Computer Chess Club Archives


Search

Terms

Messages

Subject: Re: pulsar plays positionally very weak, suggestions?

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 06:32:49 09/21/00

Go up one level in this thread


On September 21, 2000 at 00:38:37, Mike Adams wrote:

>     I want to thank those who offered suggestions for null move in Pulsar, in
>perliminary tests it seems to be worth 50 points to do depth-3 over depth-2.
>Also it no longer does null move while in check.
>     Pulsar manages to win many games by blitzing its opponent with tactics but
>its often comeing from behind in very unsound positions it gets itself into. It
>will let its queen wander to other side of board while its king is under viscous
>attack.  It has been known to place its pieces in very awkward positions with
>little room for movement.   The evaluate basicly only looks a things like 64
>grid poitions bonuses for knights, bishops, pawns. pawn structure such as passed
>isolated and double pawns, and rooks on 7th rank and open files.  It also has a
>little king saftey in that it tries to preserve the pawns around its castled
>kings and there is a 25 point bonus for castling.  I preety much modled the
>evaluate after the simple chess program and have not gone beyond that.  Its
>playing at 2100 blitz at moment on icc but can still lose to much lower rated
>opponents who maybe allign all pieces on king and make a sacraftice at critical
>move. Are there some things I can do without getting overly complicated at least
>not at first that would improve it postionally.  For example is there any way i
>can use the moves it generates in the evaluate function to look for things like
>piece mobility or pieces threatening the king?  I have added a check extension
>which seems to be helping king saftey but it still kicks in often late.  Any
>suggestions would be appreciated.


This is the hard part.  You now have to start working on your evaluation, to
"teach" it what to do and what not to do.  IE a queen on the off-side, with no
way to get to the defense of the king, is asking for an attack.  Ditto for
weak or poor pawn structure, etc.  It will take a _lot_ of time.  But it is
the "fun" part of chess as well.  :)



This page took 0 seconds to execute

Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700

Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.