Groups are now designed. Let's start with group 1, contenders are:
- DGT Centaur
- Mephisto Mirage
- Conchess Escorter
- Novag Beluga
- Mephisto Mein erster
- Systema Challenge
- Fidelity Sensory Chess Challenger 8
- Novag Citrine
Round 1 matches will follow the above randomly created order; thus first two games will match DGT Centaur with Mephisto Mirage. The Centaur lets no chance to the Mirage; each weak move is merciless punished, and both below games are shortly completed (21 then 24 moves). Funny enough, both are French games. As the Mirage as black chose this opening and lost the first game, I suspect the Centaur wanted to instruct him how to win using the very same opening
[Event "The 64-cup"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2023.09.26"]
[Round "1-1"]
[White "DGT Centaur (Expert mode)"]
[Black "Mephisto Mirage (lv A3)"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2919"]
[BlackElo "1544"]
[EventDate "2023.09.26"]
[ECO "C07"]
[PlyCount "41"]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nb3 cxd4 {Out of book} 7.Bc4 Bb4+ 8.Bd2 Bxd2+ 9.Qxd2 Nc6 10.O-O-O e5 $6 {over-extended, weakens the d5 square} 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Rhe1 Qd6 $2 {O-O was required. White is building too strong a pressure on center d and e files.} 13.Qxd4 Qh6+ 14.Qd2 Qxh2 $2 {and the center collapses. Qxd2 would have offered slightly more resistance.} 15.Bb5+ Kf8 16.Qxd5 Qh6+ 17.Kb1 Bg4 18.Qxe5 Be6 $4 {enables mate in 3} 19.Qd6+ Kg8 20.Qd8+ Rxd8 21.Rxd8# 1-0
[Event "The 64-cup"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2023.09.26"]
[Round "1-1"]
[White "Mephisto Mirage (lv A3)"]
[Black "DGT Centaur (Expert mode)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1544"]
[BlackElo "2919"]
[EventDate "2023.09.26"]
[ECO "C02"]
[PlyCount "48"]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nh6 $6 {Qb6 is more usual - the Centaur pushes the Mirage out of book.} 6.Bxh6 {Out of book} 6...gxh6 7.Bb5 Bd7 8.Na3 $6 cxd4 9.Bxc6 Bxc6 10.Qxd4 Bxa3 11.bxa3 Bb5 12.a4 {Rb1 was better} 12...Ba6 13.Rd1 Qe7 14.Qe3 Rg8 15.g3 Rg4 16.Rd4 h5 17.Qh6 $4 {leaves the King much exposed. Kd2 was required.} 17...Qa3 $1 18.Qd2 Rc8 $1 {Now, heavy pieces can coordinate pressure} 19.Rxg4 Rxc3 20.Rg8+ Kd7 21.Kd1 {enables mate in 4, but the game was already hopeless} 21...Qxa4+ 22.Ke1 Qe4+ 23.Kd1 Qxf3+ 24.Ke1 Qxh1# 0-1
I have no clue when the DGT Centaur gets out of its book, as all moves (including the very first ones) are played after around 10 secs.
MfG,
Tibono