Conclusions:
The results of the matches in no way suggest a diminishing of performance(worse scaling) of Houdini at longer time control. Also they don’t point out that there is increasing performance(better scaling) of Komodo4 at longer time control.
The overall results in percentage are well in line with what you would expect them to be, when compared to results in their matches in CCRL, CEGT an IPON.
Also when going through the games played between them, you must conlude that Houdini is the best of the two.
Strong and weak points of Komodo and Houdini as been observed in their match Clash of the Titans.
Strong points Houdini:
Good in attacking the enemy kingside by opening it up with pawn sacrifice, so Houdini wins by kingside attack. See game 51 move f5! And game 47 move h5 !
Tactical sacrificing possibilities is sees faster. It sees them earlier than Komodo (or whatever other engine). Sacrificing pieces on the kingside opening up on the kingside by sacrificing a pawn etc. See game 38 with French opening C15, move 24. ..Bxa4! followed by 25. ..Bxb3!
Or game 59. The thematical Spanish sacrifice 29 Nf5!
Strong points Komodo:
In unbalanced material positions especially with pieces for the queen, Komodo evaluates better than Houdini. See game: 27 move 21..cxd4! where Houdini thinks he is better having the queen, while actually black should be better with his pieces in this relatively closed position. Also against Stockfish in game 60 as Vincent Lejeune also mentioned.
Good late middlegame/ early endgameplay - Examples are game 57 , Komodo nicely outplayed Houdini in a rook-knight endgame. And games 28 and 30 where won by very good endgame play with various pieces. Komodo sees the real advantage than much earlier.
Some other points:
Komodo: The fact of having the two bishops in many (semi-)closed positions is sometimes overrated by Komodo. It sometimes sees advantage of 0,7 0,8 where Houdini stucks on 0,2 0,3 and is able to prove right. See game 52
Houdini drawed two very nice games, it should have won. These games are already mentioned by me earlier. Game game 18. move 112. ..Kf8? and game 56 move 49. ..Rg1?
As I understood Robert Houdart well, these draws “could be fixed” by increasing the "FiftyMoveDistance factor”
http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopi ... 40&t=42802
Thx to Timo for organising this
grts Bram