Hello all,
It is time for a pre-new year's peek at Leo's pulse pounding Premier division. As is customary, I like to look before it is all over and fearlessly call it like I see it.
Let us begin with the end...of the table that is.
Numbers 15 to 18 read like a who is who in terms of strength, consistency, pedigree and class. Yace and Nejmet do not belong so close to the drop zone in my opinion. Yace simply has too much class for that and Nejmet is way underperforming. Nejmet does not receive a lot of buzz but in my limited looks at it, it displays a crushing type of tactical superiority.
No, I cannot say anything in terms of test suites because I am not a believer in them BUT Nejmet's abilities do not seem to reflected here.
Yace is currently undergoing beta testing and I expect that in another few months - Dieter is not known for frequent updating - there will be a stronger Yace. I do not understand it and Monte Carlo simulations do not help either...
Rebel 12, one of the most anticipated WB compatible engines in recent history - there was another by the name of Ruff... but the masses have been salivating for years at the prospect of a Windows release of Rebel - started poorly and is generally underperforming in my opinion. There are issues but I am not at liberty to discuss them suffice to say that I am willing to bet that Ed will make improvements.
Rebel is better than its current position outside the top ten.
Crafty at number ten warms the cockles of my heart. Publically available source, freely available executables and books and the thing can be run on freely available guis so its approach to chess can be studied in detail.
Crafty is not dead, long live Crafty!
Little Goliath (pissed off - oh I shall never forget that one!) is doing well.
Aristarch - classy and very strong. Dangerous. It will tear your heart out and smile...while eating it. I cannot believe that it is still free...What's that? Do not give the author any ideas? Hey, Ktulu is not going to go commercial because I say that it might...what's that?
Oh, Ktulu is going commercial? Ah well, thanks for the free releases of your engine. I have them all safely in storage. I will be able to say to a young chess engine enthusiast in a few years from now:
"..and this is the earliest known version of Ktulu!"
Gandalf 4.32h. Words truly fail here. This engine is what - at least two years old and still competing with the sharks. A fantastic piece of work.
Green Light Chess does not get the buzz that it deserves. Like its author, GLC just goes quietly about its business of racking up points and taking lives. Ah, the author is not a killer to my certain knowledge. I meant chess engine lives of course.
Ruffian, ah Ruffian, truly thine days of treading all engines beneath thy sandals into bloody paste are numbered. Still, it is a foolish engine that turns its back on this brutish device. Mack the knife is no more dangerous! Still the days of regular 1111 sweeps - awarded with a ! by Leo - appear to be over.
Smarthink is considered to be a shoo in for engine of the year honours. No less a personage than Dann Corbit sees fame in its horizon. This engine is very strong. Period.
The King. Enough said.
Deep Sjeng. I have seen this engine from its first baby steps - alright, I am being mushy but hey - to adulthood. All teeth and fangs, no mercy asked and none given. I heard the usual noise about it not being strong enough but I knew that Gian-Carlo would not rest until it proved its mettle. Deep Sjeng is here to stay.
THE PREDICTIONS
Drum roll please...
Deep Sjeng is my emotional favourite to take the honours again. The King is a more than worthy competitor however and if it took the crown I would not be unduly saddened.
Deep Sjeng has lost two matches to top ten opponents without winning a game. The King had two losses but one was to a cellar dweller. This is the only chink I see. The schedule of remaining games is kinder to Deep Sjeng. This is the avenue I expect Deep Sjeng to use in its drive towards victory.
The King has five top ten foes to face, Deep Sjeng only one. The odds are tipping in Deep Sjeng's favour. We will see if it reaps the reward for the hard work it did in earlier rounds.
Number one is Deep Sjeng.
Number two is the King.
Ruffian will probably upset the entire applecart but it has two top ten foes to deal with first. With Ruffian, all things are possible. Incredibly, it has not managed one 4-0 whipping of any engine so perhaps it is not as formidable as its previous incarnations. Then again, that Ruffian did not have this array against it either so direct comparisons are perhaps not useful.
Ruffian is the X factor. Placement is not possible. I am a coward but I am honest.
I expect Gandalf, Smarthink and Green Light Chess to figure prominently in the top six. I do not have an order of placement.
That is about it.
