Season 13 premier division final results

Final crosstable


The premier division is over, the season 13 superfinal will be between Stockfish and Komodo. Chiron and Ginkgo are relegated to division 1.There were no changes in the crosstable in the last RR, except for Chiron and Ginkgo switching places. The race for the top was over quickly, the race at the bottom of the table was still open in the final 3 rounds but Andscacs was never in real danger. Ginkgo scored its only win in the division, Houdini lost for the second time, this time against Stockfish.

Judging from the results of the last two superfinals we may assume that Stockfish is going to win again in a very one-sided match. On the other hand, the 8 games played between Stockfish and Komodo in this division had a 3-2 result, so Komodo has the ability to win games against Stockfish and it may get lucky.

The Superfinal is scheduled to start after a new TCEC cup event. I haven't decided how closely I will follow the cup event, I may take a few weeks break from the blog.



A few interesting games

Ginkgo - Andscacs: Ginkgo had an eval advantage that increased after the start, reaching over 1.5 in a RBN vs RBN position. Ginkgo had an advanced passer that got to the 7th rank, Andscacs gave a knight to stop it. Ginkgo's eval peaked over 2.5 in BN vs B ending, but Andscacs held the draw. That was Ginkgo's last realistic chance to avoid relegation. With 6 games left it is 2 points behind Andscacs.

Fire - Ethereal: The game reached a RBN vs RBN position on move 24, Fire had an eval advantage. Fire had a pawn majority on the queen side and its king advanced to the center, Ethereal had a king side passer and its king was trapped in the king side corner. It took Fire more than 20 moves to capture the black passer, with only RB vs RN left and 4 white against 3 black pawns on the queen side. After 20 more moves Fire captured another black pawn and Ethereal's defense crumbled. The game was adjudicated with 2 white passers close to queening. After this win Fire is 2.5 points ahead of Ethereal.


Houdini - Chiron: Houdini went a pawn up early in the game. It then gave a rook for a knight, evals were over 1. The engines exchanged pieces until only RB vs RR remained, Houdini created a connected pair of passers in the center and Chiron gave a rook for a bishop in an attempt to stop them. The rook ending was a win for Houdini. Double win for Houdini in this opening.

Komodo - Stockfish: Komodo had an eval advantage from the start. After a series of exchanges most of the queen side was clear, both engines had a passer. Komodo captured a pawn and created a second passer on the queen side, after exchanging queens it pushed the passer to the 7th rank. Stockfish reduced to a RB vs RB position and removed the dangerous pawn, while Komodo went two pawns up, enough for a win. The opening was biased, two white wins. Komodo is still 2 points ahead of Houdini in 2nd place.

Komodo - Ginkgo: Komodo gave a pawn early, Ginkgo's king was exposed on the king side and Komodo had an eval close to 1. Ginkgo's pawn structure had a weak e6 square, it took Komodo 15 moves to get a well guarded knight there. Ginkgo couldn't get rid of it and Komodo won a knight. The game was adjudicated in a BNN vs BN position. A double win for Komodo in this opening.

Stockfish - Houdini: See featured game below. After this loss Komodo is 3 points ahead of Houdini with 5 games remaining. Stockfish is 6 points ahead of Houdini, it has qualified to the superfinal.

Ethereal - Andscacs: Ethereal had an eval advantage, there were many early exchanges and by move 30 Ethereal was a pawn up and all the queen side pawns were gone. Evals did not move for a while in a RBN vs RBN position, but after a long shuffle Ethereal found a way to improve. Andscacs took longer to see it was losing, it became evident when Ethereal won a knight using pins and attacks on the black king. The game was adjudicated after there were no black pawns left. Andscacs is 1.5 points ahead of Chiron, still not safe.

Ginkgo - Ethereal: Ginkgo went a pawn up while its king side was a little vulnerable. Ginkgo had passers in the center and Ethereal pushed pawns on the king side. The game reached a QRR vs QRR position, evals increasing all the time. Ethereal tried to block a white passer, Ginkgo managed to get it to the 7th rank. Ethereal's defense collapsed and it started to lose pawns, the game was adjudicated with Ginkgo 3 pawns up. An unexpected win for Ginkgo, its first in the division.

Andscacs - Chiron: Andscacs was up a pawn and the game reduced to a RB vs RN position on move 23. Chiron allowed Andscacs to exchange rooks and evals jumped over 2. Chiron could not stop the white king from advancing, the game was adjudicated before Andscacs captured more pawns. Ginkgo and Chiron, switch places, Ginkgo is 7th 0.5 point ahead of Chiron.

Stockfish - Andscacs:Stockfish had an eval advantage that constantly increased. Andscacs had very little space to move, Stockfish waited for the right moment to attack and win a bishop. The game was adjudicated a few moves later.

There are 3 games left for each engine. Komodo is 3 points ahead of Houdini, it will be the second qualifier for the superfinal. At the bottom the scores are Andscacs -10, Ginkgo -13, Chiron -14. The relegation race is still open. 

Ginkgo - Chiron: Ginkgo had an eval advantage, temporarily it was a pawn up but the game ended in a drawn queen ending. Ginkgo and Chiron's remaining games are against much stronger engines, this was probably their last chance of a win.

Houdini - Andscacs: Houdini's eval was around 1 for a while, then started to increase as Houdini pushed pawns across the board. Andscacs attacked the king side briefly, then Houdini sacrificed a knight and created two passers on the queen side. Andscacs gave a rook to stop a passer, in a RBN vs BNN position Houdini's rook attacked the black pawns. The game was adjudicated in a N vs B ending with Houdini 2 pawns up. Despite the loss Andscacs is a point ahead of Ginkgo with one game left, Ginkgo is playing Stockfish...

Komodo - Ethereal: Komodo's eval increased to 1, Ethereal had a trapped knight on the queen side while the engines struggled to control the center. Evals jumped over 2 after Ethereal opened a way out for its knight, while Komodo created a central passer. After seeral exchanges only QR vs QBN remained, the combination of the passer and threats against the black king allowed Komodo to reduce to a winning king and pawns ending.

Featured game: Stockfish - Houdini
Premier division, round 51
Link to game on TCEC

Stockfish had an eval of around 1 from the start, the engines castled in opposite directions. There were several early exchanges that opened the center. Houdini gave a pawn and pushed pawns on the queen side. Stockfish won a second pawn, clearing most of the black pawns on the queen side. However,  its king faced the black major pieces.



To get out of trouble Stockfish gave a rook for a bishop and the game reached a QRB vs QRR position on move 26. Stockfish was two pawns up and it had 3 connected passers on the queen side, its eval continued to increase quickly. After exchanging a pair of rooks the immediate threat to the white king was removed.


Stockfish started to push its queen side passers. Houdini's king was in the corner and under threat on the dark squares, with the white bishop on the long diagonal. By the time Houdini moved its king away from danger Stockfish formed a strong pawn chain on the queen side.


Houdini could not stop the white pawns without losing material, the game was adjudicated a few moves later.