Xakru team consisted of two players – heart and core of team Jiri Dufek and (sometimes too fierce) spirit Roman Chytilek. Jiri is 32 years old (2276 FIDE, 2568 ICCF  IM) and works as system administrator and Roman 30 years old (2394 FIDE IM, 2649 ICCF GM) and his profession is university teacher (political science). The Freestyle participation has been one of our frequent joint ventures. Most notable of others was a book „Bijte francouzskou“ (Beating the French).

We used mostly up to 4 computers with Rybka, Shredder and Loop 12, all have 2 CPU’s, none of them having a 64bit operating system.

In the preliminary stage we didn’t have too much luck with our games, but as a part of our last-ditch attempt, we won two neat endgames in rounds 6 and 7 to make it for the finals.

Averell-Xakru after 31…Kf7

White is pawn up but with bad bishop, Averell ought have to look for some drawing line, probably starting with 32.e6+. He played 32. Kf2 instead and lost very quickly after 32…Ke6 33. h4 Rd7 34. g4 Rd5 35. Re3 b5 36. Kg3 a5 37. h5 b4 38. axb4 axb4 39. Bb2 Na5 40. Re4 Rd3+ 41. Kf4 Rb3 42. Re2 Nc4 43. Bd4 Rb1 44. Ke4 b3 45. g6 hxg6 46. hxg6 Rc1 47. Bb2 Nxb2 48. Rxb2 Rc4+ 49. Kd3 Rxg4 50. Kc3 Kxe5 0-1. Nimzowitsch would be probably quite happy with this.

In the 7th round we played with Ciron (Arno Nickel). At the course of the game we more successfully capitalised on the fact that the draw was a very unsatisfactory result for both teams and got completely winning position. Then we played somewhat inacuratelly and the game went into ending where we were an exchange up, but at the first sight the position resembled a fortress.

Xakru-Ciron after 65…Kd7

With only few minutes remaning on the clock, we found a nice manouevre (Ra8 and Bb8),  depriving black K and bishops of several important squares and thus spelling a kind of a zuzgzwang.

66. Bc1 Bc7 67. Ba3 Kc8 68. Rf6 Kd7 69. Bc5 Bb8 70. Rf8 Bc7 71. Ba7 Bd6 72. Rh8 Be7 73. Ra8 Bf6 74. Bb8 Ke6 75. Bc7 Kd7 76. Ra6 Bg7 77. Bd6 Bf6 78. Bb4 Bd8 79.Rd6+ Kc8 80. Rd5 Bc7 81. Ba5 Bb8 82. Bc3 Bc7 83. Bxe5 Bd8 84. Bd4 1-0

 Finals

 1.round

We played with black with Nebula – indeed a superstrong computer. We struggled through the whole game and saved draw in an ending with opposite colour bishops being 2 pawns down.

 2.nd round

As white with Elissa we got small opening plus, but Elissa defended wery well and after several nontrivial decisions from both teams a draw seemed to be a logical conclusion. Last critical position was reached after 37.Rxc7:

 Xakru-Elissa

 Black played 37…g5? and overlooked that after 38. e4 Ra1+ 39. Kf2 Ra2+ 40. Ke3 Ra3+ 41. Ke2 Ra2+ 42. Kd3 Ra3+ is possible 43. Rc3! with winning position. Game ended after 43…Ra5 44. Kc4 Ra1 45. Kc5 Kh7 46. d5 exd5 47. exd5 Rd1 48. d6 Kg6 49. Kc6 Kxf6 50. d7 Ke5 51. Rc4 f5 52. Kc7 g4 53.hxg4 hxg4 54. fxg4 fxg4 55. Rxg4 Rc1+ 56. Kd8 Rc6 57. Ra4 Kd5 58. Ra5+ Kc4 59.Ke7 Rg6 60. d8=Q Rg7+ 61. Kf6 1-0, but as we and Elissa agreed after the game, 37…e5 was well enough for draw.

 3rd round

Icy45-Xakru

Just after opening, we emerged with better position, but white was able to create some counterplay and from certain moment defended very well. Critical position was on the board after 48…c3. White completely mishandled the position after

 Icy45-Xakru

49. Kc1? and lost immediately after 49… h5 50. Kd1 Kb4 51. Nd3+ Kc4 52. Ke2 Kd5 53. Nf4+ Ke4 54. Kd1 d3 55. Kc1 Nc6 56. Ng2 Nd4 0-1 But on the board is still draw, after 49.Ke2 (we leave this line for the readers´analysis).

 4th round

Xakru-Ibermax

Black played strange sort of QI and even after our calm and seemingly unpretentious reaction ended in a nearly lost positon just after move 15. He defended very long but nevertheless got mated in 77 moves.

 5th round

Rentner2-Xakru

White played  sicilian with 2.c3 in an interesting way and got a slight plus, but, using a razorsharp tactics at some stage, we gradually equalized in the endgame.

 6th round

Xakru-zor_champ

For this game we choose the sharpest line of Anti-meran. Jiri knew that zor_champ played this line up to move 14…Re8, but we didn’t analyse this position before game. During the game we however found lot of interesting ideas and after exciting struggle we won what was the best game played by our team during the 4th Freestyle.

