Houdini and draw rate evolution at ICCF

  

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Thibault de Vassal    (2012-01-03)
Houdini and draw rate evolution at ICCF

No, chess engines are not to solve chess yet :) But this blog (link posted by Wolff Morrow in the chat) is quite interesting anyway!

http://blog.chess.com/FirebrandX/are-computers-closing-in-on-solving-chess

There you'll find the draw rate evolution at ICCF these last years, a clear influence of the strongest chess engines (Rybka, Houdini, Fire, IvanHoe, Stockfish & so on...)


Gino Figlio    (2012-01-03 15:37:10)
Houdini and draw rate evolution at ICCF

The influence is obvious, if you look at the draw rate of top OTB events you will find much higher numbers (>70%). The draw rate in top ICCF events is also pretty high.

The draws are not evenly distributed. If you look at the relationship of average rating (rating category) and draw rate in ICCF, they are correlated. I found this after reviewing 160 events in 2007 (I was studying how fast the events were ending and not directly draw rate). I am showing the percentage of draws +/- SD for 160 events that ended in 2007:

Events rated under 2200: 19.1 +/-11.6
Events rated 2200 or above: 33.4 +/- 22