Xiangi Clash 2010 (live broadcast)

[hgm]

The qualifier group with super-strong engines just completed, with the following result:

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Cross table, sorted by score percentage, Buchholz, SB

                              Bi 3D Ko Bu Cy Ey YS Sa
 1. Binghewusi 2.44           ## 10 =1 1= 0= 10 11 11   68%   9.5 ( 93.0,  59.3)
 2. 3DChess 0.92              01 ## 10 10 10 01 11 11   64%   9.0 ( 94.0,  54.5)
 3. Kou 0.1.3                 =0 01 ## =1 10 1= 01 11   61%   8.5 ( 95.0,  53.8)
 4. BugChess 0.1d5            0= 01 =0 ## 11 01 11 1=   61%   8.5 ( 95.0,  50.8)
 5. Cyclone 1.01              1= 01 01 00 ## 1= 00 1=   46%   6.5 ( 99.0,  46.8)
 6. EyChessU 1.883e           01 10 0= 10 0= ## 01 1=   46%   6.5 ( 99.0,  43.8)
 7. YSSY                      00 00 10 00 11 10 ## 00   29%   4.0 (104.0,  28.0)
 8. Saola 1.7w                00 00 00 0= 0= 0= 11 ##   25%   3.5 (105.0,  18.8)

The tie for the third place is resolved by S-B points in favor of Kou. So Binghewusi, 3DChess and Kou have earned a ticket to the play-offs. They will be joined by the winner of the qualifier group B with 'strong' engines.

Saola had a very tough time in this super-strong field. To add to the disaster, it missed its last chance to not finish last, by forfeiting a game against Kou by perpetually chasing a Cannon with a Rook (in a sequence of moves so long that it probably did not recognize it). Lucky for Kou, which qualified for the play-offs through this. But pretty disastrous for Saola, who now does not even qualify for the 'master division' of runners-up, but will have to settle for the 'bachelors division'. (Which it will probably win quite easily.)

We will now start playing qualifier group B, with participants:

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1. Elephant Eye 3.15
2. HaQiKi D 1.7dh
3. NymphChess
4. Swallow 0.9.1
5. Thought 1.1
6. Tlxj 0.3
7. Ultimate Fight 0.26.22
8. XQ Spirit 2010.5.13

And YES, that's right! My own engine HaQiKi D is in there! And in a new version, that now uses history, rather than PST to sort the late moves. (This seemed to make it slightly better; in older versions the PST sorting seemed superior, likely because the evaluation contained hardlly anything else than PST...)

Let's see what it does. Ultimate Fight (UFX) and XQ Spirit will be very tough opponents (which I recently downloaded from the bbs.xqbase.com forum, just like Kou 0.1.3). As mentioned, there is only one place in the play-offs to earn here.

The live broadcast of the games can be viewed on

http://80.100.28.169/xq/battle.html

[hgm]

NymphChess lost to Tlxj in a 41-full-move book line! Why would anyone keep book lines that make you lose???

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[Event "Xiangqi Clash 2010"]
[Site "SCHAAK_PC"]
[Date "2010.07.19"]
[Round "1.3"]
[White "NymphChess 0.159"]
[Black "Tlxj 0.3"]
[Result "0-1"]
[TimeControl "40/600"]
[Variant "xiangqi"]
[Number "5"]

1. c4 Cbc7 2. Che2 Ece7 3. Hg2 c5 4. Rh0 cxc4 5. Ha2 Ri8 6. Ade1 Rb8 7.
Cxe6+ Ade8 8. Ce2 Hi7 9. Rh4 Hd8 10. Cxi6 g5 11. Rxc4 Rb6 12. Ci4 Cg7 13.
Cf2 He6 14. Ece2 Rd9 15. Ce4 Hh5 16. Ce5 Hxg3 17. Cf8 Rd5 18. Cxe7+ Ad9 19.
Rd0 Rxd0+ 20. Axd0 Hf5 21. Cf6 Rb5 22. Re4 Hfd4 23. Cf4 Hb3 24. Hc3 Rb6 25.
Afe1 Hc1+ 26. Hd1 Cxg2 27. Cd7 Ade8 28. Rc4 Hxf4 29. Rxc7 Rd6 30. Rxc1 Rxd7
31. Af2 Ch2 32. Hc3 Ch0+ 33. Ei2 Kd9 34. Ade1 Hh3 35. He4 Hg1+ 36. Kf0 Ch4
37. Rc9+ Kd8 38. Rc8+ Kd9 39. Rc9+ Kd8 40. Rc8+ Kd9 41. Rc9+
{Xboard adjudication: perpetual checking} 0-1

