Season 27 league 2

Final standings

Ceres, PlentyChess, Devre and Uralochka advance to league 1. Ceres and PlentyChess led the league from the start. After RR2 PlentyChess was ahead, both engines had no loss. In the second half Ceres took the lead, PlentyChess won less games and even lost one and finished second. Many engines were in the race for the other two qualification spots. After RR2 Uralochka was in 3rd place, Devre in joint 4th place and without loss. After RR3 Devre was in 3rd place though it lost twice, close behind were Uralochka, Ginkgo, Stormphrax and Velvet. In RR4 Devre pulled away and secured qualification, only in the last round Uralochka ensured it was ahead of the chasing engines. Devre and Uralochka finished with tied scores, Devre was given 3rd place on a tiebreak.

The four qualifying engines will play in league 1 with:
played in season 26 premier division - RubiChess, Stoofvlees
played in season 26 league 1 - Caissa, Obsidian, rofChade, Viridithas, Igel, Revenge

Interesting games

game 1, Arasan - Stormphrax: The game started with a bias for black, Stormphrax grabbed an early pawn and Arasan gave a rook for a bishop. Arasan had a trapped knight and no real compensation, Stormphrax was a rook up for pawns after it captured the knight. Stormphrax gained more material and mated.

game 4, Uralochka - BlackMarlin: The engines exchanged pieces and pawns, Uralochka created a passer on the queen side. The game reached a RBN vs RBN position, Uralochka captured a pawn and created a second passer. Uralochka captured the remaining black pawns to win.

game 23, Arasan - Uralochka: Arasan went a pawn up and created a passer in the center. The engines exchanged pieces and pawns, it took Arasan a while to arrange its major pieces and then all rooks were exchanged and the game reached a QN vs QB position. Uralochka delayed but couldn't avoid a queen exchange, Arasan gave the passer but captured the remaining black pawns to win. 

game 28, PlentyChess - Ginkgo: After exchanging queens PlentyChess had a passer in the center. The engines reduced to a RN vs Rn position and PlentyChess captured a pawn. The white pieces were more active, PlentyChess captured a second pawn and the white king moved forward. PlentyChess used the passer to win.

game 36, Ceres - Uralochka: The black queen grabbed a pawn on the queen side and it was late coming back when Ceres attacked on the king side. Ceres gave a rook for a bishop, it threatened the black king with a queen and a bishop on the light squares. Uralochka gave the material back and Ceres captured a pawn, the game reached a same color bishop ending with white two pawns up which Ceres converted.

game 39, PlentyChess - Velvet: There were many early exchanges and the game reached a RN vs RB position. PlentyChess captured a pawn and created a passer on the queen side, Velvet tries to attack and gave up another pawn. Velvet regained the pawns but lost its bishop, the last white pawn secured the win.

game 50, PlentyChess - Uralochka: After a series of exchanges PlentyChess was up a pawn and the engines cleared the queen side pawns. The engines slowly exchanged pieces, PlentyChess gave two pawns but captured rook for a bishop. The RN vs BN ending was slow, eventually PlentyChess exchanged minors and forced mate.

game 61, PlentyChess - Stormphrax: There were no exchanges until move 43, the engines shuffled behind their pawn lines until move 78. When the king side opened the game reached a BNN vs BNN position, PlentyChess was a pawn up with a passer. The white king moved forward, Stormphrax gave a knight and captured pawns but its bishop was trapped. PlentyChess captured the bishop and was on time to stop the black pawns, it queened to win.

Standings after RR1: PlentyChess +5, Ceres +4, Devre +2, Stormphrax Ginkgo +1, Uralochka akimbo 0, Velvet -1, Arasan -2, BlackMarlin Minic -3, DeepSjeng -4. PlentyChess and Ceres are in the lead, both without loss. PlentyChess won all its games with bias while Ceres drew twice with bias (some of the games had black bias so not all wins are in white and not all draws are in black). Devre is also without loss but with only 2 wins. At least 4 more engines are in the race for the 3rd and 4th qualifying places.

game 76, Uralochka - akimbo: The game reached a QRB vs QRB position with the queen side pawns cleared and Uralochka a pawn up. The engines exchanged queens, akimbo regained the pawn but its bishop was pinned. Eventually Uralochka captured the bishop, its last pawn secured the win.

game 88, Minic - Ginkgo: Minic was a pawn up from the start, the engines exchanged pieces until the game reached a rook ending. The engines slowly traded pawns until only 3 were left, Minic managed to convert the 7-man win.

game 90, Ceres - Velvet: The engines castled in opposite directions, Ceres had more space and a pawn majority in the center. Ceres gave two pawns and reduced to a RRN vs RRN position with an advanced passer. Ceres regained the pawns, then captured another and added a second passer. The white king moved forward, Velvet lost material for the passers, game over.

Standings after RR2: PlentyChess +7, Ceres +6, Uralochka +3, Devre Stormphrax +2, Ginkgo +1, Velvet 0, akimbo -1, BlackMarlin Arasan -4, Minic -5, DeepSjeng -7. PlentyChess and Ceres are still leading without loss. Uralochka had 3 wins and no loss in RR2 and it jumps to 3rd place. Devre is still without loss in the league, it is part of the group trying to finish in the top 4 places.

game 142, akimbo - Uralochka: The engines opened the queen side, Uralochka had two isolated pawns there that akimbo eventually captured. The black queen moved forward but was not effective there, Uralochka captured a rook for a bishop but later lost material to stop a passer. The game reached a BNN vs RN position, Uralochka lost the knight for another passer and was mated.

