Komodo 14 released.

[the_real_greco]

Oh my gosh. The CCC needs to use that Armageddon mode.

What other engines have it?

[pohl4711]

Oh my gosh. The CCC needs to use that Armageddon mode.

What other engines have it?

None, as far as I know. But with my new released NBSC Advanced Armageddon openings and scoring system, all engines can play Armageddon (without knowing, that they are doing so). And the statistical quality of the results is just overwhelming.

Learn more on my website:
https://www.sp-cc.de/nbsc-armageddon-openings.htm

Or download the complete NBSC-Armageddon package (opening-files (pgn and epd), books (for FritzGUI, Arena and polyglot) and Advanced-Armageddon rescoring tools) just right here:
https://www.sp-cc.de/files/nbsc_advanced_armageddon.zip

Idea of NBSC Armageddon by Larry Kaufman (Komodo-team).
Advanced scoring idea and all work (and testings) done by me (Stefan Pohl, SPCC).

[Modern Times]

Learn more on my website:
https://www.sp-cc.de/nbsc-armageddon-openings.htm

FYI, Malwarebytes real-time protection blocks your website with a trojan warning.

I normally use this product just as a scanning tool so haven't had this warning in the past, but the last update gave me a short trial period of the premium version including real-time protection.

[crem]

Oh my gosh. The CCC needs to use that Armageddon mode.

What other engines have it?

None, as far as I know.

Lc0 has it but noone has ever tested it.

[Chessqueen]

We have released Komodo 14 at komodochess.com. It is a significant strength improvement over 13.3, the last release, about 20 elo in MCTS mode and 10 elo in standard mode. Total gains from Komodo 13 (or 13.01) are about 50 elo in MCTS mode and 40 elo in standard mode. The improvements cover a wide range of issues, including extensions, null move, King Safety, time management, and many more. There is one new feature added since Komodo 13.3, "Armageddon" mode, which tells Komodo that White (or Black) must win, draws are scored as losses for that color. When draws are counted as losses for White, knowing this improves Komodo's performance as White by about 30 elo according to our tests. In Armageddon mode, the specified color (usually White) not only avoids clear draws, but adjusts Contempt by an amount we determined was most helpful for Armageddon play. Testing on one thread in Armageddon mode suggests that on a modern laptop, if White gets one minute total plus 1% increment, and Black gets half a minute plus 1% increment plus draw odds, then chances are fairly close to balanced. Other features added since Komodo 13 include more levels, Personalities, and Auto-Skill. Standard mode remains the strongest when Multi-PV is not in use, while MCTS mode is generally strongest when both are using Multi-PV.
As usual, Komodo 14 is free for subscribers and available for a 20% discount to those who bought Komodo 13 or any later version from us. Komodo 11 will become free, and Komodo 12 and 13 will go on sale.

Larry I was wondering if you can create a P O L L for us to have fun guessing the outcome of ths match starting Monday : I just came with a promotional idea for Komodo 14, for those that guess the correct result at the end of the match will receive a $40% Off if they do NOT have any version of Komodo, for those with a previous version 33% Off and for those that simply participate on this Poll and do NOT guess the correct result of the match will receive 10% Off.

