Match: Houdini 3 Pro 6CPU - Critter 1.6a 6CPU

Houdini 3 Pro x64 6CPU is battling Critter 1.6a x64 6CPU in a 10-game match. Each side's playing White and Black in 5 openings I've chosen. Watch the live computer chess match here (or play over the games when the match is finished.)

Results
      Engine                                         Pts           Houdini    Critter
   1 Houdini 3 Pro x64 6CPU           7.5/10       ---------- =1=1=11101
   2 Critter 1.6a 64-bit 6CPU            2.5/10      =0=0=00010 ----------

Download the PGN here: http://goo.gl/kWCnY

Match Controls

• 20' + 20" increment (20 minutes per game + 20 seconds per move)
• 6 CPU with 64-bit engines and SSE4 technology where possible
• Ponder = Off
• Hash = 2,048 MBs
• Learning = Disabled
• 3-, 4-, and 5-man endgame bases on an internal SSD, using 64 MBs cache when applicable
• Book = My book

Hardware & Software

• AMD Phenom II 1100T 6 CPUs @ 3.7 GHz
• 16 GBs of memory @ 2,000 MHz
• OS = Windows 7 Pro 64-bit, SP1
• GUI = ChessGUI

Critter 1.4a 64-bit SSE4 - Vitruvius 1.11C HEM x64 Match Results

1   Vitruvius 1.11C HEM x64 1CPU    +25/=54/-21  52.0/100
2   Critter 1.4a 64-bit SSE4 1CPU     +21/=54/-25  48.0/100

Download the games here: http://goo.gl/b7hLQ

Critter 1.4a SSE4 x64 - Fritz 13 Match Results

1 Critter 1.4a 64-bit SSE4 1CPU   +52/=44/-4   74.0/100
2 Fritz 13                                        +4/=44/-52   26.0/100

Download the games here: http://goo.gl/oUNy5

Critter 1.4a SSE4 x64 - Saros 3 x64 Match Results

1   Critter 1.4a 64-bit SSE4 1CPU   +31/=55/-14  58.5/100
2   DeepSaros ver.3.0 x64               +14/=55/-31  41.5/100

Download the games here: http://goo.gl/TeFrU

Critter 1.4a SSE4 x64 - Strelka 5.1 x64 Match Results

   1 Strelka 5.1 x64                                52.5/100   +16/=73/-11
   2 Critter 1.4a 64-bit SSE4 1CPU       47.5/100   +11/=73/-16

Download the games here: http://goo.gl/bPKHx

Critter 1.4a x64 SSE4 - Junior 13 x64 Match Results

1   Critter 1.4a 64-bit SSE4 1CPU    +56/=31/-13   71.5/100
2   Deep Junior 13 64-bit                   +13/=31/-56   28.5/100

The power went out after round 33 (game 66), so the rest of the games are misnumbered, but they are all there and in order.

Download the games here: http://goo.gl/rpfqY

Critter 1.4a SSE4 - Rybka 4.1 SSE42 Match Results

1   Critter 1.4a 64-bit SSE4 1CPU      +29/=47/-24 52.50%   52.5/100
2   Rybka 4.1 SSE42 x64 1CPU         +24/=47/-29 47.50%   47.5/100

It's interesting to see which engines understand which positions. Rounds 99 and 100 are especially interesting for me. It's a King's Indian, Classical: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. Ne1 Nd7 10. Be3 f5 11. f3 f4 12. Bf2 g5 *. In this match, it was Rybka who scored the full point as White and Black. Usually the win goes to White, but here, Rybka showed its understanding was superior.

Download the games here: http://goo.gl/LA15i

Critter 1.4a x64 SSE4 - Komodo64 4 SSE Match Results

1   Komodo64 SSE Version 4 1CPU    +28/=49/-23 52.50%   52.5/100
2   Critter 1.4a 64-bit SSE4 1CPU        +23/=49/-28 47.50%   47.5/100

This match went back and forth, and it was fun to watch.

Download the games here: http://goo.gl/ap4rq

Critter 1.4a SSE4 - Stockfish 2.2.2 JA Match Results

1   Critter 1.4 64-bit SSE4 1CPU        +25/=53/-22 51.50%   51.5/100
2   Stockfish 2.2.2 JA SSE42 1CPU   +22/=53/-25 48.50%   48.5/100

Stockfish won the last two rounds (99 & 100) as White and Black in the Kings Indian, Classical, to end with a -3 score. In game 99, around move 80, Stockfish had Black and was running only on increment time (compared to over 2:00 left for Critter, if I remember correctly), yet it was able to turn the game and pull out a win. It was fun to watch.

Download the games here: http://goo.gl/AB9Dl

Critter 1.4a SSE4 - Houdini 2.0c match results

1   Houdini 2.0c Pro x64 1CPU        +30/=47/-23 53.50%   53.5/100
2   Critter 1.4a 64-bit SSE4 1CPU   +23/=47/-30 46.50%   46.5/100

Download the games here: http://goo.gl/uds9p

Critter 1.4a x64 SSE4 - Houdini 2.0c x64 Match Results

ATTENTION: This match was ran at the old time control of 5' + 5''. This entire match was ran again with the new time control, and none of these games are included in the ratings report.

1   Houdini 2.0c Pro x64 1CPU        +34/=52/-14 60.00%   60.0/100
2   Critter 1.4a 64-bit SSE4 1CPU   +14/=52/-34 40.00%   40.0/100

I am a bit surprised by this result: Houdini wins by 20. Critter beat Komodo by 1, and Houdini only beat Komodo by 3, so I am surprised, a bit, by the margin in this match. I mean no offense to either engine; I just expected it to be closer. Nothing seems amiss in the PGN file. All the controls were the same. The PC was unplugged from the Internet, and all extra processes were stopped, just like all the other games. I watched many games, and nothing seemed wrong; CPU utilization was the same, no strange processes were running, the anti-virus scan never launched, etc. I don't think it is because I am using Critter 1.4a (which I have used throughout these games that I am including in the rating and is meant to fix issues with engine matches with ponder = on), because IPON uses the same version and it's quite strong in their ratings.

Download the games here: http://goo.gl/naozd

Critter 1.4a x64 SSE4 - Komodo64 4 SSE Results

ATTENTION: This match was ran at the old time control of 5' + 5''. This entire match was ran again with the new time control, and none of these games are included in the ratings report.

1   Critter 1.4a 64-bit SSE4 1CPU          +24/=53/-23 50.50%   50.5/100
2   Komodo64 SSE Version 4 1CPU      +23/=53/-24 49.50%   49.5/100

Critter was up by 3 early on, then it was down by 4, then it was up by 3, and finally the score was almost a dead-draw. Critter won by 1 game.

Download the games here: http://goo.gl/9JDgp