'Mittens ChessBot' (Chess.com) Stuns Chessworld

[towforce]

Andrew Grant, the author of the Ethereal chess engine, works for chess.com. I wonder if he wrote this bot?

No, sir.

Thank you very much for that. Are you willing and able to share any inside information about Mittens?

[AndrewGrant]

Andrew Grant, the author of the Ethereal chess engine, works for chess.com. I wonder if he wrote this bot?

No, sir.

Thank you very much for that. Are you willing and able to share any inside information about Mittens?

No, sir.

[towforce]

Andrew Grant, the author of the Ethereal chess engine, works for chess.com. I wonder if he wrote this bot?

No, sir.

Thank you very much for that. Are you willing and able to share any inside information about Mittens?

No, sir.

Thank you for your response. I am a little disappointed, but I accept the answer.

[xr_a_y]

Would be better in my opinion from major chess streamers to comment more TCEC or CCC games (not only the classic clickbaits "SF destroyed by Leela stuff", "SF is unbeatable", ...).

The analysis by Matthew Sadler of many engines games (https://www.youtube.com/@SiliconRoadChess) are absolutly lovely and interesting, with at the end really not many viewers while the work needed to run all the various tests (engine versus engine) Matthew does is huge and the quality of the final video is amazing to me.

Honestly I find this a little sad.

Becoming a top chess player and making videos which get high viewing numbers are different skill sets: GothamChess has 2.24 million subscribers (link). He's clearly a strong chess player, but also offers:

* hypes up relatively meaningless games to make them seem as though the world depends on the outcome

* continues to find new ways to amplify emotion to the skies in his commentary on games

Which is the best approach? Simple! 2.24 million subscribers vs less than three thousand subscribers.

Thoughtful GM checkmated.

I agree with your points.
But I don't see any issue covering more TCEC and CCC games and in fact any good engine vs engine games while making entertaining and dynamic content for the mass.

[xr_a_y]

I tried the clickbait "Minic beats Mittens with the bongcloud !"

https://lichess.org/kC8sYqSF
(original game here : https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/com ... tab=review)

I don't know why, Mittens completly throw the game.

[pgn]
[Event "Import"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/kC8sYqSF"]
[Date "2023.01.08"]
[White "Minic"]
[Black "Mittens"]
[Result "1-0"]
[UTCDate "2023.01.08"]
[UTCTime "10:20:11"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[TimeControl "-"]
[ECO "C20"]
[Opening "Bongcloud Attack"]
[Termination "Unknown"]
[Annotator "lichess.org"]

1. e4 e5 2. Ke2 { C20 Bongcloud Attack } Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Ke1 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Bb5 Bc5 7. d3 O-O 8. Nf3 Nd4 9. Bc4 c6 10. Ne4 Nxf3+ 11. Qxf3 Be7 12. Bb3 f5 13. Nc3 Be6 14. Bd2 Qd6 15. Ke2 Rf7 16. Rhe1 e4 17. dxe4 fxe4 18. Qxe4 Bf5 19. Qc4 Rd8 20. Nxd5 cxd5 21. Qc3 Bf6 22. Qg3 Be5 23. Qh4 Bxb2 24. Rab1 Bf6 25. Qf4 Be5 26. Qh4 Be4 27. Kf1 Bf6 28. Bg5 Bxg5 29. Qxg5 Qb6 30. f3 Qc7 31. Kg1 Bg6 32. Rbd1 Rf5 33. Qe7 Qc8 34. Re5 Rxe5 35. Qxe5 Qc5+ 36. Qd4 Qxd4+ 37. Rxd4 Kf8 38. Rxd5 Rxd5 39. Bxd5 b6 40. Be4 Bf7 41. a3 h5 42. h4 Ke7 43. Kf2 Kd6 44. Ke3 Kc5 45. Bd3 b5 46. c3 a6 47. g4 Be8 48. g5 Bf7 49. Kf4 Kd6 50. Kf5 Kd7 51. Ke5 Bb3 52. Bg6 Ke7 53. Bxh5 Bd1 54. Bg4 a5 55. h5 Be2 56. Kf4 Bc4 57. Bf5 Kf8 58. Ke5 Be2 59. Be4 Kg8 60. Kd4 Kh8 61. Kc5 Kg8 62. h6 Kh8 63. hxg7+ Kxg7 64. f4 Kf7 65. Bc6 b4 66. cxb4 axb4 67. axb4 Bd3 { White wins. } 1-0
[/pgn]

[towforce]

OK - about Chess.com bots: all we know about them is that their language is JavaScript.

