Trying some AlphaZero Ideas in Blitz
Hi Chess Friends,
I've recently been reading through Game Changer, a book about AI chess engine AlphaZero, the strongest chess entity to date. Obviously no person can play at the level of the machine, but we can pick up a few of its preferred techniques. The following game featured plenty of mistakes, but I enjoyed the ending and got to try out a few common AlphaZero techniques.
1. AlphaZero loves to push it's rook pawns as far as possible, often reaching h6 as part of a mating attack.
2. AlphaZero often clears the h-file with the move Kh2 in order to bring a rook into the attack to support the h-pawn or use the open h-file.
3. When an attack doesn't end in mate, AlphaZero often wins by restricting an opposing piece and then converting an endgame.
This game features all three of the above ideas, in particular the 3rd one. It's not a great game, but it was very fun to play. I hope you enjoy it.
Jeremy Kane is a National Master and three-time Wisconsin state champion. He is the Director of Training Content for Chess.com. He has been teaching chess in person and online for over 15 years and has designed hundreds of lessons, available on chess.com/lessons. He is the author of Starting Out The Trompowsky on Chessable and The Next To Last Mistake, a book on defensive ideas in chess.
He is the developer of the Caro-Kane Variation of the Caro-Kann Defense.
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Twitter/X: @chessmensch