In RR6 Komodo made a comeback with a score of 5.5/7 including a win against Stockfish. It is now in 2nd place, 0.5 points ahead of Houdini which only scored 4/7. This was the only significant change in the crosstable, Fire is still ahead of Ethereal in the race for 4th place, Andscacs is still ahead of Chiron and Ginkgo in the race against relegation.
A few interesting games
Komodo - Stockfish: See featured game below. First loss for Stockfish in the division.
Komodo - Ginkgo: Komodo took over the game from the start. It castled long annd pushed pawns on the king side. Ginkgo kept its king in the center and attacked the queen side, after a long series of exchanges only RRB vs RRB remained with Komodo a pawn up on move 28. Komodo was soon 3 pawns up in a won bishop ending. Back to back wins for Komodo.
Stockfish - Houdini: Stockfish's eval jumped over 1 but was very unstable. The king side opened and both kings were exposed. Houdini gave a rook for a bishop and pawns, it had two central passers which countered Stockfish's king side attack. Houdini reduced to a QR vs QB position, and though Stockfish captured the black passers Houdini was able to hold a draw. After this game Komodo and Houdini are both in second place with a +8 score.
Chiron - Fire: Evals turned negative early in the game. Fire gave a rook for a bishop and created a pair of connected passers on the queen side. The passers advanced all the way to the 2nd rank, and Chiron was forced to lose a piece to stop them. The game ended in a QB vs QBB won position for Fire.
Komodo - Fire: Evals started to increase on move 30. Komodo had doubled rooks on the open d file and its two bishops targeted the black king in the corner. Komodo attacked through the center, went two pawns up and created a central passer. A series of exchanges, including a pawn queening, reduced to a RR vs R position. After this win Komodo is in 2nd place, 0.5 points ahead of Houdini.
Stockfish - Andscacs: The game reached a RNN vs RR position on move 31. Stockfish gave 3 pawns and concentrated its efforts on keeping a central pawn alive. Evals jumped when the white knights moved forward on the king side, supported by the pawn. A combined attack on the black king and pawns allowed Stockfish to push its pawn to the 7th rank and drive away the black king. Andscacs had 5 pawns, one on the 2nd rank, not enough after Stockfish queened.
Houdini - Andscacs: Andscacs' problems started when it moved a knight to the edge with no way to retreat. Evals increased over 2 as Houdini exchanged the knight and trapped a bishop in the same square. Evals were over 3 when Houdini captured the bishop, Houdini then reduced to a won bishop vs pawns ending.
Komodo - Ethereal: Ethereal pushed pawns forward and won a rook for a bishop, yet Komodo's eval was over 1 and increasing. Komodo blocked the black pawns, making the white rooks less effective, and then targeted Ethereal's weak pawns. It took a while but Komodo managed to capture a pawn and create a pawn majority on the queen side. After clearing the way Komodo's pawns were unstoppable, securing the win. Komodo keeps its lead over Houdini.
Stockfish - Chiron: Only RBB vs RBB remained on move 26. After exchanging a pair of bishops the black pieces were very passive and could only defend the pawns. Stockfish moved its rook to the king side and its king to the queen side, the game ended with Chiron in zugzwang and forced to lose a pawn, its defense collapsing.
Featured game: Komodo -Stockfish
Premier division, round 36
Link to game on TCEC
Komodo had an eval advantage from the opening that increased slowly. Stockfish kept its king in the center and exchanged pieces, only RB vs RB remained on move 29, Komodo a pawn up and evals over 1.
Evals stayed more or less the same as the engines stabilized pawns on the king side and in the center. Komodo used the pawn majority on the queen side to create passer.
Komodo exchanged rooks and reduced to an opposite color bishop ending. Under usual circumstances this would be a drawn ending, one pawn is not enough for a win. However, evals started to increase quickly. Stockfish gave a second pawn to stop the white king from penetrating the center.
Komodo gave a pawn back to create a second passer on the king side. Stockfish could not cover both sides and keep the white king away, the game was adjudicated with a Komodo win.
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