WASM (web assembly) would be better for two key reasons:

1. something like 4x faster than JavaScript

2. the base language for WASM can be anything you want - so class libraries can be shared between the back end and the front end (high on my wish list: without this, the simple reality is that developers will update classes on one but not the other, and problems arise)

However, they've clearly got a lot of investment in their current platform, and entirely replacing it would be expensive and disruptive. So... how is Chess.com's website written? I see two basic possibilities:

1. The whole thing is a project in a single language/framework. This could be something like Clojure, which transpiles so well into JavaScript (via ClojureScript) that the level of similarity between stand alone apps and web apps is impressive. In this case, the bots would also be in this framework/language

2. The bots could just be JavaScript functions within the existing Chess.com web page

It seems to me that (2) is more likely than (1). It's unlikely that one would choose to write chess programs in JavaScript, so they are probably written in a high level language with classes and other valuable programming features that can be transpiled to JavaScript. Dart was an early example of such languages - here are some more - link.

So... given that I think that Chess.com's bots are probably written in a high level language like Dart that is then transpiled into JavaScript, the question then becomes: how did they manage to get a sudden jump in level with Mittens? Here are some speculative ideas:

* maybe Mittens runs on the server rather than the user's browser, and hence can incorporate an NN?

* maybe Mittens has a new base program that incorporates a lot of the good things that happened prior to the NNUE revolution?

* maybe it's an existing bot that has been extensively re-factored to squeeze every unnecessary millisecond out of processing, and hence runs a lot faster?

[towforce]

I tried the clickbait "Minic beats Mittens with the bongcloud !"

https://lichess.org/kC8sYqSF
(original game here : https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/com ... tab=review)

I don't know why, Mittens completly throw the game.

[pgn]
[Event "Import"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/kC8sYqSF"]
[Date "2023.01.08"]
[White "Minic"]
[Black "Mittens"]
[Result "1-0"]
[UTCDate "2023.01.08"]
[UTCTime "10:20:11"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[TimeControl "-"]
[ECO "C20"]
[Opening "Bongcloud Attack"]
[Termination "Unknown"]
[Annotator "lichess.org"]

1. e4 e5 2. Ke2 { C20 Bongcloud Attack } Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Ke1 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Bb5 Bc5 7. d3 O-O 8. Nf3 Nd4 9. Bc4 c6 10. Ne4 Nxf3+ 11. Qxf3 Be7 12. Bb3 f5 13. Nc3 Be6 14. Bd2 Qd6 15. Ke2 Rf7 16. Rhe1 e4 17. dxe4 fxe4 18. Qxe4 Bf5 19. Qc4 Rd8 20. Nxd5 cxd5 21. Qc3 Bf6 22. Qg3 Be5 23. Qh4 Bxb2 24. Rab1 Bf6 25. Qf4 Be5 26. Qh4 Be4 27. Kf1 Bf6 28. Bg5 Bxg5 29. Qxg5 Qb6 30. f3 Qc7 31. Kg1 Bg6 32. Rbd1 Rf5 33. Qe7 Qc8 34. Re5 Rxe5 35. Qxe5 Qc5+ 36. Qd4 Qxd4+ 37. Rxd4 Kf8 38. Rxd5 Rxd5 39. Bxd5 b6 40. Be4 Bf7 41. a3 h5 42. h4 Ke7 43. Kf2 Kd6 44. Ke3 Kc5 45. Bd3 b5 46. c3 a6 47. g4 Be8 48. g5 Bf7 49. Kf4 Kd6 50. Kf5 Kd7 51. Ke5 Bb3 52. Bg6 Ke7 53. Bxh5 Bd1 54. Bg4 a5 55. h5 Be2 56. Kf4 Bc4 57. Bf5 Kf8 58. Ke5 Be2 59. Be4 Kg8 60. Kd4 Kh8 61. Kc5 Kg8 62. h6 Kh8 63. hxg7+ Kxg7 64. f4 Kf7 65. Bc6 b4 66. cxb4 axb4 67. axb4 Bd3 { White wins. } 1-0
[/pgn]

Was Mittens forced to play 2.Ke2 (the "Bongcloud Attack") or did it choose to? It's an opening theme that's known to produce poor results.

