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Category Archives: Chess Engines

Stars of the future shine in chess’s ancestral homeland – Washington Times

Posted: September 19, 2023 at 12:26 am

The recent FIDE World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan, just confirmed what many have long predicted: India, the country with the longest history with our noble game, may also be the country with the brightest future.

In a result that caused a sensation in the ancient homeland of chess, four young Indian grandmasters were among the eight quarterfinalists at the elite 206-player open knockout tournament, with rising 18-year-old superstar GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa losing in the hard-fought finals to former world champ Magnus Carlsen. Pragg with the result booked a berth in the upcoming FIDE Candidates tournament to pick the next challenger to reigning world champ Ding Liren of China.

India, after a few centuries adjusting to the modern, European version of the game, already has produced one world champion in the great Viswanathan Anand, who at 53 is still the ninth-ranked player in the world. And GM Humpy Koneru at 36 is the fourth-highest-rated female player on the planet. Thanks in part to the craze inspired by Anands success, India also boasts one of the worlds most active chess scenes and enjoys considerable commercial support for promising players.

The result: the deepest bench and richest chess farm system of perhaps any country in the world.

Even at his tender age, the Chennai-born Praggnanandhaa has been a player to watch for years an international master at 10, a grandmaster at 12 and already the 19th-highest-rated player on the late FIDE global list. He defeated another former world champ, Bulgarias Veselin Topalov, with a sparkling attack against the great attacker at the annual Gibraltar Masters tournament in 2020 just before COVID-19 shut down international play.

In a Classical French after 13. Bf2 Ba6 14. Bxa6 Nxa6, Black manages to rid himself of his problem bishop but gives Pragg the opportunity to immediately commence an attack on the kingside.

After 21. Qxf2 Qd7 22. Qh4 Qd8, Black is clearly trying to trade down to ease the pressure, but White has other ideas: 23. Nf6+! gxf6 (Kh8?? 24. Qxh7 mate is a hard no here) 24. Rad1! (simple and deadly; the rook lift 24. Re3? [also bad would be 24. exf6? Qd4+ 25. Qxd4 Nxd4 and Black wins] is tempting, but Black holds on 23fxe5 25. Rg3+ Kh8 26. Qh6 Qd4+ 27. Kf1 Qxa1+ 28. Kf2 Qd4+), and Topalov must give up his queen as 24Qc7 25. exf6 Kh8 26. Rd3 is now decisive.

Black gets a rook and knight for his queen, but Whites attack is by no means spent. Another piece falls after 28. Rf1 f4 29. g4! Rd3 30. gxh5 Rg3+ 31. Kf2 Nxh4 32. Qxh4 Rxc4 33. Re1, and Black decides to pack it in.

GM Dommaraju Gukesh, 17, another of Bakus Indian quarterfinalists, is, like Pragg, a Chennai native and insanely talented. His win over veteran Armenian GM Gabriel Sargissian from last years 44th Olympiad, held in Chennai, channels Pragg-Topalov in striking ways: a kingside assault and a timely minor piece sacrifice result in White getting a queen for a rook and minor piece and a winning edge.

Out of a QGD Ragozin, the kings castle on opposite wings and Gukesh has a half-open g-file for his major pieces to exploit. Black rightly seeks queenside counterplay but cant shake Whites single-minded focus on checkmate on the other wing: 19. Rg5 Ba6 20. Rdg1 g6 (always a scary move in these positions, but 20Bxe2?? 21. Rxg7+ Kh8 22. Qxh7 mate was not an option) 21. Bxa6 Rxa6 22. f5 Ba7?! (few humans would even consider it, but the engines like 22Rc6!?, with the idea of defending after 23. Kb1 Qe8 24. Qe4 Be7) 23. e6!? (stronger was 23. Kb1 right away, in lines like 23Rd8 24. e6 Rad6 25. fxg6 fxg6 26. Rxg6+ hxg6 27. Rxg6+ Kh8 28. Qe4!, and if 28Rxd2, White wins with 29. Qe5+ Kh7 30. Qh5 mate) Kh8? (missing a last chance to defend with 23fxe6 24. fxg6 h6! 25. g7 hxg5 26. gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 27. h4 Qd7, and Black is still fighting) 24. Kb1 gxf5 (see diagram), and White just needs one tempo to break through.

Gukesh finds it with 25. Bxb4! Qxb4 26. Qg2 (the lineup of the big guns on the g-file proves too powerful) Qe4+ (Qb8 27. Rg7 Rxe6 28. Rxh7+! Kxh7 29. Qg7 mate) 27. Qe4 fxe4 28. e7! Re8 29. Rg8+!, and White cant be stopped from getting a new queen.

Any hopes Blacks bishop and rook can set up a fortress disappear after 33. Qg5+ Rg6 34. Qxa5, and the White a-pawn will run free even if the position locks up. Things conclude more quickly after 40. Qxe4+ Kf8 41. Qb4+, as 41Kg7 (Ke8 42. Qb5+ also picks off the rook) 42. Qg4+ is curtains.

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Looks like Beth Harmon has really and truly played her last imaginary game on the ceiling.

Despite social media rumors (and some wishful thinking to the contrary), Netflix officials are saying there will not be a second season of the phenomenally popular The Queens Gambit series, and no reprise of actress Anya Taylor-Joy as chess prodigy Beth Harmon. With Garry Kasparov among the shows technical advisers, the series brought a new level of realism and sophistication to the actual chess played by the actors.

Netflix shot down similar rumors last fall and was at it again last week, telling Chess.com in a statement, There will not be a continuation of the series.

On a happier note, Beth can retire knowing her last game will forever be her upset win over world champion Vasily Borgov.

(Click on the image above for a larger view of the chessboard.)

Praggnanandhaa-Topalov, Gibraltar Masters, La Caleta, Gibraltar, January 2020

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Be7 7. Be3 b6 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O cxd4 11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. Bxd4 Nb8 13. Bf2 Ba6 14. Bxa6 Nxa6 15. f5 exf5 16. Nxd5 Nb4 17. c4 Rc8 18. a3 Nc6 19. Rfe1 Bc5 20. b4 Bxf2+ 21. Qxf2 Qd7 22. Qh4 Qd8 23. Nf6+ gxf6 24. Rad1 Nxe5 25. Rxd8 Rfxd8 26. Qxf6 Ng6 27. h4 h5 28. Rf1 f4 29. g4 Rd3 30. gxh5 Rg3+ 31. Kf2 Nxh4 32. Qxh4 Rxc4 33. Re1 Black resigns.

Gukesh-Sargissian, 44th Olympiad, Chennai, China, August 2022

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. e3 O-O 7. Bd2 dxc4 8. Bxc4 Bd6 9. Qc2 e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Be2 Nxf3+ 12. gxf3 a6 13. O-O-O b5 14. Rhg1 b4 15. Ne4 Nxe4 16. fxe4 Qe7 17. f4 a5 18. e5 Bc5 19. Rg5 Ba6 20. Rdg1 g6 21. Bxa6 Rxa6 22. f5 Ba7 23. e6 Kh8 24. Kb1 gxf5 25. Bxb4 Qxb4 26. Qg2 Qe4+ 27. Qxe4 fxe4 28. e7 Re8 29. Rg8+ Rxg8 30. Rxg8+ Kxg8 31. e8=Q+ Kg7 32. Qe5+ Rf6 33. Qg5+ Rg6 34. Qxa5 Rg1+ 35. Kc2 Rg2+ 36. Kb3 Bb6 37. Qe5+ Kf8 38. Qh8+ Ke7 39. Qxh7 Re2 40. Qxe4+ Kf8 41. Qb4+ Black resigns.

David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email at dsands@washingtontimes.com.

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The 15 Best Episodes of Cowboy Bebop – MovieWeb

Posted: at 12:26 am

Since its release in 1998, Cowboy Bebop has become one of the most influential and popular anime series of all time. Bringing together the Western and space opera genres, alongside dozens of others, the series has become one of the biggest hits in the medium, helping define and legitimize anime for a wider, international audience. The adventures of Spike Spiegel, Faye Valentine, Jet Black, Edward, and Ein are some of the most memorable in the medium, and with the English dubs 25th anniversary quickly approaching and Shinichiro's new anime on the horizon, now is the perfect time to examine this unmatched epic.

With 26 episodes (or sessions, using the show's terminology), picking the best of the best is a tall task. Cowboy Bebop bridged genres with style, bouncing from space western to neo-noir thriller to horror, cyberpunk, and comedy, sometimes all in the same episode. This subversion and melding of genres allowed for unique and varied storylines, as well as the introduction of dozens of fan-favorite characters. The following fifteen highlight the best the series has to offer, each with excellent world-building, powerful plots, and incredible characters. So prep your engines and get ready to blast off into this gritty, vast galaxy. See you, Space Cowboy.

On the hunt for a new bounty, the dragon-tattooed Decker, and the crew of the Bebop split up to track the target down. At a bar, Spike meets VT, a cargo hauler with a particular disdain toward bounty hunters, but after Faye loses Decker at a children's restaurant, VT agrees to help them catch the man. The problem, of course, is that Decker flees into an asteroid mine, sending the trio on a wild chase through narrow passages. On the way, VT's past and her hatred of bounty hunters become painfully clear.

