From 20th to 27th of September, Mexico will host a Computer match between the two strongest chess programs in the world. The match will take place during the Final of the World Chess Championship.
The program Rybka (World Computer Chess Champion 2007) will play against Zappa (World Computer Chess Champion 2005, and vice champion in 2007).
Both programs are well-known worldwide and head the rating-lists of all independent agencies of chess programs CCRL and CEGT. The match will consist of 10 games, with a time control 60 minutes per game plus 20 seconds per move.
The schedule of the games:
20th Sep – Game 1
21st Sep – Game 2
22nd Sep – Games 3 and 4
23rd Sep – Game 5
24th Sep – Game 6
25th Sep – Game 7
26th Sep – Games 8 and 9
27th Sep – Game 10
The event will take place in Hotel Centro Historico Sheraton in Mexico City. The match will be played on two identical 8-cores computers. The prize fund of the match is 10, 000 USD (the winner takes all). In case of a tied match the prize fund will be shared equally.
Source: Rybka website
Which program will win? What will be the final score? Your prediction?
Finally identical environment. Somebody certainly has a clear idea how to run a proper computer competition.
Don’t know why but I root for Rybka and I hopt it wins! 🙂
Rybka is favorite and can be expected to win 6-4, but with some luck, Zappa could win the match as well.
The strength difference on eight cpu cores will be smaller than on one or two cores, because Zappa is known to benefit very much from multiprocessing, more than Rybka.
It is possible that opening (-book) preparation will decide some games.
with some luck, Zappa could win the match as well
I like that idea – a computer winning by luck.
Luck is a tangible concept.
Look-up the work of Professor Richard Wiseman.
i think rybka will win rather easily.
i thought hydra was the best. if not where does it rank anyone? thanks
By ‘luck’ I meant a possible statistical variation. In other words, the result of a 10 games match will not exactly reflect the ‘true’ strength relations like a result of 100 games could do, with much better reliability. So, if you imagine for example 10 matches with 10 games each, the (slightly) weaker engine may win one or two matches.
But we do not yet know how much the new engine versions have been improved already, each. My prediction is based on the previous versions basically, where the difference on 4 CPUs (64 bit) is 67 Elo in the CCRL ratings.
Meanwhile, it was announced today that Zappa Mexico can be purchased (UCI engine for download):
http://www.shredderchess.com/chess-program/zappa-mexico.html
As for Hydra, since it isn’t available for tests like a software engine, it cannot be included in the typical rating lists. The only Hydra rating I know is based on a big game collection (I do not know any more details about Hydra’s games included there):
http://glareanverlag.wordpress.com
(scroll down for the list, #19)
Rybka will win it. The last version of Rybka, the 2.3.2a, is extremely strong. I read that its ELO is about 3300!
I have a Water cooled Quad core machine playing almost 24 hours a day at playchess.com.
A few people have Zappa Mexico, I myself run Rybka 2.3.2a.
On the results I have seen so far, I would predict it will be closer than a lot of people are expecting.
Of course both engines will be slightly tuned versions of the commercially available ones, and I suspect both teams are busy working up opening ideas to best fit their style of play.
My prediction is for Rybka to come through, but by a very very narrow margin.
My bet is that this match will produce a higher standard of chess than the World Championship, and that there will be some fun in deciding whether this has happened or not.
Rybka’s ELO advantage over Zappa appears to be:
67 on CCRL for 40/40 play
113 on CEGT for 40/120 play
I think the 40/40 is nearer to what they are actually playing.
ELO+ = 70 gives R 60%, i.e. 6-4
ELO+ = 80 gives R 61%, say 6-4
ELO+ = 90 gives R 63%, say 6.5-3.5
ELO+ = 100 … R 64%, still 6.5-3.5
ELO+ = 110, … R 65.3%, still 6.5-3.5
So that’s the pick: 6-4 for me but maybe 6.5-3.5, +2 or +3 for Rybka.
go zappa go its time for a new champion…. this match might just be a draw but it will be interesting to see zappa take the lead…