Novag Star Diamond vs Mephisto Berlin 68030 Prototype 10 Games

[Kasparov111]

This is a 10 game match between my Star Diamond board vs a Berlin 68030 Prototype emulation 10 games, Berlin set to Normal 4, Star at strongest H8 setting.

Game 1 is a Ruy Lopez, Open Classical defense with Star Diamond as white....

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Be7 10. Be3 Nc5 11. Bc2

[Kasparov111]

20 moves played and Star is creating a nice centre domination leaving Berlin with not too much space to work with, c5 seems like a nice push for black but the square is well protected by Star, let's see what Berlin does to improve it's position....

Bg4 12. Nbd2 Ne6 13. Qb1 Bh5 14. Bf5 Bg6 15. a4 b4 16. Rc1 bxc3 17. Rxc3 Nb4 18. Nd4 Nxd4 19. Bxd4 O-O 20. Nb3

[Kasparov111]

5 moves later and Berlin is already in trouble...Star doubled its rooks on the c file and created issues for black on the 7th rank, now Berlin has many issues to deal with...guarding f7 now is a must....

Bxf5 21. Qxf5 Qc8 22. Qh5 Rd8 23. Rac1 Na2 24. Rxc7 Nxc1 25. Rxe7

[Kasparov111]

After a few exchanges a very interesting position arrives, Star has the option to continue its attack and take on e6 with check forcing Berlin to block with Rf7, or play it safe and recapture the knight on b3...Star has a winning position..

g6 26. Qf3 Rf8 27. e6 Qxe6 28. Rxe6 fxe6 29. Qe3 Nxb3

[Kasparov111]

Star Diamond plays an excellent first game and wins...the queen is just too much at the end...

30. Qxb3 Rac8 31. h3 Rc4 32. Qb6 Rc1+ 33. Kh2 Re1 34. Be3 Re2 35. Bh6 Rexf2 36. Bxf8 Rxf8 37. Qxe6+ 1-0

Star Diamond Leads the Match: 1-0

Game Replay: https://lichess.org/UsFAfunn

[Kasparov111]

Game 2 is a Nimzo Larsen attack with Berlin 68030 Prototype as white, this Berlin was using the faster 68030 processor as opposed to the standard 68020.

1. b3 Nf6 2. Bb2 g6 3. e4 d6 4. g3 Bg7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. Ne2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d4 exd4 9. Nxd4 Re8 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. e5 Nd5 12. c4

[Kasparov111]

Berlin is building up some nice pressure on d6, let's see how Diamond responds....

Ne7 13. f4 Bd7 14. Nd2 Nf5 15. Re1 f6 16. exd6 cxd6 17. Ne4 Re6 18. Qd2 Qe7 19. Ba3 Re8 20. Rad1

[Kasparov111]

Berlin finds come clever knight menouvering to get itself a nice advantage in the endgame...it's a pawn now and looks to have a winning endgame with the a pawn as a big threat down the road being pushed all the way to a8..

c5 21. Kf1 Nd4 22. Bb2 Kh8 23. Nf2 f5 24. Rxe6 Qxe6 25. Nd3 Qe3 26. Qxe3 Rxe3 27. Nb4 Re6 28. Bxd4 Bxd4 29. Bc6 Bxc6 30. Nxc6 Bf6 31. Nxa7

[Kasparov111]

Berlin Prototype plays an excellent endgame to score its first win and tie the match, Star Diamond is just down too much material now and it's an easy convert for Berlin....nicely played.

Nxa7 h5 32. Nc8 Bd4 33. Re1 Rf6 34. Re7 h4 35. gxh4 Kg8 36. Kg2 Kf8 37. Kf3 Bb2 38. h5 gxh5 39. Rd7 Ba3 40. Nxd6 h4 41. Nb5 Ra6 42. Rd5 Bb4 43. Rxf5+ Ke7 44. a4 Rg6 45. Rh5 1-0

The match is tied at : 1-1

Game Replay: https://lichess.org/j5bwVUIY#0

[Kasparov111]

Game 3 is a Queen's Gambit Accepted with Star Diamond as white...the game ended in a very short 17 move draw so the match is still tied up..

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 { D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense } 4. Nf3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bxd2+ 6. Nbxd2 exd4 7. Bxc4 Nc6 8. O-O Qf6 9. e5 Qg6 10. Qb3 Nge7 11. Rfe1 O-O 12. Bd3 Qh5 13. Rac1 Ng6 14. Be4 Nge7 15. Bd3 Ng6 16. Be4 Nge7 17. Bd3 { The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2

The Match is tied 1.5-1.5

Game Replay: https://lichess.org/27nkeENl

[Kasparov111]

Game 4 is a Queens Indian Defense: Kasparov-Petrosian Variation Kasparov attack with Berlin Prototype as white...move 13 and we already have a very sharp position with both sides attacking each others bishops trying to gain some type of advantage...


1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. a3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Qc2 Nxc3 8. Qxc3 Bd6 9. g3 O-O 10. Bg2 c5 11. dxc5 Bxc5 12. Bf4 Nd7 13. b4 e5

[Kasparov111]

Move 19 and we have an interesting position, white is up a piece but Diamond has that nasty pin on the c file looking to get the piece back once some exchanges occur...

14. bxc5 exf4 15. c6 Rc8 16. Nd4 Qf6 17. O-O Bxc6 18. Bxc6 Nb8 19. Rac1

[Kasparov111]

Diamond gets the piece back and now we have a fairly equal endgame that will require Berlin to play accurately to stop the advance of blacks a and b pawns from promoting..


Rfd8 20. e3 Rd6 21. exf4 Rxd4 22. Qe3 Nxc6 23. Rxc6 Qxc6 24. Qxd4 Re8 25. Qd2 h5 26. Rc1

[Kasparov111]

The game ends in a draw, Diamond has a nice b pawn to promote but can't stop the perpetual checks from Berlin's queen...

Qb7 27. Re1 Rxe1+ 28. Qxe1 g6 29. Qe8+ Kg7 30. h4 b5 31. Qe5+ f6 32. Qe8 a5 33. f5 gxf5 34. Qxh5 b4 35. axb4 axb4 36. Qxf5 b3 37. h5 Qf7 38. Qd3 b2 39. h6+ Kh8 40. Qf5 Qb7 41. Qxf6+ Kh7 42. Qf5+ 1/2-1/2

The Match is tied at 2-2

Game Replay: https://lichess.org/analysis#1

[Kasparov111]

Game 5 is a Ruy Lopez Closed Keres Defence with Star Diamond as white..


1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d6 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4