Computer Chess Club Archives


Search

Terms

Messages

Subject: Re: CCT5 & NoonianChess

Author: Uri Blass

Date: 04:20:38 01/25/03

Go up one level in this thread


On January 25, 2003 at 06:56:58, Tony Werten wrote:

>On January 25, 2003 at 06:50:19, Uri Blass wrote:
>
>>On January 25, 2003 at 03:36:54, Tony Werten wrote:
>>
>>>On January 25, 2003 at 01:14:27, Charles Roberson wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>   The tournament was great fun. Tiring, but fun. I prefer the format at
>>>>   WCCC 2002, but it would be too much for all tournaments to be like that.
>>>>
>>>>   The competition was great. I have lots of analysis data. The talk on ch 64
>>>>   "compfortably numb" (pun intended). I enjoyed the IM commentary and Volker
>>>>   performed excellently as TD. I hope to see more like these several times a
>>>>   year. You can't get better competition without an expensive trip to Europe.
>>>>
>>>>   Version 3.4 was used. It is 2x faster than 3.3 and more knowledgable:
>>>>       better king safety, mobility, ...
>>>>   It averaged a ply deeper than the Maastricht version even at half the time
>>>>   control.
>>>>
>>>>   I'll comment on some of the games as the theme seems repeatable.
>>>>
>>>>   Game 1: Searcher - NoonianChess 1-0
>>>>       I tried our a virtually untested new book. Ran into a bug on move 6.
>>>>      This caused the drop of a bishop for 2 pawns. Amazingly, Noonian played
>>>>      quite well after this -- it used its center pawn advantage to control
>>>>      the center and the game. Then a mistake on move 34; KxB should have been
>>>>      the move (a free bishop and now Noonian would be up a full two pawns).
>>>>      But seems there is a bug that caused the mistake. Analysis from CM8000
>>>>      revealed that after 34 ... KxB, Noonian can force the win of the other
>>>>      bishop but alas Searcher could for a draw by perpetual check or 3frp.
>>>>
>>>>      So, I was happy with the game and use my old tournament book for the
>>>>      rest of the tournament.
>>>>
>>>>   Game 3: NoonianChess - PostModernist  0 - 1
>>>>      Noonian gained a draw from PM in WCCC 2002. It was a great experience
>>>>      competing against Andrew so, I was quite happy to do it again. Noonian
>>>>      stayed in book for 10 or so moves. Noonian makes questionable bishop
>>>>      moves on moves 17 and 18. (remember game 1 -- mistake in not taking a
>>>>      free bishop). Noonian does not make the same mistakes when given the
>>>>      positions but it does if the game is played to that point (a bug a bug
>>>>      -- or is it something to dig into). After this, PostModernist performs
>>>>      excellently in controlling the game.
>>>>
>>>>    Game 4: Matacz - NoonianChess 0 -1
>>>>      Noonian won a pawn and created a passer on the A file by move 21. The
>>>>      rest of the game centered on this one pawn. Noonian pushed the pawn and
>>>>      Matacz spent most of the rest of the game keeping the a pawn from
>>>>      promoting. There were times when I thought Noonian had stronger moves but
>>>>      I'm not sure (I haven't analyzed it deeply but the stronger moves
>>>>      involved a bishop -- hmm bishop problem sounds like a theme to me).
>>>>      Finally, Matacz is able to capture the pawn on a2. However, Noonian has
>>>>      too many threats on the king which causes the win of material and the
>>>>      eventual mate of Matacz. A long game. After the first two, I kept
>>>>      wondering when is the bug going to happen again and lose this one.
>>>>      The great part of live games!!!!
>>>>
>>>>    Game 5: NoonianChess - Aristarch 1 - 0
>>>>      The opening had me on the edge of my seat. Noonian was agressive from the
>>>>      start with an attack on Aristarch's king side. I had some of
>>>>      that "Australian speed skater luck": Aristarch lost its connection
>>>>      for more than 15 minutes and forfeited the game.
>>>>
>>>>     Game 6: Pepito - NoonianChess  1 - 0
>>>>      I was happy that Noonian held its own to move 35. Pepito sacs a rook for
>>>>      the bishop and things go down hill from there. A rook for a bishop --
>>>>      hmm is there an issue with bishops?
>>>>
>>>>     Game 7: NoonianChess - Amyan 0 - 1
>>>>      NoonianChess plays well from opening to midgame. I was happy to move
>>>>      25. Noonian has a nice position. I need to analyze this deeply to see
>>>>      what really happened. At move 35, Noonian has a passer and seems there is
>>>>      a lot of potential for a win. However, at move 41 Noonian gives up a rook
>>>>      for a pawn and knight. I suspect it liked 3pawns and a knight vs a rook
>>>>      and a pawn -- especially considering 2 of Noonians pawns are passers.
>>>>      Amyan forces the trade of all this and the ending is a forced draw.
>>>>      However, I didn't have egtb's and move 65 is a mistake. I loaded this
>>>>      position into Noonian latter and it doesn't make the mistake. Another
>>>>      bug to fix. Also, this the second game in live tournament competition
>>>>      lost due to lack of egtb's -- the first is Goliath Lite - NoonianChess
>>>>      Maastrict WCCC 2002.
>>>>
>>>>    Game 8: Czolgista  - NoonianChess 0 - 1
>>>>      I expected to win this one as the programs met in competition on ics this
>>>>      week. However, Czolgista froze up on move two and lost on time having
>>>>      made only one move. Wow, that Austrailian speed skater luck was with me.
>>>>
>>>>   Game 9: NoonianChess - XiniX  1 - 0
>>>>      This is my favorite game. I have not analyzed it yet but I can't wait.
>>>>      This game had classic horizon effect issues. Both sides had chances in
>>>>      the middle game. So, it was quite exciting. Forget the edge of my seat --
>>>>      I was pacing during this one. At move 30, Noonian considers itself up
>>>>      2.8 pawns. The kibitzing made this far more interesting than without it.
>>>>      For a series of moves Noonian and Xinix agree with the scores that
>>>>      Noonian is up 3 pawns. Then Xinix searchers a little deeper and claims
>>>>      the score is even. A move later (move 45), Noonian thinks it is down
>>>>      4/10 of a pawn. After several moves of 3 pawns up, now both programs
>>>>      call it even. (so where is this bug?). Oh no -- on move 46 both programs
>>>
>>>This game showed a new bug in XiniX :( At move 45 XiniX thinks it's winning (it
>>>was) but then somehow at 46 got a different position on the board. At move 49
>>>where I (manually) resigned, XiniX is actually trying to give a checkmate move,
>>>but winboard keeps saying "illegal move" :(
>>
>>Is not it the opposite?
>>
>>I do not see how 49.Rxf1 in the game is legal without 46.Ra1 so I guess that
>>Xinix said illegal move about Rxf1 of Noonian.
>>
>>What was the problem?
>
>I haven't looked again, but IIRC, a bishop at b7 had shown up (!) making Rf1 a
>doublecheck ( and a checkmate ? )
>
>Tony

In that case it seems that Xinix wanted to play Rf3xf1#(otherwise I cannot see
how it is a mate with the bishop at b7) and it means that
it 46...Rxh3+ was a move with the rook at e8.

Uri



This page took 0 seconds to execute

Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700

Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.