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Subject: Re: Engines (without book) are DAMNED STRONG in the opening too

Author: Mike S.

Date: 05:45:49 01/28/04

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On January 28, 2004 at 06:30:02, Reinhard Scharnagl wrote:

>On January 27, 2004 at 16:52:59, Mike S. wrote:
>
>>[...]
>>You always argue like engines would be complete unable to play openings
>>themselves.
>
>That is not at all true. I state that using huge libraries during the phase of
>opening is contraproductive to gain improvements in detail evaluating functions,
>which could then better supply engines in the beginnings of chess games.

I basically agree to this point, or at least partially. It's potentiallly (but
not necessarily) counterproductive. I had the impression that you were
underestimating the engine's strength in the opening they have reached already
anyway, in general (or at least the medium to top engines).

While the match against Rogozenko (~2520 Elo) seems to indicate that engines (in
this case Tiger 15) are more than competitive even in Shuffle positions - and
therefore I'd guess, even more in positions arising from the classical starting
position they are better tuned for - this indeed doesn't mean that the couldn't
be improved further for that phase of the game. The usual opening libraries will
undoubtely cause, that the focuss of engine improvements isn't so much at the
(early to mid) opening.

OTOH, I'd like to remind that certain "basic abilities and knowledge of opening
principles" are crucial for engines, and therefore most also have that, because
ohterwise GMs or even other engines prepared for that, could more or less easily
gain a big advantage by playing non-theory opening moves throwing the opponent
engine "out of the book." Since this doesn't work obviously, I thought you're
statements would contradict with the current standard of engine's own openings
strength.

My main concern was, that newbies get a completely wrong impression of engine's
own opening strength, which are IMO much better than one might think when
reading your statements about it. They really sounded (to me) as if engines
would be opening idiots without a book, which they aren't (maybe that is only my
receiption, not a general one, of what you wrote about it).

>>[...]
>>So why expect from chess engines,
>>that they find all this correctly in 3 minutes?? :-))
>
>You are describing an ultamitive goal. If you deny, that it could be reached
>completely, why also skipping any possible progress in programming?

I agree again. Of course any progress in any phase of the game is desireable. I
thought our different views or opinions would be about the opening abilities
already reached by the engines, only.

Maybe we cannot disagree nor agree :-) because we are talking about different
things (I meant the quality of the status quo, and you meant the chances for
further progress).

(I think it's not yet time for the "limitation" idea, if it makes sense at all,
but that's another topic IMO. At least not as long these Man vs. Machine matches
are drawn, but not lost by the human top players still.)

Regards,
M.Scheidl



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