Republica Argentina Chess Master 2002
A
computer program, Hiarcs
8.0, is the star of this year's annual Republica Chess Master in Argentina.
This is not surprising, since already in 2001 it was Chess
Tiger won the same tournament by a margin of two points, achieved a GM norm
and was elected "winner of the month"
by Germany's largest computer magazine (Porsche was the loser).
The tournament is being held from July 19 to 27. You will find the reports
(in Spanish) and games at the official
web site. You can buy Hiarcs and Chess Tiger in the ChessBase
Shop.
Report after round nine
Three players in the lead
By Roberto Alvarez
HIARCS beats GM Rodriguez and catchs second place

IM Bernardo Roselli got a very important victory over IM Jefferson Pelikian
to retain first place with two rounds to go. The Uruguayan master is playing
with great confidence and has chances for an overall victory and a GM norm.
In today's game Roselli played black in a Pirc Defense, equalised in 30 moves.
White made a mistake on move 3, and his position soon collapsed.

Second place is now in hand of Hiarcs (acutally the program has no hands, its
pieces are moved by the computer operator). It scored a convicing win over GM
Andres Rodriguez in 38 moves of a French Defense, Chigorin Variation. White
got a good position, but Hiarcs didn't played passively, but with great energy,
gaining a positional advantage and winning the game.
Oscar Panno have a rest day, so, he is now in third place. The game Scarella-Slipak
was postponed, due to the sad notice of Slipak's mother's death.
All the games played so far in PGN
V Rep.Argentina 2002 - FIDE crosstable
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
1 Roselli,Bernardo 2426 +239 * ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 7.0/9
2 Panno,Oscar 2480 +138 ½ * ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 6.5/9
3 COMP Hiacs 8.0 2600 -30 0 ½ * 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 6.0/9
4 Rodriguez,Andres 2467 +15 0 0 * 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 5.0/9
5 Valerga,Diego 2487 -41 ½ 0 ½ 0 * 1 ½ 0 1 1 4.5/9 19.00
6 Slipak,Sergio 2493 -63 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 * 1 1 ½ ½ 4.5/9 19.00
7 Spangenberg,Hugo 2512 -121 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ * ½ ½ 1 ½ 4.0/9 16.25
8 Pelikian,Jefferson 2409 -34 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 ½ * ½ ½ 1 4.0/10 14.50
9 Granara,Sebastian 2261 +61 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ * ½ ½ 3.0/9 12.75
10 Scarella,Enrique 2358 -32 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ * 1 3.0/9 10.75
11 Paglilla,Carlos 2381 -106 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 * 2.5/9
V Rep.Argentina 2002 - Prize Distribution and Mercosur Cup Crosstable
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
1 Slipak,Sergio 2493 * 1 1 0 1 3 3 1 0 1 11.0/9
2 Roselli,Bernardo 2426 1 * 3 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 19.0/9
3 Paglilla,Carlos 2381 1 0 * 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 5.0/9
4 COMP Hiacs 8.0 2600 3 0 1 * 1 3 3 1 3 1 16.0/9
5 Panno,Oscar 2480 1 1 1 1 * 3 3 3 3 1 17.0/9
6 Pelikian,Jefferson 2409 0 0 3 0 0 * 1 1 3 1 1 10.0/10
7 Granara,Sebastian 2261 0 1 1 0 1 * 1 0 1 1 6.0/9
8 Scarella,Enrique 2358 1 0 3 0 1 1 * 0 1 0 7.0/9
9 Valerga,Diego 2487 3 1 1 0 0 3 3 * 0 1 12.0/9
10 Rodriguez,Andres 2467 1 3 0 0 1 1 1 3 * 3 13.0/9
11 Spangenberg,Hugo 2512 0 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 0 * 9.0/9
(win=3, draw=1, loss=0)

Saturday was a free day for all the participants... excepting Hiarcs 8. As
in the previous year one full day was devoted to a blitz exhibition, where the
people can play against the computer. This time, we had two machines because
of the enormous interest in competing against the "monster". The success
was so big that the main argentinian newspapers (La Nación and Clarín)
devoted substantial news coverage to the event. During more than five gruelling
hours the operators' hands moving frenetically, playing more than 70 blitz games!

