CENT - (C)omputer (EN)dgame (T)ournament

[Rebel]

CENT is a computer-computer tournament starting from (mostly strategic) end game positions only. The goal of CENT is to measure the end game playing strength in comparison with the CCRL and CEGT rating lists, if the order is going to fluctuate and with how much. For engine authors it may serve as an inspiration to improve in this area.

http://rebel13.nl/misc/cent.html

Start tournament at May 15, 2016.

If you are interested subscribe. Mail me, or PM me at Talkchess or use the contact form.

Subscription will close May 13, 2016 and engines need to be in my position in order to set-up things properly.

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I have created a nice cocktail of 25 dynamic | strategic positions for this first edition.

Surprise me with your engines.

[cdani]

Nice! I hope many people will be interested.

[velmarin]

Code: Select all

3 Houdini 4 o fire 4   Robert Houdart(author)

Hum, you can burn....

[cetormenter]

Will be interesting to see how this turns out. I expect the ratings to be just a compression of what you see on cegt/ccrl since there is less time for the top engines to outplay the weaker ones.

I do have one request though. If you could link to my official site instead of a site that I have no affiliation with that would be nice. I just don't know if they added anything extra to their download and would hate for people to pick up a virus and blame me. Thank you!

[Rebel]

Will be interesting to see how this turns out. I expect the ratings to be just a compression of what you see on cegt/ccrl since there is less time for the top engines to outplay the weaker ones.

Not sure if it makes sense to calculate ratings. There are positions engines will have to fight for a draw and then in the reverse game find the path to win. I suspect this will produce quesstionable ratings.

I do have one request though. If you could link to my official site instead of a site that I have no affiliation with that would be nice. I just don't know if they added anything extra to their download and would hate for people to pick up a virus and blame me. Thank you!

Changed!

[cdani]

Will be interesting to see how this turns out. I expect the ratings to be just a compression of what you see on cegt/ccrl since there is less time for the top engines to outplay the weaker ones.

Not sure if it makes sense to calculate ratings. There are positions engines will have to fight for a draw and then in the reverse game find the path to win. I suspect this will produce quesstionable ratings.

I suppose that ratings can be done if there where like 1000 different endgame positions or more, to make something more representative. But this is not the goal of your tournament.

[Nordlandia]

Please showcase few starting positions from the endgame testing

[Rebel]

Csn't reveal the 25 positions. Not that I believe people actually would make preparations but avoiding the pretence is the key. I can post a couple of positions that I considered but in the end didn't make it.

[d]8/2k4p/p1p1bp2/8/1P2PP2/4K3/7P/5B2 w - - bm Kd4 (AM Bax6); id Eliskases - Capablanca;
The point here is to avoid the pawn grabbing on a6 and play the natural 1.Kd4. But then the position is too simple for nowadays engines.

[d]2n5/5k1p/1n1p2pP/2pPp3/2P1P1B1/1K3P2/3B4/8 w - - bm Bxc8; id Petrosian - Bertok;
White sacrifices its mighty bishop pair paving the way for the white king to penetrate into the black position via the queen side. Even if engines don't find the Bxc8 move the white advantage probably is too dominating not to find another way to victory.

[Maarten Claessens]

[d]8/2k4p/p1p1bp2/8/1P2PP2/4K3/7P/5B2 w - - bm Kd4 (AM Bax6); id Eliskases - Capablanca;
The point here is to avoid the pawn grabbing on a6 and play the natural 1.Kd4. But then the position is too simple for nowadays engines.

Even if white grabs that pawn, it is possible to win the game:
[pgn]

[Event "Computer chess game"]
[Site "*"]
[Date "2016.04.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "WaDuuttie"]
[Black "Texel64 1.05"]
[Result "1-0"]
[TimeControl "1800+1"]
[FEN "8/2k4p/p1p1bp2/8/1P2PP2/4K3/7P/5B2 w - - 0 1"]
[Termination "adjudication"]
[PlyCount "26"]

