Standings after RR2
Stockfish is in the lead with 5 game pair wins without loss. The surprise is that Integral is in second place with 4 game pair wins and no loss. Leela is only in 3rd place with 3 game pair wins and an unexpected game pair loss to Obsidian. At the bottom of the table Berserk and Ethereal with 4 and 5 game pair losses and no game pair wins.
It is still early, but if Leela fails to qualify for the superfinal this could be a major upset in TCEC. The last time Leela missed a superfinal was in season 22, and before that it was season 16. Adding to the surprise is that this is the first TCEC season for Integral.
Interesting games
game 1, Leela - Berserk: There was one minor piece exchange after the start, Leela had a space advantage and evals increased. Bersesrk gave a pawn and opened the queen side, Leela created a passer after a rook exchange. In a long shuffle the white king walked to the queen side, then the engines locked the center and king side. Berserk gave a knight for two pawns, Leela moved a rook forward and captured pawns. The game reached a RB vs R position, Leela pushed connected passers to win.
game 3, Stockfish - Ethereal: The engines exchanged pieces slowly and Stockfish's eval increased. The game reached a QN vs QB position, Stockfish threatened the black king and Ethereal exchanged queens. Stockfish created a passer on the queen side and Ethereal pushed a passer in the center. The white passer had pawn support, Stockfish managed to capture the black passer. After Stockfish captured another pawn Ethereal lost the bishop for another passer, Stockfish queened and mated.
game 4, KomodoDragon - Obsidian: The engines exchanged all knights and KomodoDragon had a passer in the center. After a while the engines opened a file on the queen side and exchanged a pair of rooks. The engines traded pawns and KomodoDragon captured two on the queen side. A series of exchanges reduced to a RB vs RB position with white 3 pawns up, Obsidian lost more material and was mated.
game 6, Ethereal - KomodoDragon: The center was blocked, the engines opened a file on the queen side and exchanged queens. KomodoDragon pushed pawns on the king side, most pawns there were exchanged, Ethereal was a pawn up with a passer. After some shuffling Ethereal gave a rook for a knight and captured two more pawns, reducing to a BBN vs RBB position. KomodoDraogon lost a bishop for a passer, more pawns were captured until there was only one white pawn left. KomodoDragon lost material for the last pawn, the game ended in a double bishop mate.
game 9, PlentyChess - Berserk: Berserk castled long, the engines exchanged minor pieces on the king side and Berserk had a triple g pawn. PlentyChess opened the queen side, the black king ran to the center. The game reached a RN vs RB position, the black bishop was trapped and Berserk gave the rook for a knight and pawn to release it. The white king moved forward, PlentyChess created a passer and queened to win.
game 12, Obsidian - Ethereal: There were no exchanges after the start, the center and queen side were blocked. The engines shuffled and pushed pawns on the king side, then opened the h file and exchanged minor pieces. Obsidian captured a pawn, all major pieces were exchanged and only BN vs BN were left. Obsidian had two passers, Ethereal managed to capture one but Obsidian captured two pawns and created another passer. Ethereal couldn't avoid a queening and mate.
game 13, Berserk - Ethereal: The center was blocked, the engines exchanged minor pieces and opened the e file, then opened a file on the queen side. Berserk moved a rook forward and trapped the black king. Ethereal gave a rook for a knight and reducd to a RR vs RB position, Berserk moved the second rook forward and pinned the black bishop. Ethereal delayed with checks but was mated on the back ranks.
game 14, Integral - Obsidian: The center was blocked, the engines opened a file on the queen side and exchanged all rooks. The engines shuffled for a while and blocked the king side, then reduced to a BN vs BN position. Integral had a passer on the queen side and it captured a pawn. It gave the passer and captured two pawns on the king side. Integral traded pawns and created two passers, Obsidian lost the bishop for one. Integral queened another passer and won.
game 17, Stockfish - Berserk: Berserk castled long, Stockfish exchanged pawns on the queen side and moved its major pieces there and Berserk did the same. After a long wait Stockfish gave a rook and knight for the black queen. The game reached a Q vs RB position, Stockfish pushed a pawn forward and Berserk gave the bishop for it. Stockfish captured pawns and then reduced to a winning king and pawns ending.