"Heavy Metal Queen" makes this list not because of its memorable plot. In fact, other than the chase through the asteroid, there isn't anything particularly unique about this plot. It's a by-the-numbers bounty hunting narrative. However, Session 7 showcases what Cowboy Bebop does best. It introduces a new character, and in the course of about 20 minutes, it makes you fall in love with them. We know so very little about VT, but her inclusion makes the episode. Her personality, the mystery surrounding her past, all of it just makes this episode stand out in the best possible way.

Needing to find cash for a grocery run, the crew of the Bebop takes a new bounty for a man named Giraffe. Once they track him down to a hotel, though, they discover a much deeper conspiracy. Giraffe is killed by a sniper bullet, and in his final moments, he gives Spike a cryptic warning: don't be fooled by how he looks. They soon discover that Giraffe didn't work alone, and they begin the hunt for his partner, Zebra. What follows is a bizarre, high-science fiction exploration of the world of Cowboy Bebop, with an ageless child and the consequences of human experimentation.

"Sympathy for the Devil" delves into the world-building of Cowboy Bebop in a way only seen in a handful of episodes. The creators of the show left a lot of details ambiguous. Spike, Jet, and Faye are living parts of this vibrant galaxy, so they aren't stopping every episode to ask the bigger questions about how their world came to be. This episode gets to dive into a part of the series only hinted at before, namely the construction and destruction of one of the astral gates and the subsequent tragedy it caused. It adds a dark, weird science element to the plot, which helps shake the grounded reality of the majority of the series.

Just after her introduction in Session 3, "Honky Tonk Woman," Faye Valentine makes her explosive return, only this time she's on Spike and Jet's side. After capturing the known eco-terrorist and Space Warriors gang leader Twinkle Maria Murdoch, the crew of the Bebop is faced with a dilemma. The Space Warriors have threatened to release a powerful biological weapon against the planet Ganymede if Murdoch isn't released. However, despite complying with their demands, the terrorists fire the missiles anyway, provoking a race against the clock for Spike and Faye.

While Faye made her debut in the prior episode, this is the episode that cemented her as a member of the crew (albeit begrudgingly). Her character added a ton of personality to the ship, as well as plenty of drama and conflict with the other bounty hunters. More than that, though, this episode played some more with the science fiction setting, exploring things like powerful mutagens, space terrorists and the nature of the spacegates. It really helped set the precedent for the weird, wacky, yet still serious adventures on the horizon, as well as the endless possibilities of this universe.

Related: Why Netflix Shouldnt Give Up on Live-Action Anime

After collecting the bounty on three ship hijackers, the crew of the Bebop lands on Venus. Here, Spike meets and briefly mentors a young man named Rocco, who is carrying a mysterious, wrapped package. However, a group of gang members chases Rocco down, and Spike discovers that the package contains a stolen plant, one that is incredibly rare and valuable for its medicinal properties. With it, the rare disease known as Venus Sickness can be cured. Rocco stole it from the gang to sell it and fund a surgery to restore his sister's site. Spike decides to find and save the young man.

Rocco's story in "Waltz for Venus" is short, but it fully highlights the show's incredible plotting and characterization. His story is tragic, even if the character is goofy and exaggerated from his first moment on screen, and the viewer becomes immediately invested in his mission. Some of the best episodes of this series explore the impact of crime on this galaxy, and this is a great example of that. Also, the chance to explore another planet is fascinating, even if our time and experience with the place are extremely limited. Venus is a showcase of Cowboy Bebop's incredible design sensibilities.

After stumbling upon a murder in a back alley, Spike ends up with a target on his back. The killer, a bizarre man in a clown getup, is seemingly unkillable and unstoppable in his pursuit of the bounty hunter. After nearly dying at Mad Pierrot's hands, they discover the man is the result of cruel government experiments to create the ultimate assassin, experiments which drove the already unhinged man completely insane. Despite the danger involved, Spike is lured to an abandoned theme park for his final confrontation with the deranged assassin, even if it means his death.

"Pierrot Le Fou" is one of the best examples of how Cowboy Bebop plays with genre. While it still fits into the grander universe of the Space Western, this episode introduces elements of the horror and thriller, with Mad Pierrot taking the place of other unstoppable killers like Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers. With chaotic action and an incredible villain, this episode has become one of the most recognizable in the entire series. While Mad Pierrot never makes another appearance in the series, his role in the episode adds a unique flair of darkness and insanity to the show.

As the Bebop lands on the planet Ganymede, Jet seems out of sorts. Given that it was his last posting with the Inter Solar System Police, the planet holds a lot of memories for the older man. Jet takes the opportunity to visit his ex-girlfriend, Alissa, at her bar, and he discovers that she will be closing the bar and leaving with her new boyfriend, Rhint. After their meeting, Jet discovers that Rhint has a bounty on his head and tells Spike that he will handle it. After all, he was the type of cop to never stop until the case was closed.

Of the members of the Bebop, Jet Black receives the least amount of time on the screen. As the ship's pilot and the oldest member of the crew, he has a lot of memorable moments throughout the series, but overall, we don't often get to explore his character or his past. This means that any episode centered around this crucial character immediately grab a viewer's attention. While "Ganymede Elegy" doesn't do anything particularly unique or interesting with its plot, the emotional context that it gives to Jet helps cement it as one of the all-time best episodes in Cowboy Bebop.

With the Bebop suffering from some technical issues, Jet agrees to hear out an old friend about a possible target. Apparently, a group of convicts has taken over an ISSP prison ship, killing all the guards and flying it through the Ganymede Gate. After learning that the mutiny was led by Udai Taxim, the Red Ragon Syndicate assassin that took Jet's arm back when he was a cop, Jet turns the job down, but with his past hanging over his head, he agrees to help Fad out. However, Fad knows far more than he is letting on, and the secrets behind Jet's past will come crawling out of the shadows.

Following on the heels of the last entry, "Black Dog Serenade" is another great Jet focused episode, but it wins out over the last for its more compelling plot. The action sequences are incredible, especially the dog fight near its end, and the deeper exploration of Jet's time as a cop is incredible. One of the most interesting elements of crime stories are the good cops in a sea of corruption, and Jet represented that in this episode. This episode was another great opportunity for viewers to better understand this retired cop, as well as the world he used to live in.

A new cult has sprung up in the solar system known as SCRATCH. Their goal is to digitize the soul, copying the consciousness and transforming it into pure electrons. Their leader, Dr. Londes, has drawn the attention of ISSP, and with a massive bounty on his head, Faye has gone undercover in his organization. However, Londes has seen through the bounty hunter's act, trapping her on the planet. The rest of the Bebop crew must track her and Londes down, splitting up to tackle different leads. However, what Jet and Edward discover about the cult leader goes beyond anything they'd ever expected.

"Brain Scratch" is one of the few episodes of the series that fully delves into the cyberpunk genre, exploring the border between humanity and technology. It feels like a truly natural progression for this futuristic society, with the cult representing a unique twist on transhumanist philosophy. While it feels a little out of place in the grand scheme of the Cowboy Bebop universe, the philosophical debate at the core of this episode is fascinating, and the overall investigation into SCRATCH and Londes takes some truly unexpected turns.

The Red Dragon crime syndicate has a new leader. Vicious has taken over the gang after brutally killing its former leadership. After learning about the massacre, Spike becomes embroiled in the search for Vicious. Unbeknownst to his fellow crew members, Spike was a member of the Red Dragons and has a complicated history with their new leader. However, the stakes are raised when Faye is captured by the Red Dragons after attempting to collect the bounty on one of their former leaders. With a debt to pay, Spike and Vicious meet at an old cathedral for one of the most iconic fights in all of anime.

"Ballad of Fallen Angels" introduces the main throughline for the entire Cowboy Bebop series, and for that reason, it is an incredibly important episode. Vicious' appearance in the series is brutal, befitting his name in every way, and the enmity between him and Spike is one of the most interesting dynamics in the entire show. While many of the reasons behind this dynamic remain a mystery when the final credits roll, the impact of this episode can't be matched. The fight scene at the end is incredibly iconic, and the brief glimpses into Spike's past leave the viewer hooked.

After receiving a cryptic message from an old associate, Jet arrives on Mars only to find that his friend, Pao Pu-Zi has seemingly died. While standing at his tombstone, Jet meets Pao's daughter Meifa just before a pair of Blue Snake syndicate assassins try to kill them both. Meifa believes that her father is still alive after the hyperspace anomaly that caused his disappearance. Using the message Jet received as well as Meifa's knowledge of Feng Shui, the pair undertake a dangerous mission to track down the missing man.

Surprise, surprise, it's another Jet Black-focused episode. Really, though, the few glimpses into Jet's past that we get are such stark changes of pace for the series. Outside of the three episodes featured on this list, Jet is largely a mystery in the grand scheme of the series, which is a shame because he is such an intriguing character. This episode combines a lot of the best elements of this series. There is a criminal underworld throughline mixed with the weird science of previous episodes, all brought together by the emotional threads of Jet's past and his relationship with Meifa and Pao.

