From: bedwards@nextear4.psych.umn.edu (Brent Edwards)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: Re: Anyone Can Try (Analysis, LONG)
Date: 16 Oct 92 18:47:18 GMT
Organization: University of Minnesota

In article <1992Oct15.195459.17961@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>  
mzabel@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Mark A Zabel) writes:
> Bruce Harper suggested the following experiment:
> >>If someone wanted to try this as an experiment, post a game and give  
people a
> >>week to estimate the strengths of the players.  Then try to find a
> >>correlation between the estimates and the ratings of the people making  
the
> >>estimate (too bad a Fischer-Spassky game can't be used...)
> 
> Anybody who is interested in this can play over the following
> game and estimate the strengths of the two players.  Please
> email me your estimates for the players of the White and of
> Black pieces.  Don't forget to include your own rating!

Okay, here's my analysis:

1.e4
White begins with an agressive assault, threatening 2e5,
3e6, 4ef+, forcing the King to move and lose the right
to castle. Note that White misses the opening 1.d4 which
guarantees a win, assuming White's familiar with
the solution.

1...c5?
Black doesn't see the threat, wasting time and development
with a flank move. This move is highly questionable and gets
little to no Master play.

2.Nc3 Nc6 
White restrains from the assault, sensing the weakness of
his opponent and taking pity. Black continues to flounder.

3.g3 g6 
4.Bg2 Bg7 
5.d3 d6
Not knowing what to do, Black copies White's move. White
fixes this by playing a move that Black can't copy:

6.Nge2 e6
7.0-0 Nge7
Black loses two moves of tempo in order to copy White's
sixth move. Meanwhile, White reveals his limited ability
by castling -- great players never castle.

8.Be3 Nd4 
9.Qd2 0-0
Ditto for Black. 

10.Nd1 e5
White violates a fundamental principle with his tenth move:
*Never move your pieces backward unless they are
developed pawns*.

11.c3 Nxe2+
Black's Knight lunges at the King on a suicide mission.

12.Qxe2 h6 
13.f4 Qc7 
White's f-pawn dares Black's e-pawn to take him but,
after seeing what happened to the Knight, the e-pawn
is too scared. White gains an advantage in Space and
Guts.

14.f5 gf
15.ef Bxf5 
16.Rxf5 Nxf5
17.Qh5 Nxe3 
18.Nxe3 Qe7
Both commanders send their troops to their deaths
senselessly. Can anyone say Hamburger Hill?

19.h4 f5 
20.Nxf5 Rxf5 
21.Qxf5 Rf8
22.Qg4 
White loses control of the game by moving still
another piece backwards. Black now threatens mate
with 23...Qf7, 24...Qf2+,25...e4,26...Be5,
27...Bxg3,28...Qf1+ and mate follows (if 29Rxf1,
29...Rxf1 mate).Black prepares for this with

22...Kh8 
23.Rf1
stifling Black's plan. The game now procedes in
a series of seemingly random and pointless moves --
caused perhaps by the fractal nature of this game --
until move 58.

(moves omitted)

38.Kxh6 Bxh4 
39.g5 Bh4-f3!
Black surprises White with an ingenious
(and politically correct) cross-color move.

(moves omitted)

57.Kc4 Kc7 
58.Kd5 Kb6
With a deeply considered combination,
Black threatens with this move to take
all of White's pieces and win the game.

59.Bd7! Bc3 
60.Ke6!! 
White comes out of nowhere with this
stunning one-two punch, and now White
threatens to not just take all of Black's
pieces but to rough up the King as well.
Black resigns.

Given the strength of that last move, I would rate
White at 2850 and Black at 2790 for lasting so long.
From their style, this is without question a secret
correspondence game that Fisher (White) recently
concluded with Kasparov (Black). Anyone disagree?

--Brent, 200 Elo