Komodo vs. GM Lenderman, Almost Knight Odds
by Larry Kaufman for KomodoChess

The Komodo Chess engine and Grandmaster Alex Lenderman have agreed to play a 16 game Rapid Handicap match over four days on chess.com. Time limit will be the now standard FIDE rapid time limit of 15' + 10". In all of the games Komodo as White will play with one knight removed, but with some offsetting factors, since full knight odds has been proven to be too much even for a somewhat lower rated Grandmaster than Lenderman. Four of the games, inspired by Vladimir Kramnik's "no castle" chess, will be knight odds (alternating) with Black forfeiting the right to castle, as if White had sacrificed a knight just to make Black move his king. We call this "NBCNODDS" (no Black castling knight odds). Four of the games will be Fischerandom (chess960) with a White knight removed, but the start positions will be ones with the kings and rooks on their normal squares, so they will be legal games under normal chess rules with normal castling (I select the four positions without advance declaration from the 34 possible ones other than the normal two knight odds positions). We can call this FRCNODDS. The other eight games will be normal knight odds with one Black pawn removed, but not the critical f7 or g7 pawns. So two games will be with b7 removed, two with c7 removed, two with d7 removed, and two with e7 removed, one with each White knight removed. We can call these games NFORPODDS. In order to maximize variety and interest, each day will start and finish with NFORPODDS (same pawn), with one FRCNODDS game and one NBCNODDS game in between.
GM Lenderman, born 1989, is rated 2634 FIDE, 2642 FIDE Rapid, 2651 FIDE Blitz, and 2816 chess.com blitz. Komodo is rated 3423 CCRL Rapid on four cores, but will be playing on a 32 core Threadripper which should boost its Rapid rating to around 3600. It has not yet been decided which version or versions of Komodo will be used, we may switch or alternate daily to learn which is best.
The match is scheduled for May 18 thru May 22 with May 20 as a rest day. Starting time is 2 p.m. Eastern Time (11 a.m. Pacific Time) each day, with games starting roughly each hour, depending on length. Lenderman will be commenting the games live on chess.com, although I expect he'll do most of his talking while Komodo is thinking! Lenderman will receive extra prize money for wins and draws, with wins counting as three times draws. In case of a forfeit due to disconnection or server problem, the game will be restarted from the forfeited position.
Lenderman played and lost two previous Rapid matches with Komodo, but at smaller handicaps. In the last match, about two years ago, he lost 2 to 1 with two pawns handicap (f2 + g2, c7 + d7, d7 + e7) and also lost one game with queen for bishop + knight handicap, but since a knight is worth about four pawns in the opening his prospects are much better in this match.

Komodo Rules!

[lkaufman]

We have released Komodo 14 at komodochess.com. It is a significant strength improvement over 13.3, the last release, about 20 elo in MCTS mode and 10 elo in standard mode. Total gains from Komodo 13 (or 13.01) are about 50 elo in MCTS mode and 40 elo in standard mode. The improvements cover a wide range of issues, including extensions, null move, King Safety, time management, and many more. There is one new feature added since Komodo 13.3, "Armageddon" mode, which tells Komodo that White (or Black) must win, draws are scored as losses for that color. When draws are counted as losses for White, knowing this improves Komodo's performance as White by about 30 elo according to our tests. In Armageddon mode, the specified color (usually White) not only avoids clear draws, but adjusts Contempt by an amount we determined was most helpful for Armageddon play. Testing on one thread in Armageddon mode suggests that on a modern laptop, if White gets one minute total plus 1% increment, and Black gets half a minute plus 1% increment plus draw odds, then chances are fairly close to balanced. Other features added since Komodo 13 include more levels, Personalities, and Auto-Skill. Standard mode remains the strongest when Multi-PV is not in use, while MCTS mode is generally strongest when both are using Multi-PV.
As usual, Komodo 14 is free for subscribers and available for a 20% discount to those who bought Komodo 13 or any later version from us. Komodo 11 will become free, and Komodo 12 and 13 will go on sale.

Larry I was wondering if you can create a P O L L for us to have fun guessing the outcome of ths match starting Monday : I just came with a promotional idea for Komodo 14, for those that guess the correct result at the end of the match will receive a $40% Off if they do NOT have any version of Komodo, for those with a previous version 33% Off and for those that simply participate on this Poll and do NOT guess the correct result of the match will receive 10% Off.

