Novag Diamond II vs Mephisto Berlin 68000 10 games

[Kasparov111]

Very interesting position! The black pawns look so dangerous, lets see how it plays out...

20. b3 Bxb3 21. cxb3 Nxb3+ 22. Kc2 Nc5 23. e5 d5 24. Nd3 Nxd3 25. Kxd3 a5 26. Rb1 b5 27. Rbc1 Ra6 28. Rc5 a4 29. Rec1 Kd7 30. Bh5 f6 31. e6+ Kd6 32. e7

[Kasparov111]

Stockfish has this as winning for Berlin 68000, but it will require very precise play....

32. e7 Kxe7 33. Rxc6 Rxc6 34. Rxc6 Ra8 35. Kd4 a3 36. Rc1 Kd6 37. Ra1 b4 38. Bd1 Re8 39. Bf3 Re5 40. g4 g6 41. fxg6 hxg6 42. h3

[Kasparov111]

Berlin 68000 lets Diamond II off the hook by not the best continuation, but the position is still very dangerous...it looks like Diamond II's defense will be just in time...

f5 43. g5 Re7 44. h4 Rh7 45. h5 gxh5 46. Bxd5 Rg7 47. Rg1 h4 48. g6 h3 49. Bf7 h2 50. Rh1 a2

[Kasparov111]

Looks like Berlin 68000 will not be able to promote the pawns, game will draw soon...

51. Bxa2 Rxg6 52. Rxh2 Rg4+ 53. Kd3 Ke5 54. Kc2 Rd4 55. Rh5 Ke4 56. Rh8 f4 57. Re8+ Kf3 58. Re5 Kg3 59. Rg5+ Kh4 60. Rf5 Kg4 61. Be6 Rd6 62. Bc8 Kg3 63. Rg5+ Kf2 64. Bb7 Rb6 65. Bd5 Ke3 66. Rg8 Rb5 67. Re8+ Kd4 68. Bh1 Rc5+ 69. Kb3 Rc1 70. Bb7 Rb1+ 71. Kc2 Rf1 72. Re4+ Kc5 73. Re5+ Kd4 74. Re7 Kc5 75. Rf7 Kd4 76. Kb3 Rb1+ 77. Ka2 Rf1 78. Kb2 Ke3

[Kasparov111]

The game ends in a draw, with just the kings left on the board... what a battle! Diamond II still can't get that first win...2 games to go.

79. Re7+ Kf2 80. Re4 f3 81. Rxb4 Re1 82. Kc2 Re7 83. Bd5 Re5 84. Bc4 Kg2 85. Rb7 Rc5 86. Rg7+ Kh3 87. Kd3 Rxc4 88. Kxc4 f2 89. Rf7 Kg2 90. Kd5 f1=Q 91. Rxf1 Kxf1 1/2-1/2

Berlin 68000 wins and Leads the Match: 6-2

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

[Kasparov111]

Game 9 is a Queens Gambit Accepted: Janowski-Larsen Variation with Berlin 68000 as white...

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 5. Bxc4 e6 6. h3 Bh5 7. Nc3 Nbd7 8. O-O Bd6 9. e4 e5 10. Be2

[Kasparov111]

We've reached an interesting endgame where black will look to push the a and b pawns for promotion...

O-O 11. Be3 Re8 12. Nxe5 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Bxe5 15. f3 Qe7 16. Qc4 Qe6 17. Qxe6 fxe6 18. Rfd1 Rad8 19. Rac1 a5 20. Ne2 Bxb2 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. Rxc7

[Kasparov111]

Getting a bit crazy now tactically....white has a good position but it has to navigate precisely..

b5 23. Kf2 Rd1 24. Rc2 Ba1 25. Bd2 b4 26. Ke3 Ne8 27. Rc5 Nd6 28. Rc6 Be5 29. f4 Nxe4 30. Bc1 Bxf4+

[Kasparov111]

Berlin 68000 makes its first big blunder of the match with 34.Ne4??, removing the pin but giving up the rook on c8, now Diamond II has a winning position! Despite the knight fork on d6 the black pawns are unstoppable!

