The Crafty-Rebel NPS challenge
A 10 game time handicap match between Crafty and Rebel.
This match (or experiment) is a result of a huge discussion on Usenet
concerning the current state of playing strength of todays PC chess
programs and the supposed strongest chess program Deep Blue of IBM.
The main participants of the discussion Bob Hyatt (Crafty) and Ed Schröder
(Rebel) strongly disagreed about the ELO gap between todays strongest PC
chess programs and the Deep Blue monster machine of IBM.
In the fire of the discussion Bob Hyatt stated that Deep Blue is at least
200 ELO points stronger than the best PC chess program. Ed Schröder replied
that the gap is not more than 50 ELO points.
After that Bob Hyatt challenged Ed Schröder for a 50:1 time handicap match
between Cratfy and Rebel. Ed Schröder accepted also saying let's make it
a 100:1 time handicap match then.
So here we are, a 10 game match between Crafty and Rebel played on tournament
level by Rebel8 and Crafty using 100 x more time as Rebel8 also running on
todays fastest machines the Pentium Pro 200 Mhz.
Now what does this experiment prove? Deep Blue the big iron of IBM due to
his incredible hardware is able to search 100,000,000 chess positions
in one second (called NPS) where the average PC programs can only
search 50,000 to 100,000 NPS. Because of this it's most
likely to assume that Deep Blue will crush any PC program in a 10 game
match since it has proven that speed is very important for chess programs.
With this match we hope to get more information what machine power does to
chess programs. We will also play a 50-60 match between Crafty and Rebel8
on EQUAL tournament time which will give a good impression of the
playing strength of both programs and THEN compare these results
with the results of this handicap match.
Check all the testing details
Rebel 8.0 - Crafty 11.17
Game 1
[Event "The Crafty-Rebel NPS challenge"]
[Site "Deventer, The Netherlans"]
[Date "1997.03.07"]
[Round "1"]
[White "REBEL 8.0"]
[Black "CRAFTY 11.17"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B20"]
1. e4 c5 2. b3 d6 3. Bb2 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. g3 Bg7 6. Bg2 0-0 7. Nge2 e5
8. 0-0 Nc6 9. f4 c4 10. Kh1 cxb3 11. axb3 Bg4 12. h3 Bxe2 13. Nxe2 Re8
14. f5 d5 15. exd5 Nxd5 16. Kh2 a6 17. Be4 Qd7 18. fxg6 hxg6 19. Nc3 Nxc3
20. dxc3 Qc7 21. Bd5 Nd8 22. Qf3 Rb8 23. Rad1 Ne6 24. h4 b5 25. h5 gxh5
26. Qxh5 Rb6 27. Kg2 Nd8 28. Bc1 a5 29. Be4 Ne6 30. Be3 Ra6 31. Rd5 Rb8
32. Bh7+ Kf8 33. Bd3 Rb7 34. Bxb5 Rd6 35. Bc4 Qc6 36. Qf3 Rc7 37. Bc5 Nxc5
38. Rxd6 Qxf3+ 39. Rxf3 e4 40. Re3 a4 41. g4 Ke7 42. Rd1 Bh6 43. Rh3 Bg7
44. Rf1 Kf8 45. g5 a3 46. g6 f6 47. Ra1 Ra7 48. b4 Nd7 49. Be6 Ne5
50. Bf5 Nf3 51. Kf2 Ng5 52. Re3 Kg8 53. c4 Bf8 54. c5 a2 55. c3 Ra3
56. Bxe4 Nxe4+ 57. Rxe4 Kg7 58. Rc4 Kxg6 59. c6 Bd6 60. c7 Bxc7
61. Rxc7 1-0
1. e4 c5
2. b3 d6
3. Bb2
Crafty out of book after 3. Bb2, score -0.372
3... Nf6
4. Nc3 g6
5. g3
Crafty after 6:53:00 is on ply 15, score -0.053 planning Bg7
5... Bg7
6. Bg2 0-0
7. Nge2
Rebel8 out of book, Rebel after 6:48 played 7. Nge2 score 0.18 at ply 11
7... e5
8. 0-0 Nc6
9. f4
