Featured is an odds game between LeelaRookOdds and Hikaru Nakamura (HollandAmerica) from their 14-game match held on Lichess on June 29th, 2025. Leela plays White without a queen rook. A common viewer suggestion in these odds games is to “trade down” or “just simplify.” Nakamura follows that strategy here but fails to convert. Simplification may sound straightforward, but against LeelaRookOdds, a beast specifically trained to play without a rook, the task even for a player as skilled as Nakamura is anything but simple.
#LeelaChessZero #LCZero #HikaruNakamura
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1. f4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d3 g6 4. Nbd2 d4 5. Nb3 Nc6 6. c3 dxc3 7. bxc3 Bg7 8. e4 Nxe4 9. dxe4 Qxd1+ 10. Kxd1 Bxc3 11. Kc2 Bg7 12. h4 Bg4 13. Bb5 Bd7 14. Bc4 Bg4 15. Nh2 Bd7 16. Nf3 Bg4 17. Nh2 Bd7 18. Bd2 Nd4+ 19. Nxd4 Bxd4 20. Nf3 Bg7 21. h5 gxh5 22. Rxh5 Bg4 23. Rg5 Bxf3 24. gxf3 Bf6 25. Rf5 Rf8 26. e5 Bh4 27. Be3 e6 28. Rh5 Bg3 29. Kd3 O-O-O+ 30. Ke2 h6 31. Bb3 b6 32. f5 Bxe5 33. fxe6 Bd6 34. exf7 Rd7 35. Rf5 Re7 36. Kd3 Rxe3+ 37. Kxe3 Kd7 38. Ke4 Ke7 39. Rh5 Rh8 40. Kf5 Ba3 41. Kg6 Rd8 42. Rh2 Kf8 43. Rg2 Rd7 44. f4 Bc5 45. f5 a5 46. f6 b5 47. Re2 Rd8 48. Bd5