OpenChess

Rybka 4 has a really annoying habit of getting in a position and moving back and forth. It seems Critter 0.90 is worse than 0.80 for that as well. I'm not a programmer but I'm assuming that has something to do with zugzwang detection?

Yet again another superb finish by Critter, and this time against Houdini which most would consider to have to best end game analysis right now. Just look at the evals towards the end...somehow Houdini just couldn't pull this trick:

[Event "Third World War"]<br> [Site "ChessGUI"]<br> [Date "2010.12.07"]<br> [Round "18.1"]<br> [White "Houdini 1.03a x64 POPCNT 4_CPU"]<br> [Black "Critter 0.90 64-bit SSE4"]<br> [Result "0-1"]<br> [ECO "C54"]<br> [PlyCount "202"]<br> [EventDate "2010.??.??"]<br> [TimeControl "600+10"]<br> [WhiteClock "0:01:11"]<br> [BlackClock "0:01:52"]<br> <br> {AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 940 Processor} 1. e4 {0.00/1 0} e5 {0.00/1 0} 2. Nf3 {0.<br> 00/1 0} Nc6 {0.00/1 0} 3. Bc4 {0.00/1 0} Bc5 {0.00/1 0} 4. c3 {0.00/1 0} Nf6 {<br> 0.00/1 0} 5. d4 {0.03/21 54} exd4 {0.00/21 60 (exd4)} 6. cxd4 {0.04/20 18 (e5)}<br> Bb4+ {-0.04/21 22 (Bb4)} 7. Nbd2 {0.06/22 35 (Nbd2)} Nxe4 {-0.03/21 27 (Nxe4)}<br> 8. d5 {0.03/21 28 (O-O)} Ne7 {0.00/20 19 (Bxd2)} 9. O-O {0.03/21 31 (O-O)} Nxd2<br> {0.00/21 27 (Nf6)} 10. Bxd2 {0.10/20 16 (Bxd2)} Bxd2 {0.00/22 26 (Bxd2)} 11. d6<br> {0.04/21 60 (d6)} cxd6 {0.00/22 17 (cxd6)} 12. Qxd2 {0.04/19 0 (Qxd2)} O-O {0.<br> 00/22 25 (O-O)} 13. Rfd1 {0.00/20 19 (Rfe1)} d5 {-0.06/21 18 (d5)} 14. Bxd5 {<br> -0.02/22 27 (Bxd5)} Nxd5 {-0.07/20 24 (d6)} 15. Qxd5 {0.06/20 6 (Qxd5)} a5 {-0.<br> 08/21 15 (d6)} 16. Nd2 {0.07/20 15 (Rac1)} d6 {-0.04/21 16 (d6)} 17. Ne4 {0.06/<br> 23 17 (Ne4)} Be6 {-0.05/23 17 (Be6)} 18. Qxd6 {0.04/23 21 (Qxd6)} Qxd6 {-0.03/<br> 23 23 (Qxd6)} 19. Rxd6 {0.03/24 35 (Nxd6)} Rfd8 {-0.03/22 20 (Rfd8)} 20. a3 {<br> 0.02/25 22 (a3)} Kf8 {-0.03/23 22 (Kf8)} 21. Rc1 {0.02/25 20 (f3)} Bf5 {-0.08/<br> 23 14 (Bf5)} 22. Rcd1 {0.02/26 14 (Rcd1)} Rxd6 {-0.05/23 7 (Rxd6)} 23. Nxd6 {<br> 0.02/24 0 (Nxd6)} Rd8 {-0.08/25 17 (Rd8)} 24. Rd4 {0.00/25 17 (Kf1)} Be6 {-0.