Curiously, more wins for black than for white.

Engine               Win     Draw    Lose
texel64              2 [0/2] 2 [1/1] 2 [2/0]
fizbo2x64_no_pc_linu 1 [0/1] 0 [0/0] 5 [3/2]
xiphos-0.6-linux-sse 4 [1/3] 2 [2/0] 0 [0/0]
arasanx-64           2 [1/1] 2 [0/2] 2 [2/0]

Conventional scoring:

xiphos-0.6-linux-sse  : 5
texel64               : 3
arasanx-64            : 3
fizbo2x64_no_pc_linux : 1

Games: 12; Draws: 3, DrawPercentage: 25 %
Whitewins: 2; Blackwins: 7, Draws: 3

Cute Chess scoring:

Rank Name                   Elo +/- Games Score Draws
   1 xiphos-0.6-linux-sse   280 nan 6     83.3% 33.3%
   2 arasanx-64               0 271 6     50.0% 33.3%
   3 texel64                  0 271 6     50.0% 33.3%
   4 fizbo2x64_no_pc_linux -280 nan 6     16.7% 0.0%

Points

xiphos-0.6-linux-sse  : 252 : 84 %
texel64               : 154 : 51.33 %
arasanx-64            : 152 : 50.67 %
fizbo2x64_no_pc_linux : 52  : 17.33 %

So fizbo2x64_no_pc_linux drops out, and the other three go through to the next round. I noticed in the logs that fizbo2 was pondering a lot of illegal moves too.

Here are the games themselves. The “Mate of the Match” award is shared by the texel64 vs xiphos-0.6-linux-sse and arasanx-64 vs fizbo2x64_no_pc_linux matches.

Continue reading →

This had some heavy hitters in…

Engine               Win     Draw    Lose
komodo-10-linux      1 [1/0] 1 [1/0] 4 [1/3]
stockfish 111119 64  5 [3/2] 1 [0/1] 0 [0/0]
laser                2 [1/1] 3 [2/1] 1 [0/1]
rofChade             1 [1/0] 1 [0/1] 4 [2/2]

Conventional scoring:

stockfish 111119 64 : 5.5
laser               : 3.5
rofChade            : 1.5
komodo-10-linux     : 1.5

Games: 12; Draws: 3, DrawPercentage: 25 %
Whitewins: 6; Blackwins: 3, Draws: 3

Cute Chess scoring:

Rank Name                          Elo     +/-   Games   Score   Draws
   1 stockfish 111119 64           417     nan       6   91.7%   16.7%
   2 laser                          58     226       6   58.3%   50.0%
   3 rofChade                     -191     nan       6   25.0%   16.7%
   4 komodo-10-linux              -191     nan       6   25.0%   16.7%

12 of 12 games finished.

Points

stockfish 111119 64 : 274 : 91.33 %
laser               : 174 : 58 %
rofChade            : 74  : 24.67 %
komodo-10-linux     : 72  : 24 %

So I will let rofChade and Komodo drop out, and the other two go through to the next round.

Here are the games themselves. The “Mate of the Match” award must go to laser vs komodo-10-linux, with the komodo-10-linux vs rofChade match as runner-up.

Continue reading →

Engine                  Win     Draw    Lose
critter-16a-64bit       5 [2/3] 1 [1/0] 0 [0/0]
gnuchess-5.50-32        1 [1/0] 0 [0/0] 5 [2/3]
demolito                4 [2/2] 1 [0/1] 1 [1/0]
discocheck_5.2.1_x86    1 [1/0] 0 [0/0] 5 [2/3]

Conventional scoring:
critter-16a-64bit       : 5.5
demolito                : 4.5
discocheck_5.2.1_x86-64 : 1
gnuchess-5.50-32        : 1

Games: 12; Draws: 1, DrawPercentage: 8.33 %
Whitewins: 6; Blackwins: 5, Draws: 1

Cute Chess scoring:

Rank Name                          Elo     +/-   Games   Score   Draws
   1 critter-16a-64bit             417     nan       6   91.7%   16.7%
   2 demolito                      191     nan       6   75.0%   16.7%
   3 gnuchess-5.50-32             -280     nan       6   16.7%    0.0%
   4 discocheck_5.2.1_x86-64      -280     nan       6   16.7%    0.0%

12 of 12 games finished.

Points

critter-16a-64bit       : 276 : 92
demolito                : 226 : 75.33
discocheck_5.2.1_x86-64 : 48  : 16
gnuchess-5.50-32        : 48  : 16

So under the circumstances, both gnuchess-5.50-32 and discocheck_5.2.1_x86-64 drop out, and the other two go through to the next round.

Here are the games themselves. The “Mate of the Match” award must go to gnuchess-5.50-32 vs discocheck_5.2.1_x86-64 (last game), with the game between demolito vs discocheck_5.2.1_x86-64 as runner-up.

Continue reading →

Engine                          Win     Draw    Lose
Fire_7.1_x64                    5 [3/2] 0 [0/0] 1 [0/1]
andscacs                        5 [3/2] 0 [0/0] 1 [0/1]
Fruit-2-3-1-Linux               2 [1/1] 0 [0/0] 4 [2/2]
GarboChess2-32                  0 [0/0] 0 [0/0] 6 [3/3]

Games: 12; Draws: 0, DrawPercentage: 0 %
Whitewins: 7; Blackwins: 5, Draws: 0

Cute Chess scoring:

Rank Name                          Elo     +/-   Games   Score   Draws
   1 andscacs                      280     nan       6   83.3%    0.0%
   2 Fire_7.1_x64                  280     nan       6   83.3%    0.0%
   3 Fruit-2-3-1-Linux            -120     nan       6   33.3%    0.0%
   4 GarboChess2-32               -inf     nan       6    0.0%    0.0%

12 of 12 games finished.

