AUGUST 2025 BLITZ TOURNAMENT

[Joost Buijs]

If you don't like using the command-line there is a small utility called File Joiner, which is very neat, I often use it.

https://www.igorware.com/file-joiner

[Sidiki]

Hi everybody,

Thanks Joost, Frank and everybody for the file joining.

This's all the games of the tournament.

all_blitz_august_2025.pdn

(150.19 KiB) Downloaded 353 times

Friendly, Sidiki

[BertTuyt]

Thanks for posting the pdn file. I tried to do a bulk-analysis of all games. Unfortunately my program stopped at game 127.
Anyway, found some interesting games. Sometimes the end-result does not reflect what happened beneath the surface.
A good example is the game Dragon - Truus. here both programs made several mistakes, and Truus was not able to convert a winning position. See the graph.

analysis.png (11.33 KiB) Viewed 786 times

Bert

[BertTuyt]

As I shared before, with so many programs now in the top league, one sometimes need to have a little luck to win against the weaker opponents. Having said that, although this statement might be true, I guess that the top 3 programs really deserve the medals!
A good example, of a "little help from my friends", is the game Moby Dam - Truus. This game was heading towards a draw when suddenly Truus made a bad losing move 51. ... 44-49, whereas 44-50 would stills secure the draw. See below graph.

analysis.png (9.95 KiB) Viewed 782 times

Bert

[BertTuyt]

For an unknown reason Truus is always involved in the first 3 example. Here in the game GWD - Truus. The graph shows that GWD got a winning advantage but made an error, and the score suddenly dropped. As Truus also made a mistake later, the game ended after almost 100 moves in a win for GWD. Unknown to me, if the position between (around) move 50-60 was a draw? Maybe Ed could give a final answer. Below the graph.

analysis.png (10.73 KiB) Viewed 777 times

Bert

[BertTuyt]

It is not a surprise that the 4th example again involves Truus. Here the game Tornado - Truus. The outcome would have been a draw, if Truus did not make a final mistake on the 48th move by playing 20-24? whereas 10-15 would have resulted in a draw.
See graph.

analysis.png (9.66 KiB) Viewed 775 times

Bert

[FrankMesander]

A good draughts program is characterized by the absence of such blundering moves.

[BertTuyt]

Frank, absolutely.
Think that is one of the reasons (I guess) for (as an example) the strength of Kingsrow.
Tested in detail, and if I'm correct every new idea was tested with at least 10K games against the previous program.
Therefore I also don't understand the weird graph of the Dragon game.
Maybe Dragon underestimated the strength of the wing-lock.
Any other program might have converted the position between moves 55-60.
I don't remember another tournament where Dragon almost lost twice...
Really strange, and non-typical for Dragon.

Bert