Both engines are in book till the end (no score/depth info in the PGN!). Finally they get trapped in a loop, that happens to contain a perpetual check. As this is forbidden in Xiangqi, white loses.

[hgm]

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Qualifier group B cross table, sorted by score percentage, Buchholz, SB

                              XQ Sw Ha El Ul Tl Ny Th
 1. XQ Spirit 2010.05.13      ## 11 01 =1 == 11 10 =1   71%  10.0 ( 92.0,  66.5)
 2. Swallow 0.9.1             00 ## =1 =1 01 == 11 11   64%   9.0 ( 94.0,  54.5)
 3. HaQiKi D 1.7dh            10 =0 ## =1 11 1= 00 11   61%   8.5 ( 95.0,  55.0)
 4. Elephant Eye 3.15         =0 =0 =0 ## 11 == 01 11   54%   7.5 ( 97.0,  45.3)
 5. Ultimate Fight 0.26.22    == 10 00 00 ## 11 10 10   43%   6.0 (100.0,  39.5)
 6. Tlxj 0.3                  00 == 0= == 00 ## 11 01   39%   5.5 (101.0,  35.3)
 7. NymphChess 0.159          01 00 11 10 01 00 ## 00   36%   5.0 (102.0,  40.5)
 8. Thought 1.1               =0 00 00 00 01 10 11 ##   32%   4.5 (103.0,  26.5)

The battle fas for one place in the play-offs, and three in the Masters Division. By coincidence both matters were not decided upto the very last round, where the number 1 and 2 played each other, and number 4 played number 5. As a matter of fact both pairings resulted in an overturn, as Swallow lost two 2-0 to XQ Spirit, and UFX lost 2-0 to Elephant Eye!

So XQ Spirit earned the ticket to the play-offs, which completes the participants for the latter.

Swallow, HaQiKi D and Elephant Eye go to the Masters Division, which will be completed with the winner of qualifier C.

UFX, NymphChess and Tlxj will go to the Bachelors Division, for which Saola had already qualified.

Finally, Thought will be placed in the Students Division.

[hgm]

After a small pause, because I was away, we have now resumed the tourney with qualifier group C:

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Anita 0.2
Blcx 0.51
Coony 1.05
Folium
Hice 0.7.5
Jiaolong 1.0
Jupiter 0.91
MRSD

MRSD (the first strong open-source Xiangqi program, which, unfortunately, is not developed anymore, and thus losing ground over the years) will play as a Qianhong plugin, through the QH2WB adapter, at level 9.

[hgm]

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Qualifier group D cross table, sorted by score percentage, Buchholz, SB

                              Bl Hi An Co Ju Ji Fo MR
 1. Blcx 0.56                 ## 01 10 == 11 11 =1 11   75%  10.5 ( 91.0,  62.0)
 2. Hice 0.7.5                10 ## =1 11 01 11 00 11   68%   9.5 ( 93.0,  63.5)
 3. Anita 0.2                 01 =0 ## 01 0= 11 11 11   64%   9.0 ( 94.0,  47.5)
 4. Coony 1.05                == 00 10 ## 01 11 11 11   64%   9.0 ( 94.0,  47.0)
 5. Jupiter 0.91              00 10 1= 10 ## 11 11 01   61%   8.5 ( 95.0,  48.5)
 6. Jiaolong 1.0              00 00 00 00 00 ## 11 11   29%   4.0 (104.0,  11.0)
 7. Folium                    =0 11 00 00 00 00 ## 0=   21%   3.0 (106.0,  25.5)
 8. MRSD [9]                  00 00 00 00 10 00 1= ##   18%   2.5 (107.0,  13.0)

Blcx will fill the remaining place in the Masters Division.
HIce, Anita, Coony and Jupiter will complete the Bachelors Division.
Jiaolong, Folium and MRSD will join Thought in the Students Division.

