The Champions 2012 8CPU - round 53..

[beram]

The Champions 2012 8CPU tournament was a great success for Houdini.
With 39 out of 52, a 75% score at this depth/TC in a top level field, this even for its known reputation, is very good.
Houdini lost two games the only other program which lost two games - against all the other opponents - was Stockfish. But against Houdini Stockfish also lost three times. So Sting SF2, with just three losses, was from this perspective next best of the rest.
Stings play, as already mentioned by Graham was surprisingly good and attractive to watch.
The only game it lost with black was against Houdini and was also a nice game.
The final attack with killer bishop on g2 is convincing and instructive.

Thx Graham,
grts Bram

[pgn]

[Event "The Champions 2012 8CPU"]
[Site "ChessGUI"]
[Date "2012.12.16"]
[Round "10.5"]
[White "Houdini 3 64-bit 8CPU"]
[Black "Sting SF 2 64-bit 8CPU"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E11"]
[Annotator "Mourik,Bram"]
[PlyCount "97"]
[EventDate "2012.??.??"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Nbd2 b6 5. a3 Bxd2+ 6. Bxd2 h6 7. Bf4 Bb7 8.
e3 Nh5 {a direct approach by Sting, going for the bishoppair} 9. Be2 Nxf4 10.
exf4 Qf6 11. Qd2 Nc6 12. O-O d6 13. Rfe1 Ne7 14. h3 O-O-O {interesting
decision, leading to tactical possibilities, but also for white} 15. a4 a5 16.
b4 Nc6 17. bxa5 Nxa5 18. Ra3 Ba8 19. Rc3 {white has clear intentions, attack
the king} c5 {blocking the attack at the cost of loosening up the queenside
pawnchield} 20. Rd1 Kc7 21. Qc1 Bc6 22. Ra3 Ra8 23. g3 Bb7 24. d5 Rhe8 25. Bf1
Bc8 26. dxe6 Bxe6 27. Nd2 d5 28. cxd5 Bxd5 29. Bb5 Red8 30. Re1 Nc6 31. Ne4
Bxe4 32. Rxe4 Nd4 {black looks pretty OK here, nice knight on central position,
the only worry the position of the king} 33. Kh2 h5 34. h4 Qd6 35. Bf1 {white
bishop transfers to the long diagonal} Ra5 36. Bg2 f6 37. Qd1 Kb8 (37... g6 38.
Rae3 Nf5 39. Qb3 Nxe3 40. Rxe3 Qf8 41. Qe6 Rd6 42. Qe4 Ra7 43. a5 Qf7 44. axb6+
Rxb6 45. f5 gxf5 46. Qf4+ Kd8 47. Qxf5) 38. Rae3 {Out of the blue at least for
Sting/ Stockfish, this very strong move puts the finger on the weak spot, the
exposed black king. At the cost of an exchange, but with a killer bishop on g2,
white prooves that the position is lost for black} Nf5 39. Qb3 c4 (39... Nxe3
40. Rxe3 c4 41. Qxc4 Qc5 42. Qb3 Ra7 43. Re6) 40. Qxc4 Nxe3 41. Rxe3 {the
bishop on g2 is much stronger than black rook. Sting shows this now also in
its evals, but it is too late} Rd5 42. Qe2 Ra5 43. Re6 Qb4 44. Qe3 Rc5 45. Rxf6
{a fine tactical round up} gxf6 46. Qe7 $1 {threatening mate and attacking the
rook on d8} Rd7 47. Qxd7 Rc7 48. Qd8+ Rc8 49. Qd5 {and white won} 1-0

[/pgn]

