Mephisto Master Chess vs Novag Diamond 10 Game match

[Kasparov111]

Running a new match with the strong Mephisto Master Chess vs Novag Diamond both my own boards, 10 games, should be a close match..

Game 1 is a Ruy Lopez: Dilworth Variation with Mephisto Master Chess 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

[Kasparov111]

Diamond is in a fighting mood today with 11.kxf2!, giving up the knight to smash open the white king's position...

9. c3 Bc5 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. Bc2 Nxf2

[Kasparov111]

Despite Master Chess's open king position here, the game is actually even, black has a hard way to make any progress from here and it appears that the knight sacrifice was not sound..

12. Rxf2 f6 13. exf6 Bxf2+ 14. Kxf2 Qxf6 15. Nb3 Ne5 16. Nc5 Rae8 17. Kg3 Nxf3 18. gxf3

[Kasparov111]

Here Diamond makes a fatal blunder by taking back 21.gxh6?, leading to a lost position for black..

Qe5+ 19. f4 Qd6 20. Qh5 g6 21. Bxg6 hxg6

[Kasparov111]

The position is lost for Diamond with the bishop looking to move to d5 and create heavy loss of material for black..Diamond goes into a 40 minute think and plays d4! It is looking to give up the queen and try to save the position...

22. Qxg6+ Kh8 23. Be3 d4

[Kasparov111]

Master Chess wins the first game in crushing style, Diamond overestimated the knight sack....

24. Bxd4+ Qxd4 25. Qh6+ Kg8 26. cxd4 1-0

Mephisto Master Chess Leads the Match: 1-0

Game Replay: https://lichess.org/JzL5jOXv

[Kasparov111]

Game 2 is a Ruy lopez: Chigorin Variation with Novag 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

[Kasparov111]

Passive play from Master Chess give Diamond this very nice attacking idea with 22.Nh6!! sacking the piece to destroy blacks king defense...if g x h then queen check G4 check picks up the d7 knight...

cxd4 12. cxd4 Bb7 13. Nc3 Qc7 14. Qe2 Rac8 15. Bd3 exd4 16. Nxd4 Rfe8 17. Bg5 d5 18. Rac1 Qb6 19. Nf5 Bc5 20. e5 Nd7 21. Bf4 Bf8 22. Nh6+

[Kasparov111]

Lots of attacking at the moment but the evaluation is still pretty even...can one side gain an advantage?

gxh6 23. Qg4+ Bg7 24. Qxd7 Nc4 25. b4 Nxe5 26. Bxe5 Rxe5 27. Ne2 Rc6 28. Red1 d4 29. Nxd4 Rd6 30. Qc7 Rg5 31. Qxb6 Rxg2+

[Kasparov111]

The game ends in a draw after what looked like Diamond would have had a winning position, a few inaccurate moves and the advantage faded and Master Chess was able to regroup its pieces...

32. Kf1 Rxb6 33. Bf5 Be5 34. Bc8 Bxd4 35. Rxd4 Rbg6 36. Rg4 R2xg4 37. Bxg4 Bd5 38. Rc8+ Kg7 39. a3 h5 40. Bxh5 Bg2+ 41. Ke2 Bxh3 42. Rc7 1/2-1/2

Master Chess Leads the Match: 1.5-0.5

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

[Kasparov111]

Game 3 ended in a draw with Master Chess as white..

Unable to replay game and moves have only final position.

Master Chess Leads the Match: 2-1

[Kasparov111]

Game 4 is a Indian Defense: Budapest Defense, Fajarowicz Variation with Novag Diamond as white..game will be finshed tomorrow...

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ne4 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. a3 Be7 6. Qd5 Nc5 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. b4 Na4 9. c5 a5 10. b5

[Kasparov111]

Novag Diamond wins the game in crushing style, unfortunately the Lichess board I was copying the moves too deleted itself so I only have the final position.

The Match is tied: 2-2

[Kasparov111]

Game 5 is a Queens Gambit Accepted: Janowski-Larsen Variation with Master Chess as white...

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 5. Bxc4 e6 6. Nbd2 Nc6 7. Qa4 Qd7 8. Bb5 Qd5

[Kasparov111]

Diamond blunders with 9.Bf5 it needed to keep the pressure on with 9.Qxg2, now Master Chess has a big advantage...the position is nice to play for white a pawn up...

9. Ne5 Bf5 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Qxc6+ Qxc6 12. Nxc6 Bd3 13. Ne5 Bc2 14. b3 c5 15. Bb2 cxd4 16. Bxd4