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Subject: Re: what is a perfect game?

Author: Dave Gomboc

Date: 15:10:31 06/11/99

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On June 11, 1999 at 15:15:18, KarinsDad wrote:

>On June 11, 1999 at 13:14:46, Dave Gomboc wrote:
>
>[snip]
>>>
>>>I think the FIDE rules indirectly imply that a move must be made (although
>>>Miles/Reuben got away with a draw with no moves in 1975), depending on
>>>interpretation: "The game is drawn upon agreement between the two players during
>>>the game. This immediately ends the game". Since this says "during the game", it
>>>implies that the game is actually being played (or one move has been made???).
>>
>>Yes.  At www.clubkasparov.ru you can read something by V. Dvorkovich (sp?), an
>>International Arbiter, who discusses how he dealt with a recent "GM draw".
>
>Yes, I had read that article. It implies that the rule (see my other post):
>
>"An offer at any other time during play is still valid"
>
>really should read:
>
>"An offer at any other time during play is invalid"
>
>This makes more sense. Maybe the FIDE rules on the Internet have bugs in them.
>

While it is not proper to offer a draw at an inappropriate moment, draw offers
may not be retracted.  The draw was still offered, even if it was done by
ignoring the proper conduct.

>[snip]
>>>If at best black has a forced draw after Ng1, then Ng8 could lead to a fast draw
>>>as you claim. However, you also stated that maybe minimum draws are not
>>>necessarily best (your opponent has less of a chance of making a mistake). A
>>>more complicated or slower draw may be best. So, regardless of whether Ng1 leads
>>>to a win for black or a draw for black, Ng1 should not be moved since it lowers
>>>the chances of your opponent making a mistake (by trying to minimize the number
>>>of moves of a draw AND by giving your opponent two tempi). Some different
>>>drawing move that does not lead to a possible win for black or leads to a slower
>>>or more complicated draw should be made.
>>
>>Correct, Ng1 is not a good move when playing fallible opponents.  This does not
>>refute its brilliance under the original conditions. <grin>
>
>If 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. Ng1 is a forced win for black, it would refute the brilliance
>of Ng1 under the original conditions. <grin>

AFAIR the original conditions of my claim included that the position after 1.
Nf3 Nf6 2. Ng1 is a draw.  If they didn't, they were supposed to, and sorry for
the inconvenience. :-)

>>
>>>KarinsDad :)
>>>
>>>PS. I think I got you with my logic this time Dave, but I'm sure you'll think
>>>of a way to squirm out of it. :)
>>
>>Squirm.
>>
>>>PSS. I guess you have convinced me that the minimal draw move may not be best
>>>(with the caveat that it may be best in time pressure).
>>
>>That was my objective.  Does this mean that I got you with my logic? :-)
>
>For falliable opponents you did. Of course, that was not the original
>discussion.
>
>The minimal draw move is definitely not best against fallible opponents since
>the basic definition of a fallible opponent is one who will eventually lose
>against a perfect program, so why play for a draw when you can win. However, the
>definition of fallible could include a "perfect" program with a few minor bugs,
>so a perfect program should still play for a win and if the imperfect opponent
>is good enough to find a line that gives a draw, at least the perfect program
>drew. It would never (even against a fallible opponent) play a move that could
>lead to a loss (possible Ng1).
>
>Against infallible opponents, the minimal forced draw move is perfectly fine.
>But since that was what we were originally talking about, it seems okay that I
>thought that minimal forced draws could be the only ones in the tablebase.
>
>However, I doubt you could ever convince me that 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. Ng1 ever leads to
>a forced drawn position with perfect play by both sides. So, although I conceed
>your point for falliable opponents, I think your example is still poor for
>infalliable ones. Even if a perfect program knew that it's opponent was perfect,
>it would still make moves that ONLY lead to draws or wins and I doubt that Ng1
>only leads to draws or wins (with perfect play). :)

Keep doubting. :-)  Chess has a lot of slack in it.  You can make a mistake and
still save the game.  I have read that it takes two or three "GM-level" errors
for a position to become lost.

(I think that) you think GMs play substantially less than perfect, because this
is implied by the belief that if two perfect players could start from a position
that GMs rate as "slight edge for white", the result would be a win for white.
I do not share this belief.  (Though perhaps I am overstating your belief...
feel free to clarify. :-)

>KarinsDad :)

Dave



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