After 5 rounds, Rybka and Hiarcs are leading the 16th World Computer Chess Championship with the score of 4.5. Junior is only 1/2 point behind. This tournament is being held from September 28 to October 5, 2008 in Beijing, China.
Here is the official website: http://www.grappa.univ-lille3.fr/icga/
Rybka – Shredder
World Computer Chess Championship, Beijing, China (2), 29.09.2008
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.Nge2 Nf6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 a6 6.h3 e6 7.g4 d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Bd2 Nc6 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bg2 Be7 12.0–0 a5 13.Ne2 h5 14.gxh5 Bf6 15.c4 Ne7 16.Nc3 Ra6 17.Qe2 Nf5 18.Rad1 Nd4 19.Qd3 Nf5 20.Qxd8+ Bxd8 21.h6 Nxh6 22.Na4 Be7 23.Be3 Nf5 24.Bb6 Kf8 25.Rfe1 f6 26.Bxc6 Rxh3 27.c5 Kf7 28.Be4 Rh4 29.Nc3 Rg4+ 30.Kf1 Rf4 31.Rd3 Rxb6 32.cxb6 Ba6 33.b7 Bd6 34.a4 Rxe4 35.Nxe4 Bxd3+ 36.Kg1 Bxe4 37.Rxe4 Ke7 38.Rc4 Kd7 39.Rc8 Nd4 40.b8Q Bxb8 41.Rxb8 Kd6 42.Kg2 g5 43.Rg8 Kc5 44.Rg6 f5 45.Rxg5 Kb4 46.Rg8 Kxa4 47.Rb8 Nc2 48.f4 Nb4 49.Kf3 Kb3 50.Rb5 Kxb2 51.Ke3 Kc1 52.Rxa5 Kd1 53.Rb5 Nd5+ 54.Kf3 Kd2 55.Rb8 Kd3 56.Rd8 Kd4 57.Re8 Ne3 58.Rxe6 Nc4 59.Kg3 Kd5 60.Re8 Kd6 61.Kh4 Kd7 62.Re1 Nd6 63.Kg5 Kc6 64.Re6 Kb7 65.Rxd6 Kc8 66.Kxf5 Kc7 1–0
ChessBase has an article about this event with full standing here.
Interesting to see 3 engines (including RYBKA, now leading by 0.5) apparently playing on ‘clusters’ rather than SMPs, or have I misunderstood?
SHREDDER was outgunned, 40 processors to 16: the arms race has moved on. SHREDDER seems to be struggling this year – a big surprise.
Computer engines tend to have longer games between themselves because there are less tactical trips. Can ‘obvious errors’ actually be spotted where the top contenders play each other?
Although there isn’t the same human interest, there is a different kind of human interest here.
Is this where quality play is to be found these days? No human seems prepared to step up to computers these days without having the computer handicapped in some way.
It is a tragedy how bad Shredder performs in such competitions recently. Shredder is better than that.
Unfified hardware would be fair. The WCCC cannot determine the strongest engine, because that requrires like 900 games not 9 games. But the title is important and money should not influence the decision. If money rules, you don’t need to play chess at all, you only need to compare bank statements.
ICGA has not tried ‘unified hardware’ for years – logistical considerations must have played a part, but also different codes are written for different computers.
I wonder if a limit can be put on the number of cores though.
With one round to go, RYBKA has won the event after beating HIARCS.
RYBKA has only conceded half a point – to Cluster TOGA. I guess its last game, against JUNIOR, is underway now.
What I find interesting is that this is the only major chess site that had any mention of this tournament. I couldn’t find coverage on ChessBase, ChessVibes, Chessdom… not even TWIC!
I wonder why it’s ignored in this way?