Spike, Arena and Limit Strength (chess960).

[pepechuy]

Hi to all.

Under Arena 3.5.1, I played a game against Spike 1.4.
It was a Chess960 game, 15 minutes initial time, 10 second increment.

But the important thing: in Arena, I went to Levels -> Limit playint strength to Elo, and set it to 1100.

It outplayed me badly. It certainly did not feel like a 1100 opponent. Just look at the game:

[pgn]
[Event "Computer chess game"]
[Site "DESKTOP-5MSTUHU"]
[Date "2023.04.21"]
[Round "?"]
[White "User"]
[Black "Spike 1.4"]
[Result "0-1"]
[BlackElo "2000"]
[Time "23:01:31"]
[WhiteElo "2000"]
[TimeControl "840+10"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "nnrkbqrb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/NNRKBQRB w KQkq - 0 1"]
[Termination "normal"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[WhiteType "human"]
[BlackType "human"]

1. c4 g5 {(g7-g5 O-O-O O-O-O g2-g4 d7-d6 Na1-b3 Be8-c6 d2-d3 Na8-b6 Be1-c3
Nb6-a4 Bc3xh8 Rg8xh8 d3-d4 Bc6xh1 Rg1xh1 Na4-b6) +0.23/17 29} 2. Nc3 O-O-O
{(O-O-O g2-g4 d7-d6 Bh1-e4 Bh8xc3 Rc1xc3 Qf8-g7 Na1-c2 Be8-c6 f2-f3 Bc6xe4
f3xe4 Nb8-c6 Be1-f2 Na8-b6 b2-b3 Qg7-g6 Bf2xb6 a7xb6 Qf1-f5+ Qg6xf5 e4xf5)
+0.35/18 43} 3. g4 d6 {(d7-d6 Bh1-e4 Bh8xc3 Rc1xc3 Qf8-g7 Qf1-h3 h7-h6
b2-b3 Na8-b6 Na1-c2 Be8-c6 f2-f3 d6-d5 c4xd5 Nb6xd5 Be4xd5 Rd8xd5 d2-d3
Nb8-a6) +0.37/18 20} 4. d3 Bc6 {(Be8-c6 Na1-b3 Na8-b6 Be1-d2 h7-h6 e2-e4
Bh8-e5 Qf1-h3 Nb8-a6 O-O Na6-c5 Rc1-b1 e7-e6 Bh1-g2 Rg8-g6 Nb3xc5 d6xc5)
+0.32/17 22} 5. Bxc6 Nxc6 {(Nb8xc6 Na1-b3 Na8-b6 f2-f3 Bh8-e5 Be1-g3 Be5xc3
b2xc3 f7-f5 g4xf5 Qf8xf5 Qf1-g2 e7-e5 Bg3-f2 Kc8-b8 Rc1-c2 Qf5-f7 O-O h7-h5
Bf2xb6 a7xb6) +0.51/19 38} 6. Nc2 Nb6 {(Na8-b6 O-O-O Kc8-b8 Kc1-b1 e7-e6
f2-f3 d6-d5 c4xd5 e6xd5 d3-d4 f7-f5 h2-h4 f5xg4 h4xg5 g4xf3 e2xf3 Qf8-f5
Qf1-d3 Rg8xg5 Rg1xg5 Qf5xg5 Qd3xh7) +0.56/17 23} 7. e4 Bf6 {(Bh8-f6 Be1-d2
h7-h6 h2-h3 Qf8-g7 f2-f4 g5xf4 Qf1xf4 Bf6-g5 Qf4-g3 Bg5xd2 Kd1xd2 Kc8-b8
Rg1-f1 e7-e6 Qg3-e3 Nc6-e5) +0.70/17 65} 8. f3 Re8 {(Rd8-e8 Be1-d2 Kc8-b8
h2-h3 h7-h6 Bd2-e3 e7-e6 Be3xb6 a7xb6 Nc2-e3 Qf8-g7 Qf1-f2 Bf6-d4 O-O
Kb8-c8) +0.81/16 24} 9. b3 Qh6 {(Qf8-h6 Qf1-f2 e7-e6 Nc3-e2 Bf6-b2 Rc1-b1
