ATOMICC Computer Chess Testing Back

      In August the author decided to abandon his engine testing and never return, but fortunately has decided to come back.  He says he will be testing “what I want, when I want, and how I want.”  Makes sense...it's his Blog.

      The latest test pitted Houdini Pro 3 vs. Critter 1.6a 64bit.  This test was conducted at 20 minutes per game with 20 seconds per move on a 6 CPU machine with a 2,048 MB hash table and endgame table bases. Looking at this hardware reinforces my decision to abandon CC play on LSS.  How can my laptop compete against this stuff?
       Houdini Pro won decisively: +6 -1 =3.  Among the free engines I still seem to get the best results with Houdini 1.5 64bit and I have tried most all of them: Critter 1.6a(64), DeepSaros 3.0, Fire 1.5 xTreme 64bit, Firebird 1.2 x64, Ivanhoe B47cBx64a, Komodo64 3, Naum 4.2, Rybka 2.3.2amp, Rybka 3, Spike 1.4, Stockfish 2.3.1 JA 64bit and Strelka 5.5 are in my “arsenal.”  I keep coming back to Houdini though.
       It looks like Houdini is still the best all around engine available