Hiarcs blitzes them all

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