And the children were asking for more! Participants from 5 to 75 years enjoyed
the Spanish comments of the program (thanks to Fritz and Fernando Moran Fernandez's
voice). In order to allow more participants Hiarcs 8 played all its moves in
one minute, the opponents had 6 minutes plus 3 seconds per move. The computer
won all the games, with not a single defeat or draw, despite facing some FIDE
rated players.
All the blitz games in PGN format
(10 KB, zipped)
Report after round ten
The fighting Roselli
By Roberto Alvarez

The tournament will have a very close finish – three competitors have
chances for first place. Bernardo Roselli won a decisive game beating IM Enrique
Scarella in 73 moves of a Ruy Lopez, "Berlin Wall" variation. White
avoided the critical lines with 4.d3, and played quietly, improving his pieces.
Nothing important happened, and an equal rook ending arosed. There Roselli played
well, while his opponent, with little time left in his clock, made some small
mistakes, which resulted in a worst position. With excellent technique the Uruguayan
master won the game, and now is the sole leader of the tournament.

GM Oscar Panno, with very nice positional chess, won quite easily (the word
"easily" is only applicable to a great player like Panno, who makes
things look easier than they are) after 33 moves of a Catalan Opening. His opponent,
the friendly IM Jefferson Pelikian, ended his participation with an unfortunate
four losses in a row.

Hiarcs 8 played a passive opening against GM Hugo Spangenberg, who with the
black pieces soon had a comfortable position. After move 22 it was clear that
Black had the better prospects, and Hiarcs was forced to organise a difficult
defense. Finally, with a pawn less, the computer activated its pieces and accepted
the draw on move 47, at Black's proposal. One of the commentaries among the
participants was the poor opening selection made by Hiarcs. When you use the
"optimal" setting of the opening book the program always plays 1.d4
and gets closed positions, which are not the best ones for computers. Indeed,
the program is strong, but for playing humans its opening repertorie needs certainly
to be revised.
V Rep.Argentina 2002 - FIDE crosstable
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
1 Roselli,Bernardo 2426 +239 * ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 7.0/9
2 Panno,Oscar 2480 +138 ½ * ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 6.5/9
3 COMP Hiacs 8.0 2600 -30 0 ½ * 1 ½ 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 6.0/9
4 Rodriguez,Andres 2467 +15 0 0 * 1 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 5.0/9
5 Valerga,Diego 2487 -41 ½ 0 ½ 0 * 1 ½ 0 1 1 4.5/9 19.00
6 Slipak,Sergio 2493 -63 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 * 1 1 ½ ½ 4.5/9 19.00
7 Spangenberg,Hugo 2512 -121 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ * ½ ½ 1 ½ 4.0/9 16.25
8 Pelikian,Jefferson 2409 -34 0 0 0 ½ 1 0 ½ * ½ ½ 1 4.0/10 14.50
9 Granara,Sebastian 2261 +61 ½ 0 ½ 0 0 ½ ½ * ½ ½ 3.0/9 12.75
10 Scarella,Enrique 2358 -32 0 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 ½ ½ * 1 3.0/9 10.75
11 Paglilla,Carlos 2381 -106 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 * 2.5/9
V Rep.Argentina 2002 - Prize Distribution and Mercosur Cup Crosstable
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
1 Slipak,Sergio 2493 * 1 1 0 1 3 3 1 0 1 11.0/9
2 Roselli,Bernardo 2426 1 * 3 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 19.0/9
3 Paglilla,Carlos 2381 1 0 * 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 5.0/9
4 COMP Hiacs 8.0 2600 3 0 1 * 1 3 3 1 3 1 16.0/9
5 Panno,Oscar 2480 1 1 1 1 * 3 3 3 3 1 17.0/9
6 Pelikian,Jefferson 2409 0 0 3 0 0 * 1 1 3 1 1 10.0/10
7 Granara,Sebastian 2261 0 1 1 0 1 * 1 0 1 1 6.0/9
8 Scarella,Enrique 2358 1 0 3 0 1 1 * 0 1 0 7.0/9
9 Valerga,Diego 2487 3 1 1 0 0 3 3 * 0 1 12.0/9
10 Rodriguez,Andres 2467 1 3 0 0 1 1 1 3 * 3 13.0/9
11 Spangenberg,Hugo 2512 0 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 0 * 9.0/9
(win=3, draw=1, loss=0)
All the games played so far in PGN