Author: Stephen Ham
Date: 09:53:43 03/31/00
Dear Readers, I know many of you are actively following my ongoing match games versus Fritz 6a and Nimzo 7.32. For those of you not familiar with the event, please visit: http://correspondencechess.com/campbell/index.htm Anyway, a frequent poster here (name is withheld) wrote to Mr. Campbell stating that since the chess engines are displaying their top 3 choices, they are being weakened "a lot". No explanation was given for that claim. Would somebody here please provide a detailed explanation regarding whether this claim is correct and why? The chess engines are on settings recommended by ChessBase USA as their optimal settings for this event. My extremly limited understanding is that displaying the top 3 choices does indeed affect the chess engines, but it causes them to spend more time on what it believes to be the 3 best moves. As such, this sounds like an enhancement to me. Given that the chess engines are allowed about 24 hours calculation time on weekdays and are searching to 16-18 ply, I can't imagine that this weakens them in any way. Please advise. We sincerely want the chess engines to play at peak performance. I also think we all learn more about computers in Correspondence Chess when we can see their 2-3 choices and understand what it caclculates and DOESN'T calculate in certain positions. Often, it seems they make the correct choices for the wrong reasons. Since I am the computer's opponent, I don't have access to the chess engine manuals where this may be explained. Thanks in advance for any information you can provide. Stephen Ham
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