While Jet is off trying to afford food for the crew by collecting the bounty of a womanizing con man, Faye tells her origin story to Ein. Centuries before, Faye was cryogenically frozen after a traumatic accident in hopes that when she awoke, they would be able to heal her. Awakening in the 27th century, she discovers that she has a $300,000,000 Wulong debt to the hospital, but a lawyer named Whitney Haggis Matsumoto has agreed to help her. However, nothing is as it seems in the world of Cowboy Bebop, and Faye's story may just connect to Jet's present target.

Faye Valentine is a cornerstone of much of Cowboy Bebop's humor and drama. For the entire season, viewers had wondered at the source of her massive debt, and "My Funny Valentine" explains it all in heartbreaking detail. It's a surprisingly grounded and emotional story, relying on the drastic contrasts between past and present Faye to help us understand the depth of her trauma. While we spend a great deal more time with Faye's character than Jet's, these emotional glimpses into their motivations and histories are some of the greatest moments in the series.

Related: 10 Anime Story Flashbacks That Made the TV Show More Interesting

A crew has pulled off a massive heist by hacking into the tollbooths of an Astral Gate, stealing money from the passing vehicles. Despite capturing the bandits, the crew of the Bebop cannot collect the bounty without their leader. With only a series of chess pieces as clues, Edward begins a game of chess with a mysterious man named Chessmaster Hex, whom the crew discovers is actually the mastermind behind the plot. Using Ed's game, they track the 98-year-old genius to a spaceship graveyard in empty space, but what they find there will surprise them all.

Second only to Jet in terms of screentime, Edward is one of the most interesting characters on the Bebop. While "Bohemian Rhapsody" isn't solely her episode, a great deal of it focuses on her and her drive to defeating the Chessmaster Hex. The story is an intricately plotted mystery with plenty of thrilling twists and turns, with one of the most unexpected endings in the entire series. While we still leave the episode with more questions than answers about Ed, the chance to explore her character was a hilarious glimpse into the young, eccentric genius.

Bounty hunters Spike Spiegel and Jet Black are in pursuit of a bounty on the Tijuana asteroid colony. Their target is Asimov Solensan, a crime syndicate member on the run after the murders of several of his allies. Nicknamed the "Red-Eyed Coyote," Asimov is in the possession of a potent combat enhancement drug called Bloody-Eye. Along with his girlfriend, Katerina, Asimov has landed in Tijuana in hopes of pawning the drug and making some quick cash. With the syndicate and the police on Asimov's tail, Spike and Jet have their work cut out for them if they hope to bring the criminal in alive.

The episode that started it all, "Asteroid Blues" had to be on this list. It brilliantly introduced every aspect of the show, from its Space Western genre to the blend of serious and comedic storytelling. While the series only improved from here, this episode needs to be mentioned for inviting viewers into one of the most complex and interesting series in anime. The exciting plot and gangland storytelling are some of the best in the medium. Most anime have a "three-episode rule," but if you aren't hooked on Cowboy Bebop from this first episode, then the series just isn't for you.

Faye disappears from the Bebop, fleeing with the crew's accrued income. However, while Jet is intent on tracking her down, Spike is more concerned with news from his past. Julia, his former girlfriend, has seemingly reappeared on Callisto. Parting ways, Spike learns that Vicious has arrived on the planet in hopes of carrying out a deal for the Bloody-Eye drug, while Jet tracks down leads about Faye's whereabouts. Meanwhile, Faye has her hands full with a mysterious saxophonist that she meets in a bar, one with a vendetta of their own.

These final two entries are a bit of a cheat, given that they both contain two episodes each. However, given the episodic, bounty-of-the-week structure of the series, continued storylines between episodes are a rare occurrence. "Jupiter Jazz" is an incredible example of Cowboy Bebop's raw, emotional storytelling, delving deep into the intensity and seriousness of this world. While it doesn't quite reach the top spot, the episode manages to explore the brutality of this world while also digging more deeply into the enmity between Spike and Vicious.

A power struggle has erupted within the Red Dragon syndicate. After his failed coup, Vicious' former allies are all being killed by Red Dragon assassins. Given his connection to Vicious, Spike is hunted down by the Red Dragons, only to be saved by Shin, a former associate. After receiving a message from Julia, Spike renews his search for his past love. However, fate is cruel, and after Vicious escapes his execution and wrests control of the syndicate away from its leaders, Spike is forced to do battle with his former friend and ally in the climactic episodes of the series.

Of course, the final two episodes of Cowboy Bebop had to be on this list. The cornerstone of these episodes is Vicious and Spike's rivalry, their galaxy-spanning hatred for each other. Full of intense gun fights, deeply emotional storytelling, and an intimate look at Spike's past, "The Real Folk Blues" episodes are two of the best, not only in the series, but in anime as a whole. Everything in the series led up to this moment, and nearly every storyline reached a compelling conclusion. While there are some unexplored aspects of the narrative, Spike's story reaches its fitting end in truly explosive fashion.

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Charge of the knight brigade: Indian teens storm global chess – IndiaTimes

Posted: August 20, 2023 at 11:28 am

For over three decades, the title of India's No.1 chess player belonged to Viswanathan Anand, the country's first Grandmaster. But come September, that tag will pass to the 17-year-old D Gukesh. Although remarkable, Anand making way for his protege does not signify a change merely at the top of Indian chess. It marks a transformation that runs deep and is taking the chess world by storm. Consider this: There are four Indian juniors in the World Open top 50. Gukesh is at No.8 (live rating of 2758.4), No.23 is R Praggnanandhaa (2720.8), Arjun Erigaisi (2712) is at No.30 and Nihal Sarin at No.42 (2694.2). Along with Raunak Sadhwani, Leon Luke Mendonca and Aaditya Dhingra, there are seven Indians among the world's top 20 juniors. Clearly, these juniors are rearranging the board. It wasn't too long back when Indians would shine at the World Youth Chess Championship (Under-18 and lower age groups) only to turn in a lacklustre performance at the World Junior Chess Championship (U20). Despite most of the top U20 players giving the juniors a miss, Indians would fail to dominate even the second-string field. But cut to the post-pandemic world and India's chess juniors are now dominating the senior sections. The question marks regarding their progress have turned into an exclamation mark. So, what changed? At first glance, two things stand out: the Covid-19 pandemic, and Anand's foray into mentorship. Covid, Anands mentorship & tech all helped chess stars vie with worlds best Add to that chess engines and software that enable youngsters to train at the same level as the games stalwarts and you have a situation where the Gukeshes and Praggnanandhaas are challenging those at the top of the chess pile. Indeed, Gukesh opted not to play the juniors last year he was 16 because he had already reached the next level. A young and fearless India B team led by him stole a march over India A by winning the team Olympiad bronze at home last year. GM Vishnu Prasanna, Gukeshs coach, agrees that online chess during the pandemics peak ensured that the chess worlds elite rubbed shoulders with the secondand third-rung players. The online and shorter time control of the game has also brought speed and reflexes into play, which are to youngsters advantage.

This opportunity was extremely rare. It was almost non-existent earlier, Vishnu said. The high frequency of online events and the exposure of playing against stalwarts of the game made youngsters a lot more confident and ready for the next leap. In fact, none of the top Indian youngsters were in the top 100 before the pandemic. According to Prasanna, the timing of Westbridge Anand Chess Academy (WACA), too, was perfect as the Indian teens got top-notch GM coaching, funding and mentoring that enabled them to capitalise on the transformations that were being wrought.

Anands involvement identifying players for high-level training and not giving them cash has made a big difference. The efforts are paying off already and Gukesh is set to overtake Anand on September 1 in the ratings list. Anand is a multiple-time world champion and set the bar really high for those who followed him in India. Though that might have seemed unfair at times in the past the new generation is blazing its own trail.

If Anand was the first and only Indian so far to qualify for the Candidates cycle back in 1991 that is meant to find challengers to the reigning world champion, there is a freshly-minted contender in Praggnanandhaa in the same league after more than three decades. And, indeed, there may be more. Thats because Gukesh, on rating strength and other qualifying paths before January 2024, can sneak in as well into the Candidates race.

03:02

17-year-old Grandmaster D Gukesh sprints his way into the world's top-10 Chess players

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Charge of the knight brigade: Indian teens storm global chess - IndiaTimes

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Knowing when to insist – ChessBase

Posted: at 11:28 am

The key point to realize is that there is no magic bullet to solve this, and if your miss was due to an outside distraction such as a dog was barking (solution: earplugs), this article won't help you one bit. Still, let's assume none of those things, and that the shot you missed was absolutely within your ability to see, find and play.

In tactics there are usually three kinds of misses:

All three of these can and will happen to even the best players in the world, but the third is the one that can leave the most bitter taste in one's mouth. If you simply failed to even guess there was a shot to be had, you will shake your head, mumble and grumble a bit, and shrug it off. 40 years ago it might have felt rarer, but with today's super engines, we know it is a regular occurrence especially in complex positions.

The second is a bit more frustrating as you felt you had it, but somehow some aspect of it eluded your ability to solve it to the end. Some baffling key move, or an unusually complicated continuation. Again, engines are merciless in revealing these to us, but they also enrich our play and imagination with these fascinating sequences. I have heard the words "I saw it, but couldn't make it work" from the elite more than once.

The third is a bit more complicated because it is a bit of a mix of 1) and 2). We are all victim to them, but here is a position in which it almost happened, except a key question saved the day. That key question might save yours too.

