GM Alonso Zapata (2447) vs NM Chris Chambers (2017)
2019 Georgia Open Rd 2
ECO: B32 Sicilian, Labourdonnais-Loewenthal (Kalashnikov) variation
- e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. c4 Be7 7. N1c3 a6 8. Na3
f5 9. Bd3 f4 10. g3 Nf6 11. gxf4 exf4 12. Bxf4 O-O 13. Bg3 Ng4 14. f4 h5 15. h4
Bf6 16. Qd2 Qa5 17. O-O-O Ne3 18. Nd5 Nxd1 19. Nxf6+ Rxf6 20. Qxa5 Nxa5 21. Rxd1 Bg4 22. Re1 Rc8 23. Kd2 Nc6 24. Nc2 Rff8 25. b3 Rce8 26. Kc3 Bd7 27. Ne3 a5 28. a3 Kh8 29. Nd5 Be6 30. Nb6 Bg4 31. b4 g6 32. Bc2 Kg7 33. Nd5 axb4+ 34. axb4 Ra8 Bb3 Ra3 36. Kb2 Raa8 37. Bf2 Rae8 38. b5 Nd8 39. c5 dxc5 40. Bxc5 Rf7 41. Bd4+ Kh6 42. Nf6 Rxf6 43. Bxf6 Ne6 44. Rc1 Rf8 45. e5 Kh7 46. Bd5 Rb8 47. Ka3 Bf5 48. Kb4 g5 49. fxg5 Kg6 50. Rc4 Nd8 51. Rc7 Bb1 52. Kc5 Kf5 53. Kd6 Be4 54. Bxe4+ Kxe4 55. Rd7 1-0
After a quick run through of the game the decision was made to input the moves into 365Chess while simultaneously inputting the moves into the analysis program at lichess.com. The thought was that I would just blow right on by the opening moves, but after inputting the first two moves this former player was ASTOUNDED to see the SF program does NOT play 3 d4!!! I kid you not. Stockfish shows the best third move for white being 3 c3, a move with 6246 games in the database. There are 115884 games in which 3 d4 has been played. Amazin’… SF plays 4…Nf6 in lieu of the 4…e5 move in the game. 6…Be7 has been played in 2194 games, but SF will play 6…a6, which has been played in only 278 games. The move 7 N1c3 has been played in 1370 games, but SF will retreat the knight with 7 N5c3, as have only 52 intrepid souls… SF would not play 7…a6, as has been seen in 1362 games, but instead play 7…Nf6, as have only four other enlightened players. SF will play the most often played move, 9 exf5, rather than the seldom played 9 Bd3, which, according to SF, loses the advantage. 10 g3 is rather confrontational, and it has been the most often played move, but SF will bring the knight back to c2, as have 15 other players. Now we come to a point where 20 other players have played the move played in the game, 10…Nf6. Five players have opted for 10…fxg3. The Stockfish program at lichess.org will play 10…Nh6, which will be a Theoretical Novelty as soon as some human makes the move. Now taking the pawn with gxf4 is the correct way to play, which is exactly how the Discman played. Zapata took the pawn with 11…exf4, but, and you knew it was coming, SF would have played 11..Bg4, attacking the Queen. This is something I’ve seen much of when replaying, and annotating, games. The SF program will attack a more valuable piece just about any time it gets a chance to do so. At this point in the game the Discman played his knight to g4 with his 13th move, as did 7 other players. Two players chose other moves, and one of them was Seth Homa:
Alonso Zapata (2427) vs Seth Homa (2300)
Event: CCCSA Summer B IM 2019
Site: Charlotte USA Date: 06/08/2019
Round: 6.4
ECO: B32 Sicilian, Labourdonnais-Loewenthal (Kalashnikov) variation
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 d6 6.c4 Be7 7.N1c3 a6 8.Na3 f5 9.Bd3 f4 10.g3 Nf6 11.gxf4 exf4 12.Bxf4 O-O 13.Bg3 Bh3 14.Bf1 Qd7 15.Nc2 Rae8 16.Ne3 Rf7 17.Qd3 Bf8 18.O-O-O Bxf1 19.Rhxf1 Nb4 20.Qd2 Qc6 21.f3 Qc5 22.Kb1 b5 23.Ncd5 a5 24.Rc1 Nbxd5 25.cxd5 Qa7 26.Nf5 Nh5 27.Qg5 g6 28.Nxd6 Bxd6 29.Bxd6 Qd4 30.Rcd1 Qc4 31.Qc1 Qe2 32.Qc2 Qe3 33.Bc5 Qf4 34.Bd4 Nf6 35.Qc6 Nd7 36.Qxb5 Rb8 37.Qxa5 Ne5 38.Bxe5 Qxe5 39.Rd2 Rfb7 40.Qa3 Rb5 41.Rc1 1-0
https://www.365chess.com/game.php?back=1&gid=4197970&m=27
After 14 f4 in the Zapata v Chambers game Stockfish prefers 14…Bh4. Chris played the much inferior 14…h5, after which SF shows the Zapper with an advantage of +1.6, which means a Grandmaster should win from here. Instead, Zapata played 15 h4, after which SF shows the game even at 0.0.
Alonso Zapata (2470) vs Juan Carlos Delgado (2214)
Event: Santo Domingo op
Site: Santo Domingo Date: 11/01/2006
Round: 2
ECO: B32 Sicilian, Labourdonnais-Loewenthal (Kalashnikov) variation
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb5 d6 6.c4 Be7 7.N1c3 a6 8.Na3 f5 9.Bd3 f4 10.g3 Nf6 11.gxf4 exf4 12.Bxf4 O-O 13.Bg3 Ng4 14.f4 h5 15.h4 Bf6 16.Qd2 Nd4 17.O-O-O b5 18.Nd5 b4 19.Qxb4 Be6 20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 21.f5 Rab8 22.Qc3 Bf7 23.Bf1 1-0
https://www.365chess.com/game.php?back=1&gid=3436280&m=31
Armchair Warrior 