1. Bxa6 {(f1a6 c7b6 a6e2 c6c5 b4c5 b6c5 e4e5 f6e5 f4e5 h7h6 e3f4 c5d4 h2h4
e6c8 e2h5 d4c5 h5g6 c8e6 g6f5 e6d5 f5d3 d5b3 f4f5 c5d4 d3e4 b3f7 e4f3 h6h5)
+2.24/26 48} Kb6 {(Kc7b6 Ba6d3 c6c5 b4xc5+ Kb6xc5 e4e5 f6f5 h2h4 h7h6 h4h5
Kc5d5 Bd3a6 Kd5c5 Ke3d3 Be6d7 Ba6c4 Bd7c6 e5e6 Bc6e8 e6e7) -2.19/28 68} 2.
Bd3 {(a6d3 c6c5 b4c5 b6c5 e4e5 f6e5 f4e5 h7h6 e3f4 c5c6 d3e2 c6d5 e2f3 d5d4
f3e4 e6f7 e4b7 f7e6 b7f3 e6c8 f3e4 c8e6 e4f5 e6b3 f5c8 b3c2 c8b7 d4c5 b7f3
c2g6 h2h4 g6e8 f4f5 e8d7 f5f6) +2.24/32 9} c5 {(c6c5 b4xc5+ Kb6xc5 e4e5
f6f5 h2h4 h7h6 h4h5 Kc5d5 Bd3a6 Kd5c5 Ke3d3 Be6d7 Ba6c4 Bd7c6 Bc4b3 Bc6e4+
Kd3e3 Kc5b4 Bb3e6 Kb4c5 Be6d7 Kc5d5 Bd7c8 Kd5c5) -2.19/30 56} 3. bxc5+
{(b4c5 b6c5 ..) +2.50/37 126} Kxc5 {(Kb6xc5 e4e5 f6f5 Bd3a6 Kc5b6 Ba6e2
Kb6c5 Ke3d3 Be6c4+ Kd3d2 Bc4e6 Kd2c3 Be6f7 Be2a6 Bf7e6 Ba6f1 Be6d7 Bf1c4
Bd7c6 Bc4e6 Bc6e4 Be6b3 h7h6) -2.19/30 0} 4. e5 {(e4e5 f6f5 d3b1 h7h6 b1c2
c5c4 c2d1 e6c8 d1e2 c4d5 e2d3 d5e6 d3c4 e6e7 e3d4 e7d7 d4c5 c8b7 c5b6 b7e4
c4e2 d7e7 e2a6 e4c2 b6c5 c2e4 c5d4 e4c6 d4e3 e7d7 a6e2 c6a4 e2d3 d7e6 d3c4
e6d7 e3d4 a4c6 c4d5 c6a4) +2.41/39 32} f5 {(f6f5 Bd3b1 h7h6 Ke3d3 Kc5c6
Kd3d4 Kc6d7 Bb1d3 Kd7e7 Bd3c4 Be6c8 h2h4 Bc8d7 Kd4c5 Bd7c8 Kc5b6 Bc8d7
Bc4e2 Bd7c8 Be2b5 Bc8e6 Bb5d3 Be6d7 Bd3e2) -2.56/33 31} 5. Bb1 {(d3b1 h7h6
b1c2 c5c4 c2d1 e6c8 d1e2 c4d5 e2d3 d5e6 d3c4 e6e7 e3d4 e7d7 d4c5 c8b7 e5e6
d7e7 c5d4 e7f6 e6e7 f6e7 d4e5 b7e4 c4d5 e4c2 d5e6 c2a4 e6f5 a4b3 f5g6 b3e6
h2h4 e6b3 f4f5 e7f8 f5f6 f8g8 h4h5 g8f8 e5f5 b3c2 f5f4 c2b3 f4e5) +2.56/43
16} h6 {(h7h6 Ke3d3 Be6c4+ Kd3c3 Bc4e6 Bb1c2 Be6d7 Bc2b3 Bd7c8 Kc3d3 Kc5b4
Bb3f7 Kb4c5 Kd3e3 Kc5c6 Ke3d4 Kc6d7 e5e6+ Kd7d6 Bf7g8 Bc8a6 e6e7 Ba6b5
Bg8h7 Kd6xe7 Kd4e5 h6h5 h2h4 Ke7f7 Bh7xf5 Kf7g7 Bf5c8 Bb5d3 Bc8e6 Bd3c2
