A Game More Random Than Most

Today's offering is a game from Wellington Chess Club's annual rapid tournament between me and International Master Russell Dive. This was my first over-the-board game of Fischer Random chess, in which both players share one of 960 possible back rank set ups for their pieces. The position, chosen by random, is thus symmetrical...until the pieces start moving and then who knows. The odd thing is that at some point it turns into a regular game of chess.

In my second game, not provided to avoid embarrassment, I lost horribly to Mark van der Hoorn, best known for his predilection for playing the 'Vandalizer' in 'real' chess, featuring 1.f2-f3, followed by an early Kf2...Kg3...and possibly even Kh4. Perhaps Mark should patent his approach to Fischer Random and call it 'the Randomizer'.

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Njiman, Brian – Dive, Russell
8 April 2008, Wellington Chess Club Fischer Random
Rapid (25’+5” per move)
Chess960 starting position 467

1. Nd3 d5 2. Nc3 c6 3. f4 g6 4. e4?! Bxc3 5. bxc3 dxe4 6. Nc5 f5 7. Nb3 Qd5

(7... Qc4 8. Qe3 (8. O-O-O Ne6 9. d3 Qa4 10. Kb1 Nd6 11. dxe4 fxe4 {(advantage to Black)}) 8...Qa6 9. c4 Qxc4 (9... Nd6 10. d3 b6 11.O-O {(equal)}) 10. Bg7 Rf7 11. Be5 Nd6 12. O-O-O b6 {(advantage to Black)})

8. O-O-O Ne6 9. d3 exd3 10. g3 Qc4 (10... d2!?)

White to move

11. cxd3 Qa4 12. Kb1 {(with an edge for White)} Nc7 13. Rfe1 Nd6 14. Qc5 Kd8?

(14... O-O-O 15. Rxe7 Rfe8 16. Rxe8 (16. Rde1 b6 17. Qd4 Qa6 18. c4 Nxc4! 19.Qxc4 Qxc4 20. dxc4 Rxe7 21. Rxe7 Rd1+ 22. Kc2 Rxh1 23. Rxh7 c5 24. Rh8+ Kd7 25.Be5 Be4+ 26. Kc3 Ne6 27. Rh7+ Kc8 (equal)}) 16...Ncxe8 17. Qe5 {(White has an edge)})

15. Re5?!

(better is: 15. Qe5 Re8 16. Qg7 {(advantage to White)})

15... b6 16. Qe3

(16. Qb4 Qxb4 17. cxb4 Kd7 {(equal)})

16... Rf7?!

(16... Re8 17. Re1 e6 18. Nd4 c5 19. Nxe6+ Rxe6 20. Bxa8 (20. Rxe6 Nxe6 21. Qxe6 Kc7 22. Qe7+ Qd7 {(equal)}) 20... Rxa8 21. Rxe6 Nxe6 22. Qxe6 Kc7 {(equal)})

17. Re1 {(edge for White)}

Black to move

Nc8 18. c4 c5 19. Bxa8 Rxa8 20. d4!? Nd6?!

(20... cxd4 21. Bxd4 {(edge for White)}) (20... Qxc4? 21.Rc1 Qa4 22. dxc5 e6 23. Nd4 Re7 24. Qf3 bxc5 25. Nc6+ Ke8 26. Nxe7 Rb8+ 27. Bb2 Nxe7 28. Qe2 Kf7 29. Rexc5 {(White has a winning position)})

21. dxc5

(better is: 21. Rxe7 Nxc4 22. Qe2 Rxe7 23. Qxe7+ Kc8 24. dxc5 Kb7 25. Be5 Rc8 26. Qxh7 Qb4 27. Re2 {(advantage to White)})

21... bxc5??

(21... Nxc4! 22. Qd4+ Ke8 23. R5e3 Na3+ 24.Kc1 Qc4+ 25. Rc3 Qxd4 26. Nxd4 Nab5 27. Nxb5 Nxb5 28. Rb3 Nc7 29. cxb6 axb6 30.Kb1 {(the position is unclear)})

22. Rxe7 {(White has a won game)} Kc8?? 23. Qxc5 Rxe7 24. Rxe7 (Black oversteps the time limit) [1:0]

final position

White has checkmate in 6 moves, unless Black surrenders his Queen: {(25...Nde8 25.Be5 Kd8 26.Bxc7+ Kc8 27.Ba5+ Kb8 28.Rxe8+ Kb7 29.Qc7+ Ka6 30.Nc5 mate})