English Chess Forum

Interesting article here on the Nakamura-Komodo (human GM vs computer engine) odds match:

http://en.chessbase.com/post/wsj-on-odd ... -vs-komodo

The odds were: (i) pawn (f7) and move; (ii) pawn (f2); (iii) exchange and move (remove a-file rooks and replace Black knight on b8 with a Black rook); and (iv) White starts with four moves.

The scary thing is that Komodo won (as Black) after Nakamura played four moves with White (the first three were decided beforehand: e4, d4, Nf3). Even more scary is that "no GM has beaten Komodo with an Exchange handicap yet with either color in 11 tries!"

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:(iv) White starts with four moves.

Speelman won a game as Black in an Olympiad once with 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. f3 d5 4. e5 Ng8 . It's now white to move having played e4,d4,d5,f3 and black has only played .. d5 .

It goes to show that it's not that you have moved pieces, but where they are placed that counts.

The distinctly eye catching opening 1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Ng8!? has also been seen.

(once played by a certain T V Petrosian, supposedly - though I don't recall ever seeing the actual game)

Matt Mackenzie wrote:The distinctly eye catching opening 1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Ng8!? has also been seen.

The Speelman line is a possible relative of this. If a game had started 1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Ng8 3. d4 d5, the move 4. f3 would not be top of the list.

Matt Mackenzie wrote:The distinctly eye catching opening 1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Ng8!? has also been seen.

(once played by a certain T V Petrosian, supposedly - though I don't recall ever seeing the actual game)

Against Boleslavsky

Just looked at a database and unfortunately there are no examples of 3e6!? as suggested in the SBCB comments