Komodo (3131) leads the Stage 2 of Season 6 of the world’s strongest computer chess championship TCEC with 10,0/13. In the thirteenth round the reigning TCEC champion won against Junior (2931), and thus became a sole leader. Stockfish (3133) climbed to second position after winning against Chiron (2965). This was an important loss for Chiron, who greatly reduced his chances to qualify for the next stage, as only the top eight engines will move on to Stage 3. Fire (2984) and Rybka (3076) are third and fourth respectively, sharing second place on a three-way tie with 9.5/13. Follow round 14 live at the official website http://tcec.chessdom.com

Here are the decisive games of the thirteenth round, all can be replayed in the archive mode:

Chiron 2 (2965) – Stockfish 060314 (3133) [B40]

TCEC Season 6 – Stage 2 http://tcec.chessdom.com (13), 05.04.2014

1.e4 c5 [Sicilian Defence]

2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 d6 4. c3 Nf6 5. Nbd2 Be7 6. d4 d5 7. e5 [Suddenly, the game transposes to French Defence.]

7… Nfd7 8. Bd3 b6 [intending to trade the light-squared bishops.]

9. Ne4?!

9… Ba6 [The last Grandmaster game continued 9…a5 10. Nd6+ Bxd6 11.exd6 Ba6 12. Bf4 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 Nc6 14.0–0 c4 15. e2 and white was better in the game Naroditsky,D (2486)-Arizmendi Martinez,J (2580) Benasque 2013, 1–0 (53)]

10. Nd6+ Bxd6 11. Bxa6 Nxa6 12. exd6 O-O 13. Qa4 Nab8 14. O-O Nf6 15. Bf4 Qd7!

[It seems like White is just loosing a pawn after 15… h5 but the engine finds an active way to defend it. 16.dxc5 bxc5 17. Bg5 Qxd6 (17…f6 18. Be3±

threatening Bxc5 and g2–g4.) 18. Qh4 threatening Be7, meanwhile attacking the knight on h5.]

16. Qd1 cxd4 17. Ne5 Qd8 18. cxd4 Ne4 19. Re1 Nxd6

[White must be enterprising, because black is already a pawn up.]

20. Rc1 Nf5 21. g4 Nd6 22. Qb3 Re8 23. h3 f6 24. Nd3 Nc4

Stockfish seizes the initiative and converts the material advantage.]

25. Qa4 a6 26. Bg3 b5 27. Qd1 Nc6 28. b3 Nxd4 29. bxc4 dxc4 30. Nb4 e5 31. Re3 Qe7 32. Nc2 Rad8 33. Qf1 Qc5 34. Qe1 Qc6 35. Qc3 Ne6 36. a4 Rd6 37. Nb4 Qb7 38. axb5 axb5 39. Rce1 Red8 40. h4 h6 41. f3 h5 42. g5 Nd4 43. Kf2 Nf5 44. Re4 Qf7 45. gxf6 Rd2+ 46. R4e2 Rxe2+ 47. Rxe2 gxf6 48. Rd2 Rxd2+ 49. Qxd2 Qa7+ 50. Kg2 Qg7 51. Qf2 Nxh4+ 52. Kh1 Nf5 53. Bh2 Qd7 54. f4 Qd1+ 55. Qg1+ Qxg1+ 56. Kxg1 e4 57. Nd5 Kf7 58. Kf1 Ke6 59. Nc7+ Kd6 60. Nxb5+ Kc5 61. Nc3 Kd4 62. Na2 c3 63. Ke1 [Black wins by adjudication: TCEC win rule.] 0-1

Komodo 1188 (3131) – Junior 13.3 (2931) [B03]
TCEC Season 6 – Stage 2 http://tcec.chessdom.com (13), 04.04.2014

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. exd6 cxd6 6. Nc3 g6 7. Bd3 Bg7 8. Nge2 O-O 9. O-O Nc6 10. Be3 e6 11. Rc1 Nb4 12. b3 d5 13. c5 Nd7 14. a3 Nxd3 15. Qxd3 Nf6 16. f3 Bd7 17. Qd2 Kh8 18. Bg5 Bc6 19. b4 a6 20. Ra1 Qd7 21. Bh6 Ne8 22. a4 Kg8 23. Bf4 Nc7 24. Rfe1 Rfc8 25. Nc1 Ne8 26. Qf2 Nc7 27. Nd3 Bf6 28. Ne5±

White is clearly better and Komodo proves his supremacy in the rest part of the game.