There will be another long rambling post soon where I hand out the prizes for all sorts of things. The prizes are non-refundable and may not be exchanged in any store so once it has been awarded, it is yours for life....or until you leave the WB Forum.
You have been warned.
No, I will not accept money not to post.
Until the Baron goes commercial...what's that? Dang, too late again!!
I am only joking, really I am. I am joking. Gee some people have no sense of humour....
Richard, please tell them I am just kidding.
(Much) Later.
Notice: The table below is the property of Leo Dijksman who shares his passion and joy with us all. Thanks man.
WBEC Ridderkerk edition 6, Premier division.
MP2400, 2003.11.25 - 2003.12.29
Score Deep The Smar Ruff Gree Gand Aris Litt WARP Craf Rebe WBNi Drag Zark Yace Grom Nejm Phar
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1: DeepSjeng 1.5 27.5 / 40 XXXX ==01 0=== =0== .... 11== 11=1 1==1 =1=1 011= .... 1111 .... .... .... .... =111 ....
2: The King 3.23 27.0 / 40 ==10 XXXX 00== .... 1=11 .... .... .... .... .... 1011 .... ===1 111= 1111 11== 0=== =11=
3: SmarThink 0.17a 26.5 / 40 1=== 11== XXXX =11= =100 .... .... .... .... .... =1=1 .... 111= 0==1 010= =1=1 .... 11=1
4: Ruffian 2.0.0 26.0 / 40 =1== .... =00= XXXX .... 1101 =111 ==11 0=10 11=1 .... ===1 .... 10== .... .... 111= ....
5: GreenLightChess 3.00 23.0 / 38 .... 0=00 =011 .... XXXX .... .... .... 0111 .... 11=1 110= 0=11 .... ==== 11.. ===1 1010
6: Gandalf 4.32h 21.5 / 40 00== .... .... 0010 .... XXXX 0111 0=10 01=1 1=11 .... 1=10 .... ==== .... 111= =00= ....
7: Aristarch 4.21 21.0 / 40 00=0 .... .... =000 .... 1000 XXXX 00=1 .... ==10 .... .... =100 =111 1111 101= 1111 ....
8: LittleGoliath 3.9po 20.5 / 40 0==0 .... .... ==00 .... 1=01 11=0 XXXX =010 0=== .... .... .... 0111 ==1= 01== 1==1 ....
9: WARP 0.58 19.5 / 40 =0=0 .... .... 1=01 1000 10=0 .... =101 XXXX .... .... .... 0111 01=0 0=11 0=01 .... =011
10: Crafty 19.06 18.5 / 40 100= .... .... 00=0 .... 0=00 ==01 1=== .... XXXX .... .... ==== 1=1= 0101 0=== .... 1=1=
11: Rebel 12 18.5 / 40 .... 0100 =0=0 .... 00=0 .... .... .... .... .... XXXX 0==1 ==1= =0=1 1100 ==01 10=1 1==1
12: WBNimzo 2000b 17.5 / 40 0000 .... .... ===0 001= 0=01 .... .... .... .... 1==0 XXXX 10=0 0=10 1=01 1111 .... 0=10
13: Dragon 4.5 16.0 / 36 .... ===0 000= .... 1=00 .... =011 .... 1000 ==== ==0= 01=1 XXXX .... .... .... .... 1101
14: Zarkov 4.5e 16.0 / 40 .... 000= 1==0 01== .... ==== =000 1000 10=1 0=0= =1=0 1=01 .... XXXX .... .... .... ....
15: Yace Paderborn 13.0 / 36 .... 0000 101= .... ==== .... 0000 ==0= 1=00 1010 0011 0=10 .... .... XXXX .... .... ....
16: Gromit 3.82 13.0 / 38 .... 00== =0=0 .... 00.. 000= 010= 10== 1=10 1=== ==10 0000 .... .... .... XXXX .... ....
17: Nejmet 3.07 12.5 / 36 =000 1=== .... 000= ===0 =11= 0000 0==0 .... .... 01=0 .... .... .... .... .... XXXX 1010
18: Pharaon 2.62 12.5 / 36 .... =00= 00=0 .... 0101 .... .... .... =100 0=0= 0==0 1=01 0010 .... .... .... 0101 XXXX
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