OpenChess

TCEC - ELITE MATCH - SEASON 1

http://www.tcec-chess.org/elite_match.php

STARTS FRIDAY JANUARY 28TH @ 17:00 GMT

Official discussion thread: http://www.tcec-chess.org/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=3 NB: You need to be registered in order to participate or view the discussion on the official site.
For live chat please visit http://chessbomb.com/ NB: Don't pay too much attention to their built-in computer analysis since it's running multi pv which slows it down considerably.


Participants: Note: Engine updates are allowed only until the match starts.


Info:
CPU: Intel Core i7 980x @ 4272 MHz
MB: Asus Rampage III Gene
RAM: 12 GB Corsair
OS: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Match length: 40 games (20 openings + 20 reversed openings).
Openings: Randomly selected from the new TCEC main opening PGN consisting of 9106 openings. All openings are fixed to 10 moves and analyzed by a top engine for approximately 24 seconds.
Threads: Up to 6 per engine.


Time Control:
150 minutes + 30 seconds added per move for the whole game.


Graphical User Interface:
Type: ChessGUI
Resign: +/- 6.50 eval for 3 moves in a row (both engines)
Draw: An eval of +0.05/-0.05 for 5 moves in a row (both engines - only possible at move 30 or later)
If there is a pawn advance, or a capture by any kind, this draw counter will reset
Ponder: Off
Hash: Max 4096 MB per engine
Nalimov tablebases: 3-4-5 men
Gaviota tablebases: 3-4-5 men
Cache: 256 MB

For complete information on the rules and hardware, see the Information page.


Misc:
This is the last TCEC event for Season 1. After the match finishes there will be a break then Season 2 will kick off.
For news and updates check the News Forum regularly.

The match has now started!

Don't know if it makes a difference in the final standing, but there seems to be a mistake in the final table between Critter and Ivanhoe.

N Engine           Pts     SB    Ho Ry St Cr Iv Sh Na Hi

I think you just mean that this Iv/Cr should be swapped like this:

N Engine           Pts     SB    Ho Ry St Iv Cr Sh Na Hi

in the top horizontal line?

Yeah due to a bug in ChessGUI the table was not updated after the last round (fixed now) so I had to update it manually, but forgot to switch the two headers as BB+ pointed out. I've fixed it now, thanks.

Best,
Martin

GM Susan Polgar already following the Elite Match:

http://susanpolgar.blogspot.com/

Best,
Martin

Game 2 looks like a [theoretical] draw (after move 47). Upon 47. c6 Kxe6 48. c7 Kd7 49. Ra8 Kxc7 50. Rxa4 Rg2, I get draw scores already (note that the White king is stalemated -- Black can avoid the crazy rook, but the result positions are also draws). Position before 50... Rg2:
8/2k4p/6p1/8/R4p1K/7P/1r6/8 b - - 0 50
Black's other chance I guess is 50... h6, which again I think is a draw. 51. Ra6 Rb6 52. Ra7+ Kb8 53. Ra1 Rb3 54. Rh1 and I don't see any real path to victory for Black. But then again, I tend to think all rook endgames are draws. [Though here, White will either pick up the f-pawn when the draw is clear, or Black will have to play g5, when White can exchange down to the f+h pawn draw in some lines after h4].

Maybe 47... Rc2 gives Black more chances.

Think 47. c6 Rc2!? 48. Rf8+ Kxe6 49. Rxf4 a3 50. Ra4 a2 51. Ra7 is also a draw. I'm not seeing any wins for Black.

Round 3 has been an incredibly slow-moving Closed Ruy (a4 anti-Marshall). If you know anything these type of games, usually it is Black who has to avoid becoming passive, as White's game can unfold, but not so much the case for Black.
But here Houdini has gradually taken a plus, as both sides seem to be jockeying around (or maybe just woodpushing) in anticipation for when something committal finally happens. On move 31, Rybka now agrees that Black is marginally better. Houdini also has 40 extra minutes on the clock (nominally a 2:1 advantage).
[Round "3"][White "Rybka"][Black "Houdini"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4 b4 9. a5 d6 10. c3 Rb8 11. h3 bxc3 12. dxc3 Qe8 13. Ba4 Bd7 14. Qe2 Ra8 15. Bc2 Qb8 16. b4 Nd8 17. Bd2 Ne6 18. Na3 Re8 19. Nc4 Qb7 20. Rad1 Bc6 21. Rb1 Nh5 22. g3 Bb5 23. Bd3 Nf6 24. Nb2 Bd7 25. Bc2 h6 26. Kg2 Rad8 27. Bd3 Qa8 28. Kh2 Bf8 29. Qd1 Bc6 30. Qc2 Bb7 31. Nc4 *

Now at move 37 after more shuffling, Rybka 0.02 to White, Houdini 0.31 to Black. Houdini 1:10 left, Rybka 20m. The major question now is whether there will be a relative easy path to a draw when some action commences.