Bb2-g7 f3-f4 f7-f6 d3-d4 g5xf4 Ne2xf4 Kc8-b8 Nf4-h5 f6-f5 Be1-d2) +0.60/16
42} 10. h3 Kb8 {(Kc8-b8 Be1-d2 Qh6-g7 Nc3-e2 h7-h6 Bd2-e3 e7-e6 Be3xb6
a7xb6 Qf1-f2 Kb8-c8 O-O Nc6-e5 Rc1-d1 Ne5-c6 d3-d4) +0.62/15 24} 11. O-O-O
Nd4 {(Nc6-d4 Rg1-h1 e7-e6 Nc2xd4 Bf6xd4 Kc1-b1 f7-f5 e4xf5 e6xf5 g4xf5
Qh6-f6 Nc3-b5 Bd4-e5 d3-d4 Qf6xf5+ Kb1-b2 Be5-f6) +0.33/17 50} 12. Nxd4
Bxd4 {(Bf6xd4 Rg1-h1 e7-e6 Nc3-e2 Bd4-g7 Be1-d2 Qh6-g6 Qf1-g2 d6-d5 Bd2-e3
Re8-d8 Be3xb6 a7xb6 c4xd5 e6xd5 d3-d4 Qg6-c6+ Kc1-b1 d5xe4 f3xe4) +0.27/19
31} 13. Rh1 e6 {(e7-e6 Kc1-b1 f7-f5 Nc3-b5 Bd4-g7 Be1-a5 f5xe4 f3xe4 Rg8-f8
Qf1-e2 e6-e5 Qe2-e3 Qh6-f6 Qe3-c1 c7-c6 Ba5xb6 a7xb6 Rh1-f1 Qf6-e7)
+0.11/18 31} 14. Bd2 Qg7 {(Qh6-g7 Kc1-c2 f7-f5 e4xf5 e6xf5 g4xf5 Re8-f8
h3-h4 g5-g4 f3xg4 Qg7xg4 Qf1-h3 Qg4xh3 Rh1xh3 Rf8xf5 Nc3-e4 Rg8-g2 Ne4-g5
h7-h6 Ng5-e6 Bd4-f6) +0.28/18 42} 15. Kc2 f5 {(f7-f5 g4xf5 e6xf5 e4xf5
Re8-f8 h3-h4 g5-g4 f3xg4 Qg7xg4 Qf1-h3 Qg4xh3 Rh1xh3 Rf8xf5 Bd2-e3 Bd4xc3
Kc2xc3 Nb6-d7 Rd1-g1 Rg8xg1 Be3xg1 Nd7-e5 Rh3-g3) +0.15/19 46} 16. gxf5
exf5 {(e6xf5 e4xf5 Re8-f8 h3-h4 g5-g4 f3xg4 Qg7xg4 Qf1-h3 Qg4xh3 Rh1xh3
Rf8xf5 Rd1-e1 h7-h5 Rh3-h2 a7-a6 Rh2-e2 Bd4-f6 Re2-e8+ Rg8xe8 Re1xe8+
Kb8-a7 Bd2-e1 d6-d5 Nc3xd5 Nb6xd5 c4xd5 Rf5xd5 Be1-f2+ b7-b6) +0.01/20 50}
17. a4 fxe4 {(f5xe4 d3xe4 Re8-f8 Nc3-b5 Bd4-e5 Bd2-e3 Qg7-f7 Be3-d4 Qf7xf3
Qf1xf3 Rf8xf3 Bd4xe5 Rf3-f2+ Kc2-c3 d6xe5 a4-a5 Nb6-c8 Rd1-d7 c7-c6 Nb5-c7
Rg8-f8 Nc7-e6) +0.70/17 23} 18. fxe4 Ref8 {(Re8-f8 Qf1-e1 Rf8-f2 Rh1-f1
Rf2xf1 Qe1xf1 Rg8-f8 Qf1-e1 Nb6-d7 Bd2-e3 Nd7-c5 b3-b4 Nc5-e6 Nc3-b5 Rf8-f3
Be3xd4 Ne6xd4+ Nb5xd4 Qg7xd4 Qe1-c3 Qd4xc3+ Kc2xc3) +0.70/17 18} 19. Qe1
Rf2 {(Rf8-f2 Rh1-f1 Rf2xf1 Qe1xf1 Rg8-f8 Qf1-e1 Nb6-d7 Bd2-e3 Nd7-c5 b3-b4
Nc5-e6 Nc3-b5 Rf8-f3 Be3xd4 Ne6xd4+ Nb5xd4 Qg7xd4 Qe1-c3 Qd4-e5 Qc3xe5
d6xe5 d3-d4 e5xd4 Rd1xd4 Rf3xh3) +0.53/17 24} 20. Rf1 Rxf1 {(Rf2xf1 Qe1xf1
Rg8-f8 Qf1-e1 Rf8-f2 Nc3-b5 a7-a6 Nb5xd4 Qg7xd4 Qe1-g1 Qd4-f6 Qg1-g4 h7-h6
Rd1-h1 Nb6-c8 h3-h4 Nc8-e7 h4xg5 h6xg5 Qg4-h3 Kb8-a7 Qh3-e3+ c7-c5)
+0.35/19 36} 21. Qxf1 Rf8 {(Rg8-f8 Qf1-e1 h7-h5 Nc3-b5 Bd4-e5 Bd2-e3 a7-a6
Nb5-c3 c7-c5 a4-a5 Nb6-d7 Nc3-d5 Rf8-f3 Qe1-h1 g5-g4 h3xg4 h5xg4 Rd1-g1
Rf3-h3 Qh1xh3 g4xh3 Rg1xg7 Be5xg7 Kc2-d2) +0.31/19 21} 22. Qh1 Rf2 {(Rf8-f2
