UHO Draw Death?

[dkappe]

Stefan Pohl’s uho openings are the choice of many engine testers. Fewer draws means the difference between engines can be teased out more easily.

Now, however, the top 10 or so engines have gotten much stronger. It seems that game pair draw death may be approaching, where the reverse color game pairs end up as 1-1, especially with busted openings. Over at CCC Blitz, quite a few games were lost/won after only 2-3 moves past the opening. Looks like uho is going to have to walk an ever narrower path.

[pgn] [Event "CCC 19 Blitz: Main (5|5)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2022.09.19"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Stockfish"]
[Black "Seer"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E00"]
[GameDuration "00:18:34"]
[GameEndTime "2022-09-19T13:21:17.369 PDT"]
[GameStartTime "2022-09-19T13:02:42.671 PDT"]
[Opening "Catalan Opening"]
[PlyCount "143"]
[TimeControl "300+5"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 c5 4. Nf3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6 6. Bg2 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 O-O 8.
O-O Ne5 9. Qb3 Bc5 10. Rd1 Qa5 11. h3 Nc6 12. Qb5 Bxd4 13. Qxa5 Bxf2+ 14. Kxf2
Nxa5 15. b3 Rd8 16. Ba3 Nc6 17. Rd6 h5 18. Rad1 Rb8 19. R6d2 d5 20. e4 d4 21. e5
Nd7 22. Rxd4 Nxd4 23. Rxd4 b6 24. Nb5 a6 25. Bd6 axb5 26. Bxb8 f6 27. exf6 Rf8
28. Bd6 Rxf6+ 29. Ke1 bxc4 30. Rxc4 Ba6 31. Ra4 e5 32. Be7 b5 33. Bd5+ Kh7 34.
Ra5 Rb6 35. b4 Kg6 36. Bc5 Rf6 37. Be4+ Kf7 38. Be3 Rd6 39. Bf3 g6 40. a4 bxa4
41. b5 Bc8 42. Rxa4 Nf6 43. b6 Nd5 44. Bxd5+ Rxd5 45. Ra7+ Kf6 46. b7 Bxb7 47.
Rxb7 Ra5 48. Kf2 Ra4 49. Rb5 Ke6 50. Kf3 Kf5 51. Bc1 Ra6 52. Bb2 Ke6 53. Bxe5
Ra4 54. h4 Rc4 55. Bb2 Ra4 56. Rb6+ Kf7 57. Rf6+ Kg8 58. Rxg6+ Kf7 59. Rg5 Ke7
60. Rxh5 Kd7 61. Rg5 Ra8 62. h5 Rb8 63. Be5 Rf8+ 64. Kg4 Rc8 65. h6 Rc2 66. h7
Ra2 67. h8=Q Ra4+ 68. Bd4 Rb4 69. Rg7+ Kc6 70. Qa8+ Kd6 71. Qd8+ Ke6 72. Qd7#
1-0[/pgn]

[pgn] [Event "CCC 19 Blitz: Main (5|5)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2022.09.19"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Seer"]
[Black "Stockfish"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E00"]
[GameDuration "00:22:55"]
[GameEndTime "2022-09-19T13:44:40.923 PDT"]
[GameStartTime "2022-09-19T13:21:45.052 PDT"]
[Opening "Catalan Opening"]
[PlyCount "197"]
[TimeControl "300+5"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 c5 4. Nf3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6 6. Bg2 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 O-O 8.
O-O Ne5 9. Qb3 Qa5 10. Rd1 Nc6 11. a3 Bxc3 12. Qxc3 Qxc3 13. bxc3 d5 14. cxd5
exd5 15. c4 Nxd4 16. Rxd4 dxc4 17. Rxc4 Rd8 18. Bb2 h5 19. e3 Rd2 20. Bc3 Rc2
21. Rc5 Be6 22. Bxb7 Rb8 23. Bf3 Bg4 24. Bg2 Nd7 25. Rc6 Rb6 26. Rc8+ Nf8 27.
Rc5 Nd7 28. Be4 Nxc5 29. Bxc2 Rb8 30. Rc1 Rc8 31. Bd2 Be6 32. Bd1 Rd8 33. Ba5
Rb8 34. Bxh5 Nd3 35. Rd1 Nxf2 36. Kxf2 Rb5 37. Rd8+ Kh7 38. Bxf7 Rf5+ 39. Ke1
Bxf7 40. Bc3 Bc4 41. Bd4 a6 42. h4 Bb5 43. Ra8 Rf1+ 44. Kd2 Rf2+ 45. Kc3 Rg2 46.
Be5 Re2 47. Bf4 Re1 48. Ra7 Rd1 49. Rb7 Rd3+ 50. Kb4 Rd5 51. Re7 Kg8 52. Ka5
Bd3+ 53. Kb6 Rb5+ 54. Kc6 Rf5 55. e4 Rf7 56. Re5 Bc2 57. Kc5 a5 58. Kd4 a4 59.
Rd5 Re7 60. Be5 Kh7 61. Rd6 Rb7 62. Ke3 Re7 63. Rc6 Bd1 64. Bf4 Rb7 65. Ra6 Rb2
66. Ra7 Ra2 67. Bd6 Re2+ 68. Kd3 Ra2 69. Rc7 Bh5 70. Bf8 Rg2 71. Rxg7+ Kh8 72.
Rg5 Bd1 73. Bd6 Kh7 74. Ra5 Rh2 75. Bf4 Kg6 76. Kd4 Kf7 77. Ra7+ Kg6 78. Ra6+
Kf7 79. Ke5 Bg4 80. Rxa4 Re2 81. Kd6 Kf6 82. e5+ Kg6 83. Ke7 Rc2 84. Ra6+ Kf5
85. e6 Rc5 86. Kd6 Rc8 87. Ra5+ Ke4 88. e7 Kd3 89. h5 Rb8 90. h6 Kc4 91. h7 Re8
92. Be5 Ra8 93. Rxa8 Bh5 94. h8=Q Kd3 95. Qxh5 Kd2 96. e8=Q Ke3 97. Bb2+ Kf2 98.
Qee2+ Kxg3 99. Be5# 1-0[/pgn]