Rebel8 after 3:47 played 9. f4 score 0.04 at ply 9
Crafty after 3 hours is on ply 13, score 0.011 planning Nd4
Total time Crafty: 60:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 18:36
9... c4
10. Kh1 cxb3
11. axb3
Rebel8 after 2:49 played 11. axb3 score 0.36 at ply 9
Crafty after 5 hours is on ply 14, score -0.188 planning Re8
Total time Crafty: 81:13:00
Total time Rebel8: 25:56
11.. Bg4
12. h3 Bxe2
13. Nxe2 Re8
14. f5 d5
15. exd5
Rebel8 after 9:21 played 15. exd5 score 0.36 at ply 10
Crafty after 3 hours is on ply 14, score -0.298 planning Nxd5
Total time Crafty: 104:48:00
Total time Rebel8: 43:47
15.. Nxd5
16. Kh2 a6
17. Be4
Rebel8 after 5:43 played 17. Be4 score 0.39 at ply 9
Crafty after 6 hours is on ply 13, score -0.199 planning Qd7
Total time Crafty: 124:26:00
Total time Rebel8: 57:00
17.. Qd7
18. fxg6 hxg6
19. Nc3 Nxc3
20. dxc3
Rebel8 after 1:15 played 20. dxc3 score 0.25 at ply 9
Crafty after 2 hours is on ply 14, score 0.283 planning Qc7
Total time Crafty: 148:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 1:05:00
20.. Qc7
21. Bd5 Nd8
22. Qf3
Rebel8 after 7:59 played 22. Qf3 score 0.47 at ply 10
Crafty after 25 minutes is on ply 12, score 0.337 planning Rb8
Total time Crafty: 170:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 1:18:00
22.. Rb8
23. Rad1 Ne6
24. h4
Rebel8 after 5:39 played 24. h4 score 0.61 at ply 10
Crafty after 2 hours is on ply 13, score -0.008 planning b5
Total time Crafty: 198:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 1:28:00
24.. b5
25. h5 gxh5
26. Qxh5
Rebel8 after 1:29 played 26. Qxh5 score 0.66 at ply 8
Crafty after 4 hours is on ply 14, score -0.117 planning Rb6
Total time Crafty: 222:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 1:36:00
26.. Rb6
27. Kg2 Nd8
28. Bc1
Rebel8 after 5:30 played 28. Bc1 score 0.81 at ply 10
Crafty after 3 hours is on ply 13, score -0.461 planning Ne6
Total time Crafty: 241:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 1:52:00
28.. a5
29. Be4 Ne6
30. Be3
Rebel8 after 4:41 played 30. Be3 score 1.41 at ply 9
Crafty after 7 hours is on ply 14, score -1.547 planning Ra6
Total time Crafty: 262:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 2:06:00
30.. Ra6
31. Rd5 Rb8
32. Bh7+
Rebel8 after 4:26 played 32. Bh7+ score 1.45 at ply 8
Crafty after 1 hour is on ply 13, score -1.493 planning Kf8
Total time Crafty: 285:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 2:18:00
32.. Kf8
33. Bd3 Rb7
34. Bxb5
Rebel8 after 7:14 played 34. Bxb5 score 1.49 at ply 9
Crafty after 15:00 is on ply 12, score -2.023 planning Rd6
Total time Crafty: 296:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 2:30:00
34.. Rd6
35. Bc4 Qc6
36. Qf3 Rc7
37. Bc5
Rebel8 after 4:06 played 37. Bc5 score 3.21 at ply 10
Crafty after 30:00 is on ply 13, score -2.864 planning Nxc5
Total time Crafty: 301:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 2:39:00
Crafty is moving very fast in this stage, about 2 hours per move
because of the time control on move 40. Crafty because of the restart
on move 16 was given an extra seven hours so the real time control
for Crafty on move 40 is 307 hours and not the initial 300 hours.
