CHESS #1403

One of the advantages of online formats is that players can participate in multiple tournaments at the same time, assuming they have the energy, enthusiasm and financial incentives. Playing a hundred blitz games a day is no big deal for the super-fit and hyper-enthusiastic players at the top.
 
Hence, luminaries like Wesley So, Hikaru Nakamura, Magnus Carlsen, et al, are playing several events at the same time. The top Americans are involved in the Clutch Challenge, which has So, Fabiano, Caruana, Leinier Dominguez Perez and Nakamura in a knockout. Caruana and So are playing the final which is tied after six games. The offbeat element is that games are scored unevenly even though the time control is the same. Some “clutch” games have extra points (Bilbao 3 for a win) and bonus prizes thrown in.

 
In the Lindores Abbey, the semifinals have a face-off between Carlsen-Nakamura and Ding Liren-Daniil Dubov. Again, the format is unusual with a best of three mini-matches of four rapid games each and Armageddon used to force a decision if any set of four is evenly divided. This is significantly different from a straight 12-game match as any rubber bridge player will figure out instantly.  You could, in theory, win one four game set 4-0 and still lose the series if you lost just one game in each of the other sets. Although Carlsen won the first set 3-0 but Nakamura still has a chance. Dubov also won his first set more narrowly versus Ding.

 

The new release of the Komodo engine (Vers 14) incorporates a strong Monte Carlo version. Komodo is not a self-learning engine unlike Alpha Zero and Leela because its positional sense is programmed by its creators. But it is adopting the MC concept of playing out positions and looking for a probabilistic assessment rather than the deterministic approach of trying to find the “best move”. It also has a standard alpha-beta engine, which spits out deterministic pawn values. According to the press releases, the alpha-beta is stronger if it’s one variation that has been analysed but with multi-variations, the MCTS is better.

 
The Diagram, BLACK TO PLAY (White: Carlsen Vs Black: Nakamura, Lindores Semi final 2020) is an interesting endgame. Black played 29. - b6?. This traps the white bishop but there’s a problem. White’s pawn roller will be unstoppable.
 
White played 30. ab6 cb6 31. Bxa6!! B5 32. Kf2 Kc7 33. Kg2 Kb8 34. Kh3 Ka7 35. Kxh4 Kxa6 36. Kg5 Kb7 37. Kf6 Bd5 38. c3 Kc7 39. Kxf5 Kd7 40. Kf6 Bxf3 41. e6+ Ke8 42. Ke5 Bg4 43. f5 Bh3 44. f6 Bg4 45. Kd6 Bh3 46. e7 Kf7 47. Kxc6 (1-0).
 
Devangshu Datta is an internationally rated chess and correspondence chess player