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Subject: Endgame stupidity

Author: Scott Gasch

Date: 01:14:30 11/29/00


Hi all,

I've been seeing my engine make some really dumb decisions in endgames receltly.
 It just can't seem to see deep enough to decide to do the right thing.  Here's
an example position:

[D]8/p5k1/3p2p1/2pP1p1p/8/7P/6P1/3B3K w - f6 0 36

This happened in a game where it was playing black.  Not good.  But the way it
handles it is even worse.  It lets the white king walk around and kill the A
pawn then the two in the middle realizing too late that it could have tried to
defend them with its own king.  Likewise when I have it play white it does not
see this sequqnce opting instead to trade pawns, pick off a couple with the
bishop and just plain mess everything up.  It never moves the king and does not
realize it's hosed until here:

[D]8/8/3p2B1/8/p1pk4/8/8/7K w - - 0 0

I obviously need help... a different eval routine specifically designed for
endgames maybe?  I know my search is sound, I am just not getting deep enough
fast enough to see endgame tactics and getting routinely punished for it.  To
try to improve things I added code giving large bonuses for passed pawns and a
pawn-push extension... it seems that this has not helped matters though.

Thanks again,
Scott






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