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Subject: Re: Time Difference Re: Repetition/draw test

Author: Howard Exner

Date: 12:06:38 03/09/00

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On March 09, 2000 at 14:03:49, Brian Richardson wrote:

>Just one data point:  Tinker with 2nd rep counting as draw likes Qd5+ right
>away, but does blunder by not making Qd1+ after the king moves back...
>
>With full 3rd rep counting as a draw, Tinker likes Qe3+ for a while, but then
>picks Qd5+, but only after 12 seconds (on my laptop).  However, it does then
>play Qd1+ for the draw.
>
>So which way would be "best"?
>
>How about 2nd rep if(computer) and 3rd rep if not?
>
>Brian

Looks like Hiarcs, Ferret and Zarkov and yoour program handle this position
correctly. Rebel and Crafty do not. On the practical side it is a rare
occurance and some have posted that there is a slight performance hit if
programming to solve these kinds of rareties. Still I'd like to think that
programs should come to handle these rare kinds of positions correctly. I recall
the under promotion debates where some said it is so rare as to only result in
vitually no elo improvement, yet consumers demand this type of accuracy
nevertheless. I'm in the camp that would prefer to own a program that plays all
these rareties correctly. They have a cumulative effect of making the program
look refined. For example each of these themes occur rarely but what purchaser
of software would not want these on their wish list:

1. Above repetion theme
2. Under promotion
3. Rook pawn draw with wrong colored bishop
4. Same as #3 but with two rook pawns
5. Drawing KQ vs KP theme when pawn is a bishop pawn on the 7th rank
6. Drawing KQ vs KP theme when pawn is a rook pawn on the 7th rank

Most programs know these (some use table bases to handle them) but when
these are mastered then other more refined endgame positions should be pursued.
I'll gather some test positions, some seen before here, that illustrate some
themes that I hope programmers will incorporate into their programs.



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