game 18, KomodoDragon - PlentyChess: The engines exchanged all bishops, then started a very long shuffle that was extended by pawn moves. After move 110 the engines exchanged pawns and a pair of knights, evals started to increase after KomodoDragon opened the queen side and threatened the black king. In a QRN vs QRN position PlentyChess tried to counter attack with its queen, KomodoDragon created passers in the center and the black defense collapsed. PlentyChess lost material and KomodoDragon reduced to a tablebase win.
game 19, Obsidian - Leela: See featured game below.
game 22, Leela - Ethereal: The engines blocked the center, there were no exchanges after the start. After a while there were a few pawn exchanges as well as a minor piece exchange, the h file opened. Leela gave a pawn and opened the e file, the engines exchanged a pair of rooks. Leela attacked through the h file, the black king ran to the queen side and the game reached a QRB vs QRB position. Leela regained the pawn and created a passer, then it gave a pawn and shifted to attack the queen side. The queens were exchanged and Leela captured two pawns. Leela pushed the passer and promoted to a knight, expecting Ethereal to give a piece for it but Ethereal decided it can face an extra knight. Leela moved its pieces forward, the black king was trapped and eventually mated.
game 24, Stockfish - KomodoDragon: After a pawn exchange in the center KomodoDragon pushed pawns on the queen side. Stockfish captured a pawn, then trapped a knight on the king side. KomodoDragon traded the knight and a bishop for a rook. Stockfish captured pawns while KomodoDragon attacked the white king through the center. After a series of exchanges the game reached a RBN vs RB position with black two pawns up. Stockfish captured black pawns until none were left, it trapped the black king on the back rank and mated.
Standings after RR1: Stockfish +3, Leela Integral +1, KomodoDragon PlentyChess Obsidian 0, Berserk -2, Ethereal -3. Stockfish leads the table, with five engines chasing. Only Stockfish and Integral are without loss.
game 32, Obsidian - KomodoDragon: The engines opened the center, Obsidian gave a bishop but the black king was stuck in the center and KomodoDragon's king side pieces were not developed. Obsidian captured 3 pawns while KomodoDragon developed pieces, then a series of exchanges reduced to a RR vs RBN position. The engines traded pawns and Obsidian had a passer on both sides of the board. It pushed both passers slowly, eventually KomodoDragon lost a bishop to capture them. The black king was trapped, KomodoDragon lost more material and was mated. There were two white wins in this game pair.
game 34, KomodoDragon - Ethereal: KomodoDragon gave a knight for two pawns and created connected passers on the queen side. Ethereal captured a pawn back, but KomodoDragon placed a rook on the 7th rank and pushed the passers forward. Ethereal lost a rook for one passer, the engines reduced to a RB vs BB position. For the second passer Ethereal lost a bishop, KomodoDragon chased the black king and mated. There were two white wins in this game pair.
game 39, Integral - KomodoDragon: The engines formed a blocked line of pawns across the board, where only the h pawns had a chance of exchange. The was a long shuffle, most pieces were concentrated on the king side. On move 74 Integral's eval jumped, it sacrificed a knight and a bishop for two pawns and created connected passers on the queen side. KomodoDragon had 3 pieces that couldn't get out of the king side corner. Integral exchanged queens, KomodoDragon lost a knight and a rook for two passers. In a RRN vs RBN position the black king was trapped and eventually mated on the back rank.
game 41, Ethereal - Berserk: There were a few pawn exchanges after the start, Ethereal had a space advantage. The black king was threatened on the long diagonal, Berserk exchanged most minor pieces and its last bishop was restricted. Ethereal opened the h file, in a series of exchanges it captured two pawns and reduced to a RN vs RB position. Ethereal pushed passers forward, queened and mated. There were two white wins in this game pair.
game 43, KomodoDragon - Leela: The center was blocked, Leela had a space advantage. Leela pushed pawns on the queen side, KomodoDragon exchanged a pair of pawns to free space on the king side. KomodoDragon created a passer in the center, Leela pushed pawns on the king side. The white king felt threatened and it walked to the queen side. Leela doubled queen and bishop on a long diagonal and the g pawn became a passer on g6. Leela captured a pawn in a series of minor piece exchanges, it connected a second passer on the king side. KomodoDragon gave material to stop one passer, reducing to a QBN vs QRB position. Leela captured two more pawns, the white queen was forced to block a passer. This left the white king vulnerable, Leela attacked and mated.