As soon as my opponent played this knight move, the intention was clear: force my knight of e5 and prevent further use of that square. However, an equally obvious question revealsitself now: what about 13. Nxf7?

At first view, it seems pretty pointless: sure if 13. Nxf7 Kxf7?? 14. Ng5+ will win the rook, but if Black refuses to be so cooperative and instead plays 13... Rxe1+ 14. Qxe1 Kxf7, what then?

Sure, we have a check with 15. Ng5+ Kg8, but there endeth the party. 16. Qe6+ is prevented by the knight on f8, and 16. Qe8 accomplishes nothing after 16... Nf6attacking the queen and protecting f7.

This sort of situation is something we all face, and quite a lot: a glance at the many ideas, some running into a brick wall and we are forced to drop them and move on. Except.... this is not one of them.

The key is in that mental note, "16. Qe6+ is prevented by the knight on f8". There is a knight protecting the square, sure, but without itthe note would be "Qe6 wins with mate". In tactics, one of the classic motifs is the diversion or decoy in whicha piece prevents our winning blow. Tothat end, and we train ourselves to ask the question"how can I remove thepiece or move that is preventing mywin?"

This is easy enough when faced with puzzles we know have a winning solution, but it is easy to forget this sort of question in the throes of an actual game. However, if we ask this question here, suddenly new possibilities beg to be looked at.

There is no way to attack the knight on f8, so that leaves only one possible move: 16. Bxh7+?! No, no exclamation points until we know if it is any good. It might just lose another piece for no good reason after all, so for now we are just looking. Hmmm.... Ok, so on the plus side, if 16. Bxh7+ Nxh7 then 17. Qe6+ is not only possible, it mates!

So that is one promising revelation, but what about 16. Bxh7+ Kh8? Will this refute it alland leave usshaking our heads in disappointment? These things happen all the time, and when theydo, be ready to move on. But not this time! Our queen on e1 (this is still all in our mind's eye) now has the new possibility of 17. Qh4! And yes, this is really looking strong.

In reality, I was in an online blitz game and stopped my calculations here, happy with the position and after seeing Qh4 and the powerful discovered checks it promised, I made a snap decision to play it as a result. If all went bad, I would most likely still have a repetition in there.

Were this a slower game I would have spent time working out the full line before suffering a chess form of buyer's remorse ("Why didn't I spend a bit more time calculating it properly?").

Truthfully, I almost gave up on the line after 13. Ng5+ as above, but the position nagged at me, and it was when I asked myself the question "is there any way to deal with that Nf8?" that everything clicked into place. Hopefully, you too will find yourself able to ask that question and reach a solution that had seemed to be absentat first.

Middlegame Secrets Vol.1 + Vol.2

Let us learn together how to find the best spot for the queen in the early middlegame, how to navigate this piece around the board, how to time the queen attack, how to decide whether to exchange it or not, and much more!

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Knowing when to insist - ChessBase

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World Cup: Pragg and Salimova win tiebreakers – ChessBase

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A heartbroken Vidit Gujrathi shared the following message on Twitter after being knocked out of the FIDE World Cup by Nijat Abasov:

Was probably one win away from Candidates. Proud of playing some good games and reaching QF of World Cup, again, but disappointed to come so close and get knocked out.

The 28-year-old was well aware of the huge opportunity he had just let slip away. Out of the four Indian players who made it to the quarterfinals, up to three could have qualified to the Candidates Tournament, but in the end it was the second-youngest of the group who reached the all-important double round-robin: Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu.

Pragg was paired up against his good friend Arjun Erigaisi, and remarkably managed to tie the score on demand after losing the first classical game in the quarterfinals. Despite facing each other in such an important stage, Pragg and Arjun continued to take walks together at night. Commentator Irene Sukandar shared a photo of the two on Twitter.

Thursdays rapid and blitz tiebreaks were nothing short of exhilarating. Two draws were agreed in the 25-minute encounters, and then Pragg took the lead by turning the tables (with black) froma clearly inferior position.

White has all the trumps in this position, with an extra pawn, a passer on the a-file three squares away from promotion,andthe more active major pieces. Both 45.Qc6 or 45.Qb7, protecting the a-pawn, would have kept Whites advantage, while Arjuns 45.Qc4, allowing a queen swap, prompted the engines to evaluate the position as balanced.

Unfortunately for Arjun, another mistake eight moves later allowed his opponent to take the drivers seat. Pragg, unlike his friend, made the most of his chances and won the game.

Two fierce competitors | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

Arjun had no trouble bouncing back in the next 10-minute game. Two more wins with black followed, which meant the Indian prodigies would decide the match in the sudden-death games a single win is needed from that point on to reach the next stage.

Amazingly, once the clocks were started (in a 3-minute game), Pragg was not sitting at the board. His mom looked worried as he speed-walked to what would turn out to be the final encounter of a tension-filled match. Pragg won with white to obtain the biggest achievement of his life, one that could potentially lead to him playing a match for the World Championship.

Official photographer Maria Emelianova captured a couple of heart-warming moments and shared them on Twitter:

Calculation Training for 1400-1600 players

Mastering these tactical motifs is essential to deepen your understanding of the game and become a better player. After all, you neither want to overlook the given chances by your opponent, nor blunder yourself!

So Pragg is set to face Fabiano Caruana in the semifinals, which start on Saturday after a very deserved rest day!

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and his mom | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

Replay games from all round at Live.ChessBase.com

One match went to tiebreaks in the semifinals of the womens tournament. Nurgyul Salimova, who came from upsetting Polina Shuvalova, faced ninth seed Anna Muzychuk. After beating the Ukrainian grandmaster, this is what Salimova had to say about her opponent:

I grew up watching Annas matches. She was like my idol when I was a kid, and still I respect her a lot, and of course she was the clear favourite. But I didnt think about this, because it doesnt help thinking about this. I just prepared for my matches.

Wins with black were traded in the first two 25-minute games, as Salimova found a nice tactical trick to score a full point in the first encounter of the day.

29...Bf5 invited 30.Qxb8, which Muzychuk played, failing to notice that now she either had to give up a lot of material or let her opponent go for a mating attack.

There followed 30...Kh7 31.Qf4 Bh6 32.Qf2 and it is mate-in-three for Black.

Muzychuk resigned after 32...Bc2+. In case of 33.Kc1 there is 33...Bd3 34.Kd1 Qc2#

Improve your chess with Tania Sachdev

On this DVD, well-known Indian WGM Tania Sachdev shows you how to evaluate certain positions and then find the right concepts and plans on the basis of her own games.

In the 10-minute section, Salimova got ahead on the scoreboard by winning a remarkable game in just 23 moves. A draw in the final game gave the 20-year-old from Krepcha a ticket to the gruelling events final and, perhaps more importantly, a spot in the 2024 Womens Candidates Tournament.

Nurgyul Salimova | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

Replay games from all round at Live.ChessBase.com

Full schedule | Pairings and results

All games with computer analysis: Open | Womens

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World Cup: Pragg and Salimova win tiebreakers - ChessBase

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What do F-16 and MiG-29 fighter jets do? – Times of Oman

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Munich: During sharp turns, you are flattened into the seat by a force many times stronger than gravity. You only maintain consciousness if you are in peak physical condition and wear special pants that squeeze the blood out of your legs. You rarely fly below 900 kilometers per hour (roughly 560 miles per hour).

"The acceleration is breathtaking." That's how former German Air Force pilot Joachim Vergin described the feeling of flying a fighter jet.

One might compare it to riding a roller coaster, but not really: The power in a jet is twice as strong. And during combat, you have to operate a large number of weapon systems simultaneously: Fighting, evading, defending. In an extreme situation, such as an air raid, everything is a matter of life and death, often at the speed of sound.

Engines under pressure The first time fighter jets, such as F-16s and MiG-29s, were used was at the end of the last major war in Europe: World War II. With their turbojet engine, jets fly much faster than propeller-driven aircraft, which had been used up to that point.

Jet engines suck air into the front of the motor, where it is compressed. Fuel is sprayed into the highly compressed air and ignited. This forces the air out of the engine "very powerfully," said Robert Kluge, an aviation expert at the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

As the air is accelerated in the process, a thrust is created that pushes the aircraft forward.

A jet's targets: Airborne or on the ground Fighter jets can attack targets in the air as well as on the ground. For aerial combat, a jet can be equipped with air-to-air missiles that can be fired in flight to destroy a target that is also flying.

To strike targets on the ground, a jet can use air-to-ground missiles or drop simple free-fall bombs that fall to the ground according to the laws of physics, said Leonhard Houben, a historian at the Berlin-Gatow Military History Museum.

Technology of trade-offs When building fighter jets, compromises must be made. Questions to consider include whether a jet is likely to fight other aircraft in the air and whether those aircraft are other fighter jets that can fight back. Or should the jet only be able to effectively engage ground targets?

Such strategic considerations are then reflected in a fighter jet's technology: Should the aircraft be built to be rather light and maneuverable for air combat, or equipped with large fuel tanks for long-range missions?

The MiG-29 was designed to take to the air for a very specific purpose: To protect the borders of Warsaw Pact countries against NATO aircraft.