Code: Select all

The Champions 2012 8CPU
ChessGUI, 2012.12.12 - 2013.01.05
                                     Score     Houd Stoc Stin Equi Rybk Crit Akka Hiar Robb Deep Bouq Chir Hann Deep
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1: Houdini 3 64-bit 8CPU          39.0 / 52   XXXX 11=1 1=== =111 1==1 1==1 11== 1=1= 01== 1=== =1=1 11=0 1=11 1111
 2: Stockfish 2.3.1 64-bit 8CPU    32.0 / 52   00=0 XXXX =10= ==1= ==1= ===1 ==== 111= ===1 ===1 1=11 =1=1 1=01 =1==
 3: Sting SF 2 64-bit 8CPU         31.5 / 52   0=== =01= XXXX =1== 1=== ==== ==== ==== ==11 11=1 ==0= ==1= ==11 1=11
 4: Equinox 1.65 64-bit 8CPU       30.0 / 52   =000 ==0= =0== XXXX ==01 ==== ===1 1=== 1==1 ==== ===1 =110 1=11 1111
 5: Rybka 4.1 64-bit 8CPU          29.0 / 52   0==0 ==0= 0=== ==10 XXXX 1=== 1=== ==== =11= =0=1 11== 1=1= =1== ==1=
 6: Critter 1.6a 64-bit 8CPU       27.0 / 52   0==0 ===0 ==== ==== 0=== XXXX ===0 ===0 1==1 =10= 1==1 101= 1==0 111=
 7: Akkad 0.52b 64-bit 8CPU        26.0 / 52   00== ==== ==== ===0 0=== ===1 XXXX 0=1= ==== 01=1 0==1 ==== 10=1 1===
 8: Hiarcs 14 8CPU                 24.5 / 52   0=0= 000= ==== 0=== ==== ===1 1=0= XXXX =0== 110= 0=== ===0 11== 11==
 9: RobboLito 0.21Q 64-bit 8CPU    23.5 / 52   10== ===0 ==00 0==0 =00= 0==0 ==== =1== XXXX ===1 ==== 11== 1010 0=1=
10: Deep Junior 13.3 64-bit 8CPU   23.5 / 52   0=== ===0 00=0 ==== =1=0 =01= 10=0 001= ===0 XXXX ==11 0=0= 1110 ===1
11: Bouquet 1.6 64-bit 8CPU        23.5 / 52   =0=0 0=00 ==1= ===0 00== 0==0 1==0 1=== ==== ==00 XXXX 1=1= =11= ==1=
12: Chiron 1.5 64-bit 8CPU         20.0 / 52   00=1 =0=0 ==0= =001 0=0= 010= ==== ===1 00== 1=1= 0=0= XXXX 00=0 ==01
13: Hannibal 20121202 64-bit 8CPU  18.5 / 52   0=00 0=10 ==00 0=00 =0== 0==1 01=0 00== 0101 0001 =00= 11=1 XXXX ===0
14: Deep Shredder 12 64-bit 8CPU   16.0 / 52   0000 =0== 0=00 0000 ==0= 000= 0=== 00== 1=0= ===0 ==0= ==10 ===1 XXXX
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
364 games: +99 =206 -59

[Graham Banks]

..............Stings play, as already mentioned by Graham was surprisingly good and attractive to watch.

Sting SF 2 also plays a very strong endgame. I forgot to mention that initially.

Glad you and others got some enjoyment out of the tournament, Bram.

There are a wealth of tremendous games worth playing through.

[beram]

..............Stings play, as already mentioned by Graham was surprisingly good and attractive to watch.

Sting SF 2 also plays a very strong endgame. I forgot to mention that initially.

Glad you and others got some enjoyment out of the tournament, Bram.

There are a wealth of tremendous games worth playing through.

That it plays attractive endgame should be not a surprise as Sting is a Stockfish derivative.
Though I still wonder how much% Sting is in it.
For sure there is a wealth of tremendous games. I will look further for nice positions

[lech]

Though I still wonder how much% Sting is in it.

Try to explain too, how much originality is in each engine.
It is very intersting that Sting, which in the legal way (GPL) inherits Stockfish's code, is the main object of all evill.
Sting had a special mission. I doubt that it can be close to any % of Stockfish, excluding that Sting can play on a very high level, it means: doesn't miss anything important.

[beram]

..............Stings play, as already mentioned by Graham was surprisingly good and attractive to watch.

Sting SF 2 also plays a very strong endgame. I forgot to mention that initially.

Glad you and others got some enjoyment out of the tournament, Bram.

There are a wealth of tremendous games worth playing through.