Play has started in Qualifier group D now!

This will be a group of 9 engines. The first 4 engines there will complete the Students Division. The remaining 5 will form the Kindergarten Division.

Participants to qualifier D are:

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ChessV
HoiXiangqi 10.3
MaxQi 4.8 G
Qianhong [3]
Silent Thinker 0.02
TJxiangqi
Tsito 0.8.4w
VSCCP [5]
XQWLight

Qianhong and VSCCP are Qianhong plugins playing through the QH2WB adapter, at level 3 and 5, respectively.
Silent Thinker is an engine that was just converted to UCCI protocol.
The others are native WinBoard engines.

Due to a technical problem, ChessV will play its games later, after the round-robin between the other 8 has finished.

[hgm]

We are now down to the weaker engines. That is a good thing, because now mere mortals like me can make sensible comments on their play!

The following game between MaxQi and the novice ChessV (for which Xiangqi is a new variant!) illustrates a nice principle of Xiangqi:

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[Event "Computer Chess Game"]
[Site "SCHAAK_PC"]
[Date "2010.07.27"]
[Round "1.2"]
[White "MaxQi 4.8H"]
[Black "ChessV 0.9.4x"]
[Result "1-0"]
[TimeControl "40/600"]
[Variant "xiangqi"]
[Number "4"]
[Annotator "4. +0.02   1... +0.06"]