Be6d5 Bc2b1 Bd5f3 Kg7g6 Bf3e2 Bb1c2 Be2b5 Kg6g7 Bb5e8 Bc2d1 f4f5) -2.74/33
45} 6. Bc2 {(b1c2 c5c4 c2d1 e6c8 d1e2 c4d5 e2d3 d5e6 d3c4 e6e7 e3d4 e7d7
d4c5 c8b7 e5e6 d7e7 c5d4 e7f6 e6e7 f6e7 d4e5 b7e4 c4d5 e4c2 d5e6 c2a4 e6f5
a4b3 f5e4 b3f7 f4f5 f7e8 f5f6 e7f8 e4d5 e8g6 h2h3 f8e8 e5e6 g6f7 e6d6 f7g6
d6e5 e8f8 d5c4 f8e8 c4e6 e8f8) +2.78/45 3} Kc4 {(Kc5c4 Bc2b1 Kc4c5 Ke3d3
Be6c4+ Kd3c3 Bc4e6 Bb1c2 Be6d7 Bc2b3 Bd7c8 Bb3c4 Bc8d7 e5e6 Bd7e8 Bc4d3
Be8g6 e6e7 Bg6f7 Bd3xf5 Kc5d6 Kc3d4 Kd6xe7 Kd4e5 Bf7c4 h2h4 Bc4e2 Bf5e6
Ke7f8 f4f5 Be2g4 f5f6 Bg4e2 Be6d5 Be2d3 Ke5d4 Bd3e2 Bd5a2 Be2f3 Kd4e5 Bf3c6
Ba2e6 Bc6f3 Be6f5) -2.75/35 61} 7. Bd1 {(c2d1 e6c8 ..) +2.78/50 102} Kc3
{(Kc4c3 Bd1e2 Be6d7 Be2d3 Bd7c8 Bd3b5 Bc8e6 Bb5a4 Be6c8 Ba4e8 Bc8e6 Be8b5
Kc3b4 Bb5a6 Kb4c3 Ba6e2) -2.71/35 58} 8. Be2 {(d1e2 e6c8 e2d3 c8e6 d3b1
c3b4 e3d4 b4b5 b1d3 b5c6 h2h3 e6d7 d3c2 d7e6 c2a4 c6b6 h3h4 b6c7 a4b5 e6b3
b5d3 b3e6 d3c4 e6c8 d4d5 c8b7 d5e6 b7e4 e6f6 c7c6 c4e6 c6c5 e6f5 e4c6 f6g6
c5d4) +4.76/36 26} Bd7 {(Be6d7 Be2d3 Bd7c8 h2h4 Bc8d7 Bd3b1 Kc3c4 e5e6
Bd7e8 Bb1xf5 Kc4d5 Bf5g4 h6h5 Bg4f5 Be8a4 Ke3d2 Ba4c6 Kd2c3 Bc6b5 Kc3d2
Kd5d6 Kd2e3 Kd6e7 Ke3d4 Ke7f6 Bf5d3 Bb5a4 f4f5 Ba4b3 Kd4c5 Bb3xe6 f5xe6
Kf6xe6 Bd3c4+ Ke6f5) -3.75/32 29} 9. Bd3 {(e2d3 ..) +10.42/39 416} Bc8
{(Bd7c8 h2h4 Bc8d7 Bd3b1 Bd7e6 h4h5 Kc3b2 Bb1xf5 Be6xf5 Ke3d4 Kb2a3 Kd4d5
Ka3b3 Kd5d6 Kb3c3 e5e6 Bf5d3 f4f5 Bd3b5 Kd6d5 Kc3b3 e6e7 Bb5e8 Kd5e6 Be8xh5
f5f6 Bh5g4+ Ke6f7 Bg4h5+ Kf7f8 Bh5g6 f6f7) -3.75/32 0} 10. Bb1 {(d3b1 c8e6
h2h4 c3b4 e3d4 b4b5 b1c2 b5c6 c2a4 c6b6 a4e8 e6b3 e8d7 b6c7 d7f5 c7c6 f5e4
c6d7 f4f5 b3d1 d4d5 d1b3 d5c5 h6h5 c5d4 b3d1 d4d5 d1b3 d5c5 d7c7 c5d4 b3d1