Komodo vs. GM Lenderman, Almost Knight Odds
by Larry Kaufman for KomodoChess

The Komodo Chess engine and Grandmaster Alex Lenderman have agreed to play a 16 game Rapid Handicap match over four days on chess.com. Time limit will be the now standard FIDE rapid time limit of 15' + 10". In all of the games Komodo as White will play with one knight removed, but with some offsetting factors, since full knight odds has been proven to be too much even for a somewhat lower rated Grandmaster than Lenderman. Four of the games, inspired by Vladimir Kramnik's "no castle" chess, will be knight odds (alternating) with Black forfeiting the right to castle, as if White had sacrificed a knight just to make Black move his king. We call this "NBCNODDS" (no Black castling knight odds). Four of the games will be Fischerandom (chess960) with a White knight removed, but the start positions will be ones with the kings and rooks on their normal squares, so they will be legal games under normal chess rules with normal castling (I select the four positions without advance declaration from the 34 possible ones other than the normal two knight odds positions). We can call this FRCNODDS. The other eight games will be normal knight odds with one Black pawn removed, but not the critical f7 or g7 pawns. So two games will be with b7 removed, two with c7 removed, two with d7 removed, and two with e7 removed, one with each White knight removed. We can call these games NFORPODDS. In order to maximize variety and interest, each day will start and finish with NFORPODDS (same pawn), with one FRCNODDS game and one NBCNODDS game in between.
GM Lenderman, born 1989, is rated 2634 FIDE, 2642 FIDE Rapid, 2651 FIDE Blitz, and 2816 chess.com blitz. Komodo is rated 3423 CCRL Rapid on four cores, but will be playing on a 32 core Threadripper which should boost its Rapid rating to around 3600. It has not yet been decided which version or versions of Komodo will be used, we may switch or alternate daily to learn which is best.
The match is scheduled for May 18 thru May 22 with May 20 as a rest day. Starting time is 2 p.m. Eastern Time (11 a.m. Pacific Time) each day, with games starting roughly each hour, depending on length. Lenderman will be commenting the games live on chess.com, although I expect he'll do most of his talking while Komodo is thinking! Lenderman will receive extra prize money for wins and draws, with wins counting as three times draws. In case of a forfeit due to disconnection or server problem, the game will be restarted from the forfeited position.
Lenderman played and lost two previous Rapid matches with Komodo, but at smaller handicaps. In the last match, about two years ago, he lost 2 to 1 with two pawns handicap (f2 + g2, c7 + d7, d7 + e7) and also lost one game with queen for bishop + knight handicap, but since a knight is worth about four pawns in the opening his prospects are much better in this match.

Komodo Rules!

That's a reasonable idea. I don't think the poll tells us how individuals voted though, so each person who wants to be eligible for a prize would have to post their prediction as a reply.

[Nordlandia]

Hi Larry and thanks for the new update and Armageddon mode. If Armageddon Is enabled, is default contempt suffice against SF 11 or SF Dev ?

[lkaufman]

Hi Larry and thanks for the new update and Armageddon mode. If Armageddon Is enabled, is default contempt suffice against SF 11 or SF Dev ?

Default Contempt is optimized (for both normal and Armageddon play) for slightly weaker opponents, maybe 75 elo below Komodo 14. For an equal opponent, it should be zero, and for a stronger opponent (i.e. SF 11 or dev) it will do best with a slightly negative Contempt. We've noticed that even against an equal level Stockfish, roughly Stockfish 9, we do a bit better with a small negative Contempt, perhaps because Komodo is relatively better in the endgame and negative Contempt seeks trades. Against the best Stockfish, I would estimate than negative 20 might score the best in either normal or Armageddon play. Note that a negative setting becomes a positive one internally when Armageddon is on, as it adds a significant constant to the Contempt value set.

[Chessqueen]

We have released Komodo 14 at komodochess.com. It is a significant strength improvement over 13.3, the last release, about 20 elo in MCTS mode and 10 elo in standard mode. Total gains from Komodo 13 (or 13.01) are about 50 elo in MCTS mode and 40 elo in standard mode. The improvements cover a wide range of issues, including extensions, null move, King Safety, time management, and many more. There is one new feature added since Komodo 13.3, "Armageddon" mode, which tells Komodo that White (or Black) must win, draws are scored as losses for that color. When draws are counted as losses for White, knowing this improves Komodo's performance as White by about 30 elo according to our tests. In Armageddon mode, the specified color (usually White) not only avoids clear draws, but adjusts Contempt by an amount we determined was most helpful for Armageddon play. Testing on one thread in Armageddon mode suggests that on a modern laptop, if White gets one minute total plus 1% increment, and Black gets half a minute plus 1% increment plus draw odds, then chances are fairly close to balanced. Other features added since Komodo 13 include more levels, Personalities, and Auto-Skill. Standard mode remains the strongest when Multi-PV is not in use, while MCTS mode is generally strongest when both are using Multi-PV.
As usual, Komodo 14 is free for subscribers and available for a 20% discount to those who bought Komodo 13 or any later version from us. Komodo 11 will become free, and Komodo 12 and 13 will go on sale.