game 157, Ceres - Stormphrax: The center was blocked, all pawns were on the board and Ceres had more space. After exchanging a pair of pawns Stormphrax had a passer in the center and Ceres had a pawn majority on the queen side. After some shuffling the a file opened, the engines exchanged pieces and reduced to a RRB vs RRB position. Ceres captured two pawns and created 3 passers. Ceres queened a passer and the game ended in a tablebase win.

game 161, Devre - akimbo: akimbo captured a pawn on the queen side while Devre weakened the black pawns on the king side and threatened the black king. In a QRB vs QRN position Devre regained the pawn, then went a pawn up and reduced to a rook ending. Devre created a passer on both sides, enough to win.

game 165, Ginkgo - Devre: Devre gave a rook for a bishop early, weakening the white pawns on the king side. Devre was strong in the center but Ginkgo slowly improved with an attack on the king side. The engines exchanged pieces, Ginkgo gave back the material and the game reached a rook ending. Ginkgo captured black pawns and was 3 pawns up to win.

game 168, Ceres - Uralochka: The engines exchanged pieces slowly and evals remained constant. When the game reached a B vs N ending evals started to increase. Uralochka gave a pawn to create a passer, Ceres controlled the promotion square with its bishop and pushed its own passer forward. Uralochka allowed a queening to keep its knight but was then mated.

game 171, PlentyChess - Velvet: The engines slowly exchanged pieces with most pawns on the board. Velvet gave a knight for two pawns and exposed the white king, but PlentyChess kept its king safe and blocked all black passers. In a RBN vs RB position PlentyChess captured black pawns, then reduced to a tablebase win. 

game 178, Velvet - Devre: The game reached a QBB vs QBB position, Devre had connected passers on the queen side but its king was exposed. Evals started to increase as Velvet captured one of the passers and exchanged queens. After exchanging a pair of bishops Velvet created a passer, then captured the second black passer. Velvet queened a passer and mated.

game 193, PlentyChess - Stormphrax: PlentyChess had a bishop pair advantage, Stormphrax offered a rook for a bishop but PlentyChess refused the exchange. PlentyChess opened the king side, after exchanging queens it placed a rook on the 7th rank and captured two pawns. The engines reduced to a RB vs RN position and the game ended in a tablebase win. 

Standings after RR3: Ceres +10, PlentyChess +9, Devre +3, Ginkgo Uralochka +2, Stormphrax Velvet +1, akimbo -3, Arasan BlackMarlin -4, Minic -7, DeepSjeng -10. Ceres and PlentyChess lead after RR3, both without loss. Ceres had a better RR and it overtakes PlentyChess. Devre lost twice in RR3, despite this it is now in 3rd place. Ginkgo and Uralochka are right behind, Stormphrax and Velvet are also in the qualification race.

game 205, Devre - Stormphrax: There was one pawn exchange after the start but evals increased steadily. After move 24 the engines started to exchange pieces and pawns, resulting in a NN vs R imbalance. Stormphrax gave a rook for a knight and tried to hold a QBN vs QB position, Devre exchanged queens and reduced to a tablebase win.

Standings with 5 rounds to go: Ceres +11. PlentyChess +10, Devre +5, Uralochka Ginkgo Velvet +2, Stoemphrax +1, akimbo -2, BlackMarlin -5, Arasan -7, Minic -9, DeepSjeng -10. Devre improved its position and it has a 3 win lead over the chasing group of 4 engines. 

game 242, BlackMarlin - Ginkgo: All pawns were on the board and one exchange of a pair of bishops. On move 35 BlackMarlin captured a rook for a knight, and then the engines shuffled for a long time. When the exchanges started BlackMarlin created a passer on the queen side. The game reached a RRN vs RNN position, BlackMarlin gave back the exchange but captured a pawn and created a second passer. Ginkgo couldn't stop the passers, BlackMarlin queened and mated. 

game 248, Uralochka - PlentyChess: There were almost no exchanges until move 37, Uralochka gave a pawn and created a passer in the center. Uralochka regained the pawn and captured a rook for a knight, PlentyChess equalized material and the game reached a RBN vs RBN position. Uralochka created two more passers, PlentyChess captured one but lost its bishop and knight for the other two passers. The game ended in a tablebase win.  

game 249, Ceres - Devre: The center was blocked and there were no exchanges after the start. After move 28 all bishops were exchanged and the king side opened, the exposed white king walked to the center. Both engines pushed a passer on the king side and shuffled for a while, after move 55 there was a series of exchanges that reduced to a RN vs RN position. Both king side passers were captured, Ceres captured a pawn and had a passer in the center. In a slow endgame Ceres gave up its passer but managed to capture all the black pawns. The game ended in a tablebase win.

Standings with 2 rounds to go: Ceres +13, PlentyChess +9, Devre +4, Uralochka Velvet +3, Stormphrax Ginkgo +2, akimbo -2, BlackMarlin -6, Arasan -7, DeepSjeng -10, Minic -11. Ginkgo lost to BlackMarlin and only drew against DeepSjeng, Uralochka beat PlentyChess and held against Stormphrax, Devre lost to Ceres and only drew against Velvet. It is hard to imagine Devre not qualifying despite its loss, but four engines still have a chance of getting the 4th qualification spot.

game 255, BlackMarlin - Velvet: The black king moved without castling, the engines opened the board with exchanges. BlackMarlin moved its queen forward and went a pawn up, the engines reduced to a BB vs BN position. BlackMarlin captured a second pawn, the game ended in a tablebase win.

Ginkgo drew against Stormphrax, Devre drew against Uralochka, Velvet lost to BlackMarlin. Uralochka is in 4th place with a small lead over the other 3 engines, one last round to go.

Devre held a draw against Minic and qualified. Uralochka beat DeepSjeng to secure 4th place.