Test your silicon

This is a compilation of a large set of positions posted by Sune Larsson at the CCC computer chess forum. Try your silicon and find out that there is still hope for human kind as these are the strategic kind of positions computers still have a hard time. You even may find out you will do better than the silicon.

Enjoy!

White
Black

Testposition - Eval Results (1)
EPD2diag V1.5
2001

This is a dead draw. Black just moves his bishop on the a7-g1 diagonal.

Correct evaluation of this position is 0.00.

White
Black

Good Knight vs Bad Bishop (1)
EPD2diag V1.5
2001

In this position white's knight is far superior to black's bishop. This is very old knowledge and white is winning this one. People that play French as black might have nightmares of positions like this. The black bishop can only defend the two weak pawns on e6,g6 or wander around like a ghost on the white squares.

1. Na4+ Kc6 2. Ka5 Kb7 3. Nc5+ Kc7 4. Kb5 Be8+ 5. Ka6 Bf7 6. Nb7 Be8 7. Ka7 Bf7 8. Nd6 Bg8 9. Ka6 Kc6 10. Ka5 Bh7 11. Nf7 Bg8 12. Nh8 Bh7 13. Ka6 Kc7 14. Kb5 Kb7 15. Kc5 Kc7 16. Nf7 Bg8 17. Nd6 Bh7 18. Ne8+ Kd8 19. Nf6

and wins.

Alekhine
Capablanca

Rookending (1)
EPD2diag V1.5
1927

1927 Alekhine won the 34th game in the battle vs Capablanca to become World Champion. He did it by playing 1.Ra4! in the above position. Black's rook has to block the pawn and white has at his disposal an endless reserve of rook moves along the a-file. Again, the future for black spells "Zugzwang". The general rule is that a passed pawn should be supported by a rook from the rear. That's why ideas of 1.Rd5? are wrong. This is a knowledge that have to be implemented in many chessprograms. I have seen numerous examples of trying to support such a pawn sideways.

What would your favourite program play?

1. Ra4!

1-0

Burn
Alekhine

Good knight vs bad bishop II (1)
Karlsbad
1911

Amos Burn's only victory over Alekhine, in a good knight versus bad bishop ending, is virtually a walk-over. The game went like this: 1.Kb2 Ba4 2.Ne3 Ke7 3.Ka3 Bc6 4.Kb4 Kd7 5.Ka5 Kc7 6.Nc2 Kb7 7.Nb4 Bd7 8.Na6 Be8 (if 8.-Bc8 9.Nc5+ and the king penetrates) 9.Nc5+ Kc6 10.Nxe6 and white won.

Test1: The above position. This is won for white and your program should give white a big +score. Though we may dream about the day when +9.99 pops up...;)

Test2: Exchange the bad bishop on e8 for a better one on e7. This position is a draw and your program should evaluate it close to 0.00. The new position below:

1. Kb2 Ba4 2. Ne3 Ke7 3. Ka3 Bc6 4. Kb4 Kd7 5. Ka5 Kc7 6. Nc2 Kb7 7. Nb4 Bd7 8. Na6 Be8 9. Nc5+ Kc6 10. Nxe6

and white won.

1-0

Baslavsky
Kondratiev

The Good the Bad and the... (1)
EPD2diag V1.5
1947

This position is from Baslavsky-Kondratiev 1947 -slightly modified-

The white bishop can aim at 5 of the opponents pawns. The white king threatens to sneak in at the upper North-West corner - a5,b6,c7. The black bishop looks just like another pawn. The game went like this:

1.Ke3 Kf7 2.Kd4 Be8 3.Kc3 Ke7 4.Kb3 Kd8 5.Ka4 Kc7 6.Ka5 Bf7 [Black cannot allow Kb6 and is reduced to waiting moves with his bishop] 7.Bc4! Bg8 8.a4 Bf7 9.b5 axb5 10.axb5 Bg8 [if 10.-cxb5 11.Bxb5 Bg8 12.Be8) 11.b6+ [From now on black has to constantly guard himself against Ba6, which gives white free hands on the king's flank.] 11...Kd8 12.Kb4 Bf7 13.Kc3 Kd7 14.Kd4 Kd8 15.Ke3 Kd7 16.f5! gxf5 17.Kf4 Bg6 18.Kg5 Be8 19.Kf6 f4 20.Be2 and wins.

Test1: The above position. It's won for white and your program should show a high +score for white.

Test2: Exchange the good white Bd3 to the more ugly Bc3. This position is now a draw and your program should show close to 0.00.

1. Ke3 Kf7 2. Kd4 Be8 3. Kc3 Ke7 4. Kb3 Kd8 5. Ka4 Kc7 6. Ka5 Bf7 7. Bc4! Bg8 8. a4 Bf7 9. b5 axb5 10. axb5 Bg8 11. b6+ Kd8 12. Kb4 Bf7 13. Kc3 Kd7 14. Kd4 Kd8 15. Ke3 Kd7 16. f5! gxf5 17. Kf4 Bg6 18. Kg5 Be8 19. Kf6 f4 20. Be2

1-0

Next positions 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31-40

Download all positions in PGN and EPD format.