Fun With Fritz

     For years my go to program has been the ancient Fritz 12 which was released back in October of 2009. I stumbled across it in Office Max for $20 which was a fraction of the online price. Coupled with the latest engines it's the perfect program...for me anyway. 

     On the Chessbase site you can play against Fritz (version 16?) which they claim plays like a human and while its moves usually look good, it makes hidden tactical blunders. The sharper you play, the more likely it is that Fritz will make a mistake. They also add that Fritz rewards beautiful play...if you attack sharply and sacrifice material, you will get bonus points of some sort. 

     You can create a free account that offers various options including assigning you a rating and you can get a "Beauty Score" which computes a score based on how beautiful your play is. 

     If you enjoy playing against engines this can be a lot of fun. I played it a few times at the Club Player level and scored two draws and one game was looking pretty good for me until I suddenly noticed that I was a piece down...how it happened, I do not know! 

     Below is a game that is a good example of the engine's play. This is something worth looking into whether you are the type who seriously studies or if you just want to have fun.  Check out the program HERE.

Tartajubow - Fritz (Club level)

Result: 1/2-1/2

Site: Chessbase

Date: 2021

Sicilian: Taimanov

[...] 1.e4 e6 2.c4 Hoping to transpose into a favorite of mine, the Botvinnik-Panov after 2...d5 2...c5 (2...d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.d4 The Botvinnik-Panov) 3.♘f3 ♘c6 4.d4 cxd4 5.♘xd4 ♘f6 6.♘c3 ♗b4 7.♘xc6 dxc6 8.♕xd8+ ♔xd8 This is all book stuff, but the book lines are starting to end. 9.♗g5

9.e5 is the Stockfish way, but the position is even after 9...♘e4

9...e5 10.♗xf6+ As it turns out this should have been avoided because there is no way to take advantage of the doubled Ps.

10.O-O-O+ ♔c7 11.f3 ♗e6 12.♔c2 black is slightly better. Zepeda,L (2106)-Breutigam,M (2380)/Berlin 2015.

10...gxf6 11.O-O-O+ ♔c7 12.♘e2

12.♘a4 ♗e6 13.a3 ♗e7 14.♘c3 ♖hg8 15.♖g1 Black is very much better. Berbatov,K (2171)-Arnaudov,G (2273)/Plovdiv 2007

12...♗e6 13.♘g3 The N outpost on f5 has turned out to be an illusion. 13...♖ag8 Finding a reasonable plan of development is now a challenge for white. 14.♗e2 h5 15.♗xh5 (15.b3 h4 16.♘f5 ♗xf5 17.exf5 ♖xg2 is winning.) 15...♗xc4 16.b3 ♗e6 17.♔b2 b6 18.a3 ♗e7 19.♖d2 ♗d6 (19...♗c5 Keeps the advantage after 20.♗f3 ♖d8) 20.♖hd1 ♗f8 Here I had a hint that I had a brilliant move. 21.h3 This is a tactical error that allows black to get a substantial advantage.

21.♗xf7 This was the brilliant move. Actually it results in no more that equality after 21...♗xf7 22.♖d7+ ♔b8 23.♖xf7 ♗c5 24.♖dd7 b5 and there is no way to take advantage of the doubled Rs on the 7th. Komodo evaluates any reasonable move at at 0.00.

21...♖xg3 Obvious! Or is it? In this position which side does the material imbalance favor? Practically it's usually the stronger player. 22.♗xf7 ♖xb3+ Surprise. I expected the routine capture of the B.

22...♗xf7 23.♖d7+ ♔c8 24.♖d8+ ♔b7 25.♖1d7+ ♔a6 26.fxg3 with a complicated position in which both sides have their chances.

23.♔c2 ♗xf7 24.♖d7+ ♔c8 25.♖xf7 As planned, but it was not the best.

25.♖d8+ Allows white more activity after 25...♔b7 26.♖1d7+ ♔a6 27.♖xf7 ♖xa3 28.♖fxf8 ♖xf8 29.♖xf8 ♖a2+ Black is better.

25...♖xa3 I have managed to get myself into a dead lost position. 26.♖xf6

26.♖dd7 was my intention, but now I realized it didn't work because after 26...♗c5 27.♖c7+ ♔b8 28.♖b7+ ♔a8 I don't have any checks...it's that simple!

26...♖a2+ This does no damage but 26...Bc5 was better. 27.♔b3 ♗e7 (27...♖a3+ 28.♔b2 ♖a4 29.♖xc6+ ♔b7 30.♖e6 ♖xe4 was better.) 28.♖xc6+ ♔b7 29.♖c2 This is a mistake. I should have kept both Rs on. It's not true that all double R endgames are drawn, but keeping them on offered more play. 29...♖a3+ Black errs in not trading Rs although he still is much better. 30.♔b2 Now black could wrap it up with 30...Bb4 30...♔b8 Allowing me to draw. 31.♖d7 ♗b4 32.♖cc7 A powerful looking move that was played instantly...and a dud!

32.♖c4 first was correct. Then after 32...a5 33.♖cc7 white draws.

32...a5 Another deliberate engine mistake that lets me off the hook.

32...♖a5 33.♖b7+ ♔a8 34.g4 The only hope lies in advancing a P on the K-side even of it means surrendering another P. 34...♖xh3 35.♖bc7

35.g5 ♗c3+ 36.♔c2 ♗d4 37.♖h7 ♖a2+ 38.♔c1 ♖c3+ 39.♔d1 ♖d3+ 40.♔c1 ♖xf2 41.♖xa7+ ♔b8 42.♖ab7+ ♔c8 43.♖bc7+ ♔d8 44.♖cd7+ ♔e8 45.♖de7+ ♔f8 The K has gotten away!

35...♗a3+ 36.♔c2 ♖c5+ 37.♖xc5 ♗xc5 38.g5 ♗xf2 39.g6 ♖h8 40.g7 ♖g8 41.♖f7 ♗c5 The saving move! Black wins as follows (Stockfish in a Shootout) 42.♔b3 b5 43.♖c7 ♗e3 44.♖e7 ♗g5 45.♖xe5 ♖xg7 46.♖xb5 a6 47.♖d5 ♔b7 48.♔c4 ♔c6 49.♖f5 ♔b6 50.e5 ♗e7 51.e6 ♖g4+ 52.♔d3 a5 53.♖f7 ♗c5 54.♖d7 ♖g3+ 55.♔c4 a4 56.♖d8 ♖g4+ 57.♔c3 ♗b4+ 58.♔d3 a3 59.♖b8+ ♔a7 60.♖h8 a2 61.♖h1 ♖g2 62.♔e4 ♔b6 63.♔d3 ♖b2 64.♖a1 ♗e7 65.♔c3 ♗f6+ 66.♔d3 ♖g2 Although I suspect that at the club player level things might not be so certain.

33.♖b7+ ♔c8 34.♖bc7+ ♔b8 35.♖b7+ ♔c8 36.♖bc7+ ♔b8 37.♖b7+ Here the engine did not recognize the repetition!

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