Here is a game that I played against an excellent program on my mobile pocket pc phone, Chess Genius. Since my rating is probably around 1800, I decided to play the silicon monster at easy level one, the second easiest level. However, this level is not so easy as the following game demonstrates.

Human Player-Chess Genius

1. d4 e6  I chose d4 for a closed, less tactical position.

2. c4 Nf6

3. Nc3 Bb4  E20 Nimzo-Indian Defense (a line that I am not very good at playing as white!)

4. Qc2 0-0 E32 Nimzo-Indian Classical

5. Bg5 c5   These moves are still part of Chess Genius' opening book

6. e3 h6  Chess Genius places pressure on the d4 pawn and on the bishop at g5.

7. Bf4 cxd4 I have finally done a move that takes Chess Genius out of its book.

8. exd4 d5  White no longer pins the black knight at f6. Black is ahead in development because Chess Genius has already castled kingside. My strategy will be to complete development as soon as possible.

9. Nf3 dxc4 Naturally, I must continue with the plan of completing development; otherwise, my king will be stuck in the center. Chess Genius assists me in this matter by taking the pawn on c4.

10. Bxc4 Re8  Chess Genius gives a half pawn advantage to black in this position. However, the position appears equal. White has the option of castling kingside or queenside here. The isolated d4 pawn can be either a drawback or a liability here.

11. 0-0 Nc6 I decided to castle kingside. I did not like the idea of castling queenside with black's bishop still placing pressure on the white knight on f3.  I am faced with a choice: either to move the queenside rook or the kingside rook to defend the d4 pawn. I decide on the queenside rook because white's queenside rook would not have as much mobility with Rfd1.

12. Rad1 Nd5  Chess Genius felt like my decision was a weakening move after Nd5.

13. Nxd5 exd5  White's light squared bishop is being attacked by the d5 pawn. Black's rook on the e-file has an open file. Black now has an isolated pawn on d5.

14. Bb5 Qb6  One must always question what the silicon monster is threatening. With Qb6, Chess Genius threatens the isolated d4 pawn.

15. Bxc6 bxc6 White concedes the bishop pair to black. However, Chess Genius imagines that the position is now roughly equal. My strategy will be to make as many exchanges as possible of the minor pieces because the computer with the bishop pair is very powerful.

16. a3 Bf8 This move was necessary in my mind because I can now regain some defensive control of the e-file.

17. Rfe1 Bg4  I had completely forgotten about the computer's active light squared bishop. Now the knight on f3 is pinned to the rook on d1. What to do?

18. h3 Bxf3 White chooses to accept the doubled pawns on the f-file in order to get the computer to exchange bishop for knight. This is not a good strategy and probably leads to a losing game. Chess Genius will gradually accumulate some positional advantage because my pawn structure is ruined and my king safety is minimal.

19. gxf3 Be7 Fortunately, the computer is playing on easy level....

20. Kh2 Rad8 My strategy is to move Rg1 and then take the h6 pawn with the dark squared bishop. I am not so clear about black's strategy.

21. Rg1 Bd6 Ahh! Chess Genius foils my plan.

22. Bxd6 Rxd6 I like the position of white's pieces better despite the fact that my pawn structure is in ruins.

23. Qd2 Qb3 I make another positional error by thinking that Qxh6 is possible and forgetting that the black rook is on d6.... Now, Chess Genius envisages an advantage because it will gobble up my doubled pawn on f3.

24. Qc3 Qxc3 I have really dissipated any possibility of attacking black's kingside with this dubious exchange. But what else could I have done?

25. bxc3 Rde6 A patzer would think this position is equal for white because of equal material. However, the doubled rooks on the e-file give black an advantage and my doubled pawns could become sitting ducks.

26. Rg2 Re2

27. Rdg1 g6 White threatens the g6 pawn to no avail. What am I doing? I am making black's rooks more active now.

28. h4 h5 I liked this move. The idea was to place more pressure on the g6 pawn and threaten h5.