Thus, this so-called interceptor, which entered service in 1983, can take off very quickly and reach its destination. Due to its design, the MiG-29 is extremely maneuverable in air combat. It can even stand vertically in the air on its own for short periods of time. However, the jet was initially equipped with only short-range fuel to save weight.

F-16: A versatile performer from the assembly line The majority of modern fighter jets combine a variety of capabilities. Houben said it is more economical to build so-called multi-purpose warplanes because they can be mass-produced in just one batch that can then be used for a variety of missions.

The F-16 is one such mass-produced multi-purpose aircraft. It was explicitly developed in the US in the 1970s for export to partner nations as a low-cost, general-purpose jet. The F-16 is the fighter jet with the largest worldwide production run that is still in service. To this day, the jet is still produced in the US and is being continually improved.

Similar to battle tanks, the rule is usually whoever fires first and hits, wins. Modern air-to-air missiles, once fired, virtually sneak up on their target and activate their conspicuous radar only shortly before impact. By then it's often too late to dodge. The reality usually has little to do with wild maneuvers, machine gun fire, or what we see in the movies. Becoming a pilot takes years

A fighter pilot has to be able to engage in close combat in the event that all the missiles have been fired. They must be able to multitask under exceptional conditions. For this reason, pilots are not trained overnight.

For the German Eurofighter aircraft, the training period takes five to six years and costs 5 million ($5.4 million) per pilot.

On his very first flight in a jet, an engine failed, said former pilot Vergin. Although he said he was scared, he knew exactly what to do because of "drills and training." He said he remained calm and safely landed the plane.

However, each pilot often learns to fly just one type of fighter jet, as retraining for another type of jet is costly. When Vergin switched from the Phantom fighter jet to the Tornado, the training took seven months.

The jet as a myth In war, however, fighter jets are more than the sum of their technical capabilities.

Kluge described the aircraft as a "myth" because, unlike humans, it can also move in the third dimension.

A fighter jet can even be seen as a symbol that can boost the morale of one's troops. And as an important chess piece in the strategy of a war simply having it can be enough to make enemies have second thoughts.

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What do F-16 and MiG-29 fighter jets do? - Times of Oman

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Xbox game releases August 21 to 27 – TrueAchievements

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20 new Xbox games arrive next week, including major launches like Immortals of Aveum we've got the exclusive reveal of the Immortals of Aveum Xbox achievements along with the arrival of the slightly delayed WrestleQuest and more, although the next arrival on our list of games coming to Game Pass isn't on here, having just missed the window of this article with a release date of August 29. Here's a breakdown of everything coming to the world of Xbox next week. Let us know which of these you're planning on picking up in the comments!

August 22nd

Summon your power, stop the Everwar, save the realms. Pre-order* Immortals of Aveum and get the Purified Arclight, a unique blue sigil that will unleash more power for Jak's blue Strike spells and Shatter Fury spell!

No Place Like Home is a cute and relaxing sim.

You play as Ellen Newland, a girl who decides to visit her grandfather, on Earth, for the very last time before she moves to Mars. However, she soon discovers that her grandpa is missing and that his farm was recently destroyed.

Key Features:

CLEANING Clean the world, destroy mountains of trash, vacuum all the rubbish, and recycle resources to build your very own dream farm! Everything you need can be found and recycled from trash, and if you befriend local neighbours, they may prove very helpful during your farming and adventuring endeavours.

FARMING Find seeds, become a farmer, and use your produce to cook delicious dishes that can be traded for useful items! There are tons of plants, fruits, vegetables, flowers and trees to find and grow. You can also make honey, jams, mayo, and lots of other preserves to spice up the farming fantasy.

EXPLORATION Explore and go on adventures through many diversified zones. Trek through the wonderous Lonely Hills region and restore the damage done by its poisonous gasses. Save animals from icy weather in Frozen Peaks and fix the leak from an old factory that has turned the local flora into giant mushrooms. Break the giant dam and release the river to bring nature back to the desert.

PARTIES Find, rescue and befriend farm animals that have gotten lost throughout the valley. If you gain their trust and take good care of them, you can be sure that they will return the favour. Once you are ready, you can show off your fun side by giving them funky hats and throwing them awesome parties!

RENOVATIONS Rebuild, refurbish and decorate your house into a cosy place of perfection. Find awesome decorations and items across the world and use them to personalize your abode. After all, there is No Place Like Home!

The whole family can choose one Smurf, its kart and special power, then youre ready to go on wild races! Make the best start, find shortcuts, and use the right items at the right time to pass your opponents!

- Play solo or with friends and family, should you be a beginner or the most trained driver you can get 1st place and show others who the fastest Smurf of all time is! - 12 tracks taken from the Smurfs universe: the village, the forest, the dam, the swamps even Gargamels house! - 12 playable Smurfs: chose the Smurf you want to drive with. - Each Smurf has its own kart and a very handy special item to help you breeze past your opponents. - Reach 1st place by using the environment around you: bonus items, boosts, ramps, destructible boxes, shortcuts and more! - Play solo or with family and friends, up to 4 players in split-screen local multiplayer game mode. - Try to beat every Smurf at their own racetrack in the Time Challenge mode and reach the top of the online rankings with your best time! - Unlock original bonuses race after race, win after win, and try to Smurf them all in your personal album! - Take a smurfy start to take the lead as soon as the race begins! - Use your unique special power to get rid of a too smurfy opponent on-track!

TAG TEAM WITH DESTINY! Pro wrestling and RPG fantasy collide in the ultimate pixel powered adventure. Macho Man Randy Savage and tons of other icons offer guidance as you powerbomb your way to glory beyond the ring. This heros journey aint just an epic quest, its WRESTLEQUEST!

August 23rd

Main Features: - A powerful chess AI to challenge; - Local multiplayer - so you can also challenge others; - A massive set of chess puzzles to solve and learn chess logic from; - Daily puzzles, for those who can't get enough of them!

Mirrored Souls is a puzzle platformer that tells the story of Ravi and Daru, two completely different celestial beings connected to each other but separated in a mirrored universe. Following a thoughtful narrative, you will control both characters simultaneously and solve puzzles that explore the possibilities of the mirrored mechanics in fun and challenging ways. Discover beautifully illustrated scenarios that compliments the duality of both characters and develop your cognitive skills and spatial vision as you cross portals to bring them together.

The game features traditional turn-based combat with real-time execution of moves: blocking, countering and timing your attacks carefully as well as predicting your foes' moves is essential to succeed in Virgos twisted and unforgiving cosmic quest to bring back the Golden Age, a period of peace, symmetry and balance, or so she thinks.

In this galaxy where every action means a reaction, youll play as Virgo, the Holy Queen, often called Dreadful Queen by heretics, bringing mayhem to the Zodiac Realms and leaving a trail of stardust on the way, all to fit her excessively righteous worldview.

August 24th

The Penitent One awakens as Blasphemous 2 joins him once again in an endless struggle against The Miracle. Dive into a perilous new world filled with mysteries and secrets to discover, and tear your way through monstrous foes that stand between you and your quest to end the cycle one and for all.

A 2D party platformer where you fight with a hat! Throw your hat to attack, defend and bait opponents. But watch out! If someone jumps on your hat... you die!

Rev up your engine and get ready to hit the track with RIDE 5. An adrenaline-filled gaming experience that is so authentic it will make you feel like you're truly racing at break-neck speed.

Find your favorite bikes and check out new ones in the ultimate motorcycle game! Race on over 35 tracks and collect more than 200 motorcycles from world-renowned manufacturers, each element is designed to feel like you're riding a real bike.

IT'S A LONG ROAD It's not just speed that wins races - Endurance mode rewards perseverance and strategy. Time is no longer the issue, ride to your heart's content with the option of saving, exiting and jumping back in later. Just make sure you keep an eye on fuel and pit-stops - these helplines can quickly become your worst nightmare!

FROM ZERO TO HERO Start out in your garage, climb the ranks and become the best world racer in the new Career mode. Race against increasingly skilled Rivals, true obstacles who will stand between you and the finish line. Learn to master different bikes and handle every situation. It won't be easy though... The road to victory is laden with challenges and it's up to you to decide which one you want to take - the harder the challenge, the greater the reward!

WIN UNDER ANY CONDITION It doesn't matter how good you are, there is always one factor you can't control: the weather. Clear blue skies can turn into heavy downpours and then back to sunshine, rolling clouds will follow you as you dash through the bends, giving you ever-changing views and landscapes. You will have to deal with unexpected situations and use your skill to tackle both wet and dry conditions - the improved physics makes for an even more life-like experience!

TEST. LEARN. RIDE. Not sure which line to follow or when to slam on the brakes? Use the new riding aids and get customized support when needed the most. Learn to better handle the bike and the tricks of the trade to become the best rider you can be.

TAKE CONTROL You can tell a true motorcycle aficionado not just from the bike but also from their garage - collect your favorite models and customize them to your liking. Share your designs with other players and showcase your style! Don't get caught up on cosmetics only. With Race Creator you can build an endless number of scenarios, from single races to complete championships, choose your bikes and tracks, and act as a Race Director to set your own rules.

FEEL THE COMPETITION Split screen is back! Now you can challenge a friend and win live! And if you want to show the world what you're worth, Endurance races will really put you to the test, now even more thrilling thanks to the Crossplay function.