Nc3-b5 Bd4-c5 Qh1-e1 a7-a6 Nb5-c3 Nb6-d7 b3-b4 Bc5-d4 Nc3-e2 Bd4-a7 Bd2-c3
Qg7-f7 Kc2-b1 Nd7-e5 Bc3-d4 Ba7xd4 Ne2xd4 Qf7-f6 a4-a5 Rf2-h2 Qe1-g3 Rh2-f2
Nd4-f5) +1.01/20 18} 23. Nb5 Bc5 {(Bd4-c5 Qh1-e1 a7-a6 Nb5-c3 Nb6-d7 b3-b4
Bc5-d4 Nc3-e2 Bd4-a7 Bd2-c3 Qg7-f7 Kc2-b1 Ba7-e3 Ne2-g3 Qf7-f3 Ng3-f5
Be3-f4 h3-h4 Nd7-e5 Bc3xe5 d6xe5 h4xg5 Bf4xg5) +1.11/20 23} 24. Rf1 Rxd2+
{(Rf2xd2+ Kc2xd2 Qg7-b2+ Kd2-d1 Bc5-b4 Rf1-f2 Qb2-b1+ Kd1-e2 Qb1xh1 Rf2-f1
Qh1xh3 a4-a5 Nb6-d7 Rf1-f3 Qh3-h2+ Rf3-f2 Qh2-h5+ Ke2-e3 g5-g4 Rf2-f5
Qh5-h3+ Ke3-e2 g4-g3 Ke2-f3 g3-g2+ Kf3-f2 Bb4-e1+) +13.23/18 27} 25. Kxd2
Qb2+ {(Qg7-b2+ Kd2-d1 Bc5-b4 Rf1-f2 Qb2-b1+ Kd1-e2 Qb1xh1 Rf2-f1 Qh1xh3
Nb5-d4 Qh3-h2+ Rf1-f2 Qh2-h5+ Rf2-f3 Nb6-d7 Ke2-e3 g5-g4 Rf3-f4 Bb4-c5
Ke3-d2 Bc5xd4 Kd2-e1 Qh5-h4+ Ke1-d1 Qh4-h1+ Kd1-e2) +13.78/16 15} 26. Kd1
Bb4 {(Bc5-b4 Rf1-f2 Qb2-b1+ Kd1-e2 Qb1xh1 Rf2-f1 Qh1-h2+ Rf1-f2 Qh2xh3
c4-c5 d6xc5 Rf2-f8+ Nb6-c8 Rf8-f3 Qh3-h2+ Rf3-f2 Qh2-h5+ Rf2-f3 g5-g4
Rf3-f5 Qh5-h1 Rf5-f1 Qh1-h3 d3-d4 Qh3xb3 d4xc5 Qb3xa4) +14.01/18 26} 27.
Rf8+ Nc8 {(Nb6-c8 Rf8-f2 Qb2-b1+ Kd1-e2 Qb1xh1 c4-c5 d6xc5 Nb5xc7 Kb8xc7
h3-h4 Qh1-e1+ Ke2-f3 g5xh4 Kf3-g2 h4-h3+) +13.60/10} 28. Qf1 Qd2#
{(Qb2-d2+) +M1/1} 0-1
[/pgn]

I do not expect any player rated 1100 (be it human or engine) to play 28 moves without blundering material to some simple tactics.
¿Am I doing something wrong?
I have thought of some possible explanations:
-Perhaps Spike's Limit Strength is incompatible with Chess960.
-Or there is communication problem between Arena and Spike.
-Spike's Limit Strength could be way out inaccurate.
-I am just bad at assessing my opponents strength.
-I am setting Arena the wrong way.

Now that I see the pgn, I notice some strange things.
It says that Spike is human.
It says that WhiteElo and BlackElo are 2000. It never asked for my rating. And the GUI clearly shows Black as "Spike 1.4 254MB 1100 Elo".

I plan to play more games with Limit Strength and Chess960. But before proceeding, I need to be sure I am doing things right.
Any help is appreciated.

Greetings.

[Jimbo I]

Hi.
The Limit Strength function in Spike 1.4 is broken and doesn't work!