Conventional scoring:

Fire_7.1_x64      : 5
andscacs          : 5
Fruit-2-3-1-Linux : 2
GarboChess2-32    : 0

Points:

Fire_7.1_x64            : 248   : 82.67 %
andscacs                : 248   : 82.67 %
Fruit-2-3-1-Linux       : 100   : 33.33 %
GarboChess2-32          : 0     : 0 %

So GarboChess2-32 drops out, and the other three go through to the next round.

Here are the games themselves. The “Mate of the Match” award must go to andscacs vs GarboChess2-32 (last game), with the GarboChess2-32 vs Fruit-2-3-1-Linux match as runner-up (though that may also be considered suicide rather than mate.

Continue reading →

I’m not sure how many seasons there will be, but for now, will post the results as they happen, so we can see how things play out. This is Round 1 Heat 1.

Engine                          Win     Draw    Lose
Alaric707                       0 [0/0] 1 [1/0] 5 [2/3]
Ethereal 20191110               5 [3/2] 1 [0/1] 0 [0/0]
Cyrano                          1 [1/0] 1 [0/1] 4 [2/2]
Defenchess_2.2                  4 [2/2] 1 [1/0] 1 [0/1]

Games: 12; Draws: 2, DrawPercentage: 16.67%
Whitewins: 6; Blackwins: 4, Draws: 2

Cute Chess scoring:

Rank Name                          Elo     +/-   Games   Score   Draws
   1 Ethereal 20191110             417     nan       6   91.7%   16.7%
   2 Defenchess_2.2                191     nan       6   75.0%   16.7%
   3 Cyrano                       -191     nan       6   25.0%   16.7%
   4 Alaric707                    -417     nan       6    8.3%   16.7%

12 of 12 games finished.

Conventional scoring:

Ethereal 20191110 : 5.5
Defenchess_2.2    : 4.5
Cyrano            : 1.5
Alaric707         : 0.5

Points:

Ethereal 20191110 : 274 : 91.33 %
Defenchess_2.2    : 224 : 74.67 %
Cyrano            : 74  : 24.67 %
Alaric707         : 24  : 8 %

So Alaric707 drops out, and the other three go through to the next round.

Here are the games themselves. The “Mate of the Match” award must go to Ethereal 20191110 vs Alaric707, with the Alaric707 vs Defenchess_2.2 match as runner-up.

Continue reading →

I have been testing various engines against each other playing Douglas Modern chess and have now got to the point where I have identified some very strong engines, some strong, and the rest. To give the better ones a shot at being champion, I’ve started a series of round-robin heats, with four engines at a time. After the 12 games, the best three will advance to the next round. The format of the final(s) is still to be decided.

The groups I’m using are:

Alaric707
Cyrano
Defenchess_2.2
Ethereal 20191110

Fire_7.1_x64
Fruit-2-3-1-Linux
GarboChess2-32
andscacs

critter-16a-64bit
demolito
discocheck_5.2.1_x86-64
gnuchess-5.50-32

komodo-10-linux
laser
rofChade
stockfish

texel64
xiphos-0.6-linux-sse
arasanx
fizbo

I expect the final four to probably be Stockfish, Xiphos, and two of Laser, FIre, or  Ethereal.

Some ideas that human players can implement to extend Douglas Modern chess. These changes would require chess engines to be updated to play to these rules.

Castling

We could allow castling on the queen’s side, done in the same manner as for castling on the king’s side in regular chess. The diagrams illustrate before-and-after:

becomes

Pawn reverse

It’s curious that the pawn is the only piece restricted to only advancing.

Continue reading →

There is a well-established scoring system used for chess tournaments, which allocates 1 point for a win, zero for a loss, and ½ point each for a draw.

The problem with this system is that due to chess being a turn-based game, white, who moves first, has a slight advantage, usually pegged at around 52%:48% against black. The current scoring system does not take this advantage into account.

On balance, white should win, and black should lose, so if it ends as a draw, that is a victory of sorts for black.

There was an alternative scoring system that allocated 3 points for a black win, 2 points for a white win, and 1 point each for a draw, but the weighted distribution for those numbers is wrong.

So I propose an alternative system, which is easy to understand and implement, and which accounts for the odds in favour of white.

For a win, white would get 48 points. If black wins, he gets 52 points. In case of a draw, white gets 24 points, and black gets 26 points. Losers get no points.

I am actually pondering a more complex version of this paradigm, but it’s not finalised yet.

So let’s tale a look at some examples, firstly a small tournament I ran on my PC with the Douglas Modern start position. The final results were:

Continue reading →

Am running some tests with my Douglas Modern start position, and happened to catch this game where Stockfish outplays Komodo rather well. Komodo was tricked into losing the queen rather early.

My personality type has a worldview that “everything can be improved”. While testing the Douglas Modern layout, I noticed a lack of variation in opening moves, so in an attempt to offer the engines more variety, I tried two variants.

As a reminder, the current layout looks like this:

My first change was an attempt to provide the rooks with better protection. At the moment the knights can be pinned, and there are frequent rook swaps.

So I tried this: Continue reading →