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Houdini (Computer)

Number of games in database: 82
Years covered: 2011 to 2021
Overall record: +34 -16 =32 (61.0%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games.

Repertoire Explorer
Most played openings
C18 French, Winawer (4 games)
B22 Sicilian, Alapin (3 games)
C02 French, Advance (3 games)
D45 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav (3 games)
B04 Alekhine's Defense, Modern (2 games)
C14 French, Classical (2 games)
A10 English (2 games)
E12 Queen's Indian (2 games)
B54 Sicilian (2 games)
A87 Dutch, Leningrad, Main Variation (2 games)

RECENT GAMES:
   🏆 Casual game 20 mins. + 15 sec. incr.
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   Raptor vs Houdini (May-19-16) 0-1
   Houdini vs DisasterArea 163 (May-18-16) 1-0
   Bobcat vs Houdini (May-16-16) 1/2-1/2

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HOUDINI (COMPUTER)

[what is this?]

Houdini is authored by Belgian chess player and programmer Robert Houdart. It was introduced in 2010, using original code as well as ideas from Stockfish (Computer), Crafty (Computer) and the controversial strong open source engines Ippolit/Robbolito; Houdart denied claims that his new engine was an outright Ippolit derivative, though he acknowledged the influence of Ippolit-family programs.

From the start, Houdini was a contender for the title of world's strongest program; Houdini 1.5a won TCEC seasons 1 and 2 ahead of Rybka (Computer) in 2011. Houdini 3 defeated Stockfish to win nTCEC season 1 in 2013, affirming Houdini's status as the top chess engine. Stockfish and Komodo (Computer) overtook it in 2013–14; Houdini's most recent publicly released version, Houdini 4, remains the world's third-strongest independent chess program. Houdini 5 is scheduled for a release in 2016.

Originally a free engine, Houdini has been commercial since the launch of Houdini 2 in September 2011.

Official website: http://www.cruxis.com/chess/houdini...

https://www.chessprogramming.org/Ho...

Houdart interview: http://en.chessbase.com/post/houdin...

Houdini 1.5a, operated by User: Golden Executive, played in the CG.com Masters - Machines Invitational (2011) as Golden Executive / Houdini.

Wikipedia article: Houdini (chess)

Last updated: 2018-12-03 07:09:03

Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 4; games 1-25 of 82  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Rybka vs Houdini 0-1532011TCEC Houdini - Rybka MatchB22 Sicilian, Alapin
2. Houdini vs Rybka 1-0772011TCEC Houdini - Rybka MatchD78 Neo-Grunfeld, 6.O-O c6
3. Rybka vs Houdini 0-1862011TCEC Houdini - Rybka MatchC84 Ruy Lopez, Closed
4. Rybka vs Houdini  1-0662011TCEC Houdini - Rybka MatchD10 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
5. Houdini vs Rybka 1-0722011TCEC Houdini - Rybka MatchB18 Caro-Kann, Classical
6. Houdini vs Rybka 1-0532011TCEC Houdini - Rybka MatchD02 Queen's Pawn Game
7. Rybka vs Houdini  1-0702011TCEC Houdini - Rybka MatchD12 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
8. Houdini vs Houdini 15a w32 1-0732011b, 40'/40+40'/40+40'B56 Sicilian
9. Houdini vs A Celander ½-½902012CasualC97 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Chigorin
10. Houdini vs Rybka 1-0982013nTCEC - Stage 1B54 Sicilian
11. Critter vs Houdini 1-0792013nTCEC - Stage 2aE44 Nimzo-Indian, Fischer Variation, 5.Ne2
12. Junior vs Houdini  0-1872013nTCEC - Stage 2aB54 Sicilian
13. Houdini vs Vitruvius ½-½842013nTCEC - Stage 3A87 Dutch, Leningrad, Main Variation
14. Rybka vs Houdini  1-0602013nTCEC - Stage 3C18 French, Winawer
15. Vitruvius vs Houdini 0-1522013nTCEC - Stage 3A87 Dutch, Leningrad, Main Variation
16. Houdini vs Rybka 1-0852013nTCEC - Stage 3C18 French, Winawer
17. Houdini vs Stockfish  0-1872013nTCEC - Stage 4C18 French, Winawer
18. Komodo vs Houdini ½-½572013nTCEC - Stage 4B96 Sicilian, Najdorf
19. Stockfish vs Houdini  0-1762013nTCEC - Stage 4 - Season 1C70 Ruy Lopez
20. Stockfish vs Houdini  ½-½612013nTCEC - Superfinal - SeasonD45 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
21. Houdini vs Stockfish  ½-½412013nTCEC - Superfinal - SeasonD45 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
22. Stockfish vs Houdini ½-½872013nTCEC - Superfinal - SeasonE12 Queen's Indian
23. Stockfish vs Houdini  ½-½562013nTCEC - Superfinal - Season 1D99 Grunfeld Defense, Smyslov
24. Houdini vs Stockfish 1-0532013nTCEC - Superfinal - SeasonD98 Grunfeld, Russian
25. Houdini vs Stockfish ½-½692013nTCEC - Superfinal - SeasonE15 Queen's Indian
 page 1 of 4; games 1-25 of 82  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Houdini wins | Houdini loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 5 OF 7 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Dec-06-13  shach matov: <Jim> why do you say that? Daisuki said she is a woman, and she has been trying to prove that she is as smart as men are... I guess Bureaucrat is also a female, they are defending each other here
Dec-06-13  Jim Bartle: And, another own goal!!
Dec-06-13  shach matov: Jim, you're too old to be a troll on a chess site, aren't you? What happened in your life, how did you reach such an old age and still haven't gained any wisdom?

