Komodo vs FM John Meyer

[lkaufman]

Carlsen just narrowly lost (4-5) a friendly/casual blitz match to IM Lawrence Trent (FIDE 2472) while giving rook odds. This suggests that larger material odds are not impossible, although they obviously get more difficult with longer time controls. But larger material odds require playing for tricks and traps, rather than the "objective" best move, requiring a whole different type of optimization than simply trying to play the best "normal chess".

Very interesting, I hadn't heard about that match. In blitz I think Komodo can give knight odds to players around the 2400 level, but certainly not rook odds, so I guess this confirms what you are saying. But I rather doubt that Carlsen could have beaten FM John Meyer at knight for pawn by 3.5 to 0.5 iwith a time limit of 45' + 15". The larger the handicap and the shorter the time limit, the more necessary it is to rely on tricks. Komodo showed that at knight for pawn it could win while playing objectively "best" moves, except for using contempt to avoid simplification and position closure.

[lkaufman]

Carlsen just narrowly lost (4-5) a friendly/casual blitz match to IM Lawrence Trent (FIDE 2472) while giving rook odds. This suggests that larger material odds are not impossible, although they obviously get more difficult with longer time controls. But larger material odds require playing for tricks and traps, rather than the "objective" best move, requiring a whole different type of optimization than simply trying to play the best "normal chess".

I also read that Carlsen won blitz matches from MVL and Caruana giving them two pawn handicap. Does anyone have specifics on this, the pawns given, the scores, and the time limit? I think that what we learned from the recent match victory over Martin Petr at two pawn odds is that when one of those pawns is the "a" pawn and the odds giver has White, the handicap may be no larger than just the f7 pawn, although of course that is quite a large handcap for a serious game.

[lkaufman]

Carlsen just narrowly lost (4-5) a friendly/casual blitz match to IM Lawrence Trent (FIDE 2472) while giving rook odds. This suggests that larger material odds are not impossible, although they obviously get more difficult with longer time controls. But larger material odds require playing for tricks and traps, rather than the "objective" best move, requiring a whole different type of optimization than simply trying to play the best "normal chess".

I also read that Carlsen won blitz matches from MVL and Caruana giving them two pawn handicap. Does anyone have specifics on this, the pawns given, the scores, and the time limit? I think that what we learned from the recent match victory over Martin Petr at two pawn odds is that when one of those pawns is the "a" pawn and the odds giver has White, the handicap may be no larger than just the f7 pawn, although of course that is quite a large handcap for a serious game.

It seems that this was a misread by someone. The actual statement by Trent was that he himself won matches by ten to zero getting two pawn handicap from MVL and Caruana, although it didn't state which pawns or the time limit, presumably blitz of some sort. If this is true it makes Komodo's victory in the two pawn handicap match with Martin Petr look very impressive.

[Jesse Gersenson]

News of the Komodo matches has clearly made it to the top of the chess world and is giving them some fun ideas to play with.

Rook odds are mentioned in this article:
http://www.chess.com/news/sinquefield-c ... ovies-5387

Larry, I emailed you Trent's email address.

[lkaufman]

News of the Komodo matches has clearly made it to the top of the chess world and is giving them some fun ideas to play with.

Rook odds are mentioned in this article:
http://www.chess.com/news/sinquefield-c ... ovies-5387

Larry, I emailed you Trent's email address.

I got clarification from Trent. He says that the big scores he ran up in 3' matches vs. MVL and Caruana were at rook odds; he reports winning all games against MVL and all but one draw against Caruana. He played five games with MVL at two pawn handicap, choosing "f" and "g", apparently the largest possible two pawn handicap, and won by three to two. This makes more sense.