<br> 11/25 19 (Be6)} 25. Nb5 {0.00/25 16 (Nb5)} Rxd4 {-0.11/25 17 (Rxd4)} 26. Nxd4 {<br> 0.00/23 0 (Nxd4)} Ke7 {-0.14/25 12 (Ke7)} 27. Kf1 {0.00/24 17 (Kf1)} Kd6 {-0.<br> 14/25 21 (Kd6)} 28. Ke2 {0.00/24 14 (Ke2)} Bd5 {-0.14/24 21 (Bd5)} 29. f3 {0.<br> 00/24 28 (g4)} Kc5 {-0.14/25 20 (g5)} 30. Kd3 {0.00/23 17 (Kd3)} a4 {-0.14/24<br> 20 (g6)} 31. Nf5 {0.00/24 16 (g3)} g6 {-0.16/25 18 (g6)} 32. Ne3 {0.00/26 41 <br> (Nd4)} h5 {-0.20/24 12 (Be6)} 33. h4 {0.00/26 31 (Nd1)} Bc6 {-0.12/25 19 (f6)}<br> 34. f4 {0.00/26 20 (Kc3)} Bd5 {-0.22/27 19 (b5)} 35. g3 {0.00/25 12 (g3)} Bc6 {<br> -0.22/27 12 (Bc6)} 36. f5 {-0.02/25 32 (f5)} Bf3 {-0.22/27 12 (Bf3)} 37. fxg6 {<br> -0.02/25 15 (fxg6)} fxg6 {-0.21/27 3 (fxg6)} 38. Kc3 {-0.05/25 18 (Nc2)} Be4 {<br> -0.21/27 14 (Bc6)} 39. Nc4 {-0.02/24 12 (Nc4)} Bf5 {-0.28/27 13 (Kd5)} 40. Ne3<br> {-0.06/25 15 (Ne3)} Bb1 {-0.42/27 16 (Be6)} 41. Nd1 {-0.09/24 24 (Kd2)} Be4 {<br> -0.39/29 12 (Be4)} 42. Ne3 {-0.09/25 18 (Ne3)} Bf5 {-0.31/29 13 (Bf5)} 43. Nf1<br> {-0.09/25 18 (Nf1)} Kd5 {-0.33/29 14 (Kd5)} 44. Nd2 {-0.09/23 0 (Nd2)} Be4 {-0.<br> 31/28 12 (Be4)} 45. b3 {-0.09/24 14 (b3)} axb3 {-0.29/28 18 (axb3)} 46. Nxb3 {<br> -0.09/23 0 (Nxb3)} b6 {-0.36/28 17 (Ke5)} 47. Nd2 {-0.08/24 12 (Nd2)} Bf5 {-0.<br> 33/29 11 (Bf5)} 48. a4 {-0.08/25 15 (a4)} Bd7 {-0.30/29 17 (Bd7)} 49. Nc4 {-0.<br> 08/25 13 (Nc4)} Kc5 {-0.30/29 17 (Kc5)} 50. Nb2 {-0.08/25 17 (Nb2)} Be8 {-0.56/<br> 27 14 (Be8)} 51. Kd3 {-0.08/23 0 (Kd3)} Bc6 {-0.59/27 11 (Bc6)} 52. Kc3 {-0.16/<br> 24 21 (Kc3)} Kd5 {-0.72/26 16 (Kd5)} 53. Nc4 {-0.02/24 11 (Kd3)} b5 {-0.83/25<br> 12 (b5)} 54. Nb6+ {-0.02/24 10 (Nb6)} Ke4 {-1.12/26 16 (Kc5)} 55. a5 {-0.18/23<br> 30 (a5)} Bb7 {-1.42/26 16 (Bb7)} 56. Nd7 {-0.18/24 10 (Nd7)} Kf3 {-1.95/24 16 <br> (Kf3)} 57. Nf8 {-0.17/24 10 (Ne5)} Kxg3 {-2.54/26 15 (Kxg3)} 58. Nxg6 {-0.17/<br> 23 0 (Nxg6)} Be4 {-2.56/27 15 (Be4)} 59. Ne5 {-0.18/26 13 (Ne5)} Kxh4 {-2.56/<br> 28 13 (Kxh4)} 60. a6 {-0.35/26 39 (a6)} Kg3 {-2.56/28 15 (Ba8)} 61. Kd4 {-0.35/<br> 24 4 (Kd4)} Ba8 {-2.56/29 15 (Ba8)} 62. Ng6 {-0.36/22 0 (Ng6)} b4 {-2.56/30 15<br> (b4)} 63. a7 {-0.97/23 12 (a7)} b3 {-2.56/30 11 (b3)} 