Next Komodo vs. GM handicap match - "Standard chess&quo

[lkaufman]

Our next Komodo vs. GM handicap match is set for June 25 and 26 on chess.com, rounds at noon and 5 pm Eastern Daylight Time. The opponent is GM Sergey Erenburg, FIDE 2591, USCF 2676, born 1983. This will be the first match that starts from the standard position with no prescribed openings. But there are six handicaps, listed below:

1. Komodo will run on a single core of a $750 laptop computer, instead of the usual 24 core monster. On this laptop, Komodo 10 looks at about 1.36 million nps in the opening position.
2. Sergey will get the standard FIDE 90' + 30" increment (plus three 3 min breaks if requested), Komodo will get 3' + 1" increment. So standard chess vs. blitz, or 30 to 1 time odds.
3. Ponder off, so Komodo can't think on his time. This makes it similar to Komodo playing a 30 board simul.
4. Sergey gets White in every game.
5. No endgame tablebases for Komodo.
6. No opening book for Komodo past move 3 (to provide variety). It's hard to say how much of a handicap this is. If Komodo plays a lot of book moves on its own, it may find itself in a bad position before Sergey even has to think, since many book lines are bad for Black.

Four game match, two games per day. Prize money of $300 per win and $100 per draw on top of base match fee.

I suppose Kai or someone else will do the math and conclude that Komodo is still the favorite, but the book handicap is of unknown magnitude.
Games will be played on a real chessboard, with the computer clock governing Komodo and the physical clock governing Erenburg. Commentary expected from chess.com.
A second match is planned for July 16 reverting to material handicaps, in this case two pawns. Details to be announced later.

[JJJ]

I don't think the GM can win any single game, but maybe, draw one or two.

I go with 0,5/4

Wich contempt will be used by komodo ?

[Ozymandias]

Glad to see you implemented my idea. Instead of reducing Komodo's time even more, you chose to give it other handicaps. I'm not sure how much those will cripple Komodo, probably not as much as going for even faster TC, but I can see how an instant response opponent, might be unsettling to the human player.

[lkaufman]

Glad to see you implemented my idea. Instead of reducing Komodo's time even more, you chose to give it other handicaps. I'm not sure how much those will cripple Komodo, probably not as much as going for even faster TC, but I can see how an instant response opponent, might be unsettling to the human player.

Aside from the unsettling aspect of an instant move, I don't think many Komodo owners care how well Komodo plays in 0.1" for example. Anything much faster than 3' + 1" is just not relevant to human users, although I admit to academic curiousity as to how low the time could go to make a fair match with no other advantages. But in any case no one doubts that computers have better memories than humans, so the no tablebase and (almost) no opening book handicaps are very appropriate, and the no ponder handicap is necessary to give a clear meaning to the time handicap. The White pieces handicap is thrown in to give the GM a reasonable chance without having to set the time too low; White is a big deal in top level chess.

[Nay Lin Tun]

Why there is no 3+ or 4 points? I voted 3 only..

[lkaufman]

I don't think the GM can win any single game, but maybe, draw one or two.

I go with 0,5/4

Wich contempt will be used by komodo ?

Not yet decided, but presumably more than default but less than in material handicap matches.
Note that the poll question was what will Komodo score, so based on your comment you should have voted 3.5/4.
I don't really expect Sergey to win a game, but I don't think he will have much trouble making draws if he is so inclined. He will probably emerge from the opening with a significant advantage every time. If Komodo plays mainlines the GMs knowledge of theory should give a nice advantage with White when Komodo playing blitz plays one or two sub-par moves, while if Komodo avoids mainlines with Black, White will immediately be much better.

[lkaufman]

Why there is no 3+ or 4 points? I voted 3 only..

Oops! The last entry was supposed to be 3.5 or more, but somehow it didn't make it, and I can't change it now. We'll just have to treat 3 as meaning 3 or more.

[JJJ]

I don't think the GM can win any single game, but maybe, draw one or two.

I go with 0,5/4

Wich contempt will be used by komodo ?

Not yet decided, but presumably more than default but less than in material handicap matches.
Note that the poll question was what will Komodo score, so based on your comment you should have voted 3.5/4.
I don't really expect Sergey to win a game, but I don't think he will have much trouble making draws if he is so inclined. He will probably emerge from the opening with a significant advantage every time. If Komodo plays mainlines the GMs knowledge of theory should give a nice advantage with White when Komodo playing blitz plays one or two sub-par moves, while if Komodo avoids mainlines with Black, White will immediately be much better.

Yes, I should have voted 3,5 / 4.
The more contempt Komodo get, the more he should win by avoiding draw isn't ?

[lkaufman]

I don't think the GM can win any single game, but maybe, draw one or two.

I go with 0,5/4

Wich contempt will be used by komodo ?

Not yet decided, but presumably more than default but less than in material handicap matches.
Note that the poll question was what will Komodo score, so based on your comment you should have voted 3.5/4.
I don't really expect Sergey to win a game, but I don't think he will have much trouble making draws if he is so inclined. He will probably emerge from the opening with a significant advantage every time. If Komodo plays mainlines the GMs knowledge of theory should give a nice advantage with White when Komodo playing blitz plays one or two sub-par moves, while if Komodo avoids mainlines with Black, White will immediately be much better.

Yes, I should have voted 3,5 / 4.
The more contempt Komodo get, the more he should win by avoiding draw isn't ?

Yes, but we don't want to push it too far, since the difference in playing strength will be much less than in the material odds games, due to single core and 30 to 1 time odds. Trying too hard to avoid trades in a bad middlegame position is a recipe for losing.

[rcmaddox]

I think Komodo on a tablet or smartphone vs. a GM with no handicaps at all would be interesting.