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Subject: Re: Help: Null move and Aspiration failure

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 07:28:38 05/15/99

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On May 15, 1999 at 08:34:20, William Bryant wrote:

>OK, 1st big problem which is probably something I don't understand.
>
>The program fails low at the root resetting alpha to -INFINITY.
>
>You now make your first root move, and search with alpha now equal to -beta,
>and beta equal to -alpha, which makes beta equal to INFINITY.
>If you call a null move at this point, the null move window is
>INFINITY, INFINITY +1 which obviously does nothing but return a score of
>INFINITY which is greater or equal to beta .....
>
>
>What am I doing wrong.  Do you screen for this before doing a null move?
>



you have a bug.  (a) _no_ score should ever exist _below_ -infinity, in fact
no score must ever equal -infinity.  Which may mean your -infinity isn't small
enough.  (b) if (a) is satisfied, how can you fail low on -infinity?

The most common bug with null move is a fail high, and on the research where
beta has been relaxed, you get a fail-low.  _that_ can be a serious problem if
you don't ignore the false fail-high at the root.  You will occasionally play a
totally garbage move.




>William
>wbryant@ix.netcom.com



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