64. Kc3 {-1.06/25 14 <br> (Kc3)} Kg4 {-2.56/28 2 (Kg4)} 65. Ne5+ {-1.06/24 0 (Ne5)} Kf4 {-2.56/30 15 <br> (Kf4)} 66. Nd3+ {-1.33/25 10 (Nc4)} Kg3 {-2.56/29 14 (Kg3)} 67. Nb2 {-1.48/26<br> 18 (Ne5)} h4 {-2.56/28 14 (h4)} 68. Nc4 {-1.48/24 0 (Nc4)} Kf4 {-2.56/29 14 <br> (Kf4)} 69. Nd2 {-1.45/23 0 (Nd2)} h3 {-2.56/29 14 (h3)} 70. Nf1 {-1.51/21 0 <br> (Nf1)} Bd5 {-2.85/27 14 (Bd5)} 71. Kb2 {-1.52/27 13 (Kb2)} Kf3 {-3.78/25 11 <br> (Kf3)} 72. Ka1 {-2.05/26 41 (Kc3)} Kf2 {-5.76/24 14 (Kf2)} 73. Nh2 {-1.45/24 0<br> (Nh2)} Kg2 {-6.66/24 12 (Kg2)} 74. Ng4 {-1.51/22 0 (Ng4)} Kf3 {-6.78/25 13 <br> (Kf3)} 75. Nh2+ {-2.90/20 0 (Nh2)} Kf4 {-6.84/26 9 (Ke3)} 76. Kb1 {-4.02/24 40<br> (Kb2)} Ke4 {-6.84/26 13 (Ke5)} 77. Ka1 {-4.20/24 19 (Kb2)} Ke5 {-7.13/25 9 <br> (Kd4)} 78. Ng4+ {-4.62/24 27 (Kb1)} Kd6 {-7.59/24 15 (Ke6)} 79. Kb2 {-5.98/23<br> 21 (Kb2)} Kc7 {-7.82/24 13 (Kc7)} 80. a8=N+ {-6.09/25 10 (Kc1)} Kb7 {-8.55/25<br> 8 (Bxa8)} 81. Ne3 {-6.75/24 8 (Ne3)} h2 {-8.88/29 13 (h2)} 82. Nxd5 {-6.75/23<br> 0 (Nxd5)} h1=Q {-81.61/24 12 (h1=Q)} 83. Nc3 {-11.53/27 21 (Nc3)} Kxa8 {310.73/<br> 27 13 (Qh4)} 84. Kxb3 {-21.71/21 17 (Kxb3)} Qf1 {310.73/25 2 (Qf1)} 85. Kb4 {<br> -10.51/18 0 (Kb4)} Kb7 {310.73/27 2 (Qd3)} 86. Kc5 {-10.51/17 0 (Kc5)} Qc1 {<br> 310.73/31 13 (Qf2)} 87. Kc4 {310.73/26 10 (Kc4)} Qc2 {310.73/33 12 (Qc2)} 88.<br> Kb4 {310.73/31 11 (Kd4)} Kc6 {310.73/36 13 (Qd3)} 89. Kc4 {310.73/33 12 (Kc4)}<br> Qd2 {310.73/35 13 (Qd2)} 90. Kb3 {310.73/34 13 (Kb3)} Qd4 {310.73/33 8 (Qd4)}<br> 91. Na4 {310.73/34 9 (Na4)} Qd3+ {310.73/33 13 (Qd3)} 92. Kb4 {310.73/36 10 <br> (Kb4)} Qb5+ {310.73/35 13 (Qb5)} 93. Ka3 {310.73/40 9 (Ka3)} Qc4 {310.73/37 13<br> (Qc4)} 94. Nb2 {310.73/48 10 (Nb2)} Qc3+ {310.73/38 10 (Qc3)} 95. Ka2 {310.73/<br> 67 8 (Ka2)} Kb5 {310.73/40 12 (Qc2)} 96. Nd1 {310.73/73 19 (Nd1)} Qc2+ {310.73/<br> 41 10 (Qc2)} 97. Ka3 {310.73/80 9 (Ka3)} Qxd1 {310.73/43 9 (Qxd1)} 98. Ka2 {<br> 310.73/78 9 (Ka2)} Kb4 {310.73/56 0 (Qd2)} 99. Kb2 {310.73/1 0 (Kb2)} Kc4 {310.<br> 73/56 0 (Qd2)} 100. Ka2 {310.73/75 9 (Ka2)} Kc3 {310.73/56 0 (Kc3)} 101. Ka3 {<br> 310.73/1 0 (Ka3)} Qa1# {310.73/56 0 (Qa1)} 0-1

