Chess960 SP521

It is time once again for some chess960 and this time against an AI. When I tried to get a game against a human player last Sunday, I did not get one fast enough, so I thought it was time to test the Stockfish AI level 5, which is apparently rated around 1700 at lichess.org. In my opinion human players around that rating play usually better than the AI did in this game. It just felt a bit too easy to win. This has been so far my only game against AI level 5, so maybe it does not play as badly all the time. Because this one seemed too easy, I tried to play against AI level 6 after this game, which I had faced once before and lost. I also lost my second game against Stockfish AI level 6, but more about that on the post tomorrow.

I opened the game with a natural looking move e4, trying to get a precence in the center and open a diagonal for my bishop. The AI responded with 1...d5, so the game had a Scandinavian Defense feel to it. I took on d5 as I thought that the pawn sacrifice might be not so good. Obviously the AI played 2...Nf6, though I am not sure if it would have taken the pawn from d5 if I had not protected it with 3.c4. Sotckfish AI level 5 decided then to play 3...c6, so I took another pawn off the board and at that moment I really had won a pawn. The AI avoided taking back and instead went on to develop the bishop to b6. I could have been greedy and continued taking on b7, but I did not want to get too far behind in development, so I placed my knight on f3. Then the AI decided to play 5...Nxc6. Even though I was behind in development, I was not too worried about it, because I had a pawn in compensation and I did not think that I had too difficult of a time to get my pieces into play.

During the game I was bit worried about the move Nb4 after the AI had played its rook to d8, so I prevented Nb4 with 10.a3. The AI replied with 10...Nd4, which threatens Nb3 and Nxe2, so I though that I have to take on d4. After the AI had taken back, I continued with Bd2 with the idea of placing the bishop to e3. Then Stockfish AI level 5 played 12...h5, the point of which I am not at all sure about. I do not see how that move would help my opponent. I did get some initiave after this with Be3, followed up with c5. After 14...Bc7, I played 15.Bf4 and for some reason wanted to exchange the dark-squared bishops. However, I think that 15.d4 would have been a better move to play. I think the next bad move from the AI came when it played 19...Ng4, which just loses another pawn. I did not play perfectly and actually gave the AI an opportunity to play 25...Rxd4, after which I would have been only slightly better and the game would not have been that easy to win. The rest of the game was really easy to play and I did not even spoil my win with the mouse slip I made on move 32. I intended to play 32.Rd1, but instead accidentally dropped the rook to c1. I do not usually have these mouse slips or even mention them and I definetely never request any takebacks even if I lose a good game because of it. I have added one analysed game to these two posts: D30 Queen's Gambit Declined: General and C18 French Defense: Winawer Variation. Poisoned Pawn Variation Main Line. I have also added three mate in one and two mate in three puzzles today.