f5f6 c7d7 e4f5 d7e8 e5e6 e8f8 f5d3 d1g4 d4d5) +12.66/39 53} Be6 {(Bc8e6
h2h4 Kc3b2 Bb1xf5 Be6xf5 Ke3d4 Kb2c2 Kd4d5 Kc2d2 e5e6 Kd2e3 e6e7 Bf5d7
Kd5e5 Ke3f2 f4f5 Bd7e8 Ke5e6 Be8b5 f5f6 Bb5c4+ Ke6d7 Kf2g3 e7e8Q Bc4b5+
Kd7e7 Bb5xe8 Ke7xe8 Kg3xh4 f6f7 h6h5 f7f8Q Kh4g5 Qf8g7+ Kg5f5 Ke8f8 Kf5f4)
-6.58/27 111} 11. h4 {(h2h4 ..) +19.68/40 0} h5 {(h6h5 Bb1d3 Be6g8 Bd3xf5
Kc3c4 e5e6 Kc4c5 e6e7 Bg8f7 Bf5d7 Kc5d6 e7e8Q Bf7xe8 Bd7xe8 Kd6e7 Be8xh5
Ke7f6 Ke3e4 Kf6e6 Bh5f3 Ke6f6 f4f5 Kf6g7 Ke4e5 Kg7h6 h4h5 Kh6g7 f5f6+ Kg7h7
f6f7 Kh7g7 Bf3d5 Kg7f8 h5h6) -11.09/27 129} 12. Bd3 {(b1d3 c3b3 e3d4 e6d7
d3c4 b3c2 d4e3 d7e8 e5e6 c2d1 c4e2 d1c2 e2a6 c2c3 a6d3 e8c6 d3f5 c6e8 e6e7
c3b4 e3d4 b4b3 d4e5 b3b4 e5d6 b4b3 f5e6 b3b4 e6d7 e8f7 d7f5 b4a4 f5e6 f7e8)
+39.45/33 39} Kb2 {(Kc3b2 Ke3d4 Kb2c1 Bd3c4 Be6d7 e5e6 Bd7e8 Bc4d3 Kc1d2
Bd3xf5 Kd2e2 Kd4e5 Ke2f3 Bf5g6 Be8xg6 f4f5 Bg6h7 e6e7 Kf3g4 e7e8Q Bh7xf5
Qe8a4+ Kg4h3 Ke5xf5 Kh3g2 Qa4g4+ h5xg4 Kf5xg4 Kg2h1) -10.36/24 11} 13. Bb5
{(d3b5 e6f7 b5d7 b2c3 e5e6 f7g6 e6e7 c3c4 e7e8q g6e8 d7e8 c4d5 e8d7 d5c5
d7f5 c5d5 f5g6 d5d6 e3e4 d6e6 f4f5 e6f6 e4d4 f6e7 d4e5 e7d7 f5f6 d7c6 f6f7
c6b5 f7f8q b5c4 g6e4 c4c3 f8a3 c3d2 a3b2 d2e1 e4d3) +M22/33 35} Bf7 {(Be6f7
Ke3d4 Bf7e6 Bb5c4 Be6d7 e5e6 Bd7e8 Bc4a6 Be8a4 Ba6c8 Ba4b3 Bc8d7 Kb2a3 e6e7
Bb3f7 Kd4e5 Ka3b4 Ke5f6 Bf7d5 e7e8Q Kb4c5 Qe8e7+ Kc5c4 Qe7e3 Bd5e4 Bd7xf5
Be4xf5 Kf6xf5 Kc4b4 Qe3e8 Kb4c4 Kf5e4 Kc4c5 Ke4e5 Kc5c4 Qe8xh5 Kc4c5 Qh5h6
Kc5c4 Qh6e6+) -17.67/25 51 User Adjudication} 1-0
[/pgn]

[Nordlandia]

Cool!

How about Spassky v Fischer engame?

[d]5k2/pp4pp/4pp2/1P6/8/P2KP1P1/5P1b/2B5 b - - 0 30

There is 3 "main" continuations after 30. g3

#1 | h5

#2 | Ke7

#3 | a6

This endgame is very complex indeed.