Month: November 2021

November 4, 2021 Matthew Sadler 2 comments

In “The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement” I devote a whole chapter to engine sacrifices. In particular I noted the astonishing pawn sacrifices that engines make for long-term dynamic compensation. Stockfish’s pawn sacrifice against AllieStein is right up there in terms of mystery and superhuman judgement! Knowing this idea and the reasoning behind it will broaden your understanding of chess and open up a whole new range of possibilities in many positions!

November 4, 2021 Matthew Sadler 2 comments

ck article is in our Engine Snacks series! Leela counters a positional squeeze from Stockfish by transposing into a double-rook endgame a pawn down. To my shock and surprise, this endgame – with Stockfish having a far-advanced a-pawn – was a simple draw!
Knowing this position and its unexpected result might save you a half point or two in your career!

November 3, 2021 Matthew Sadler No comments exist

Some moves make an impression on you forever, and this is certainly one of them. Stockfish was a piece for a pawn up and completely winning against Leela Zero’s baby sister: Leela CPU. Many moves would finish off the job, but none so powerfully as Stockfish’s…

November 2, 2021 Matthew Sadler No comments exist

Stockfish sacrifices a piece for compensation that is not clear to a casual glance: the black king is exposed but there are no immediate threats. A series of powerful moves with the major pieces coordinates the white pieces into an unstoppable attacking force!
After reading this article, you will have gained the tools to better assess such long-term piece sacrifices and hopefully be inspired to use them in your own games!

November 1, 2021 Matthew Sadler No comments exist

This super-quick article is in our Engine Snacks series! We see two power plays from Stoofvlees and Stockfish, expanding a queenside space advantage across the whole board with a powerful g4 kingside thrust! These are great examples of whole board play: a major theme I examine in “The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement” and it’s definitely something we should try and emulate in our own games!