1. Che2 Hg7 {+0.06/8} 2. Hg2 Rh9 {+0.16/8} 3. Rh0 Ch5 {+0.14/8} 4. Hc2
{+0.02/9} Cc7 {+0.48/9} 5. Cb6 {+0.21/9} Cxc3 {+1.13/9} 6. Cbxe6 {+0.24/9}
Hxe6 {+1.94/10} 7. Cxe6 {+0.44/10} Ce5+ {+2.21/10} 8. Ege2 {+0.24/11} Rxh0
{+2.20/11} 9. Hxh0 {+0.47/12} i5 {+2.08/10} 10. Hi2 {+0.34/11} Hc7
{+2.14/10} 11. Cf6 {+0.33/10} Ade8 {+2.21/9} 12. a4 {+0.16/10} Ece7
{+2.15/8} 13. e4 {+0.01/10} Cec5 {+2.33/10} 14. He3 {+0.12/11} Rd9
{+2.13/10} 15. e5 {+0.04/11} Rd3 {+2.12/9} 16. Hg4 {+0.01/11} Cc2
{+2.39/10} 17. Hh0 {+0.08/11} Rf3 {+2.23/9} 18. Ra2 {+0.07/11} Cc1
{+2.07/9} 19. Ra1 {+0.14/10} C1c3 {+1.90/10} 20. Ra3 {+0.14/10} Rxg3
{+1.87/8} 21. ed5 {+0.38/11} Cb5 {+2.12/9} 22. Hf1 {+1.14/10} Rd3 {+1.91/8}
23. Cxa6 {+1.30/10} Hxa6 {+2.61/10} 24. a5 {+1.12/11} Cb1 {+2.51/10} 25.
axa6 {+1.06/12} Cbc1 {+2.45/10} 26. Ra2 {+0.74/12} g5 {+2.69/9} 27. Hgh2
{+0.47/11} Cxi3 {+3.38/10} 28. de5 {+0.52/11} c5 {+3.38/8} 29. Ra4
{+0.46/11} Rd1 {+3.38/8} 30. Ade1 {+0.44/12} Cic3 {+3.38/8} 31. Ra1
{+0.26/10} Cb1 {+3.38/9} 32. Ra0 {+0.15/11} Cd3 {+3.55/9} 33. He3
{+0.12/10} c4 {+4.02/8} 34. Ra3 {+0.25/11} cd4 {+4.38/9} 35. Rb3 {+0.41/11}
de4 {+4.38/9} 36. Hg2 {-1.09/11} Ca1 {+4.46/8} 37. ab6 {+0.90/10} Cd4
{+4.52/8} 38. Hg0 {+0.99/11} Ca0+ {+5.09/9} 39. Rb0 {+0.96/11} Ra1
{+5.18/9} 40. Ad0 {+0.98/12} i4 {+5.13/8} 41. Afe1 {-1.03/11} Ra5 {+5.10/8}
42. Hf2 {+0.96/12} e3 {+5.14/9} 43. Hg0 {-1.17/12} ef3 {+5.12/9} 44. Hh2
{-1.02/11} fg3 {+5.08/8} 45. He3 {-1.16/11} i3 {+4.94/8} 46. Hc4 {-1.18/12}
Ra8 {+4.89/8} 47. Hf1 {-1.20/12} ih3 {+4.92/8} 48. He3 {-1.16/11} Cd8
{+4.99/7} 49. bc6 {-1.28/12} Ra9 {+4.96/7} 50. Rb8 {-1.21/11} Rd9 {+4.64/8}
51. Hd5 {-1.15/12} Cd7 {+3.64/9} 52. c7 {-1.17/12} Cd8 {+2.80/10} 53. Hcb6
{-1.11/12} g4 {+3.38/10} 54. e6 {+0.07/12} Cb0 {+3.52/9} 55. Hc8 {+0.72/13}
Ca0 {+1.64/11} 56. exe7 {+0.79/13} Exe7 {+2.97/10} 57. Rb0 {+0.99/12} Ca6
{+3.44/9} 58. Hxe7 {+1.03/12} Rc9 {+2.94/9} 59. Hg8+ {+1.44/12} Kd9 60. He7
{+2.20/12} gf3 {+3.11/8} 61. Ha7 {+4.21/13} Ca8 {+1.43/8} 62. c8
{+79.94/16} Rxc8 {-4.08/9} 63. Hexc8 {+79.95/19} Af7 {-999.98/24} 64. Hc6
{+79.96/28} Cb6 {-999.98/24} 65. Rxb6 {+79.97/28} Cb8 {-999.99/24} 66. Rxb8
{+79.98/28} A7e8 {-999.99/24} 67. Rb9# {+79.99/28}
{Xboard adjudication: Checkmate} 1-0

After white's move 51, we have:

3rkae2/1R1ca4/4e4/2P6/3HP1p2/2H6/6pp1/4E4/4A4/c1EAK4 b 11 51

(I will switch to ascii diagrams, as Xiangqi diagrams, thaks to our TCadmin, do not work here.)

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9 . . . r k a e . .
8 . R . c a . . . .
7 . . . . e . . . .
6 . . P . . . . . .
5 . . . H P . p . .
4 . . H . . . . . .
3 . . . . . . p p .
2 . . . . E . . . .
1 . . . . A . . . .
0 c . E A K . . . .
  a b c d e f g h i

Both engines judge black to be ahead, ChessV a bit more optimistically so (+4 against ~1 for MaxQi). Probably ChessV values his two Cannons more than MaxQi's two Horses. But looking at the material, they seem to have right idea. With H~C, as MaxQi uses, they both have two Pawns across the River, but black has an extra Pawn that is about to cross it.

Yet, this material advantage is next to useless! Pawns are slow pieces, and black's three Pawns are too late in reching the white Palace. White's two Pawns are there much sooner, and its Horses are also close. In Xiangqi this tempo can be worth much more than a Pawn, and sometimes even a Piece. The black fortress is totally crushed by white's task force, and black is so busy delaying the inevitable there, that he doesn't even get the chance to mount an attack with his own Pawns!

