Hmm... posted at a bad time of day, I think. One bump. I hope it reaches and entertains people.
The REAL chess engine world championship
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lol
can you do one where it's a round robin? more interesting
Go accelerated Dragon!
I think it had to do with the processing power, and stockfish not having access to the opening book. I don't remember exactly. There have been a lot of articles about it. I'm sure you can find them in the article archive here.
Very clever! I suppose you could say I’ve become a @chuddog fan, but I’ve been one for a long time.
As has been discussed in these threads many times, the "world computer chess championships" are rigged, the Stockfish - AlphaZero match was under unfair conditions, blah blah blah. So, to resolve the debate once and for all, I organized the real world championship among the planet's best engines. The following participants were invited:
1. Komodo. The Komodo dragon is a large, fast, and powerful lizard from the Indonesian island of Komodo. A menacing apex predator.
2. Rybka. The name means "little fish", but the developers did not specify what fish. Thus, a goldfish was chosen for this prestigious tournament.
3. Stockfish. Again, the species of the fish was not specified by the developers. However, in my experience, catfish makes a good stock for soups and stews. Thus, a large, predatory catfish filled this slot.
4. Alpha Zero. A large male wolf - the alpha - whom I named Zero.
The tournament was originally intended to be a 5-player double round robin also including Houdini. However, Master Houdini did not show up to the venue, on account of being dead. Thus, he was disqualified from the championship. With only 4 participants, the system was changed to a knockout, like the FIDE World Cup.
Now, on the games and results.
Semifinal 1: Rybka vs. Stockfish.
A very unbalanced match. Stockfish swallowed Rybka in about 2 seconds. The classic strategy of occupying the center (of its opponent's mouth) did not serve Rybka well in this case.
Semifinal 2: Komodo vs. Alpha Zero.
This semifinal was a tougher fight. Alpha Zero attempted a flank attack against his opponent's Dragon, but without the help of his pack, it was quickly repudiated, and Komodo unleashed a vicious counterattack. Alpha Zero put up a valiant defense, but it was not enough, and in the end he found himself not only pinned but royally forked.
Final: Stock vs. Komodo.
An epic battle for the ages, sure to make its way into future textbooks and Planet Earth episodes. The match started with slow maneuvering, as Stockfish stayed in the water and waited for Komodo to overstep his bounds, playing in the classic style of the great Tigran Petrosian. Komodo attempted a water based attack, and Stockfish grabbed one of his legs with its mouth and attempted to drag him down and drown him. However, taking a tip from the Latvian magician himself, Mikhail Tal, Komodo sacrificed the leg and jumped back on land. Maneuvering continued while Komodo waited for his leg to regrow. When Stockfish was lulled into boredom, Komodo jumped back in the water and bit Stockfish. The latter managed to escape the grip of Komodo's jaws and whip Komodo with its tail, sending him back to land. However, the real gem of Komodo's strategy soon became clear, as Stockfish started becoming slower and more sluggish. It turns out Komodo had played a modified Poisoned Prawn variation (in this case, becoming Poisoned Catfish). The powerful venom injected in Komodo's bite soon immobilized Stockfish. Komodo proceeded to drag it out of the water and eat it.
Thus, Komodo has been crowned the REAL chess engine world champion.
Also, is anyone looking for a pet Komodo dragon? Makes an interesting companion. Loves dogs, cats, and children. (He finds them all equally delicious.) Free to a good home. Must pick up.