It's time to teach those white pieces to fear the Shotgun King.

Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate is a unique turn-based strategy roguelike.

Key Features: - Choose wisely: Every turn, you may either move your king or shoot at enemy pieces, after what you'll need to move again to reload your shotgun. - Avoid Checkmate: Kill the White King to complete the floor and move on to the next level! - Strengthen both Kings: After completing each floor, you will upgrade your king... but also your opponent! - A whole kingdom: 15 difficulty ranks, an endless mode, a chase mode, and over 100 upgrades are waiting for you!

5 cars are available to get you to the final fort, each capable of holding progressively more loot. Ranging from the simple Redneck pick-up and the classy Hunter and to the tough Sledge and frankly-silly Harvester, youll enjoy throwing these bodged-up jalopies at the lines of the undead. Each is highly customisable, with 15 upgrades including spiked bumpers, improved tyres, buffed engines, and more ammo, fuel and nitros. With 8 locations to traverse, handsome 3D graphics and gory shambling bodies, Zombie Derby is a killer game.

August 25th

Combining FromSoftwares longstanding expertise in mech games with their signature action gameplay, ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON brings a brand-new action experience to the series.

Dynamic, Omni-directional Battles Players will pilot their mech in fast-paced, omni-directional battles, taking advantage of massive stages and their mechs mobility on land and in the air to ensure victory.

Customized Parts for Individual Battle Styles Customize Armored Core parts to suit a large variety of playstyles. Selecting different parts not only changes the mechs attacks, but also directly affects its movement and battle style, so each mission can be approached with a unique mech strategy.

Thrilling Boss Battles Deploy a wide variety of offensive and defensive tactics at close and long range to take down powerful enemy bosses.

An idle card game where you kill monsters. From monsters, you get money to open chests. Each chest has its own deck of cards. Collect cards, upgrade cards, defeat monsters, join guilds and hire heroes. Raise your DPS!

Overdriven Evolution takes you on a challenging journey through the Kruuthian empire with an ever-changing, expertly crafted universe full of action.

The game proposes 7 Game Modes:

- STORY: 4 Difficulties: EASY NORMAL HARD NIGHTMARE - ARCADE: Can you beat the game with only a few continues? - MANIC: Test your true arcade skills with no health bar. - THE LINE: Use all your knowledge and mastery to keep enemies away from the red line. - 10 CHALLENGES: Replay each stage with a specific goal. - COLOR-REFLEX: Involving 56 new and improved Puzzle-Maps mixing match3 and shmup! - BOSS-RUSH: Use everything you have as an expert pilot to beat all the bosses at once.

When cultists target Los Angeles for destruction, only the High-Risk United Nations Task-Force (codenamed H.U.N.T.) can end their reign of terror. Gear up and load out as one of five elite operatives, each with their own attributes, and infiltrate the cult monastery to stop their nefarious plans.

Dive deep into ROTT lore with 4 full campaign modes and expansion packs, and explore never-before-seen content from previously-lost beta builds. Run and gun through labyrinthine levels and splatter LUDICROUS GIBS across the island with over-the-top weapons. Double the fun with the gaming worlds first-ever dual-wield pistol setup, or blast the iconic Drunk Missile and watch rockets trail off with a mind of their own. Mix things up with magical weapons like the legendary Excalibat, and delete foes in the blink of an eye with the Hand of God.

Experience a perfect mix of past and present with 60+ frames-per-second gameplay, classic pixelated artwork upscaled to HD resolutions, increased field-of-view, cloud saves, achievements, and more. Recreate any Rise of the Triad experience with multiple iterations of the classic original soundscape, or rock out to the heavy metal 2013 reboot soundtrack. Get the upper hand on enemies with the inclusion of ROTTs original cheat codes - if you can remember them!

Its fast. Its fun. Its addicting. Deafest the enemy tanks while dodging their deadly bullets. Improve your aim and maneuver skill while war itself is trying to end your adventure. Level by level the enemy's tanks get faster, smarter, and deadlier. Can you make it to the end and defeat their leader?

Play alone. Play with your friends. Play against your friends. - Play the single-player campaign to practice your skills and beat the game by yourself. - Finish the campaign with 2 players in the co-op mode.

A full motion video game from the makers of Vegas Tales. Judge a new reality show in which over-the-top contestants are hooked up to lie detectors and must answer any question you ask honestly. Vote one off every round, based on their answers, until only the winner remains.

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Go! Guide Aug. 17 – The Republic

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Make tracks to rail fun

The Columbus Area Railroad Clubs monthly open house rolls around Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at the Johnson County Park headquarters building adjacent to Camp Atterbury near Edinburgh. For more information, visit the Columbus Area Railroad Club Facebook page.

Kids and teens

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, 536 Fifth St., Columbus. Scheduled: Teen Games at Mill Race Park, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 17; Teen Dungeons and Dragons, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 17; Tween Stitch Camp, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 18; Teen Pizza Party Society, 3 p.m., Aug. 19; Pokemon Club, 4 p.m., Aug. 21; Toddler Time, 9:15 and 10 a.m., Aug. 22, 29, Sept. 5; Storytime, 11 a.m., Aug. 22, 29; Teen STEAM: Irwin Gardens Tour + Chickens, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 22; Watch-It Wednesday, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 23, 30; Library Babies, 10 and 10:30 a.m., Aug. 24, 31, Sept. 7; Tween Game Time, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 24, 31, Sept. 7; Teen Pokemon Go Meetup, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 24; Exhibit Columbus Read In, 9:30 a.m., Aug. 26; Teen Thursgame, 3:30 p.m., Aug. 31; Kids Art Studio, 11 a.m., Sept. 2; Preschool Storytime, 11 a.m., Sept. 5; Guided Hike at Tangeman Woods, 1 p.m., Sept. 5; Whatever the Weather, 11 a.m., Sept. 6; Family Storytime, 1 p.m., Sept. 7; Sing and Play with Allie Jean, 4 p.m., Sept. 7; Fill the Bus, 3 p.m., Sept. 8; The Disassemblers, 1:30 p.m., Sept. 9.

TRAIL LIFE, 5:30 p.m., Aug. 24, Garden City Christian Church, 3245 Jonesville Road, Columbus. Come join the Trail with Trail Life troop IN-0110! Trail Life USA is a Christian outdoor adventure program for boys, rooted in character building and leadership development while attaining skills and emphasizing Biblical principles. The troop welcomes families with boys ages 5-18 to join.

Music and theater

LIVE COMEDY SHOW, 8 p.m., Sept. 1, YES Cinema, 328 Jackson St., Columbus. Yes Comedy Showcase starring Mike Armstrong. Opener is Blind Stein. One show only! Rated PG-13. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Advance tickets available at yescinema.org or at YES Cinemas Box Office, call 812-379-1630.

PRAIRIE CREEK, 6 to 7 p.m., Sept. 1, Bartholomew County Public Library, 536 Fifth St., Columbus. Join us on the Library Plaza for a concert by Prairie Creek. Prairie Creek will play classic rock and just a light sprinkling of outlaw country from the 60s through the 90s. Prairie Creek aims to play what we and our crowds like and get everyone to their feet. Bring your own chairs. This event can also be viewed live at facebook.com/mybcpl.

Sports, exercise, wellness

FALL ICE SKATING & HOCKEY CLASSES, through Oct. 7, Hamilton Community Center and Ice Arena, 2501 Lincoln Park Drive, Columbus. Classes include Snowplow Sam 1 & 2 (ages 4-6) for beginning skaters, Basic 1-6, Novice Club, Speed Skating, Adults Class, Beginning Hockey Basics, and Advanced Hockey Basics. Classes are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Visit columbusparksandrec.com/programs-and-events/ice-programs/group-ice-skating-hockey/ for more information. Register at cbusinparks.com/ice-and-hockey by Aug. 14.

LEARN TO PLAY HOCKEY, 4:15 to 5:15 p.m., most Saturdays through Oct. 7, Hamilton Community Center & Ice Arena, 2501 Lincoln Park Drive, Columbus. A noncompetitive environment in which children ages 4 to 10 can learn the basic skills of hockey without distractions that are often associated with an overemphasis on winning. Free equipment is available to use. Cost is $5 per child. Arrive 30 minutes early to get fitted for equipment.

GIRLS DROP-IN HOCKEY, 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. Mondays through Oct. 9, Hamilton Community Center and Ice Arena, 2501 Lincoln Park Drive, Columbus. Are you a girl interested in hockey? Drop in to learn the fundamentals and basic skills of the sport in a girls-only environment. Visit cbusinparks.com/HockeyPrograms to register or for more information.

BLACKWELL PARK STORYWALK, Blackwell Park, 1550 Whitney Court, Columbus. Enjoy some fresh air while strolling the Bartholomew County Public Librarys StoryWalk. Together with the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department, the library is excited to feature Schools First Day of School by Adam Rex in August. The StoryWalk is located along the People Trail near the Pollinator Park in Blackwell Park.

SWIMMING FOR EXERCISE, Foundation for Youth, 405 Hope Ave., Columbus. Lap swimming, water aerobics and public swim are available. You must preregister for current swim sessions. Information: foundationforyouth.com.

