Komodo continued its run in RR7, scoring 5/7 including a win against Houdini and a loss to Stockfish. it extended its lead over Houdini to 2 points. Stockfish is sure to finish the division in 1st place, it has practically qualifed to the superfinal already. At the bottom Andscacs is 1.5 points above the relegation zone, Chiron and Ginkgo need a miracle to survive.
A few interesting games
Chiron - Houdini: Chiron had an eval advantage from the start, Houdini turned the game around and evals became negative. Houdini created a queen side passer and pushed it to the 3rd rank. Evals started to increase after queens were exchanged, Chiron stopped the passer from advancing in a RBN vs RNN position. It took Houdini a while, but eventually its pieces surrounded the passer and forced Chiron to lose material.
Stockfish - Komodo: Stockfish had an eval advantage from the start. Its eval jumped over 1.5 after the king side opened and it went a pawn up. At first all pieces moved to the king side, and both engines did not attack. Then Stockfish opened the queen side where it had a pawn majority. Evals started to jump when Stockfish created a queen side passer and pushed it to the 7th rank. Stockfish reduced to a QR vs QR position and captured another pawn, enough for adjudication.
Ginkgo - Komodo: Ginkgo started with a small eval advantage, the engines exchanged most pieces and the evals turned negative. Komodo gave a rook for a bishop and pawns, the game reached a RB vs BN position with Komodo two pawns up. Komodo had a pawn majority on the king side, Ginkgo gave a pawn to break the black pawn line. Komodo then outplayed Ginkgo in the ending, though it took almost 40 more moves. The black pawns slowly advanced with the black pieces supporting, the game was adjudicated with a pawn on the 3rd rank.
Fire - Chiron: Fire was up a rook for a bishop early in the game. All of Chiron's pieces were on the queen side when Fire created a passer on the king side. Chiron had a passer on the queen side, but Fire had the back rank covered. Chiron had no rook to cover its back rank and the white passer was enough for a win.
Chiron - Andscacs: Chiron had an eval over 1 for a while. The game reached a BN vs BN position with Chiron a pawn up, it wasn't enough for a win. Chiron missed a rare opportunity to win and improve its chances of avoiding relegation.
Stockfish - Fire: The engines shuffled more than 60 moves, Stockfish's eval was over 1 but nothing was happening on the board. Evals started to increase when Stockfish pushed pawns on the king side and opened the position. The black king was in danger and Fire exchanged pieces until only RN vs RN remained. Stockfish's rook had control of the 7th rank and it could attack the black pawns from the rear. The game was adjudicated when Stockfish was two pawns up and was about to gain more material.
Komodo - Houdini: See featured game below. Houdini's first loss in the division.
Chiron - Ginkgo: Evals jumped to about 1 early in the game, Ginkgo had weak dark squares after it lost its DS bishop. Chiron used a mate threat to win a rook for a bishop. The engines exchanged pieces until only R vs N remained, an easy win for Chiron. Only Chiron's second win, still fighting against relegation.
Stockfish - Ethereal: The engines castled in opposite directions. Ethereal's queen side was under threat, its king exposed through the light squares and the black DS bishop was trapped in front of the pawns. Stockfish attacked through the center and the evals jumped very quickly. The game was adjudicated before Ethereal lost material.
Komodo - Andscacs: Komodo was a pawn up with a queen side passer, evals went over 1.5 as Andscacs tried to block the passer and Komodo exchanged pieces. In a RBN vs RBB position Komodo pushed the passer to the 6th rank. Andscacs's pieces were busy defending the queen side and Komodo captured a pawn on the king side to create a second passer. The game was over a few moves later.
Stockfish - Ginkgo: Stockfish gave a pawn and opened the king side a little. The center was blocked and too many of Ginkgo's pieces were on the queen side. Ginkgo gave a rook for a bishop, not enough to stop Stockfish in a QRR vs QRB position. The black king was exposed and after exchanging queens Stockfish started to capture black pawns. Ginkgo's rook made checks that only delayed the end.
Komodo - Chiron: Chiron's king was exposed with most black pieces on the queen side. Komodo gave two pawns, doubled rooks on the open g file and sent all its pieces to attack on the king side. Chiron's defense collapsed quickly, the game was adjudicated before it lost material.
Featured game: Komodo - Houdini
Premier division, round 45
Link to game on TCEC
Komodo had a small eval advantage from the start. Houdini had a pawn majority on the queen side and it pushed those pawns forward. When Komodo tried to break the black pawn line Houdini initiated a series of exchanges that resulted in a R vs BN imbalance. Komodo's eval jumped over 1.
Komodo kept its pieces on the queen side, for a while there was no change in evals and the engines seemed to make shuffling moves. Komodo's eval jumped over 2 when Houdini moved its king side pawns and the king side opened.
Komodo's queen shifted to the king side and attacked the black king through the hole in the pawn line. Houdini's pawns were vulnerable and Komodo started to capture them. After clearing the black pawns on the king side Komodo exchanged queens, it was 3 pawns up already.
The game reached a RR vs RBN position with Komodo 4 pawns up and Houdini's king exposed. Adjudication was only a matter of time.
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