31. Kxf4 Nc3 32. Rc8+ Kf7 33. Nxc3 Rxc1 34. Ne4

[Kasparov111]

Diamond II promotes to a queen and wins its first game of the match! One more game to go...

Rxc8 35. Nd6+ Kf8 36. Nxc8 a4 37. Nb6 b3 38. axb3 a3 39. Ke5 Kf7 40. Nc4 a2 41. Kd6 a1=Q 42. Ne5+ Kf6 43. Nd7+ Kf5 44. g4+ Kf4 45. Kxe6 Qa3 0-1

Berlin 68000 wins and Leads the Match: 6-3

Game Replay: https://lichess.org/3VzaPxDC#0

[Kasparov111]

Game 10 is a rare Pirc Defense: Austrian Attack: Dragon formation with Diamond II as white....the position is already a bit crazy with Diamond II hitting at the f7 pawn and stopping black from castling...

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 c5 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. e5 Ng4 8. e6 Bxb5 9. exf7+

[Kasparov111]

Despite Berlin 68000s dangerous a1 to h8 diagnol with the bishop + queen , Diamond II has a nice position to work with...

Kd7 10. Nxb5 Qa5+ 11. Nc3 cxd4 12. Nxd4 h5 13. Qf3 Nc6 14. Nxc6 bxc6 15. Bd2 Qf5 16. h3 Nh6 17. f8=Q Rhxf8 18. O-O-O Rab8 19. Rhe1 Rb7 20. b3 Qf6 21. g4 hxg4 22. hxg4

[Kasparov111]

The game has become quite sharp and it could go either way...think I prefer white here though...

Nf7 23. a3 Nd8 24. Re2 Rh8 25. Rde1 e6 26. Qd3 Kc7 27. Qa6 Rh4 28. g5 Qf8 29. Qa5+ Kb8 30. Ne4 Rb5 31. Qa4 d5 32. Nf2 e5 33. c4 Rb7 34. fxe5 Qf5 35. Bb4 Qxg5+ 36. Kb1

[Kasparov111]

And Diamond II plays really well and has a winning position, Berlin 68000 will have to give up that bishop to stop the e pawn and the knight vs rook endgame is winning for white..

Qf5+ 37. Ka2 dxc4 38. Bd6+ Ka8 39. bxc4 Qf3 40. Ne4 Rh1 41. Qd1 Rxe1 42. Rxe1 Qxd1 43. Rxd1 Nf7 44. Nc5 Nxd6 45. Nxb7 Nxb7 46. e6

[Kasparov111]

Diamond II finishes the game in style with a checkmate in the corner, lovely play this game and through the match, it came alive a little too late though, I think the opening got Berlin 68000 in trouble this game, it tends to be super strong with more traditional and solid openings...great match, I thought the match might end 6-4 before it started for Berlin, and Diamond II was able to fight back and make that prediction come true.

Bf6 47. Rd7 Na5 48. c5 Nb7 49. e7 Bxe7 50. Rxe7 Nxc5 51. Kb2 Kb8 52. Kc3 a5 53. Kd4 Nb3+ 54. Kc4 Nd2+ 55. Kc5 Nb1 56. a4 Nc3 57. Kxc6 g5 58. Re3 Nd1 59. Re5 Nc3 60. Rxg5 Ne4 61. Rb5+ Ka7 62. Rxa5+ Kb8 63. Re5 Nd2 64. a5 Nf3 65. Re7 Nd2 66. a6 Nc4 67. a7+ Ka8 68. Kb5 Nd6+ 69. Ka6 Nc8 70. Rd7 Nxa7 71. Rd8+ Nc8 72. Rxc8# 1-0

Berlin 68000 wins the match: 6-4

Game Replay: https://lichess.org/7qX7EeG3