Miscellaneous

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY, 536 Fifth St., Columbus. Scheduled: Music with Valerie, 10:30 a.m., Aug. 18; Dementia Friendly Bartholomew County Kickoff Event, 10 a.m., Aug. 19; Hooks and Needles Workshop, 12:30 p.m., Aug. 19, 26; Chair Yoga, 1 p.m., Aug. 22, 29, Sept. 5; Reading with Friends, 9:30 a.m., Aug. 23; Author Talk, 8 p.m., Aug. 23, 2 p.m., Aug. 30, all day, Sept. 7; Exhibit Columbus Read In, 9:30 a.m., Aug. 26; Poetry Workshop, 6 p.m., Aug. 28; Adults Reading YA Book Club, 6 p.m., Aug. 26; All Bookd Book Club, 5:30 p.m., Aug. 29; Lessons Ive Learned on the Appalachian Trail, 6 p.m., Sept. 6; Fill the Bus, 3 p.m., Sept. 8.

COLUMBUS FARMERS MARKET, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturdays, through Sept. 16, behind City Hall, 123 Washington Street. Food, crafts, gifts, entertainment and more. More information: columbusfarmersmarket.org.

FIRST SATURDAYS AT UTOPIA, 1 p.m., Sept. 2, Oct. 7, Utopia Wildlife Rehabilitators, 18300 E. County Road 200N, Hope. Join Utopia for a presentation with animal ambassadors at 1 p.m., followed by a tour of outdoor enclosures. The event is weather dependent.

SUMMER ART SHOW, 5 to 7 p.m., through Aug. 25, Perceptions Yoga, Mindfulness & Art, 139 E. State Road 3, Vernon. Trinaty Scroggins artwork will be featured in August. Scroggin is a graduate of Jennings County High School and has been creating art for most of her life. A closing reception will take place on Aug. 25 from 5 to 7 p.m.

DINNER ON A STICK, 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., Aug. 25, Bartholomew County Humane Society, 4415 E. County Road 200S, Columbus. Pick up dinner, to fetch it home or sit and stay and enjoy some live music! Dinner will feature chicken or vegetarian tacos and choices of street corn flavors. Beverages will be available. Free will donations benefit the Bartholomew County Humane Society.

MOTORCYCLE SHOW, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Aug. 26, Keepsake Village of Columbus, 2564 Foxpointe Dr., Columbus. Motorcycle show fundraising event for Walk to End Alzheimer. There will be food, raffles and giveaway items. All proceeds from the event benefit the Alzheimers Association. No RSVP and no admission fee are required, but donations are welcomed.

ELKS LODGE BINGO, 6:30 p.m. Fridays and 12:30 p.m. Sundays, Elks 521 Lodge Bingo Hall, 4664 Ray Boll Blvd., Columbus. Doors open at 5 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. on Sunday. The first game is at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. Open to the public. Information: 812-379-4386.

VFW POST 1987 BINGO, 215 N. National Road, Columbus, Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 to 9:30 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.), and the second Saturday of each month from 2 to 6 p.m. (doors open at noon). Open to the public.

AMERICAN LEGION BINGO & KARAOKE, American Legion Post 25, 2515 25th St., Columbus. Bingo is on Tuesdays starting at 6 p.m. Karaoke is on Wednesdays starting at 6 p.m.

COLUMBUS CHESS CLUB, 5 to 9 p.m., Thursdays, Lewellen Chapel, corner of Middle Road and Grissom Street, Columbus. Equipment is furnished. Open to chess players 16 and older. Information: 812-603-3893.

COLUMBUS AREA RAILROAD CLUB OPEN HOUSE, noon to 4 p.m., Aug. 19 and the third Saturday of each month. Trains will be operating layouts in four scales HO, N, O, and On30. The club is located at the Johnson County Park headquarters building adjacent to Camp Atterbury. Information: Greg Harter, 812-350-8636, or on Facebook at Columbus Area Railroad Club.

GRACES TABLE FREE MEAL, 5 p.m., Sept. 10 and the second Sunday of each month, East Columbus United Methodist Church, 2439 Indiana Ave., Columbus. Free meal in the youth center as well as music and storytelling. Enter the church parking lot on Indiana Avenue.

AMERICAN SEWING GUILD, 9 to 11 a.m., Oct. 7 and the first Saturday of each month. The American Sewing Guild is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to people who believe sewing is a rewarding and creative activity. Our neighborhood group welcomes sewing enthusiasts of all skill levels and walks of life. We meet monthly to learn new sewing skills, network with others who share an interest in sewing and participate in community sewing projects. If you are interested in attending, please email Marilyn at [emailprotected] for meeting location.

COLUMBUS STAR QUILT GUILD, 9:30 a.m. to noon, Sept. 7 and the first Thursday of each month, First Baptist Church Columbus, 3300 Fairlawn Drive, Columbus. Each gathering consists of a short business meeting, followed by a quilting lesson/program, along with show-and-tell of finished projects. Augusts featured speaker is Claudia Lash, owner of Presto Avenue Designs, providing new ways to create your own quilt designs. Members participate in various service projects. New and experienced quilters are invited to attend. Membership dues are $15 per year. For additional information, visit starquiltersofcolumbus.weebly.com.

EVENING STAR QUILT GUILD, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Sept. 12 and the second Tuesday of each month, Mill Race Center, 900 Lindsey St., Columbus. The Evening Star Quilt Guild is a group of women who enjoy creating traditional and modern art quilts while learning new methods. For more information, check out the website: starquiltersofcolumbus.weebly.com.

FRIENDS DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB, 1 to 4:30 p.m., every Thursday, St. Pauls Episcopal Church, 2561 N. California St., Columbus. Bridge club open to the public.

Galleries, museums, exhibits

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 524 Third St., Columbus. The museum is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. BCHS hosts two permanent exhibits that share the history and heritage of Bartholomew County. Learn about our county through interactive, hands-on exhibits that include a map table, notable people, county timeline, Then and Now, Did You Know, early industrialists and videos of Reeves steam engines. The historical society also hosts rotating exhibits throughout the year featuring items from their extensive collection. Admission is free, with a donation suggested. Information: 812-372-3541, bartholomewhistory.org.

GALLERY 506, Columbus Indiana Visitors Center, 506 Fifth St., Columbus. Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

YELLOW TRAIL MUSEUM/VISITOR CENTER/RESEARCH CENTER, west side of Hope Town Square, 644 Main St., Hope. The museum is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays noon to 4 p.m., or by appointment. The Research Center is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by appointment. Contact the museum at 812-546-8020. Follow Facebook page Yellow Trail Museum/Hope Visitors Center for updated information.

ATTERBURY-BAKALAR AIR MUSEUM, located at Columbus Municipal Airport, 4742 Ray Boll Blvd., Columbus, is open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are accepted to help with ongoing costs of operation. Special tours may be scheduled by calling 812-372-4356. The museum preserves the history of the former Atterbury Army Air Field, later named Bakalar Air Force Base. Visit the museum online at atterburybakalarairmuseum.org and on Facebook.

T.C. STEELE STATE HISTORIC SITE, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, 4220 T.C. Steele Road, Nashville. Staff is offering special indoor tours each with a limited number of people. Tours are included with site admission, but preregistration is recommended by calling 812-988-2785. Information: indianamuseum.org/tcsteele.

TRI-STATE ARTISANS, 422 Washington St., Columbus. Handmade retail gallery of more than 60 local artisans. Unique gifts, fine art, art classes for youth and adults, youth art programs, art parties and home parties. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Information: tsartisans.com.

JENNINGS COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM, 335 Brown St., Vernon. Museum hours are Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment. Information: 812-346-8989, jenningscounty.org.

BROWN COUNTY ART GUILD, 48 S. Van Buren St., Nashville. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Summer Stroll: Historic Collection Exhibit through Sept. 3, and Guild Artist Exhibition and Fine Art Sale through Nov. 3.

THE REPUBLIC BUILDING GALLERY, 333 Second St., Columbus. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

411 GALLERY, 411 Sixth St., Columbus. 411 is a community arts gallery and cultural space for exhibitions, events and collaborations with Columbus arts and cultural organizations. The galley is open Thursday and Friday from noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more about the current exhibition and artists at artsincolumbus.org/411.

HOOSIER ARTIST GALLERY, 45 S. Jefferson St., Nashville. Hoosier Artist Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information: hoosierartist.com.

BROWN COUNTY ART GALLERY, 1 Artist Drive, Nashville. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Information: 812-988-4609, [emailprotected], browncountyartgallery.org.

CHARLENE MARSH STUDIO & GALLERY, 4013 Lanam Ridge Road, Nashville. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Mondays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, please call the studio/gallery at 812-988-4497 or visit charlenemarshstudio.com.

Ongoing

FABULOUS FIRST FRIDAYS WITH MISS POLLY, 12:15 p.m., the first Friday of each month. Viewpoint Books, 548 Washington St., Columbus. Information: 812-376-0778.

FOUNDATION FOR YOUTH BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, 405 Hope Ave., Columbus. The Boys & Girls Club is open to children ages 5-18. Information: 812-372-7867.

KIDSCOMMONS, 309 Washington St., Columbus. Ongoing activities are all free with museum admission. Information: 812-378-3046.