Edit: sorry - it was Minic that played the Bongcloud attack, not Mittens.

[xr_a_y]

I tried the clickbait "Minic beats Mittens with the bongcloud !"

https://lichess.org/kC8sYqSF
(original game here : https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/com ... tab=review)

I don't know why, Mittens completly throw the game.

[pgn]
[Event "Import"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/kC8sYqSF"]
[Date "2023.01.08"]
[White "Minic"]
[Black "Mittens"]
[Result "1-0"]
[UTCDate "2023.01.08"]
[UTCTime "10:20:11"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[TimeControl "-"]
[ECO "C20"]
[Opening "Bongcloud Attack"]
[Termination "Unknown"]
[Annotator "lichess.org"]

1. e4 e5 2. Ke2 { C20 Bongcloud Attack } Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Ke1 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Bb5 Bc5 7. d3 O-O 8. Nf3 Nd4 9. Bc4 c6 10. Ne4 Nxf3+ 11. Qxf3 Be7 12. Bb3 f5 13. Nc3 Be6 14. Bd2 Qd6 15. Ke2 Rf7 16. Rhe1 e4 17. dxe4 fxe4 18. Qxe4 Bf5 19. Qc4 Rd8 20. Nxd5 cxd5 21. Qc3 Bf6 22. Qg3 Be5 23. Qh4 Bxb2 24. Rab1 Bf6 25. Qf4 Be5 26. Qh4 Be4 27. Kf1 Bf6 28. Bg5 Bxg5 29. Qxg5 Qb6 30. f3 Qc7 31. Kg1 Bg6 32. Rbd1 Rf5 33. Qe7 Qc8 34. Re5 Rxe5 35. Qxe5 Qc5+ 36. Qd4 Qxd4+ 37. Rxd4 Kf8 38. Rxd5 Rxd5 39. Bxd5 b6 40. Be4 Bf7 41. a3 h5 42. h4 Ke7 43. Kf2 Kd6 44. Ke3 Kc5 45. Bd3 b5 46. c3 a6 47. g4 Be8 48. g5 Bf7 49. Kf4 Kd6 50. Kf5 Kd7 51. Ke5 Bb3 52. Bg6 Ke7 53. Bxh5 Bd1 54. Bg4 a5 55. h5 Be2 56. Kf4 Bc4 57. Bf5 Kf8 58. Ke5 Be2 59. Be4 Kg8 60. Kd4 Kh8 61. Kc5 Kg8 62. h6 Kh8 63. hxg7+ Kxg7 64. f4 Kf7 65. Bc6 b4 66. cxb4 axb4 67. axb4 Bd3 { White wins. } 1-0
[/pgn]

Was Mittens forced to play 2.Ke2 (the "Bongcloud Attack") or did it choose to? It's an opening theme that's known to produce poor results.

Edit: sorry - it was Minic that played the Bongcloud attack, not Mittens.

Indeed, Minic has a bongcloud option as UCI parameter.

[supersharp77]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLBVCKmPHZ8 Play Magnus (Bot) Vs "Mittens" (The Cat)

[Event "Blitz:"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.01.06"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Magnus carlsen Bot"]
[Black "Mittens Bot (Chess.Com)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E65"]
[WhiteElo "2900"]
[BlackElo "3500"]
[Annotator "Ross-SF Ipman SE3"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[TimeControl "10 mins"]

