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Subject: Re: Engine testing: Who do you play?

Author: Stuart Cracraft

Date: 19:44:35 08/29/04

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On August 29, 2004 at 11:39:18, Dan Honeycutt wrote:

>On August 29, 2004 at 01:10:47, Stuart Cracraft wrote:
>
>>On August 28, 2004 at 11:03:44, Dan Honeycutt wrote:
>>
>>>On August 27, 2004 at 22:44:47, Stuart Cracraft wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>Computer vs. computer and especially computer against a version of itself
>>>>is well-known for exaggerating the relative difference.
>>>>
>>>
>>>Hi Stuart:
>>>Could this explain that the stronger version could lose to the weaker version
>>>because their play is so nearly identical?
>>>
>>>
>>>>Why not setup your program for internet chess server chess and have it
>>>>play there?
>>>>
>>>
>>>I'm trying to do an A-B comparison where A and B are identical except for X to
>>>see if X is an improvement.  I'd have to let both play on the server long enough
>>>to get a reliable rating which would seem slower than a controlled test - though
>>>I would get a lot more variety of opponents.
>>
>>Use brute force:
>>
>>  1) run a very large test suite
>>  2) do self play a very large number of games with slight randomization
>>  3) run it for a large number of games on ICS
>>
>>It's a lot of work but you want to know whether X wins or not and the
>>future of your program depends on it.
>>
>>Stuart
>
>Hi Stuart:
>You are exactly right.  Problem is, so many X's, so little time.  I'm trying to
>find a way to judge X in a reasonable amount of time.  It's not easy - if it
>were everybody's program would play like Junior or Shredder.
>
>Dan H.

Dan -- can you consider some kind of mathematical/engineering/biological
approach to balance all your terms?

Have you done any auto-tuning?

I had to write this entire 4 month 4000 line chess program just to get
something going with auto-tuning and got kind of bogged-down in the
implementation but it is all pretty much together for the next step.

I want to auto-tune because a) I am a weak player and can't possibly
balance the terms myself b) I don't have the time to balance/test/rebalance
and retest for decades and c) it is more fun to watch the work being done
than to do it myself.

Stuart



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