Daily Chess Puzzle: AlphaDubov

Today’s problem is from the current European Team Championships.

As is my custom, I only say which side is to play: and not giving an idea if the move wins or otherwise, unless on occasion I think signposting would be helpful. Instead, the problems are posed with the instruction to decide what you would play, as in a game.

Black to play

Daniil Dubov v Rasmus Svane, European Team Championships, Batumi, Georgia, 31st October 2019

Solution

Black of course played what any human would do (except maybe the elite players?!) 1…Kc6. Komodo immediately switches to mate in 13…which more or less Daniil Dubov found, in this contender for game of the year.

But apparently 1…Qe6 is more or less equal: though that is just from a few minutes of exploration. It seems that White only has Q and R and a phalanx of pawns; with Black able to hold their advance by Rf8; and then Black’s g pawn distracts White’s rook.

The game is well worth studying. Earlier in the game, it looked like AlphaZero style:

FEN

2br4/p1pkq1r1/1p1bB3/6NQ/2pP1P2/P3P1p1/1P6/1K2R3 b – – 0 29