Acting like a retarded child on internet? That's about 100 own goals!!

Dec-06-13  Bureaucrat: I think it's abundantly clear who is acting like a child.

<matov>, by calling someone a <hysterical woman trying to prove that she can be as smart as a man>, you demonstrate to everyone that you are a juvenile fool and not a real man. You might be a male, but you are certainly not a man. I don't know how old you are, but you are acting like you are 12.

Bye.

Dec-06-13  shach matov: <Bureaucrat>

Don't be a foolish child. If you try to read her posts here, you'll know that something is up because they are just a collection of confused words, huge claims with absolutely no bases. The individual has no real knowledge of chess but is trying to teach the rest of us how Carlsen is going to beat a 3400 engine. Look at all her silliness this week, not one argument based on facts, but endless empty words and claims. That's pure hysteria, nothing else. It's nothing personal but I don't need to read such silliness. And that's why we got the ignore feature on this site

Dec-06-13  rogge: You should ignore everyone, my dear featherweight chump.
Dec-06-13  shach matov: Welcome back, my lightweight chump ;]
Dec-06-13  Everyone: <rogge> You are really very, very dramatic here.
Dec-06-13  rogge: My apologies to everybody :)
Dec-06-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <shach: <Daisuki> Your repetitive silliness has not and will not persuade anybody... it will just persuade many people to place you on their ignore list. You're about to join mine right now, just another silly post and you're there...>

Classic-now the hypocrite <shach> thinks being sent to his version of perdition is some blot of dishonour upon one's character.

Dec-06-13  Jim Bartle: <shach> I'm just watching you implode with ridiculous personal attacks on people who disagree with you. Daisuki isn't arguing against your ideas; she's hysterically trying to prove woman is as smart as man! Bureacrat agrees with daisuki; he must be a woman, because we all know women stick together!

The claims were laughable, and not worth a lot of time. So I just made quick jokes to ridicule them.

Dec-06-13  solskytz: <Shach Matov> as other people pointed out, there are interesting points for and against the computer (perfect player) winning in such a scenario...

I have played yesterday a 5 3 game against my 3150 rated houdini, who played without his QN.

I kept my advantage well until the endgame, with N+6 against 7 pawns - but then, short of time, I made a miscalculation - and then I was done for!

I took it back :-) and tried again from the position before my blunder - and of course managed to win :-)

On the other hand, Houdini didn't try especially to avoid trades, and I exchanged practically the whole chessboard with very little resistance from it - it was probably rather apathetic, thinking that in any case it was going to lose badly to yours truly - indeed, a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just like Marvin, the depressive all-knowing computer from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...