[pgn] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 {
D-4 + Fianchetto Attack vs KID} O-O 5. c4 d6 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. O-O (7. e4 !? e5 8.
O-O Re8 9. Re1 c6 10. h3 +=) 7... c5 ?! (7... e5 ! 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. Qc2 Re8
10. Rd1 Qe7 (10... c6)) 8. b3 (8. Bg5 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Nc5) 8... Rb8 9. Bg5 a6 10.
a4 (10. e4 h6 11. Bd2 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Bxd4 14. Bxh6 Bxa1 15. Qxa1
f6 16. Bxf8) 10... h6 11. Bc1 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Nc5 13. b4 ?! Ne6 14. Bb2 (14. Nc2
Ng4 15. Bb2 a5 =) 14... Nxd4 15. Qxd4 Nd7 16. Qh4 (16. Qd2 ?! Nb6) 16... a5 (
16... g5 !? 17. Qe4 f5 ?! 18. Qc2) 17. Rfb1 Ne5 18. Nd5 g5 19. Qe4 e6 20. Ne3
f5 21. Qc2 axb4 22. Rd1 Qb6 23. Rab1 b3 24. Qd2 f4 25. gxf4 gxf4 26. Bxe5 Bxe5
(26... fxe3 27. Qxd6 exf2+ 28. Kf1 Qxd6 29. Bxd6 Ra8 30. Bxf8 Bxf8 31. Rxb3) (
26... dxe5 !? 27. Nf1 Ra8 28. Qd3 e4 29. Qxb3 Qxb3 30. Rxb3 Rxa4 31. Bxe4) 27.
Ng4 Bg7 28. a5 Qc7 29. Qxd6 Qxd6 30. Rxd6 h5 31. Rxb3 Ra8 (31... hxg4 32. a6 !?
Be5 33. Rdb6 Bd4 34. R6b4 f3 !) 32. Bxb7 Rxa5 33. Bxc8 Rxc8 34. Rb5 Rxb5 35.
cxb5 Kf7 36. Rc6 ? Rxc6 37. bxc6 Ke7 38. f3 hxg4 39. fxg4 Bf6 40. Kg2 Kd6 41.
Kf3 Bg5 42. Ke4 Kxc6 43. Ke5 Kd7 0-1
[/pgn] Black won

[supersharp77]

BIG CHESS NEWS: ALPHA ZERO (16) REAPPEARS TO PLAY 'MITTENS".....WOW!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0o7pkxvFHk

[Event "10 mins Chess.Com"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.01.07"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mittens Bot (Chess.com)"]
[Black "Alpha Zero 16"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A47"]
[WhiteElo "3500"]
[BlackElo "4000"]
[Annotator "Ross-SF Ipman Se-3"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[TimeControl "10 mins"][pgn]1. d4 b6 ?! {
Alpha Zero 16 Throws Books Out!!} 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Bf4 Nf6 4. e3 Nh5 !? 5. Bg5 (5.
Nbd2 ! Nxf4 6. exf4 e6 7. Bd3 f5 8. O-O Be7 9. Qe2 O-O 10. c3 Nc6 11. Ne5 ! {
London System....} Nxe5 {[]}) 5... h6 6. Bh4 g5 7. Bg3 d6 8. Bd3 (
8. h4 !? Nxg3 9. fxg3 g4 10. Ng1 ?! h5 11. Ne2) 8... e6 9. O-O (9. c4 !? Nd7
10. Nc3) 9... g4 10. Nfd2 (10. Bh4 ?! Bxf3 11. Bxd8 Bxd1 12. Bh4 Be7 13. Bxe7
Bxc2 14. Bxc2 Kxe7 15. Nc3) 10... Nxg3 11. fxg3 h5 12. Qe1 Bh6 13. Qf2 Qe7 14.
e4 (14. Nc3 Nc6 15. Rae1 Nb4 16. a3 Nxd3 17. cxd3) 14... Nc6 15. Nb3 (15. c3
O-O-O) 15... O-O-O 16. Nc3 (16. N1d2 Rdf8 17. c3 Kb8) 16... Rdf8 17. Rae1 Kb8
18. a3 (18. a4 Qg5) 18... Qg5 19. Nd1 (19. d5 Ne7 20. a4) 19... Qg7 20. c3 Bg5
21. Qe2 h4 !{Crushing...} 22. gxh4 Bxh4 23. g3 f5 24. gxh4 Rxh4 25. Qg2 Rfh8 26. Rf2 Qh6
27. Kf1 (27. Nd2 Rh3 28. Bf1) 27... f4 28. a4 e5 29. Bb5 (29. d5 Ne7 30. a5 Rh3
) 29... a6 30. Bc4 Ne7 31. dxe5 dxe5 32. a5 b5 33. Bf7 (33. Bd3 Rh3 34. Nc5 g3)
33... Nf5 34. Nd2 g3 35. Nf3 gxf2 36. Nxf2 Ne3+ 37. Rxe3 fxe3 38. Nxh4 Qxh4 39.
Qg3 exf2 40. Qxh4 Rxh4 41. h3 Rf4 0-1
[/pgn] & Black won....Alpha Zero!!