NOVELTY - A variant (I) of parent Termamyl-like alpha-amylase (TLA) comprising alteration in W13, G48, T49, S50, Q51, A52, D53, V54, G57, G107, G108, A111, S168 and M197, is new.    USE - (I) or the above mentioned compositions are useful in starch liquefaction, in detergent composition such as laundry, dish washing and hard surface cleaning compositions, ethanol production such as fuel, drinking and industrial ethanol production, desizing of textiles, fabrics or garments (claimed).    ADVANTAGE - (I) exhibits a reduced capability of cleaving a substrate close to the branching point, and further exhibits improved substrate specificity and/or improved specific activity relative to the parent (claimed).    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A variant (I) of parent Termamyl-like alpha-amylase (TLA) comprising alteration in W13, G48, T49, S50, Q51, A52, D53, V54, G57, G107, G108, A111, S168 and M197, is new. The alterations in (I) are independently an insertion of an amino acid downstream of the amino acid which occupies the position or deletion or substitution of the amino acid which occupies the position with a different amino acid. The variant has alpha-amylase activity. Each position corresponds to a position of the amino acid sequence of the parent (I) which has a fully defined sequence of 483 amino acids (S4) as given in the specification. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for the following:    (1) a DNA construct (II) comprising a DNA sequence encoding (I);    (2) a recombinant expression vector (III) which carries (II);    (3) a cell (IV) which is transformed with (II) or (III);    (4) a composition (V) comprising a mixture of alpha-amylase from Bacillus licheniformis having a sequence of (S4) with one or more (I), derived from (as the parent TLA) the B. stearothermophilus alpha-amylase having a fully defined sequence of 515 amino acids (S8) as given in the specification, or a mixture of alpha-amylase from B. stearothermophilus with one or more (I) derived from one or more (I) derived from one or more other parent TLA or a mixture of one or more (I) derived from the B. stearothermophilus alpha-amylase with one or more (I) derived from one or more other parent TLA;    (5) a composition (VI) comprising a mixture of one ore more (I) derived from B. stearothermophilus alpha-amylase and TLA derived from B. licheniformis alpha-amylase having the sequence of (S4);    (6) a composition (VII) comprising a mixture of one ore more (I) derived from B. stearothermophilus alpha-amylase and a hybrid alpha-amylase comprising a part of B. amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase having a fully defined sequence of 483 amino acids (S6) as given in the specification, and a part of B. licheniformis;    (7) a composition (VIII) comprising a mixture of one or more (I) derived from a hybrid alpha-amylase comprising a part of B. amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase and a part of B. licheniformis; and    (8) use of (I) or the above compositions for starch liquefaction, in detergent composition such as laundry, dish washing and hard surface cleaning compositions, ethanol production such as fuel, drinking and industrial ethanol production, desizing of textiles, fabrics or garments.