Can Houdini 3 be beaten?

Houdini was down three pawns in the opening just like game 1. This time I thought that the win was routine, but I ran short of time and botched the ending so the Pro accepted a draw 2 pawns down (When I offered a draw a screen came up saying the game was finished, which, I assume, meant it accepted the draw offer). Obviously someone who understands endgames

 would have won this ending.  Once again I had to force it to move to avoid losing on time.

The Pro played an obscure line in the Fritz and I lost game five quickly; I played natural moves and couldn't understand why it wasn't the main line, but, according to ECO I missed a simple tactical shot winning easily. In this game I had to take back a move for the Pro because it was going into the losing position three pawns down. This was a tough game. I saced the exchange to get a two Bishops and two pawns for Rook and Knight on an open board. I simplified into an ending where I had a Bishop and a pawn for the Rook with all of

 the pawns on the same side of the board. The Pro won a nice ending here. My score is much worse than I predicted.

Houdini 5 Moody 1

In a complex maneuvering game the Pro, out of nowhere,

played the brilliant 27...c4!! & my game collapsed. Houdini 6  Moody 1

Houdini plays an interesting concept in the Fried Liver. This game has considerable significance to theory in the opening.

The Pro may have established a new chess principle. In an open position three pawns are inadequate compensation for a piece, unless there are other factors in play e.g. they are far advanced. If the pawns are not far advanced then it may require four pawns to equal a piece. Here the Pro plays what has been regarded as an inferior line of the Fried Liver, but improves on theory and illustrates it is equal. I made one small mistake and was soundly punished.

In a simple win I captured with the wrong pawn and only drew.

In the next ten games Houdini can play anything but the Two Knights Defense; White got a protected passed pawn, but got run over by a pawn roller.

Houdini 3 Pro plays King pawn openings exclusively (so far I have played a dozen games with Black and it always chooses 1.e4 and I always respond 1...e5. Unfortunately for the Pro, it plays double King pawn openings terribly (although I did walk into a couple of opening traps). Here Houdini plays a variation known to be winning for Black:

"7.Nxf7 { This is ridiculous. }"

Well, we do agree on something...

Based on the games you've been showing us recently, I'm convinced that when you start to play a game, you just leave the strength on its default setting of 1000. And I think you're doing this on purpose - There's no way you can miss this setting.

http://chess-king.com/docs/help/classical_chess.htm

I'm outta here...This has gotten beyond ridiculous.

I have done nothing of the sort; this is the setting chosen by the manufacturer---if there is a problem, it is with the factory setting picking random moves from an opening book.

When the  computer plays well, it plays very well; when it screws up the opening it does poorly. In just the Lolli variation of the Two Knights Defense it will play

4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.d4 Nxd4 7.c3 f6 (a known  continuation)

4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.d4 exd4? 7.O-O (known to be +/-)

4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.d4 Be7 7.Nxf7 +/= (a known line)

4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O Be7  or 7.O-O h6

All these continuations are book for the computer.

The computer is set to the maximum strength, 3200.

Then Please, get a refund for CK and move on to another GUI. Just stop posting these nonsense games and pretending they mean anything. Nobody is taking you seriously any more.

Maybe you have a new computer virus - the chess engine virus. It doesn't want your personal or financial information, but it makes your chess engine play like crap!

As I have indicated only the opening book is suspect; the computer's play after it screws up the opening shows its 3200 level ability. Check out the  next post where I had a clear advantage out of the opening after the computer chose the inferior 8...h6, a book line.

I had a good game until I overlooked a three mover. The Houdini Pro achieved a universal position on move 13; I achieved a UP on move 24.

The Pro made a tactical oversight on move 10 of the Fried Liver and never recovered:

We are all so fortunate that a 1400-ish player gave us the universal recipe to beat computers. Shame Kasparov didn't know back in 1997.

GM Roman Dzindzichashvili knows I am not a 1700 player, gives my games serious analysis, agrees that my Houdini 3 is a strong program, and accepts the fact that I can outplay Houdini 3.

Yeah, sure.

The moon is made of cheese, too.