Komodo Dragon vs GM Ben Finegold knight odds match.

[lkaufman]

Fourth Game

[Event "KnightOdds"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2022.01.15"]
[Round "4"]
[White "PlayKomodo"]
[Black "GMBenjaminFinegold"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[pgn]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 1"]
[TimeControl "900+10"]

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. g3 Nc6 7. Nf3 f5 8. Nh4 g6
9. Nf3 Be7 10. h4 h5 11. Bg2 b6 12. O-O Bb7 13. a4 Qc7 14. c3 Nd8 15. d4 Nf7 16.
Rf2 Nh6 17. b4 cxb4 18. cxb4 Rc8 19. Rb2 Ng4 20. Bd2 Kf7 21. Bf1 Nb8 22. a5 bxa5
23. b5 Nd7 24. Bxa5 Nb6 25. Qb3 Qd7 26. Bc3 Ra8 27. Rba2 Rhc8 28. Bb4 Kg7 29.
Rxa7 Rxa7 30. Rxa7 Nh6 31. Ne1 Ra8 32. Rxa8 Bxa8 33. Bxe7 Qxe7 34. Qa2 Qc7 35.
Nd3 Nf7 36. Qa5 Nd8 37. Qa2 Kf7 38. Nc5 Bb7 39. Qa5 Ke7 40. Qa3 Kf7 41. Qa5 Ke7
42. Qb4 Kf7 43. Qa5 1/2-1/2[pgn][/pgn][/pgn]

I wonder why did komodo allow repetition so easily

42.Na4 Na8 43.Qa7 is also a draw based on stockfish but can make the game longer.

It's hard to say why the MCTS version (used in games 3 thru 6) chooses one draw over another, probably it's not a meaningful reason.

[Chessqueen]

Fourth Game
42.Na4 Na8 43.Qa7 is also a draw based on stockfish but can make the game longer.

I wonder why Komodo Dragon 2.6.1 played the inferior 8.Nh4 instead of 8. c3 in this position, even Stockfish 14.1 NNUE chose 8. c3? Of course I used a longer T/C of 10'+5

[pgn][Event "KnightOdds"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2022.01.15"]
[Round "4"]
[White "PlayKomodo"]
[Black "GMBenjaminFinegold"]
[Result "*"]
[WhiteElo "3500"]
[TimeControl "600+5"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 1"]
[Termination "unterminated"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[WhiteType "program"]
[BlackType "human"]

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. g3 Nc6 7. Nf3 f5 8. c3
{(c2-c3 a7-a5 h2-h4 a5-a4 h4-h5) -2.74/15 47} *[/pgn]

[lkaufman]

Fourth Game
42.Na4 Na8 43.Qa7 is also a draw based on stockfish but can make the game longer.

I wonder why Komodo Dragon 2.6.1 played the inferior 8.Nh4 instead of 8. c3 in this position, even Stockfish 14.1 NNUE chose 8. c3? Of course I used a longer T/C of 10'+5

[pgn][Event "KnightOdds"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2022.01.15"]
[Round "4"]
[White "PlayKomodo"]
[Black "GMBenjaminFinegold"]
[Result "*"]
[WhiteElo "3500"]
[TimeControl "600+5"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 1"]
[Termination "unterminated"]
[PlyCount "15"]
[WhiteType "program"]
[BlackType "human"]

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. g3 Nc6 7. Nf3 f5 8. c3
{(c2-c3 a7-a5 h2-h4 a5-a4 h4-h5) -2.74/15 47} *[/pgn]

8. Nh4 aims to provoke ...g6 so that White can attack it with h4 - h5 or provoke a blockade by ...h5. I'm not saying it's the best move but in a lost position there is no objectively best move so it may be a reasonable practical choice as it does have a point, and it was made in MCTS mode. MCTS will often make "worse" moves than normal Dragon (or Stockfish) in a lost position by conventional metrics, but it seems to score better vs. humans in these odds games as it is at least playing with a plan (or so it appears!).