29. Rab1 h5 30. g4 h4 31. Qd2 g5 32. Be3 Bxe5 33. dxe5 d4 34. Bxd4 Nd5 35. Ne4 Nf4 36. Nd6 Bxf3 37. h3 Bd5 38. Be3 Rc7 39. Bxf4 gxf4 40. Qxf4 Qf8 41. a5 Qg7 42. Rb2 Bc6 43. Rf2 Rd7 44. Qe3 Rad8 45. Ref1 Rf8 46. Rf6 Ra8 47. Kh2 Rb8 48. R1f2 Bb5 49. g5 Bc6 50. Qf4 Ra8[White wins by adjudication: TCEC win rule.] 1–0

Houdini 4 (3135) – Protector 1.6b14 (2996) [B35]

TCEC Season 6 – Stage 2 http://tcec.chessdom.com (13), 05.04.2014

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 O-O 8. Bb3 Qc7 9. O-O d6 10. h3 a6 11. Qd2 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Be6 13. Rfe1 Nd7 14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. exd5 Nf6 17. Qe3 Rfe8 18. Rad1 b5 19. Rd4 Qa7 20. c3 Rac8 21. Qd2 h6 22. a4 Rc5 23. a5 Rc7 24. Rh4 Rh8 25. Rf4 Rb8 26. Ba2 Rcb7 27. Kh2 Rc7 28. Rf3 Qc5 29. Qf4 Kh7 30. Rfe3 Qa7 31. Bb3 Kg7 32. Rf3 Rc5 33. Qd2 Rc7 34. g4 Rbc8 35. Rfe3 Rh8 36. R3e2 Kg8 37. f4 Kf8 38. Kg2 Qc5 39. Rf1 Rc8 40. Rf3 Rb8 41. Rfe3 Rb7 42. g5 Nh5 43. Rf3 Rc7 44. Bc2 f5 45. gxf6 Nxf6 46. Re6 Rg8 47. b4 Qc4 48. Bb1 Rc8 49. Ba2 Qc7 50. Qf2 Qb7 51. Qh4 Kg7 52. Kh2 Kh7 53. Rg3 Rg7 54. Bb1 Qd7 55. Re2 Rc4 56. Bc2 Rc8 57. Reg2 Rcg8 58. Rg5 Qc8 59. R2g3 Qc4 60. Bd3 Qb3 61. f5 Rc8 62. fxg6+ Kg8 63. Rf5 Qxc3 64. Qxh6 Qb2+ 65. Rg2 Qd4 66. Qd2 Rc3 67. Rg3 Kf8 68. Rf2 Rxd3 69. Rxd3 Qe5+ 70. Qf4 Qxf4+ 71. Rxf4 Rxg6 72. Rg3 Rh6 73. Rc3 Ke8 74. Rc6 Nxd5 75. Rd4 Rh5 76. Rxa6 Kd7 77. h4 Re5 78. Ra8 Nf6 79. a6 Re2+ 80. Kg3 Ra2 81. Rd1 Ne4+ 82. Kf3 Nf6 83. a7 Ra6 84. Re1 Ra3+ 85. Re3 Ra2 86. h5 Nxh5 87. Rh8 Rxa7 88. Rxh5 Ra1 89. Rh7 Kc6 90. Rexe7 Rf1+ 91. Ke2 Rb1 92. Rc7+ [White wins by adjudication: TCEC win rule.] 1-0

N Engine Elo Pts

1 Komodo 1188 3131 10.0
2 Stockfish 060314 3133 9.5
3 Fire 3.1 2984 9.5
4 Rybka 4.1 3076 9.5
5 Houdini 4 3135 8.0
6 Critter 1.6a 3034 7.0
7 Shredder 12 2910 6.0
8 Gull A206 3031 6.0
9 Chiron 2 2965 6.0
10 Equinox 2.04 2956 5.5
11 Hannibal 1.4b 2892 5.5
12 Texel 1.04a16 2878 5.5
13 Naum 4.6 3013 5.0
14 Junior 13.3 2931 4.5
15 Spike 1.4 2884 3.5
16 Protector 1.6b14 2996 3.0

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