Defending champion Stockfish is the winner of the Top Chess Engine Championship Season 22. It was up a near-decisive twelve points at the half-way mark, and although Komodo Dragon slowed the bleeding somewhat in the second half of the Superfinal, Stockfish’s lead has grown to +18 as of time of writing (game 88/100). Stockfish not only won in dominating fashion, but it set a record: Stockfish mathematically won the Superfinal in game 84, which is the earliest point at which a 100-game superfinal has ever been decided. Two more records remain at reach: Stockfish has twelve games left to break the record for the biggest margin of victory in a Superfinal (currently also held by Stockfish when it scored +20 vs. Komodo in Season 12) and, if it can avoid losing, it will also set a new record for a Superfinal with no lost openings. Live: TCEC official site / TCEC Twitch TV / Superfinal preview Review: TCEC Premire division final standings / Report after DRR2 / Report after DRR3
For Stockfish fans, this dominating performance is just the beginning: Stockfish 15 has just been released, and immediately afterwards, a new NNUE gaining another 2-3 elo in self-play was trained. Runner-up Komodo Dragon can also look back on Season 22 as a successful campaign. Although it was soundly defeated in the Superfinal, it did reach the Superfinal for the first time since Season 13. More: Chess’s icons are now Carlsen and Stockfish
Next up is the subfinal, a 100-game match between Komodo Dragon and 3rd-place finisher Leela Chess Zero, where the latter will try to prove that it should have been the one to challenge Stockfish in the Superfinal. Although Leela did finish well behind Komodo Dragon in the Premier Division, it was also undefeated against both Komodo Dragon and Stockfish. Leela has historically been stronger in match play than in tournaments, so we will likely witness a tough battle. After the subfinal, the chess fans can expect the Cup, the Swiss, and Fischer Random Chess event. All games will be played live at https://tcec-chess.com/
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Game review
Here is game 22 of Season 22, with analysis by GM Matthew Sadler Replay: https://tcec-chess.com/#div=sf&game=22&season=22 Video: Youtube
