frustration got bigger and bigger and it was all over in few moves.}

Kh6 44. Qb6 Kg7 45. Qa5 Kh7 46. Qc5 Kg7 47. Ne3 Kh7 48.! Nc4 Qe7 49. Nd6 Qc7 50. Qe5 Rd7 51. Qxe6 Qd8 52. Rd4 Qe7 53. Nxe4

1-0 {White wins}

[Event "Zappa - Ehlvest Exhibition Match"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2005.07.07"]
[Round "2"]
[White "GM Ehlvest"]
[Black "Zappa"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 b6 3. Bg5 Bb7 4. Bxf6 gxf6 5. e3 e6 6. g3 c5 7. Bg2 cxd4
8. exd4 Nc6 9. d5 Ne7 10. c4 Rc8 11. O-O Rxc4 12. Nfd2 Rd4 13. dxe6 Bxg2
14. exf7+ Kxf7 15. Kxg2 Qa8+ 16. Qf3 Qc6 17. Qxc6 dxc6 18. Nf3 Rd3 19. Nc3
Bh6 20. Rfd1 Rhd8 21. Kf1 Rxd1+ 22. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 23. Nxd1 c5 24. Nc3 Bc1 25.
b3 Ke6
1/2-1/2 {Draw Agreed}

[Event "Zappa - Ehlvest Exhibition Match"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2005.07.08"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Zappa"]
[Black "GM Ehlvest"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 g6 2. d4 d6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Be3 Nf6 5. Be2 Nbd7 6. f4 b5 7. a3 Nb6 8. d5
Bb7 9. Nf3 a6 10. dxc6 Bxc6 11. Qd4 Na4 12. Nxa4 bxa4 13. Ng5 e6 14. Qc3
Bb7 15. f5 exf5 16. Bc4 d5 17. exd5 Bg7 18. Qe5+ Qe7 19. Qxe7+ Kxe7 20.
O-O-O Kd7 21. Nxf7 Rhe8 22. Rhe1 Ng4 23. Bc5 Ne5 24. Nd6 Nxc4 25. Nxc4 Rad8
26. Re6 Bh6+ 27. Kb1
1-0 {White Wins}

[Event "Zappa - Ehlvest Exhibition Match"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2005.07.09"]
[Round "4"]
[White "GM Ehlvest"]
[Black "Zappa"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1. e4 

{
Comments by GM Ehlvest, info@nychessclub.org

In the last game I decided to continue to play open chess and started with 1.e2-e4, as in game two I played slow chess with 1.d2-d4 and did not get much from the opening. Computers play the same regardless of their opponent, so it means that to make a draw as white against a computer is not so difficult.
}

e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. d4 d6 9. c3 Bg4 10. Be3 Bh5 11. h3 Na5 12. Bc2 Nc4 13. Bc1 Nd7 14. b3 Ncb6 15. Nbd2 c5 16. g4 Bg6 17. Nf1 

{Yes 17.d4-d5 was the right move against computer keeping the position as closed as possible. I of course saw this move but instead went for dynamic play where once again the computer proved that in open positions it calculates very well. }

cxd4 18. cxd4 Rc8 19. Re2 exd4 20. Nxd4 d5 21. e5 Bxc2 22. Nxc2 Re8 23. Nd4 Bc5 24. e6 fxe6 25. Nxe6 Qe7! 

{! A strong move as after nearly every move Bxf2 is coming. Still white has enough compensation for the pawn.}

26. Bb2 Bxf2+ 27. Rxf2 Qxe6 28. Qd4 Qe5 29. Rd1 Qxd4 30. Bxd4 Rf8 31. Rxf8+

{? The draw was imminent and I just made this move too carelessly, losing a few tempi in the endgame.}

Kxf8 32. Ne3 g6 33. Re1 Rc6 34. Kf2 Kf7 35. Kf3 Nc8 36. Ke2 Ne7 37. Kd3 Nc5+ 

{This move got some critical remarks from some internet onlookers, but it is nearly impossible to make the extra pawn worth of something. Computers are not good practical players; they don't use methods like keeping the tension in equal positions and using psychological pressure against your opponent.}

38. Bxc5 Rxc5 39. Kd4 Rc6 

{
And a draw was agreed.

Anthony: A bit of an explanation is perhaps in order here.  Zappa needs a minute or so to find the drawing line for White:

1. Ne3xd5 Ne7xd5 2. Kd4xd5 Rc6-c2 3. a2-a4! Rc2-c3 4. Re1-e6! Rc3xb3 5. Re6xa6 b5xa4 6. Ra6xa4 Rb3xh3 
 = (-0.23)      Depth: 17/35    00:01:14.98     283066kN (3775 KN/s, 18467 splits, 1617 aborts)

After this Black has 2v1 on the the kingside in a rook endgame, which is drawn with perfect play.  I didn't feel like grinding out another 50 moves, so I offered the draw.
}

1/2-1/2
