I have a lot of engines on my laptop, but only use Stockfish. It’s the strongest engine and it’s only “disadvantage”, if you can call it that, is that it nitpicks even Grand master games.
Supposedly, you can adjust the Beginner skill level using the "Skill" setting found in the engine's parameters, but my Fritz program does not offer that option. I had to use the old Fritz 12 program and select the Komodo Beginner engine. Using Fritz 17 and 19 will only allow me to play against the Fritz engine.
As you can see from the chart generated by Fritz 19 using Stockfish for analysis, the Komodo engine’s play was hardly at the beginner
level.
In any case, for those who like to tinker with engines and are interested, you can download older versions of the Komodo and Dragon engines for free on their site HERE.
[Event "Game 10"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2025.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tartajubow"]
[Black "Komodo 14 Beginner"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E81"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 17.1"]
[PlyCount "104"]
[EventDate "2025.??.??"]
{E81: King's Indian: Saemisch Variation} 1. e4 g6 {A surprise! I was expecting
1...e5} 2. d4 Bg7 3. c4 d6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. f3 {Planning on a P-storming attack
against by beginning opponent's K; it didn't come close to happening.} O-O 6.
Be3 c5 7. d5 {Statistically the idea of closing the center and P-storming
black does not work out thjat well and so the preferred move here is 7.Nge2} e6
8. Bd3 {Better is 8.Qd2} (8. Qd2 {It's important to note that Bh6 isn't going
to work.} exd5 9. cxd5 a6 10. a4 (10. Bh6 {runs into} Nxe4 11. Nxe4 Qh4+ 12. g3
Qxh6 {Black has snagged a P.}) 10... Re8 {and black cn meet Bh6 with ...Bh8 so
white has to try something else. My database offers 8 reasonable choices.})
8... exd5 9. exd5 {I was thinking this keeps an line to the K-side for my B,
but it's the wrong recaoture. Black now gets more pressure on the e-file than
I anticipated.} (9. cxd5 Re8 10. Qd2 a6 11. a4 Nbd7 12. Nge2 Ne5 13. O-O Rb8 {
us the main book line.}) 9... Re8 10. Qd2 Bh6 {While this takes advantage of
the pin on the e-file black would to better to simply play 10...Nbd7} 11. Nd1 {
At this point I was disgusted with my play; I an clealy on the defensive and
the hope of a K-side P-storm is gone.} b5 {Not exactly a beginner's move. It's
Stockfish's top choice and the auto-analysis gave it a "!"} 12. Ne2 (12. b3 {
looks like a waste of time...black continues} Qe7 13. Kf2 Bg7 {The defense of
33 has succeeded, but not there is a threat on the long diagonal.} 14. Rc1 Nbd7
{White has nothing constructive.}) 12... bxc4 {Now my d-Pawn is weak.} 13. Bxc4
Bxe3 {Exchanges only help white, so 13...Bg7 as in the note above was better.}
14. Nxe3 {The position is equal, but all white can to is twiddle his thumbs
and react to whatever black undertakes.} Nbd7 15. O-O {It's hard to be
critical of castling, but a more active idea was 15.Nc3 and 16.Bb6} Qe7 16. Kf2
{This exposes the K a bit, but the N had no decent square to which it could
retreat. tockfish evaluates this position as only very slightly in black's
favor, but I had the feeling that I was losing.} Qe5 17. b3 Nb6 (17... Qxh2 {
is quite safe.} 18. Rh1 Qe5 19. Rae1 {The position is equal...white can dream
of getting the Q to h6 and some play on the h-file.}) 18. Bb5 Bd7 19. Bxd7
Nfxd7 {The exchanges have eased white's defensive burden.} 20. h3 {This
represents a change of mind about offering the h-Pawn, but it's a poor
decision!} (20. Nc3 Qxh2 21. Ng4 (21. Rh1 Qf4 22. g3 Qg5 23. Rad1 Re7 24. Nb5
Rae8 25. Rhe1 Nc8 {is good for nlack.}) 21... Qh4+ 22. g3 Qd8 23. Nh6+ Kf8 24.
Ne4 {and white is right back in the game.}) 20... a5 {[%mdl 2048] Black is
more active and with white defending e3, black switches opertions to the
Q-side.} 21. Nc3 a4 22. Rfe1 axb3 23. axb3 Rxa1 24. Rxa1 Qd4 {The position is
equal, but defending the still weak e3 plus two isolated Ps is a heavy
defensive birden.} 25. Rd1 {Of course the Q can't be taken because of the P
fork on the Ns.} Qh4+ 26. Kf1 {Retreating to g1 was correct.} Qb4 {I missed
this.} 27. Kf2 f5 {Prevents Ne4} (27... Qxb3 {This is what I expected, but
didn't notice tht after} 28. Rb1 Nc4 29. Qe1 (29. Qc1 Nde5 30. Rxb3 Nd3+) 29...
Nb2 30. Qd2 Nc4 {the position is back to equal, or black can deaw by repeating
moves.}) 28. Re1 Nf6 29. Rd1 Re5 (29... Qxb3 {is out of the question now.} 30.
Rb1 Nc4 31. Qc1 {Black loses material.}) 30. Na4 {Hoping to exchange another
piece.} Qf4 {Threatening a N fork on e4} 31. Nc3 Nh5 32. Ne2 {Covers g3} Qh4+
33. Kf1 Qe7 34. Kf2 {Hoping black will take a draw by repeating moves.} Qg5 35.
Qd3 f4 {Winning the d-Pawn} 36. Ng4 Rxd5 37. Qb1 {In spite of his horribly
passive position white is still equal!} Nf6 (37... Rxd1 38. Qxd1 {and white
has play because of black's weak d-Pawn,}) 38. Nxf6+ Qxf6 39. Rxd5 {
Eliminating Rs was the wrong decision because the ending ow favors black} (39.
Qa1 Qxa1 40. Rxa1 g5 41. Ra6 Nd7 {Would probably be a draw. B;acl is hindered
by having his R in front of the d-(awn.}) 39... Nxd5 {[%mdl 4096] I felt
pretty confodent that I could draw this Q ending.} 40. Qa2 {Qa8+ is the strong
threat.} Qe6 41. Qa8+ Kg7 42. Qa7+ Kh6 43. Qb8 {Hoping to get some checks in,
but this loses.} (43. Qa8 {Attacking the N is the only way to save the game/}
Qe3+ 44. Kf1 Qd3 45. Qf8+ Kh5 46. Ke1 Qe3 47. Qf7 Nb4 48. Qxh7+ Kg5 49. Qh8
Nd3+ 50. Kd1 {Neither side can win from this position/}) 43... Qe3+ 44. Kf1 Qe5
45. Qf8+ Kh5 {The K has avoided further checks, but with 46.Kf2 white would
still be in the game.} 46. Qf7 {[%mdl 8192] Of course the threat is Qxh7+, but
it's black to play and win.} Ne3+ 47. Kf2 Nxg2 {[%mdl 576]} 48. Qxh7+ Kg5 49.
Qc7 Qe3+ 50. Kxg2 Qxe2+ 51. Kg1 Qe1+ 52. Kg2 Qg3+ {[%mdl 64] White resigned.
Thankfully beginners do not play like black did!} 0-1
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