I'm getting a 2000 FIDE rating in January 2014, if it's any help.

I find the whole proposition and experiment highly amusing.

There is absolutely no need for violence, abuse, insults or removal of vital organs in order to enjoy this discussion (in my humble opinion).

Dec-06-13  solskytz: By the way, in case you wanted to ask, I didn't take moves back in order to obtain the 2000 FIDE rating :-) (actually it's through a 2090 performance obtained over 10 games - but they're being careful not to have people overrated by accident)
Dec-06-13  shach matov: solskytz Nice experiment. Though as you said, we can't draw any conclusions; and as I mentioned our match is not against a commercial program operated on PC but a special version prepared especially for the match, operated with the most powerful possible hardware; very different from playing a program with which one had plenty of time to play before and draw the appropriate conclusions.

<There is absolutely no need for violence, abuse> Again I am on your side, but when <perfi> starts with his hypocritical posts, the old boy needs to be put in his place. But it's all in good fun as always! ;]

Dec-06-13  kellmano: I nominate <schach matov> for most intelligent troll.
Dec-06-13  shach matov: Wouldn't that post prove that <kellmano> is a troll but just not as intelligent. A nice own goal there! ;]

.

Dec-06-13  whiteshark: <k> User: intelligent User: troll ??? You can't be serious!
Dec-06-13  galdur: There is intelligence everywhere

Mugger crocodiles balance sticks on their snouts to entice birds

http://bit.ly/196ciws

Dec-06-13  Daisuki: Based on my testing (against a ponder-on, 7500-9500 kN/s Houdini 1.5a (which is freely available) that reached depths in the early 20s) it seems like positional mistakes have to be quite severe, in fact bordering on losing pawns or worse, to not be made up in a matter of a handful of moves (according to Houdini; I'm using Arena so I can see the evaluations without seeing Houdini's lines), so long as one is up the full knight. Unlike me, Carlsen won't play mediocre moves and end up passive, so he'll make <way> more progress while his errors will be smaller and thus made up <very> quickly because he also makes progress instead of mostly sucking as I do. The initiative was also not something Houdini always held against me even though I suck, so Carlsen ought to have it quite often. Trades seemed to quickly give me a boost on the order of a quarter of a pawn, so I guess Carlsen can trade his bishops for knights with no additional compensation, too. Once Carlsen has made significant progress it becomes easier to make more progress and harder to make significant mistakes, etc., so I really doubt that infinity-ply plans mean a lot when you don't have control of the board and are simply outmatched by force. I'm not sure if I'll have the time or focus for a more proper 150'+30" game, so this is based on faster games in which I suck more relative to Houdini.
Dec-06-13  shach matov: <Daisuki: even though I suck>

Glad you finally admit it

Dec-06-13  Daisuki: The point is that even though my abilities are very low next to either Carlsen or Houdini, I did surprisingly well. I merely needed to stick to the plan to avoid getting eaten by tactics all the time.
Dec-06-13  Jim Bartle: Context for what <shach> posted out of context:

<Unlike me, Carlsen won't play mediocre moves and end up passive, so he'll make <way> more progress while his errors will be smaller and thus made up <very> quickly because he also makes progress instead of mostly sucking as I do. The initiative was also not something Houdini always held against me <even though I suck,> so Carlsen ought to have it quite often.>

Dec-06-13  shach matov: Yes, you suck, on that we can agree.

But Carlsen will not be playing a commercial computer to which he had access, he will be facing something very new, especially prepared against a top human and operated by the most powerful hardwarre. This is very different than playing at home with the same computer over and over again until you get a feel for its weaknesses.

Dec-06-13  Jim Bartle: Give any 2600 a knight advantage against a computer with a 32-piece tablebase (in other words, a perfect chessplayer), and he or she could draw or win the great majority of the time. Just an opinion.
Dec-06-13  Daisuki: <shach matov>, why don't you try it? Since I'm a woman and you are thus smarter than me you must be able to do at least as well as me and thus realize that positional mistakes have to be grievous for them to not be made up quickly. Normal mistakes (by Carlsen's standards) thus just delay the win for Carlsen so long as he remains the full knight up.
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