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1991 Fax match - Chinook-Loy

© Copyright 1996, Jim Loy
You may print this and show it to others. But, this article will eventually be part of a book that I am writing. So, please do not distribute it widely.

If you need help reading checkers notation, please print out the numbered board.


Have you ever felt like a eucalyptus tree in a koala feeding-frenzy? This match was played by fax. The final score was Chinook 3, Loy 0, draws 1, not too good for me. Chinook did make it tough for me in the three games that I lost. I received about a hundred pages of analysis from Chinook. I'm including some of it here.


Game #1 - Loy-Chinook (An impressive win for Chinook)
10-14 23-19 11-16 (White has a small advantage in this opening) 19-15 (or 26-23, also considered by Chinook) 16-20 (considered safer than 16-19 in game #2) 26-23(A) 12-16 15-10! (Chinook considered 31-26, not mentioned in PP) 6-15 24-19 15-24 28-12 7-10(B) 22-17 9-13 (Even. Or 2-7 Chinook) 30-26!(C) 13-22 25-9 5-14 26-22 2-7(D) 29-25 (22-18 14-17 looks interesting) 8-11 22-17! (Better than 22-18 14-17, which I studied) 11-15?(E) 25-22 7-11* 17-13 1-6(F) 27-24!(G) 20-27 31-24 11-16!?(H) 24-20 15-19(I) 20-11 19-26 22-17 (I overlooked this move) WW (11-7 next).

A - Chinook considered the following perceptive line: 24-19 7-10 27-23 9-13 22-17 13-22 25-9 5-14 29-25 3-8* 31-27 1-5 25-22 20-24 27-20 7-11 22-17 11-27 32-23 6-9* 19-15 10-19 17-10 9-14 23-16 12-19 26-23 19-26 30-23 8-12 (8-11 draws PP) 28-24 4-8 (While considering the sixth move of the game, Chinook is reconstructing significant published play 32 moves deep!) 23-19 (24-19 draws PP) 14-18 19-15 18-23 21-17 23-27 17-13 27-31 10-6 2-9 and Chinook is slightly dissatisfied with White's game.

B - Earlier, Chinook predicted this 7-10. Now it highly recommends 8-11! (Apparently not in PP) 22-17 11-15 17-10 7-14 25-22 14-18 23-14 9-25 29-22 4-8 21-17 8-11 27-23 5-9 31-27 9-13 Red better, Chinook.

C - Chinook's new move. Chinook considered 89,242,160 positions in this decision. Chinook claims to have a comfortable advantage. Maybe it's right. Instead of 30-26, published play is 23-19, which was played in Tinsley-Hellman, 1955 Match, game #36, where Hellman later made a losing move, and Tinsley failed to find the win.

D - Or 2-6 23-19 6-9 19-16 9-13 29-25 1-6 31-26 14-18 22-15 10-19 27-23 19-24 23-19, Chinook.

E - Chinook recommends 4-8 (which I didn't consider seriously) 25-22 1-5 23-18 14-23 27-18 11-16 17-13 8-11 22-17 (draw?) Chinook.

F - 1-5 (scary) 13-9 11-16 9-6 15-18 22-15 10-26 31-22 16-19 6-2 4-8 2-6 8-11 27-24! (Chinook) 19-28 6-10 (6-9 14-18 draw? Loy) 11-16 10-17 16-19 17-14 19-23 14-18 23-26 22-17 WW? (maybe a draw?) Loy.

G - Wins? Chinook planned 23-18 14-23 27-18 15-19 22-17 (12-8 3-12 21-17 draw? Chinook) 10-15 18-14 15-18 14-9 6-10 9-6 19-23 6-2 (draw?) Chinook.

H - I had no idea that I was losing. 3-7 (I thought this would draw) 22-17 11-16 24-20 7-11 12-8 15-19 8-3 19-26 3-8 11-15 20-11 26-30 8-3 30-26 11-7 26-22 7-2 13-6 22-13 looks tough for Red, Loy.

I - 15-18 20-11 18-25 23-19 25-30 11-7 14-17 21-14 10-17 7-2 6-10 2-6 10-14 6-9 WW, Loy & Chinook, independently.


Game #2 - Chinook-Loy (Another loss. Chinook shows me the draw)
10-14 23-19 11-16 (White has a small advantage in this opening) 19-15 16-19(A) 22-17 7-10 17-13 3-7 27-23 14-17 23-16 10-19* 24-15 12-19 21-14 9-18 25-21 8-12* 29-25 4-8 21-17 12-16 17-14 6-10 15-6 1-17 25-21 (Chinook expected 26-23 to draw) 8-12 21-14 19-23 26-19 16-23 31-27 2-6 (The obvious move. 7-10 is PP to draw) 28-24 (I see no draw if I try to save the piece) 6-10 13-9 10-17 9-6 17-22 (If Chinook ever moves 22-26, then I draw with 32-28) 6-2 7-10 2-6(B) 10-14 [diagram #1]

24-20(C) 22-26 27-24 26-31 6-10 14-17 10-15?(D) 18-22 15-18 23-26 18-25 17-21 30-23 21-30 23-18 31-26 32-28?(E) 26-23 18-15 23-18 15-10 18-15 10-7 12-16 20-11 15-8 RW (24-19 8-11 7-2 30-26 28-24 26-23 RW, Loy)

A - 16-20 is considered an easier draw, as in game #1. At a depth of 15 ply (15 moves), Chinook decided upon 7-10?, which PP says is a loss. Chinook went on to 21 ply.

