After 40 games Stockfish leads 14-4 with 22 draws. Stockfish extended its lead by one game pair. As we approach the halfway point of the match KomodoDragon still hasn't won a single game pair. It has won 4 games so far, but only in opening books that Stockfish won as well. In the last 5 game pairs KomodoDragon managed to draw 4, better performance than we have seen previously. However there doesn't seem to be any doubt that Stockfish is going to win the match.
Games 31-32 started with a 24-ply book in the KID Orthodox, classical system, with blocked diagonal pawn lines in the center. In game 31 the engines opened the queen side but the center remained blocked. The engines opened a file on the king side and exchanged a few pieces, then started to shuffle. Evals dropped to 0 after the engines reduced to a BN vs NN position, the game was adjudicated a few moves afterwards. In game 32 Stockfish opened the queen side in a different way and created a passer. There was a hole in the white diagonal pawn line, after all the knights were exchanged the white queen filled the hole. Stockfish pushed the passer to the 7th rank but then KomodoDragon opened the king side with a rook sacrifice and forced a perpetual check draw.
Games 33-34 started with a 24-ply book in the Sicilian Taimanov, modern line, that appeared in a Karpov game from 1972. There was one pawn exchange and all pieces were on the board after book. The starting evals were under 1 for both engines in both games, unusually low in this match. In game 33 the engines pushed pawns on the queen side, in a long PV agreement the queen side opened and KomodoDragon had a passer. Evals came down and the engines exchanged pieces until only RN vs RB remained. KomodoDragon lost the passer, it was a pawn up but the game was adjudicated in a 7-man draw. In game 34 the queen side remained closed, there was one pawn trade and then the engines started to exchange pieces. Evals came down and the game reached a RBB vs RBN position. The engines shuffled and the game was adjudicated when the pawns stopped moving.
Ganes 35-36 started in a King's Indian Saemisch variant, with the kings castled in opposite directions. In game 35 KomodoDragon went up a pawn early. The engines opened a file in the center, Stockfish got the pawn back but evals started to increase. Stockfish's eval started to come down after KomodoDragon avoided a rook exchange, KomodoDragon's eval remained high. After a few moves KomodoDragon exchanged the rooks and then opened the king side. KomodoDragon thought it had a strong king side attack as it gave a rook for a knight and pawn, but its eval dropped immediately. The game reached a QBN vs QRB position, evals were 0 and the game was adjudicated when the pawns stopped moving.
In game 36 Stockfish didn't capture a pawn and the queen side remained closed. The engines opened a file in the center and exchanged a pair of bishops, then started to shuffle. On move 31 KomodoDragon gave a rook for a knight, it had a line of pawns and knights that blocked the board from side to side.
The black pieces retreated to defend against the threat of the passer, this left the queen side vulnerable. Stockfish exchanged a pair of pawns, then managed to capture two black pawns. It had a pawn majority on the queen side, one pawn became a passer and KomodoDragon lost a rook to stop it. The game ended in mate. Stockfish wins the game pair, it leads 13-3.
In game 37 the engines exchanged bishops early and Stockfish closed the queen side with a line of pawns. After trading bishop for knight Stockfish completed the wall on the king side with a knight filling a hole in the center. The engines shuffled for a while, then in a series of exchanges KomodoDragon traded its remaining knight for a rook and the game reached a QRR vs QRN position. The white major pieces couldn't penetrate the wall and there was a long shuffle. KomodoDragon reset the 50-move counter with a pawn move, eventually evals came down. On move 137 evals were 0 and the engines started to exchange pieces and pawns, the game ended in a tablebase draw. In game 38 Stockfish castled long and tried to attack the king side while KomodoDragon pushed pawns on the queen side. Evals came down as the position opened, the white king hid behind a black pawn on the 2nd rank. On move 31 the engines started to exchange pieces, both engines had passers but eventually all were captured. The game reached a RBN vs RBN position with evals at 0 and the game was adjudicated.
Games 39-40 started with a 22-ply book in the Queen's Indian, Petrosian system, where the engines castled in opposite directions. The games repeated for a further 21 plys in a long PV agreement, where the engines opened the position and traded RN for Q. In game 39 after the divergence there was a long PV agreement again, KomodoDragon gave back the material and reduced to a RB vs RN with white a pawn up.
KomodoDragon captured the black b pawn while Stockfish captured the white h pawn. Both engines had passers but the white bishop was much better than the black knight in terms of pawns support and defense. KomodoDragon captured the black passer and eventually queened to win.
In game 40 Stockfish kept its pieces on the board, it turned the pawn majority on the queen side to a doubled passer. The engines shuffled for a while and then exchanged a pair of bishops.
The black rooks could only delay the inevitable, slowly Stockfish pushed its passer forward and eventually KomodoDragon lost a rook to stop it. The game ended in a tablebase position just before mate. There were two white wins in this game pair, Stockfish leads 14-4
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