Larry I was wondering if you can create a P O L L for us to have fun guessing the outcome of ths match starting Monday : I just came with a promotional idea for Komodo 14, for those that guess the correct result at the end of the match will receive a $40% Off if they do NOT have any version of Komodo, for those with a previous version 33% Off and for those that simply participate on this Poll and do NOT guess the correct result of the match will receive 10% Off.

Komodo vs. GM Lenderman, Almost Knight Odds
by Larry Kaufman for KomodoChess

The Komodo Chess engine and Grandmaster Alex Lenderman have agreed to play a 16 game Rapid Handicap match over four days on chess.com. Time limit will be the now standard FIDE rapid time limit of 15' + 10". In all of the games Komodo as White will play with one knight removed, but with some offsetting factors, since full knight odds has been proven to be too much even for a somewhat lower rated Grandmaster than Lenderman. Four of the games, inspired by Vladimir Kramnik's "no castle" chess, will be knight odds (alternating) with Black forfeiting the right to castle, as if White had sacrificed a knight just to make Black move his king. We call this "NBCNODDS" (no Black castling knight odds). Four of the games will be Fischerandom (chess960) with a White knight removed, but the start positions will be ones with the kings and rooks on their normal squares, so they will be legal games under normal chess rules with normal castling (I select the four positions without advance declaration from the 34 possible ones other than the normal two knight odds positions). We can call this FRCNODDS. The other eight games will be normal knight odds with one Black pawn removed, but not the critical f7 or g7 pawns. So two games will be with b7 removed, two with c7 removed, two with d7 removed, and two with e7 removed, one with each White knight removed. We can call these games NFORPODDS. In order to maximize variety and interest, each day will start and finish with NFORPODDS (same pawn), with one FRCNODDS game and one NBCNODDS game in between.
GM Lenderman, born 1989, is rated 2634 FIDE, 2642 FIDE Rapid, 2651 FIDE Blitz, and 2816 chess.com blitz. Komodo is rated 3423 CCRL Rapid on four cores, but will be playing on a 32 core Threadripper which should boost its Rapid rating to around 3600. It has not yet been decided which version or versions of Komodo will be used, we may switch or alternate daily to learn which is best.
The match is scheduled for May 18 thru May 22 with May 20 as a rest day. Starting time is 2 p.m. Eastern Time (11 a.m. Pacific Time) each day, with games starting roughly each hour, depending on length. Lenderman will be commenting the games live on chess.com, although I expect he'll do most of his talking while Komodo is thinking! Lenderman will receive extra prize money for wins and draws, with wins counting as three times draws. In case of a forfeit due to disconnection or server problem, the game will be restarted from the forfeited position.
Lenderman played and lost two previous Rapid matches with Komodo, but at smaller handicaps. In the last match, about two years ago, he lost 2 to 1 with two pawns handicap (f2 + g2, c7 + d7, d7 + e7) and also lost one game with queen for bishop + knight handicap, but since a knight is worth about four pawns in the opening his prospects are much better in this match.

Komodo Rules!

That's a reasonable idea. I don't think the poll tells us how individuals voted though, so each person who wants to be eligible for a prize would have to post their prediction as a reply.

You can also create a Poll just to see how we the fans are predicting the outcome, My prediction is 8 out of 16 and since I already have Komodo 13.3, if I predict the outcome correct I can get version 14 for 40% Off.

[pohl4711]

Learn more on my website:
https://www.sp-cc.de/nbsc-armageddon-openings.htm

FYI, Malwarebytes real-time protection blocks your website with a trojan warning.

I normally use this product just as a scanning tool so haven't had this warning in the past, but the last update gave me a short trial period of the premium version including real-time protection.

Strange. I have no idea, why this happens. All I can say is, there is no trojan (of course) and my (commercial) antivirus software (GDATA) shows no problem.