37.. Nxc5
38. Rxd6 Qxf3+
39. Rxf3 e4
40. Re3 a4
41. g4
Rebel8 after 9:14 played 41. g4 score 2.68 at ply 11
Crafty after 30:00 is on ply 13, score -2.720 planning Rc8
Total time Crafty: 306:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 2:57:00
41.. Ke7
42. Rd1 Bh6
43. Rh3
Rebel8 after 5:35 played 43. Rh3 score 2.93 at ply 11
Crafty after 2 hours is on ply 15, score -3.108 planning Bg7
Total time Crafty: 335:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 3:08:00
43.. Bg7
44. Rf1 Kf8
45. g5
Crafty after 13 hours played 44.. Kf8 score -3.367 at ply 15
Rebel8 after 4:09 played 45. g5 score 2.79 at ply 10
Crafty after 0:00 is on ply 14 based on info from the previous search.
Total time Crafty: 358:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 3:16:00
45.. a3
46. g6 f6
47. Ra1
Rebel8 after 6:35 played 47. Ra1 score 3.34 at ply 11
Crafty after 2 hours is on ply 15, score -4.023 planning Ra7
Total time Crafty: 380:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 3:26:00
47.. Ra7
48. b4 Nd7
49. Be6 Ne5
50. Bf5
Rebel8 after 7:11 played 50. Bf5 score 3.91 at ply 12
Crafty after 30:00 is on ply 14, score -4.213 planning Nf3
Total time Crafty: 401:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 3:43:00
50.. Nf3
51. Kf2 Ng5
52. Re3 Kg8
53. c4
Rebel8 after 6:14 played 53. c4 score 4.17 at ply 11
Crafty after 5 hours is on ply 16, score -4.961 planning Bf8
Total time Crafty: 425:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 3:58:00
53.. Bf8
54. c5 a2
55. c3 Ra3
56. Bxe4 Nxe4+
57. Rxe4
Rebel8 after 0:25 played 57. Rxe4 score 4.50 at ply 9
Crafty after 3 hours is on ply 17, score -5.598 planning Rxc3
Total time Crafty: 446:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 4:12:00
57.. Kg7
58. Rc4 Kxg6
59. c6 Bd6
60. c7 Bxc7
61. Rxc7 1-0 Crafty resigns.
Rebel8 after 5:21 played 61. Rxc7 score 5.45 at ply 12
Total time Crafty: 452:00:00
Total time Rebel8: 4:26:00
View Rebel8 analysis.
Download Rebel8 analysis.
Download NPS game in PGN format.
View analysis Crafty moves by Rebel8 at average time of 4:30
Rebel8 Game Overview of 4:30 analysis
Download Rebel8 Game Overview picture
The 50-60 game match between Rebel8 and Crafty on equal tournament time
(40/2:00) has ended since Crafty is facing serious communication problems
with the AUTO232 software necessary to run the match.
Bob Hyatt and Ed Schröder were not able to find a solution although they
tried with many program changes the problem did not go away. As a result
of this unworkable situation Ed Schröder decided to stop the NPS challenge
after above game-1 is finished.
Besides of the AUTO232 communication problems other problems showed up in
the 50-60 game match. Since Bob Hyatt wasn't able to test Crafty on AUTO232
personally Bob Hyatt reported problems after he received the Crafty log
files of the played games sofar from Ed Schröder.
So the 50-60 games match was terminated and the result of 9-3 in favor of
Rebel8 isn't 100% reliable. Also Rebel8 played the white pieces in the
first 12 games. A final try to let Crafty play the white pieces for 12-13
games failed.
Despite all of this we publish the played games. Crafty is freeware so
you can build your own opinion about the 12 games by replaying the games
with Crafty.
Conclusion, the only reliable game is game one played on the 1:100 time
handicap level.
Rebel8 - Crafty (1:100 time handicap) 1 - 0
Rebel8 - Crafty (40 moves in 2 hours) 9 - 3
Crafty - Rebel8 (40 moves in 2 hours) aborted
Download the 12 games in PGN format
Last and final update April 1,1997
No joke!
The Rebel Home Page has been visited 
times.
Since November 23, 1995
Click here to enjoy the rest of our pages.