B - Chinook gives 2-7 10-15 24-20 15-19 20-16 19-24 27-20 12-19 7-11 19-24 11-15 24-27 30-26 22-31 15-22 5-9 20-16 9-13 16-11 draw.

C - White avoids this trap: 6-10? 22-26! 10-17 18-22 27-18 26-31 17-26 31-15 RW (for example: 30-26 5-9 26-23 9-14 23-19 15-18! & 14-17-22-26-31 RW) Loy.

D - The loss. Chinook shows 10-14 (I didn't consider this) 31-26 (25-21 14-17 draw) draw, Chinook.

E - Loses quickly. Chinook gives 24-19 26-22 18-15 22-18 15-11 18-14 11-7 30-26 7-3 14-10 3-8 26-22 8-11 22-18 11-8 5-9 which seems to be a RW.


Game #3 - Loy-Chinook (A book draw, all the way)
11-16 22-18 16-20 (A fairly even opening) 25-22 (Chosen by Chinook's book. Or 17-14) 10-14(A) 30-25?(B) 8-11 22-17 7-10 (Chinook expected 6-10) 24-19 11-16* 28-24 (Made by Chinook's book. Or 26-22) 9-13 (Earlier, Chinook predicted 4-8, in this position) 18-9 13-22 25-18 5-14 18-9 6-13 32-28 10-14 19-15 1-6 26-22! (Or 15-11 3-7 26-22 same) 3-7* 15-11 (Chinook considered 22-18 or 31-26, which also draw) 7-10 29-25! (The draw) 10-15 24-19 15-24 28-19 13-17 22-13 14-18 23-14 16-32 14-9 20-24 11-7 2-11 9-2 32-28 (Or 32-27 Chinook) 13-9 draw(C) (Jackson-Stewart, 1st Scottish Championship).

A - Transposing into another opening: 10-14 22-18 11-16 25-22 16-20. Instead, 8-11 transposes into the Pioneer, which comes from many different openings.

B - Black now has a small advantage, according to the books. Instead 24-19 or 22-17 are better. 30-25 does seem to abandon most chances for a win.

C - It looks easy to me, although the published game continues another 19 moves.


Game #4 - Chinook-Loy (An instructive ending loss)
11-16 22-18 16-20 25-22 10-14 24-19 8-11 (=12-16 24-19 16-20 22-18 10-14 25-22 8-12) 22-17 (Chinook expected 19-15) 9-13 17-10 6-22 26-17 13-22 30-26 22-25 (5-9 is a little better) 29-22 5-9 22-18 (Chinook expected 22-17) 11-16 26-22(A) 7-10 (Analyzed to a loss once, but is now a published draw) 18-15 1-6 22-17(B) 3-8 23-18 16-23 17-14 (Chinook, just this once, said that White has a comfortable advantage) 10-19 14-5 20-24 (Apparently the clever move to draw, in Kear's Encyclopedia) 27-20 12-16 20-11 8-22 31-27(C) 23-26 27-23 26-31 23-16 31-26 21-17 26-23 28-24 6-10 5-1 23-18 32-28?(D) 22-26 17-13 18-14 1-6 (Maybe 24-19 & 1-6 draws?) 2-9 13-6 (I offered a draw here, not realizing that I lose) 10-15 RW [diagram #2]

Only now did Chinook realize that it had a win! I agreed: Try 16-11 14-10 6-1 26-31 24-20 31-27 20-16 15-19 16-12 27-23 RW, Chinook.

A - Chinook analyzed 19-15 to an absolute draw: 19-15 4-8 18-14 9-18 23-14 16-19 21-17 1-6 17-13 7-10 14-7 3-10 13-9 6-13 15-6 2-9 draw, Chinook.

B - Chinook claimed a comfortable advantage, seeing past the end of PP. 31-26 draws, Chinook.

C - PP stops here, as a draw, in Kear's Encyclopedia. Except for just one position above, Chinook has claimed to have a comfortable advantage, for quite a while.

D - Chinook says 17-13 10-14 (18-14 16-11 10-15 1-6 2-9 13-6 14-10 6-1 & 24-20-16-12-8-3 draw, Loy) 24-19 14-17 1-6 2-9 13-6 18-23 Red better, Chinook.


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