Here is another nice win for Critter against Stockfish. Nothing spectacular about it, though one could argue the initial starting position is tailor-made for white, and good pawn structure understanding led the counter attack.

[Event "Third World War"]<br> [Site "ChessGUI"]<br> [Date "2010.12.08"]<br> [Round "21.4"]<br> [White "Stockfish 1.9.1 JA 64bit"]<br> [Black "Critter 0.90 64-bit SSE4"]<br> [Result "0-1"]<br> [ECO "E61"]<br> [PlyCount "128"]<br> [EventDate "2010.??.??"]<br> [TimeControl "600+10"]<br> [WhiteClock "0:01:26"]<br> [BlackClock "0:01:34"]<br> <br> {AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 940 Processor} 1. d4 {0.00/1 0} Nf6 {0.00/1 0} 2. c4 {0.<br> 00/1 0} g6 {0.00/1 0} 3. Nc3 {0.00/1 0} Bg7 {0.00/1 0} 4. Nf3 {0.00/1 0} d6 {<br> 0.00/1 0} 5. e4 {0.60/21 18} O-O {0.50/22 42 (O-O)} 6. Be2 {0.56/22 19 (Be2)}<br> e5 {0.47/20 35 (Bg4)} 7. d5 {0.56/23 20 (dxe5)} Nh5 {0.19/21 22 (Na6)} 8. O-O {<br> 0.36/24 61 (g3)} Nf4 {0.08/17 3 (Na6)} 9. Bxf4 {0.36/23 21 (Re1)} exf4 {0.02/<br> 22 26 (exf4)} 10. Qd2 {0.32/23 23 (Qd2)} g5 {0.01/21 19 (g5)} 11. Nd4 {0.40/23<br> 29 (Nd4)} a6 {0.00/21 27 (Na6)} 12. Rad1 {0.28/22 55 (Rad1)} Qf6 {0.00/20 26 <br> (Nd7)} 13. Qc2 {0.40/22 16 (Qc2)} Qh6 {-0.05/21 22 (Re8)} 14. Rfe1 {0.20/22 41<br> (Rfe1)} g4 {-0.09/22 25 (Bxd4)} 15. Qd2 {0.32/22 23 (Qd2)} Qg5 {-0.21/22 87 <br> (Qg5)} 16. g3 {0.20/22 37 (f3)} Be5 {-0.13/23 83 (Be5)} 17. Bf1 {0.20/23 30 <br> (Nf5)} h6 {-0.21/22 19 (Qf6)} 18. Na4 {-0.16/23 42 (Nce2)} Nd7 {-0.51/20 19 <br> (fxg3)} 19. b3 {-0.32/21 21 (Nb3)} Re8 {-0.57/20 15 (fxg3)} 20. b4 {-0.44/23<br> 33 (b4)} Nf6 {-0.57/18 19 (fxg3)} 21. Nc3 {-0.52/22 14 (Nc3)} b6 {-0.64/19 15 <br> (fxg3)} 22. Qc2 {-0.52/19 14 (Qc2)} Bd7 {-0.66/18 18 (Bd7)} 23. a3 {-0.64/20<br> 14 (Rd3)} h5 {-0.88/20 25 (Nh7)} 24. Rd3 {-1.13/22 15 (Qc1)} h4 {-1.19/20 21 <br> (h4)} 25. Qd2 {-1.37/22 17 (Qc1)} Qh6 {-1.26/19 17 (Nh7)} 26. gxf4 {-1.41/20<br> 16 (Bg2)} Bxf4 {-1.42/18 11 (Bxf4)} 27. Qd1 {-1.77/21 36 (Qc2)} Nh5 {-1.58/17<br> 20 (Nh5)} 28. Nde2 {-1.73/21 20 (Nce2)} Be5 {-1.80/20 12 (Be5)} 29. Qc1 {-1.69/<br> 21 22 (Qd2)} Qf6 {-2.03/19 16 (Qxc1)} 30. Qe3 {-2.10/21 29 (Qe3)} Kh7 {-2.18/<br> 18 19 (a5)} 31. Bg2 {-2.38/19 14 (Bg2)} Rg8 {-2.18/18 16 (Rg8)} 32. Nb1 {-2.30/<br> 21 27 (Rb1)} a5 {-2.22/17 13 (Nf4)} 33. b5 {-2.58/21 16 (b5)} Nf4 {-2.31/19 15<br> (Nf4)} 34. Nxf4 {-2.50/24 23 (Nxf4)} Bxf4 {-2.31/20 15 (Bxf4)} 35. Qd4 {-2.34/<br> 25 19 (Qd4)} Qh6 {-2.39/18 13 (Qh6)} 36. Nc3 {-2.34/24 12 (Re2)} g3 {-3.26/20<br> 12 (g3)} 37. hxg3 {-3.63/25 50 (hxg3)} hxg3 {-3.49/21 15 (hxg3)} 38. f3 {-4.40/<br> 23 16 (f3)} Bh3 {-3.74/22 15 (Bh3)} 39. Re2 {-5.33/26 16 (Re2)} Rg5 {-3.82/23<br> 14 (Bxg2)} 40. Bxh3 {-5.13/26 13 (Bxh3)} Qxh3 {-4.08/22 14 (Qxh3)} 41. Rg2 {-5.<br> 45/27 14 (Rg2)} Qh6 {-4.24/23 14 (Qh6)} 42. Kf1 {-5.05/25 14 (Kf1)} Rh5 {-4.33/<br> 22 10 (Rh5)} 43. Ne2 {-5.49/26 12 (Ne2)} Rh1+ {-4.44/21 14 (Rh1)} 44. Ng1 {-5.<br> 41/26 13 (Ng1)} Rg8 {-4.55/21 14 (Rg8)} 45. a4 {-5.61/25 10 (Qc3)} Rh2 {-4.91/<br> 20 9 (Rh2)} 46. Qb2 {-5.85/25 11 (Qb2)} Rg6 {-5.04/20 14 (Be3)} 47. Qe2 {-6.46/<br> 22 9 (Qe2)} Qg7 {-5.27/18 13 (Kg8)} 48. e5 {-5.45/21 8 (e5)} dxe5 {-5.46/18 13<br> (Bxe5)} 49. c5 {-5.85/21 17 (Qe4)} bxc5 {-5.68/16 12 (bxc5)} 50. Rd1 {-6.82/20<br> 16 (d6)} Qh6 {-6.61/17 10 (Qh6)} 51. Re1 {-8.16/20 9 (Rd3)} c4 {-8.94/16 13 <br> (Bd2)} 52. b6 {-11.31/20 12 (d6)} cxb6 {-10.89/17 13 (Rxb6)} 53. Rd1 {-15.59/<br> 19 9 (Rd1)} Be3 {-16.65/15 8 (Be3)} 54. f4 {-17.37/22 10 (Rb1)} Bxg1 {-29.70/<br> 16 22 (Bxg1)} 55. f5 {310.73/18 9 (f5)} Rg5 {-56.56/19 12 (Qf4)} 56. Ke1 {-104.<br> 89/20 7 (Ke1)} Bd4 {310.73/21 12 (Bf2)} 57. Qf3 {310.73/15 5 (Kd2)} Rgh5 {310.<br> 73/25 11 (Rxg2)} 58. Rdd2 {310.73/12 0 (Rdd2)} Rh1+ {310.73/28 10 (Rxg2)} 59.<br> Ke2 {310.73/11 0 (Ke2)} R5h2 {310.73/30 10 (R5h2)} 60. Rd3 {310.73/7 0 (Rxd4)}<br> e4 {310.73/31 10 (e4)} 61. Rxd4 {310.73/6 0 (Rxd4)} exf3+ {310.73/36 12 (exf3)}<br> 62. Kxf3 {310.73/6 0 (Kxf3)} Rf1+ {310.73/56 3 (Rf1)} 63. Ke2 {310.73/6 0 (Ke2)<br> } Rxg2+ {310.73/56 0 (Rxg2)} 64. Kxf1 {310.73/6 0 (Kxf1)} Qh1# {310.73/56 0 <br> (Qh1)} 0-1