 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. g4 dxc4 8. Bxc4 e5 9. g5 Nd5 10. Ne4 Bc7 11. Bd2 exd4 12. Nxd4 O-O 13. O-O-O Ne5 14. Be2 Re8 15. h4 Ng4 16. Bf3 Bb6 17. Rhg1 Nh2?  very risky and probably bad move. Knight is now totally out of play, critical  was 17... Ne5

18. Be2!!  For the first sight easy move, but it was very hard to finding it. Now all white pieces are on the right squares and white is well ahead with his initiative. 18... Qe7 (18... Bxd4 19.exd4 Bf5 20. Bd3 Nf3 21. Nf6+ gxf6 22. Bxf5 Nxd4 23. Qd3 Ne2+ 24. Kb1 Nxg1 25.Rxg1 with strong compensation) 19. Nf6+! Thematic play.Black king will become very vulnerable Nxf6 20. gxf6 Qxf6

21. Be1!! Main idea is to totally  isolate black knight on the h2, but there is too another little hidden idea 21... Bc7 (21... Bh3 22. Rg3 Qxh4 23. Bc3 g6 24. Rh1 with problems about black pieces on the h-file,  21... Rd8 22. Qe4 Bh3 23. Nc2g6 24. Qh1 Rxd1+ 25. Bxd1 Qd6 26. Bb4 c5 27. Bc3 and white is better)

22. Bc3!! We didn't predicted black 21...Bc7 move, but we were able to found with clever use  of computer winning move. Black is only six moves out of book and got lost position. 22... Qxf2 (22... g6 23. h5 with strong attack) 23. Nf5 Qxf5 (23... Bxf5 24. Rxg7+ Kh8 25. Rxf7+ Be5 26. Rf8+ Kg7 27. Rxf5 +-, 23... g6 24. Nh6+ Kf8 25. Rgf1 Nxf1 26. Rxf1 Qxf1+ 27. Bxf1+-) 24.Rxg7+ Winning in all lines. At this stage we really enjoyed the game and ourselves.24... Kf8 25. Bd3 Qf3 (25... Qc5 26.Rxf7+ Kxf7 27. Bc4+ Re6 28. Qxh7+ Ke8 29. Qxc7 Qe7 30. Qg3 Qh7 31. Qxh2 +-) 26. Bxh7 Bg4 (26... Bf5 27. Bf6 Qxe3+ 28. Rd2 Qe1+ 29. Qd1 Qg3 (29... Qxd1+ 30.Kxd1 Bg4+ 31. Kc2 Bf5+ 32. Bxf5) 30. Rxg3 Bxg3 31. Bxf5 Re1 32. Qxe1 Bxe1 33.Rxh2 +-, 26... Qxe3+ 27. Kb1 Re6 28. Rg8+ Ke7 29. Bg7 +-) 27. Rg5 Ke7 (27...Qxe3+ 28. Bd2 Qxg5 29. Bxg5 +-) 28. Bb4+ Ke6 29. Qc4+ Kf6 30. Bc3+ Re5 31. Re1! Bh3 32. Bc2 Rd8 33. Qf4+ Qxf4 34. exf4 Nf3 35. fxe5+ Ke7 36. Bb4+ Ke6 37.Bb3+ Rd5 38. Bxd5+ cxd5 39. Rg3 Nxe1 40. Rxh3 Ng2 41. Bd2 Bxe5 42. h5 and zor_champ resigns 1-0. Not an average game!

 7th round

Frigderi-Xakru

This round Jiri played alone and this was reason for repating game from first round Frigderi-Ibermax and quick draw that both sides seemed to be satisfied with.

 8th round

Xakru-Flying Saucers

We repeated succesful variation from game against zor_champ. Without any doubts, best from practical point of view was take draw after 19.Be2. After long discussion and analysis Roman insisted on taking considerable risks with 19.Bg2. The position was still unclear, probably close to equality, but we overpressed and let our opponents to demonstrate fine defensive ideas that earned them deserved success.

 9th round

Jazzled-Xakru

Jazzled played as an engine only (!?) and was very soon out of the book, but then played incredibly interesting idea with 14.g3 and 15.a4 every OTB GM would be proud of. For the cost of mere pawn got our opponent terrific compensation. Later Jazzled transformed his initiative into much better endgame, but „forgot“ to close black king on the h8 and we got enough counterplay for a draw. Quite a thrilling finish! During the game both players had technical problems, but thanks to the tournament director Holger Lieske we were both able to solve our problems.

 As we both like improvisation and adrenaline, we didn’t make any special opening preparation for the finals. Therefore, there wasn’t any special „book-cooking“ against our opponents. Nevertheless, we were able to make use of our extensive knowledge of the bright sides (and of course, less than bright ones) of engines. Especially Jiri was clearly ready, willing and able to offer quite nontrivial ideas and insights throughout the whole tournament every engine developer would be probably very happy to be acquaint with. This, plus Roman´s consistent (but responsible) opposition to engines and efforts to create and keep at the board as much „fog“ and confusion as possible, eventually led to success that also offers very justified hopes for the next Freestyle tournaments. One thing remains yet to be decided- whether to further carry the banner of Xakru. Xakru, or better „ K sakru“, means in Czech „Damn it!“. As a defending champions, we will surely consider a label that would be much more salonfähig.

Example of the some critical positions

Crosstable of the 4th CSS/PAL Freestyle Final

Replayable games of Xakru team

Download all games from final