04 April 2023

Breaking the 3600 Barrier

The post from a couple of days ago, Baffling eBay (April 2023), was post no.3600 on this blog. That means it's time for another 'Breaking the Barrier' post, last seen in Breaking the 3500 Barrier (October 2022). In that '3500' post I wrote

If I ever do a 'Breaking 3600' post, I now have two CCRL rating lists to consult, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

I am now standing in front of that bridge -- OK, sitting in front of it -- and I see that there are four CCRL rating lists. Shown below are the top five engines from three of the lists. Note that the third list is over three years old.


www.computerchess.org.uk/ccrl

Stockfish is the top engine on each of the lists, with a 3749 'Blitz' rating, and a 3536 '40/15', i.e. 'Rapid', rating. In the '3500' post I commented on the 200 point difference between the 'Blitz' and 'Rapid' ratings and am just as clueless now as I was then. In the same post I commented on the claim 'Carlsen breaks 2900 barrier':-

Given that Chess24.com is a defacto Magnus Carlsen fan club and that the record involved a '2900 Tour Rating' -- whatever that is -- the whole thing looks suspicious. TBD: Review for 'Breaking the 3600 Barrier'.

GM Carlsen's FIDE rating page Carlsen, Magnus (ratings.fide.com), shows him going over 2900 for both blitz and rapid ratings, but not for the standard rating. His current FIDE standard rating is 2853, making him the only player currently over 2800. GMs Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren, the two players who will soon be playing for the title of World Champion, are rated no.2 and no.3 on the FIDE list at just under 2800.

Getting back to the 'CCRL Blitz Rating List' there are currently 17 engines rated over 3600. Based on that same list, it looks like we're already good for a 'Breaking 3700' post seven months (or so) from now, which should have at least two engines.

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