Where can I play No Castle Chess Online?

[lkaufman]

PS: On a second note where is the game or games that you were going to play Knight odds No Castle against your beast ?

OK, I played two games of NBCNODDS (No Black Castling Knight Odds) with Komodo on my 32 core Threadripper, latest version, Contempt 150, 15' + 10", one game with each White knight off. Both games drawn. Both games I gave back the knight for two pawns, in the first game voluntarily, with a winning endgame, but Komodo managed to reach the drawable rook + bp +rp vs rook endgame; the second game I was forced to make the trade, after which Komodo had enough pressure to force a repetition. So clearly more difficult for me than regular knight odds (which I won 4.5 to 1.5), maybe about fair for my strength. Probably a young GM would be favored at these odds.


[pgn]
[Event "Live Chess - NBCNODDS"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2020.04.20"]
[Round "2"]
[White "PlayKomodo"]
[Black "hissha"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKB1R w KQ - 0 1"]
[TimeControl "900+10"]
[WhiteElo "2960"]
[BlackElo "2267"]
[Termination "Game drawn by repetition"]

1. d4 {[%clk 0:15:07.5]} 1... d5 {[%clk 0:14:58]} 2. c4 {[%clk 0:15:17.4]} 2...
e6 {[%clk 0:14:59.2]} 3. cxd5 {[%clk 0:14:25.6]} 3... exd5 {[%clk 0:15:05.2]} 4.
g3 {[%clk 0:13:21.9]} 4... Nf6 {[%clk 0:15:08.5]} 5. Bg2 {[%clk 0:13:07]} 5...
c6 {[%clk 0:15:03]} 6. Nc3 {[%clk 0:12:30.4]} 6... Be7 {[%clk 0:14:13.4]} 7. Bf4
{[%clk 0:12:21.8]} 7... Nbd7 {[%clk 0:13:45]} 8. f3 {[%clk 0:11:39.8]} 8... Nf8
{[%clk 0:13:45.2]} 9. e4 {[%clk 0:11:21.6]} 9... dxe4 {[%clk 0:12:50.4]} 10.
fxe4 {[%clk 0:11:05.8]} 10... Bg4 {[%clk 0:12:31.4]} 11. Qd2 {[%clk 0:10:44.3]}
11... Ne6 {[%clk 0:12:05.6]} 12. Be3 {[%clk 0:10:20.9]} 12... Bh5 {[%clk
0:12:09.2]} 13. d5 {[%clk 0:10:07.1]} 13... Nc5 {[%clk 0:11:45.4]} 14. O-O
{[%clk 0:09:53.1]} 14... Bg6 {[%clk 0:11:34.1]} 15. Rad1 {[%clk 0:09:38.8]}
15... Ncxe4 {[%clk 0:11:13.9]} 16. Nxe4 {[%clk 0:09:05.6]} 16... Nxe4 {[%clk
0:10:18.8]} 17. Bxe4 {[%clk 0:09:15.5]} 17... Bxe4 {[%clk 0:10:25.4]} 18. d6
{[%clk 0:09:03.5]} 18... Qxd6 {[%clk 0:09:32.4]} 19. Qxd6 {[%clk 0:09:13.4]}
19... Bxd6 {[%clk 0:09:40.3]} 20. Rxd6 {[%clk 0:08:53.6]} 20... b6 {[%clk
0:07:08.3]} 21. Re1 {[%clk 0:08:33.4]} 21... f5 {[%clk 0:06:57]} 22. Red1 {[%clk
0:08:42.8]} 22... Bd5 {[%clk 0:06:39]} 23. Re1 {[%clk 0:08:52.7]} 23... Be4
{[%clk 0:05:37.1]} 24. Red1 {[%clk 0:08:39.2]} 24... Bd5 {[%clk 0:05:07.5]} 25.
Re1 {[%clk 0:08:49.1]} 25... Be4 {[%clk 0:05:14.9]} 1/2-1/2[/pgn]

You should play two more games with a different Contempt either 130, 15' + 10" or 180, 15' + 10" in order to determine if Komodo will play harder against a young GM using the same odds, NBCNODDS (No Black Castling Knight Odds) with Komodo and 32 core Threadripper system. After you play two more games with slightly different Contempt either slightly higher or lower whichever give you the toughest challenge only then you can apply that Contempt against let say IM Andras Toth.

A modest change in Contempt is unlikely to make a noticeable difference in play; it may change an occasional move, but to prove which value is best would require a hundred or more games. I have tried different values for Contempt with Komodo giving knight odds to its own level 23 in thousands of bullet games, and 150 seemed about the best value. More interesting is to try the same thing with Komodo MCTS, which is objectively a bit weaker but seems to be "trickier". Komodo MCTS has scored better in past handicap matches, and got the only win vs. Smerdon, but I can't say that this was due to using MCTS in that game.

You are correct, and I analyzed both of your NBCNODDS games using Komodo 13 and you made the correct decision to exchange one of your knight which was considered a given for an extra 2 pawns in move 15... Ncxe4 , that save you from Komodo 13 not beating you since the game was heading toward Komodo advantage. My curiosity is if you did NOT made that Knight and Bishop exchange for two pawns what would the outcome had been. Would you mind continuing the game just before you made the clever exchange, to see how Komodo would had handle the continuation. Since the majority of the IM's would not had made that clever exchange

PS: Anyway have you had any agreement either with IM Andras Toth or your Son to play a 6 games NBCNODDS match, based on the two last games that you played I would definitively pick Komodo 13 or Komodo MCTS to win by at least 1 game.

I thought that due to the threat of 16.d6 I didn't see a better option than the one I chose, and I suspect that other IMs or GMs would also have come to that conclusion. Regarding the next match, it looks like it will be with GM Alex Lenderman (FIDE 2634, 2642 rapid, 2651 blitz, born 1989). Although we're not quite ready to announce details, NBCNODDS will be part of the match. I think he will be favored in that segment, but perhaps not overwhelmingly. This will be his third match with Komodo, previous ones about 2 and 4 years ago.

I believe that Now that Komodo is much stronger than version 9.x Komodo can play Black without the Rook on h8 while Lenderman can play without his Knight from g1 and his h1-Rook placed on g1 to preclude Kingside castling.

We have already come out ahead giving Exchange and Move odds to 2600 level GMs at longer time limits than the 15' + 10" rapid we are now using, even without forfeiting kingside castling for either side. Last Lenderman match, at much longer TC, was three games at two pawns (f2 + g2, b7 + c7, c7 + d7) and one game at queen for bishop and knight. Komodo won queen for minors game and scored 2 out of 3 in the two pawns games. At 15' + 10", two pawns is not enough (unless f7 + g7 or maybe f7 + c7), but knight odds (equal to four pawns) is too much. Handicap needs to be in between.

In that case a Knight for a Pawn either b7, c7 ,, d7 0r e7 of GM Lenderman

Wow, either you have psychic powers, or perhaps my hint was a bit too much!