game 44, Stockfish - PlentyChess: The center was blocked, Stockfish castled long and PlentyChess kept its king in the center. PlentyChess captured a pawn on the queen side and tried to attack the white king but was not strong enough. Stockfish created a passer in the center, then shifted its pieces to the king side. Stockfish gave a rook for a bishop and pawns to open the king side and expose the black king. Stockfish connected a second passer, PlentyChess managed to capture both passers but it lost material and the game reached a QBN vs QN position. Stockfish pushed passers forward, queened and mated.
game 48, Integral - Ethereal: The center was blocked, Ethereal castled long and Integral kept its king in the center. All pawns were on the board, the engines exchanged a pair of knights. Integral pushed pawns on the king side, the first pawn exchange was on the queen side and the a file opened. Integral attacked the black king and the engines exchanged queens, a pawn exchange on the king side created a white passer. Integral gave a rook for a bishop, the game reached a BB vs RB position. Ethereal gave two pawns to create a passer on the queen side, Integral lost a bishop for it but was still 4 pawns up. Ethereal lost all its pieces and managed to stop all pawns except one, Integral queened and won.
game 49, Integral - Berserk: There were no exchanges after the start, the engines blocked the center and played behind their pawn lines. On move 63 Berserk gave a pawn and another pawn exchange opened the king side. The black king walked to the queen side and the engines moved their major pieces trying to decide where to attack. Evals started increase after move 98, Integral opened two files and created a passer on the king side. Berserk gave a rook for a knight and two pawns to capture the passer, reducing to a QRR vs QRN position. Berserk pushed a passer to e3, the white king walked to the queen side for safety. Then in a series of exchanges the game reached a RR vs R position with black 2 pawns up, Integral exchanged rooks and won.
game 51, Obsidian - PlentyChess: Obsidian opened the b file, exchanged a pair of rooks and controlled the file with another rook. Obsidian placed a bishop on the long diagonal to threaten the black king. When the long diagonal opened the engines exchanged bishops, the white queen moved to the diagonal. The engines exchanged queens and the game reached a RB vs RN position. Obsidian captured a pawn and created a passer, then captured a second pawn. PlentyChess couldn't stop the passer, Obsidian queened and mated.
game 54, Stockfish - Obsidian: The queens were off early and the black king moved without castling. The engines exchanged pieces and pawns, the game reached a same color bishops ending on move 28. Material was equal but there was one isolated black pawn visible to the bishops. It took Stockfish 24 moves to set up the board to force the black bishop away and capture the isolated pawn. Stockfish captured a second pawn and created a passer on the king side, it took longer to crack the queen side pawns. Eventually Stockfish exchanged bishops, queened passers and mated.
game 55, PlentyChess - Ethereal: The engines opened the queen side and gradually exchanged pieces and pawns. On move 44 PlentyChess gave a rook for a bishop and created a passer on the queen side. Ethereal later gave back the material to capture the passer, the game reached a RB vs RN position with white a pawn up. PlentyChess' eval started to increase, it pushed the black king away from the pawns on the king side and exchanged rooks. The white king moved forward and the black king scrambled back, Ethereal noticed it was in trouble many moves too late. PlentyChess drove the knight away, the black king had to keep an eye on the pawns and PlentyChess managed to trap and capture the knight. Then PlentyChess queened a pawn and mated.
Featured game: Obsidian - Leela
game 19
Leela kept its king in the center, it couldn't develop its king side pieces. The engines pushed pawns on the queen side, Obsidian captured a pawn and created a passer. Leela managed to regain the pawn and it also created a passer, evals started to increase. Obsidian captured a pawn and threatened the black king from the king side. Then it shifted back to the queen side, it captured the black passer and was a pawn up. Leela created another passer, its eval already over 2.5.
The black king tried to find safety on the king side. Obsidian moved a rook forward on the king side and pushed pawns there. Leela tried to avoid pawn exchanges but eventually it lost two more pawns and the black king was exposed.
Obsidian pushed pawns and Leela gave a knight to stop them, Leela lost more material and mate followed.
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