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Go! Guide Aug. 17 - The Republic

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MinStrength: An Alternative to Performance Rating – ChessBase

Posted: June 2, 2023 at 8:16 pm

Performance ratings struggle to deal with perfect scores. Some online calculators will simply add 400 points if you win all your games, but that is incorrect. The performance rating should be infinite. To see why, we have to understand how the Elo ratings work. In a game between a 1600 and a 2400, there is a normal distribution centered at 1600 and another centered at 2400. Of course, the 2400 is the heavily favored to win. However, there is still some overlap in the graph, which means that there is a small chance of an upset. Thus, even a 2400 would not be expected to get a perfect score against 1600s; someone who achieves that would have a performance rating above 2400. Only a player with an infinite rating would be expected to win all their games.

So perfect score = infinite performance rating. However, this leads to unrealistic results. That amateur tournament where I went 3.0/3 isnt better than Caruanas 2014 Sinquefield Cup. A perfect score against amateurs is less impressive than a plus score against super GMs, and I developed MinStrength to reflect that.

A performance rating asks, "Who would be expected to score as well as you did?" Caruanas performance rating was 3100 at the 2014 Sinquefield Cup. For any human, that is extraordinary, but for a 3100 player, it would just be an average tournament. They would not gain any rating points.

MinStrength asks, "Who would not be expected to score as well as you did?" Consider a 1500 player. Sometimes they have a bad tournament and play like a 1300. But there are other times when they perform at the 1700 level. But even in their best tournament ever, they dont perform at the 2700 level and earn a GM norm. That is outside of their range. How low would your rating have to be for a result to be outside of your range? That is your minimum strength, or MinStrength.

Lets go back to the 2014 Sinquefield Cup. A 2830 would have an expected score of 5.4/10. With some math (methodology: http://e4stat.blogspot.com/2023/03/minstrength-methodology.html), we can calculate the range. 95% of the time, a 2830 should score between 2.3/10 and 8.5/10. Caruana was at the upper end of that range, so his MinStrength was 2830.

MinStrength has several desirable features. Perfect scores result in an infinite performance rating, but not an infinite MinStrength. According to MinStrength, scoring 3.0/3 against amateurs is much less impressive than Caruanas 2014 Sinquefield Cup. MinStrength also rewards consistency. For example, consider the Candidates match between Fischer and Larsen (2660). Suppose that after winning Game 1, Fischer got into a dispute with the organizers and quit. His performance rating would still be infinite whether he scored 1.0/1 or 6.0/6. But 1.0/1 against a 2660 would be a footnote in chess history; 6.0/6 is legendary. Fischers MinStrength was 2426 after winning Game 1. It rose to 2737 after Game 6. If we combine it with his 6.0/6 against Taimanov (2620), Fischers MinStrength is 2838.

If you want to find your MinStrength, check out the calculator on my website. Here are the results for some selected tournaments. Rating inflation may affect the results. However, Ken Regan argues that there has been no rating inflation. Using chess engines, he and his co-author show that 2500s in the 1970s played about as accurately as 2500s in the early 2000s. Their results were similar for other ratings. If there is no rating inflation, then historical MinStrengths can be compared with modern ones.

1. Caruana, 2014 Sinquefield Cup. The highest MinStrength of all time: 2830. Caruana scored 8.5/10 and his average opponent was rated 2802.

2. Carlsen, 2009 Nanjing. He scored 8.0/10 and his average opponent was 2762. MinStrength = 2755.

3. Fischer-Larsen, 1971 Candidates Match. Fischer won 6-0 against a 2660. His MinStrength was 2737.

4. Karpov, 1994 Linares. His 11.0/13 is very impressive, but his average opponent was rated 2682, which is lower than in modern super tournaments. His MinStrength was 2736.

5. Topalov, 2005 San Luis. He had a terrific start, scoring 6.5/7 in the first half. Then he made 7 draws to clinch the World Championship. Overall, his 10.0/14 against 2731-rated opposition leads to a MinStrength of 2699.

6. Fischer-Taimanov, 1971 Candidates Match. Fischer won 6-0 against a 2620. His MinStrength was 2697.

7. Kasparov, 1997 Linares. He scored 8.5/11 and his average opponent was 2693, so his MinStrength was 2668.

...

The Author, That Amateur Tournament Where He Went 3.0/3. Though my performance rating was infinite, this result is not in the same league as the others. My average opponent was 1796 FIDE, and my MinStrength was 1753.

References

Regan, Kenneth Wingate, and Guy McCrossan Haworth. "Intrinsic Chess Ratings." In Twenty-fifth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence. 2011.

Methodology [Published on my blog]

In a game between Players A and B, there is a normal distribution centered at As rating and another centered at Bs rating. The standard deviation is 200. In the Elo system, the expected score for Player A is the probability that a random number from As distribution is higher than a random number from Bs. This seems to ignore the possibility of draws there is a 0% chance that both random numbers are equal but that will be addressed later. The expected score can be approximated with the logistic function:

Next, I model a tournament as n games against your average opponent. This is an approximation (the expected score isnt a linear function, so a game against an 1800 followed by a game against a 2000 is slightly different from playing two games against a 1900). With this assumption, your score follows a binomial distribution. The mean is np and the variance is np(1-p), where p is your expected score against the average opponent. The issue with this binomial distribution is that there is no accounting for draws. However, the binomial distribution converges to a normal distribution, so I use that as an approximation. The normal distribution is continuous, so scores such as 8.5 are possible. This means that we arent ignoring draws.

If you pull a random number from a normal distribution, there is a 95% chance that it will be within 1.96 standard deviations from the mean (np). The standard deviation is the square root of the variance, so that will be (np(1-p))1/2. Thus, the upper end of the 95% range is np + 1.96(np(1-p))1/2. Therefore, your MinStrength is the rating such that score = np + 1.96(np(1-p))1/2

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Mittens (chess engine) – Wikipedia

Posted: January 31, 2023 at 5:09 pm

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chess engine developed by Chess.com

Mittens is a chess engine developed by Chess.com. It was released on 1 January 2023 alongside four other engines. The engine became popular in the chess community due to exposure through content made by chess streamers and a social media marketing campaign.

Mittens was released on 1 January 2023 as part of a new year's event on Chess.com. It was one of five engines released, all based on cats.[1][2][3] The other engines released were Scaredy Cat, rated 800; Angry Cat, rated 1000; Mr. Grumpers rated 1200 and Catspurrov, a pun on Garry Kasparov,[4] rated 1400.[5]

Mittens was conceptualized by Will Whalen, a college student at Hamilton College.[6][2][7][8] Appearing as a cat, the engine trash talks the other player with a selection of voice lines: these lines include quotes from Robert Oppenheimer, Vincent van Gogh, Thanos[7] and Friedrich Nietzsche.[8][6][9][10] The engine's "personality" was devised by a team headed by writer Sean Becker.[6][2][4]

In terms of software, Chess.com has not disclosed any information about the software running the engine. It may be based on Komodo Dragon 3.[9][10][11] Mittens' strategy is to slowly grind down an opponent, a tactic likened to the playing style of Anatoly Karpov. Becker stated that the design team believed it would be way more demoralizing and funny for the engine to play this way.[6] According to Hikaru Nakamura, Mittens sometimes misses the best move (or winning positions) in some situations.[9][12]

On Chess.com, Mittens has an ELO rating of one.[1][3] However, the engine's playing style and tactics evidence that it is much stronger than that; Mittens is able to beat or draw against many top human players. Estimates of Mittens' true rating range from an ELO of 3200 to 3500, because it can beat bots of around that level.[9] An upper bound of the engine's rating was found after Levy Rozman (GothamChess) made Mittens play against Stockfish 15, a 3700 rated engine.[9] Mittens lost the two games that the engines played.[1]

Against human players, Mittens has won 99% of the multiple millions of games it has played.[10][11] Skilled chess players such as Hikaru Nakamura, Benjamin Bok, Levy Rozman and Eric Rosen have struggled against Mittens. While Rozman and Rosen both lost against the engine, Nakamura and Bok were both able to make a draw.[1][10][11][12] In particular, Nakamura's game against the engine lasted 161 moves; he was playing as white.[3][13] Rozman later went on to win against Mittens with engine assistance.[14] Magnus Carlsen has publicly refused to play the engine, calling it a "transparent marketing trick"[12] and "a soulless computer".[13]

Against other engines, Mittens participated in Chess.com's Computer Chess Championships as a side act. Mittens played against an engine inspired by the film M3GAN and won overall. The engines played 150 games to decide the winner.[4]

Mittens became popular with the chess community due to its concept and design, helped by the social media exposure created by Chess.com. Chess streamers like Rozman and Nakamura helped cultivate this through creating content around the engine.[15] A video by Nakamura entitled Mittens the chess bot will make you quit chess gained over three and a half million views on YouTube.[3][8]

On 11 January, Chess.com reported issues with database scaling due to record levels of traffic: 40% more games had been played on Chess.com in January 2023 than any other month since the website's release.[6][8] According to the Wall Street Journal, the popularity spike was more than the similar surge following the release of The Queen's Gambit.[6] The popularity of Mittens was cited by Chess.com as a reason for this instability.[16][6][13][2][3] The problems continued throughout January;[17] Chess.com stated that they would have to upgrade their servers and invest more in cloud computing to solve the problems caused by the website's popularity surge.[18]

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