Author: Dave Gomboc
Date: 10:52:22 01/18/00
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On January 18, 2000 at 10:40:30, Steve Coladonato wrote: >Are tablebases basically a set of finite positions that have pointers to >subsequent positions (most probably positions leading to a win)? And if so, is >the basic algorithm to go to the next position that in turn will have a pointer >to a "won" position? I am also concluding that once a program starts to use a >tablebase, it no longer does any "real" processing, just pointer evaluation. Is >this basically it or am I way off the mark here? > >Thanks. > >Steve You're on the right track. The tablebases are the set of positions, accompanied by the number of ply it will take to win (or lose)... or if the position is a draw (or simply impossible to reach by the rules of the game, e.g. both kings in check), it notes that too. Once the root position (the position on the board) is in tablebase land, the only processing you do is to see, hmm well I had a mate in 51, so let's try all of the moves that are legal here and see which one is a mate in 50... aha, it's Rg6, let's play that. Of course, if two or more moves led to mate in 50, you could choose any of them. "Pointer" has a specific computer programming meaning, and it wouldn't be correct to say that the positions have pointers to the successor positions, but if you are thinking in general terms about the number of plies until checkmate values as "pointers" that show how to continue playing, it's all good. Dave
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