[Dann Corbit]

You should have a "losers out" contest.
Because you could call it "Xiangi go home!"
GDR

[hgm]

Qualifier D finished. The first 4 qualify for the Students Division. The other 5 will form a Division by themselves.

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Qualifier group D cross table, sorted by score percentage, Buchholz, SB

                              Si TJ XQ Ma Ho Ch VS Qi Ts
 1. Silent Thinker 0.02       ## =0 11 11 11 11 11 11 11   91%  14.5 (115.0,  94.0)
 2. TJxiangqi 0.03 (+book)    =1 ## =0 11 11 11 11 11 11   87%  14.0 (116.0,  88.5)
 3. XQWLight                  00 =1 ## 11 11 11 11 11 11   84%  13.5 (117.0,  81.0)
 4. MaxQi 4.8H                00 00 00 ## 11 11 11 11 11   62%  10.0 (124.0,  40.0)
 5. HoiXiangqi 10.3           00 00 00 00 ## 11 11 11 11   50%   8.0 (128.0,  24.0)
 6. ChessV 0.9.4x             00 00 00 00 00 ## 11 11 11   37%   6.0 (132.0,  12.0)
 7. VSCCP [5]                 00 00 00 00 00 00 ## 11 ==   19%   3.0 (138.0,   5.0)
 8. Qianhong [3]              00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ## 11   12%   2.0 (140.0,   2.0)
 9. Tsito 0.8.4w              00 00 00 00 00 00 == 00 ##    6%   1.0 (142.0,   3.0)

The games in this Kindergarten Division have now started at http://80.100.28.169/xq/battle.html .

[hgm]

ChessV, which due to a few unlucky games (a crash, and a perpetual chase) miised out on qualification for the Students Division, won the Kindergarten Division with overwhelming superiority. It only had to conceed 1.5 point in 24 games. And it was not even using an opening book! (HoiXiangqi and Tsito were using the GUI book, VSCCP has a book of its own.)

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Kindergarten Division cross table, sorted by score percentage, Buchholz, SB

                              Che Hoi VSC Tsi Qia
 1. ChessV 0.9.4x             ### 101 111 111 111
                              ### 111 11= 111 111   94%  22.5 (225.0, 201.0)

 2. HoiXiangqi 10.3           010 ### 110 111 111
                              000 ### 111 111 111   75%  18.0 (252.0, 127.5)

 3. VSCCP [5]                 000 001 ### =11 111
                              00= 000 ### 110 111   50%  12.0 (288.0,  67.5)

 4. Tsito 0.8.4w              000 000 =00 ### 010
                              000 000 001 ### 011   19%   4.5 (333.0,  27.0)

 5. Qianhong [3]              000 000 000 101 ###
                              000 000 000 100 ###   12%   3.0 (342.0,  13.5)

Now playing: the Students Division!

[hgm]

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Students Division cross table, sorted by score percentage, Buchholz, SB

                              Th XQ MR Ji Si Fo TJ Ma
 1. Thougth 1.1               ## 11 10 11 11 11 11 11   93%  13.0 ( 86.0,  77.0)
 2. XQWLight                  00 ## 11 11 11 00 11 11   71%  10.0 ( 92.0,  55.0)
 3. MRSD [9]                  01 00 ## 11 01 11 01 11   64%   9.0 ( 94.0,  50.0)
 4. Jiaolong 1.0              00 00 00 ## 11 1= =1 11   50%   7.0 ( 98.0,  29.3)
 5. Silent Thinker 0.02       00 00 10 00 ## 11 11 11   50%   7.0 ( 98.0,  29.0)
 6. Folium                    00 11 00 0= 00 ## 01 11   39%   5.5 (101.0,  28.5)
 7. TJxiangqi 0.03 (+book)    00 00 10 =0 00 10 ## =1   29%   4.0 (104.0,  18.8)
 8. MaxQi 4.8H                00 00 00 00 00 00 =0 ##    4%   0.5 (111.0,   2.0)

MaxQi, the Xiangqi derivative of micro-Max, had a hard time...

Now playing: the Bachelors Division!