The ongoing Chess.com Computer Championship saw a fascinating endgame between Stockfish and Komodo played on April 3. GM Dejan Bojkov and IM Daniel Rensch take a closer look at the main theme: zugzwang.
In the absence of major chess events, the interest in computer tournaments is growing again. Currently, chess fans can follow both the TCEC and our very own championship, which is currently seeing its 13th edition.
The tournament has reached the semifinals stage, played among the engines Leela Chess Zero, Stockfish, Leelenstein, and Komodo. Here are some of the rules that apply:
- In these semifinals, the openings are a combination of gambits and popular openings.
- Full 6-man and Syzygy 7-man tablebases are used.
- Games will be played until mate or draw by threefold repetition, stalemate, 50-move rule, or adjudication.
- Tied matches will continue until one engine wins a set of two games with a score of 1.5/2.0 or 2.0/2.0.
- Tiebreaks will reuse match openings, restarting from the first opening.
One of the clashes between Stockfish and Komodo last Friday saw an absolutely stunning endgame that deserves a closer look. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter:


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