29. Rb1 Kg7 Positionally, white was stuck because of the pinned f2 pawn. I had to activate one of my rooks.

30. Rb7 R8e7 This is an exchange offer I cannot refuse. I feel like I can handle this position because there will be less threats with two pieces on the board. Plus, there is the old adage: all rook endings are almost always a draw.

31. Rxe7 Rxe7

32. Rg1 Re2 I felt compelled to move my rook, which was in a terrible position. However, now I have these weak pawns on the a and c files, plus the threat of Rxf2+.

33. Kg2 Rc2

34. Re1 Rxc3

35. Re7 Rxa3

36. Rc7 Ra4

37. Rxc6 a5! Now my fate is sealed.

38. Rc5 Rxd4

39. Rxa5 Kf6? Why not ... Rxh6 with a huge advantage for Black? The computer likes to play with my mind.

40. Kg3 g5!

41. hxg5+ Kxg5  Let's take an assessment of the position: three isolated pawns, a rook, versus two doubled pawns and a rook. Who do you think is losing???

42. Rc5? h4+

43. Kh4 Kf4

44. Kxh4 Rd2  Can you see the threat of Rh1#????

45. Kh3 Rd2 After the seemingly innocuous Kh5, Rh1# because of the  f7 pawn!

46. Kg2 f5 Now Chess Genius only imagines that it has a pawn advantage. Perhaps the old maxim all rook endings are draws is really true....

White has achieved a blockade and there is equal material on the board. Why not shuffle my rook around on the fifth rank????

47. Ra5 Ke5

48. Rb5 Rc2

49. f4+ Ke4 I made a mistake here. Could I have lost a drawn position? I was hoping that Chess Genius would gobble the pawn on f4, but the program is not so materialistic even on the easy level.

50. Kg3 Rc3+ I didn't see any alternative. Now f3+ would be an obvious error after Rxf3+. The black d pawn looks threatening.

51. Kg2 Rd3 How could I have lasted so long? What to do now?

52. Rb4+ d4 The d pawn is marching down the board.

53. Kf1 Ra3 Why not Kxf4??? The white king must stop the black d-pawn from queening.

54. Ke1 Ra1+ Not ....Kxf4 Rxd4+ with an equal game

55. Ke2 Ra7 Not...d3+ because the black pawn is pinned on d4!

56. f3+! Kd5 The position is now a little less than a pawn advantage for black.

57. Kd3 Ra3+ This is a drawn position, but the computer cannot calculate as far as we humans can.

58. Ke2 Kc5

59. Rb2 Rc3

60. Rd2 Kd5 This is a drawn position, but the computer cannot see the draw. The blockade is impossible to break through.

61. Rd3 Rc2+

62. Rd2 Rxd2

63. Kxd2 Ke6

64. Kd3 Kd5

65. Kd2? Kc6

66. Kc2 Kb5

67. Kd3 Kc5

68. Kd2 Kc4!  Chess Genius has the opposition and will win this ending. I made a mistake by exchanging rooks.

69. Kc2 d3+

70. Kd2 Kd5

71. Kxd3 Kc5

72. Kc3 Kc6?? Chess Genius throws away a winning position and now gives me the opposition???

73. Kd4 Kd7

74. Ke5 Ke8

75. Kxf5 Ke7

76. Kg6 Kd6?

77. f5 Ke5

The human won because the f-pawn will become a queen. Chess Genius' king is not in front of the passed pawn and cannot reach a stalemate position. This game has taught me a lesson: do not always expect superior play from a computer on the easier levels. Chess Genius played well until the endgame in which it squandered a winning position. Next time, I will play the computer on Easy Level 2 in order to see if it plays the endgame more accurately (if I can make it to the endgame). Against human players, it is also important not to overestimate one's opponent and resign early. Perhaps the game can turn around with a few inferior moves from an opponent!

Result: 1-0