Stockfish with a solid lead at the TCEC Superfinal halfway mark
The TCEC Season 29 Superfinal is underway, and for the first time in years it does not look like business as usual at the Top Chess Engine Championship. The reigning 18-time champion Stockfish is chasing a record-extending 19th title, but it is doing so against a challenger few predicted would be there.
For years, the top tier of computer chess has been defined by a familiar rivalry: Stockfish versus Leela Chess Zero. But in a dramatic and unexpected turn, that era has been disrupted. A new contender, Reckless, surged into the spotlight, setting up a headline-grabbing final against the reigning powerhouse.
Read about Reckless chess engine here
Stockfish leads the TCEC Season 29 Superfinal at the halfway point
Stockfish leads Reckless 28.5 – 21.5 at the halfway point of the TCEC Season 29 Superfinal, putting the reigning champion firmly in control of what had promised to be and is an exciting match. The seven-point advantage is a familiar sight for followers of the competition. Stockfish has consistently opened up commanding leads in recent superfinals, winning Season 28 against Leela by a final margin of +15. Reckless, for its part, has not been embarrassed; the challenger has shown flashes of the aggressive, combative chess that earned it a Superfinal berth in the first place.
Follow the second half of the TCEC Superfinal live
29 seasons of TCEC history
Stockfish is the defending champion of TCEC. It has won 18 TCEC Season (League) titles as of its most recent victory in Season 28. Stockfish has been in the TCEC competition since Season 4 and has won Seasons 6, 9, 11–14, 16, and 18–28, a total of 18 titles, including an unprecedented streak of eleven consecutive championships that is about to continue with a 19th title
| Stockfish | 18 | 6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 |
| Komodo | 3 | 5, 7, 8 |
* Houdini was disqualified from TCEC in Season 20 due to plagiarism allegations. Titles from Seasons 1, 2, and 4 (Houdini 4 or earlier) remain valid; Season 10 results are disputed.
TCEC Season 29 Superfinal games, openings, results
| Engine | Engine | Score | Moves | Opening | Code | |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | 1 – 0 | 84 | Robatsch (modern) defence | B06 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 89 | Robatsch (modern) defence | B06 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | ½-½ | 110 | Ruy Lopez, closed, Chigorin, 12…Nc6 | C98 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | ½-½ | 118 | Ruy Lopez, closed, Chigorin, 12…Nc6 | C98 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | ½-½ | 96 | English opening | A21 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 86 | English opening | A21 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | 1 – 0 | 101 | Sicilian, Najdorf, Byrne (English) attack | B90 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 93 | Sicilian, Najdorf, Byrne (English) attack | B90 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | 1 – 0 | 73 | Queen’s pawn, Franco-Indian (Keres) defence | A40 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 111 | Queen’s pawn, Franco-Indian (Keres) defence | A40 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | 1 – 0 | 97 | Owen defence | B00 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 93 | Owen defence | B00 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | ½-½ | 90 | King’s Indian, orthodox, Aronin-Taimanov, 9.Ne1 | E98 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 99 | King’s Indian, orthodox, Aronin-Taimanov, 9.Ne1 | E98 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | ½-½ | 45 | Old Indian, Tartakower (Wade) variation | A41 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 123 | Old Indian, Tartakower (Wade) variation | A41 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | ½-½ | 65 | Sicilian, Nimzovich-Rossolimo attack (with …g6, without …d6) | B31 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | ½-½ | 65 | Sicilian, Nimzovich-Rossolimo attack (with …g6, without …d6) | B31 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | ½-½ | 56 | QGA, 3.e4 | D20 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 98 | QGA, 3.e4 | D20 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | 1 – 0 | 82 | Trompovsky attack (Ruth, Opovcensky opening) | A45 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 89 | Trompovsky attack (Ruth, Opovcensky opening) | A45 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | 1 – 0 | 90 | King’s Indian defence, 3.Nc3 | E61 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 132 | King’s Indian defence, 3.Nc3 | E61 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | 1 – 0 | 71 | Pirc, Austrian attack | B09 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 94 | Pirc, Austrian attack | B09 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | 1 – 0 | 71 | King’s Indian, 5.Be2 | E73 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 92 | King’s Indian, 5.Be2 | E73 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | 1 – 0 | 95 | Pirc defence | B07 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 128 | Pirc defence | B07 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | ½-½ | 79 | Sicilian, Taimanov variation | B45 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 105 | Sicilian, Taimanov variation | B45 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | ½-½ | 32 | Bogo-Indian defence | E11 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | ½-½ | 52 | Bogo-Indian defence | E11 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | 0-1 | 89 | Vienna, Steinitz gambit, Fraser-Minckwitz variation | C25 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 0-1 | 63 | Vienna, Steinitz gambit, Fraser-Minckwitz variation | C25 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | ½-½ | 53 | Dutch-Indian, Alekhine variation | A90 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 115 | Dutch-Indian, Alekhine variation | A90 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | 1 – 0 | 64 | Sicilian, Scheveningen, Keres attack | B81 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | ½-½ | 58 | Sicilian, Scheveningen, Keres attack | B81 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | ½-½ | 155 | Old Indian, main line | A55 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 152 | Old Indian, main line | A55 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | ½-½ | 105 | King’s Indian, 3.g3 | E60 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 79 | King’s Indian, 3.g3 | E60 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | ½-½ | 42 | French, Winawer, advance, 5.a3 | C17 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | ½-½ | 78 | French, Winawer, advance, 5.a3 | C17 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | ½-½ | 85 | Van’t Kruijs opening | A00 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | ½-½ | 52 | Van’t Kruijs opening | A00 |
| Reckless | – | Stockfish | 1 – 0 | 106 | Nimzo-Indian, Kmoch variation | E20 |
| Stockfish | – | Reckless | 1 – 0 | 78 | Nimzo-Indian, Kmoch variation | E20 |