Michael Ayton wrote on 03/05/16 at 11:29:11:
Quote:Well, the software wants to play 12...Nf5 there instead of ...e6 and suggests rough equality. Knight has been rerouted nicely enough, and kside is safe.
Black plays on the light squares: Nb6-c4/d5.
See what you mean. I guess Black can leave ...e6 till the Knight needs an escape square.
But my strongest engines come up with a range of tries! Komodo 7 and Fire 4 choose 12 ...Nf5, as does a new Stockfish test version (TS 0303016 64 POPCNT); but SugaR 2.0 (whatever that is!) plays 12 ...b4, Houdini 1.5a 12 ...Nb6, and Gull 3.0 12 ...Bxf3. Meanwhile the strongest engine of 'em all, Stockfish 7 (3246!), chose 12 ...Qc8!? the first time I fed it, but then went for 12 ...e6 twice afterwards! (Why do engines sometimes vary like this? -- maybe Vass can tell us?
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Grand opening, the Pirc, if you can survive the Archbishes and the bore-by-Byrne.
Just another position which proves the imperfection of today's best engines. And in my correspondence chess practice I've seen many... Despite the attacks of those who pretend that there is no real correspondence chess nowadays (and all turned out to be an engine operator's affair), the reality proves the contrary to "all who have understanding".
Anyway, the best correspondence chess players can analyze even such positions "to death" and can produce "the essence of the chess truth" out of those positions if there is any. Some of them even have them (moves and lines) in their dreams...for nights.. It needs more than a week at least to analyze such a position and finally to assure yourself of reaching the point that you are ready to play the best move indeed.
As for this exact position, I cannot tell you what's the best line. I don't have time to waste for analyzing position that are not parts of my correspondence chess games. Though I wish I had it, just to demonstrate the power of the analytical skills that I am talking about.