That it plays attractive endgame should be not a surprise as Sting is a Stockfish derivative.
Though I still wonder how much% Sting is in it.
For sure there is a wealth of tremendous games. I will look further for nice positions

The Champions 2012 8CPU tournament was a computer chess demonstration by Houdini.
As promised some nice tactical shots by the master, where it had white:

Houdini 3- Rybka 4.1 1-0, round 9
19 c5! a nice pawn sacrifice to get black in deep tactical trouble
[d] r1b2rk1/1p2b1pn/1qpp4/p2Ppp2/2P2P2/1PN1P3/P2B2B1/R2QK2R w KQ - 0 19

Houdini 3- Stockfish 1-0, round 41
22 Rd5! With this exchange sacrifice, trademark Topalov, white comes back in the game after it had been pressurized by Stockfish
[d] r1r3k1/2q1bpp1/2n1b2p/pp2p3/1Pp1P3/P1P1BNP1/2QR1P1P/3R1BK1 w - - 0 22

Houdini 3- Shredder 1-0, round 46
15 Nd4 ! already white has more choices for getting big advantage, but this choice is the most straightforward
[d] rn1q1rk1/1b2b1p1/pp1pp2p/5p2/2P2Q2/2N2NP1/PP2PPBP/R4RK1 w - - 0 15

Houdini 3- Hannibal 2012 1-0, round 1
Black has just castled queenside, not so good as H3 shows with an exchange sac 15 Rxd6 ! followed up by a strong queenside attack
[d] 2kr3r/ppqb1pp1/3bpn1p/8/7B/2P2N2/PPQ1BPPP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 15

[M ANSARI]

Great tournament Graham, probably one of the best ever! No question about it, Houdini_3 is the new Rybka_3 of this era. In my 8 core tests, SF was the only engine that could get within 60 ELO to H3 at longer time controls. Would be great to have all the games in one pgn file!

[Graham Banks]

Great tournament Graham, probably one of the best ever! No question about it, Houdini_3 is the new Rybka_3 of this era. In my 8 core tests, SF was the only engine that could get within 60 ELO to H3 at longer time controls. Would be great to have all the games in one pgn file!

Complete tournament PGN (zipped):
http://kirill-kryukov.com/chess/discuss ... p?id=28379

[beram]

And three Houdini 3 (snap)shots where it had black:

Rybka 4.1 - Houdini 3 0-1, round 48
Houdini had played on the king with 39. ..h3, Rybka didn’t took the pawn and played 40 Kg3, but bit the dust after Qf8! Above other moves that are good here such as d4, Nh4 or Rf8 this one is the best, combining the threats, taking on c5 and queen switch to kingside. After 41 Nxe6 Qh6 42 Kf2 Rxb3 43 c5 Bf8 white had offered a piece for two pawns but couldn’t hold the game.
[d] 1r4k1/2p2q1n/3bp1n1/2Npp1p1/2P1P1P1/1N1P1PKp/2R4P/2BQ4 b - - 0 40

Shredder - Houdini 3 0-1, round 33
A quiet but tactical move Rg8! makes Houdini jump to +2,53
[d] 1qr2r2/5pk1/Q1b1p2p/1p4n1/1P2P3/P1N1P1P1/5K2/2RR3B b - - 0 28

Hannibal 2012 – Houdini 3 0-1, round 40
An ice cold king move to e7, and surprisingly not white but black is better here
[d] r2qk2r/pb3pp1/4p2p/1BbnP3/1p6/5N2/PP3PPP/R1BQ1RK1 b kq - 0 15

[Mike S.]

Glad you and others got some enjoyment out of the tournament, Bram.

Me too Thx for this very strong tournament. I'll add it to my collection. But I didn't study any games yet.

Btw. I noticed that I cannot create a single table in Fritz if the dates go from 2012 to 2013, in the same tournament. I hope you don't mind that I created a custom version where I changed the 2013 dates back to 2012, and 2012.12.31 respectively. Also I created a CBH conversion:

http://remixshare.com/dl/ont98/Champs20 ... GN-CBV.zip
(only ~10 secs to wait)

What I noticed quickly:

Houdini lost only 2 games from 52 - against THAT opposition! Amazing.

Very many draws! I found that 10 from 91 mini matches consist of four draws.

Evals are from player's perspective not from White's, which makes an evaluation profile graphic look better e.g. in Shredder Classic than in Fritz, in this case.

[Houdini]

Very many draws! I found that 10 from 91 mini matches consist of four draws.

Houdini 3 played only 22 draws out of 52, which means that nearly 60% of its games were decided. That is not a very high draw ratio considering that we're playing with 8 CPUs at relatively long time control.

Let's talk again when in this kind of tournament we're seeing 80% draws.

Robert