Final standing and games will be posted on the forum's tournament section when completed.

kingliveson wrote:Yet again another superb finish by Critter, and this time against Houdini which most would consider to have to best end game analysis right now. Just look at the evals towards the end...somehow Houdini just couldn't pull this trick:

Thanks for showing the game, it is very interesting indeed.
The crucial position occurs after 53...b5:
8/8/2b3p1/1p1k3p/P1N4P/2K3P1/8/8 w - - 0 54
After 54.Nb6+ the position is lost, whereas 54.axb5 probably manages to keep a draw (by a whisker!).

Despite the limited number of pieces it's a difficult position to evaluate because both sides have passed pawns. Clearly Critter does a better job than Houdini, I'm certainly going to look into this after the release of Houdini 1.5.

Robert Houdart wrote:

kingliveson wrote:Yet again another superb finish by Critter, and this time against Houdini which most would consider to have to best end game analysis right now. Just look at the evals towards the end...somehow Houdini just couldn't pull this trick:

Thanks for showing the game, it is very interesting indeed.
The crucial position occurs after 53...b5:
8/8/2b3p1/1p1k3p/P1N4P/2K3P1/8/8 w - - 0 54
After 54.Nb6+ the position is lost, whereas 54.axb5 probably manages to keep a draw (by a whisker!).

Despite the limited number of pieces it's a difficult position to evaluate because both sides have passed pawns. Clearly Critter does a better job than Houdini, I'm certainly going to look into this after the release of Houdini 1.5.

Speaking of Houdini and future releases... what are you waiting for? Hopefully, that's not too frank. Are you going commercial with your next release?

gaard wrote:Speaking of Houdini and future releases... what are you waiting for? Hopefully, that's not too frank.

Do you suggest that I'd better follow the approach: "Hey, it compiles! Ship it!"?

gaard wrote:Are you going commercial with your next release?

No, Houdini 1.5 will be freely available.

Robert Houdart wrote:...whereas 54.axb5 probably manages to keep a draw (by a whisker!).

Hmm... interesting position!... does it really?...

Robert Houdart wrote:

gaard wrote:Speaking of Houdini and future releases... what are you waiting for? Hopefully, that's not too frank.

Do you suggest that I'd better follow the approach: "Hey, it compiles! Ship it!"?

gaard wrote:Are you going commercial with your next release?

No, Houdini 1.5 will be freely available.

That is the approach of some commercial developers. If it's not yours, all the better. I was more interested in release dates, new feature additions, etc. Did that "Crazy Aggressiveness" parameter make the cut?

gaard wrote:That is the approach of some commercial developers. If it's not yours, all the better. I was more interested in release dates, new feature additions, etc. Did that "Crazy Aggressiveness" parameter make the cut?

Houdini 1.5 will be released later this month, stay tuned...