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Subject: Re: Testposition - Good vs Bad Bishop

Author: Sune Larsson

Date: 07:58:58 03/01/01

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On March 01, 2001 at 09:48:42, Vincent Diepeveen wrote:

>On February 28, 2001 at 17:35:48, Sune Larsson wrote:
>
>>On February 28, 2001 at 16:47:27, Bertil Eklund wrote:
>>
>>>On February 28, 2001 at 16:23:35, Sune Larsson wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>  [D]8/5b2/p2k4/1p1p1p1p/1P1K1P1P/2P1PB2/8/8 w - - 0 1
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  This is one of Averbakh's positions from 1954.
>>>>  It's a typical winning position in a good versus bad bishop ending.
>>>>  The black pawns on h5, f5, d5 and a6 are vulnerable and curtail the
>>>>  movements of the black bishop. To seal black's fate, all white need to do
>>>>  is lose a move. That is - repeat the initial position with black to move.
>>>>  This may be accomplished as follows:
>>>>
>>>>  1.Be2 Be8   [1.-Bg6 2.Bd3 Bh7 3.Bf1 leads to instant zugzwang, be it after
>>>>               3.-Bg6 4.Bg2 Bf7 5.Bf3  or after 3.-Bg8 4.Be2 Bf7 5.Bf3]
>>>>
>>>>  2.Bd3 Bg6 3.Bc2 Bh7 4.Bb3! Bg8 5.Bd1 Bf7 6.Bf3! and so on
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Test: The above position is won for white so your program should be able
>>>>        to win it. The evals should differ distinctly between white and black.
>>>>
>>>>  Sune
>>>
>>>Hej!
>>>
>>>Nimzo8 sees it immediately with a score of more then +2.
>>>It also sees 1.Bg2 as winning with about the same score.
>>>
>>>Bertil
>>
>> Okej, it's a bit hard to find a good balance, when choosing these positions.
>> If they are too easy some people just complain - if they are too hard
>> almost noone answers...;)
>>
>> Sune
>
>The big problem is to find correct positions. Every position i always
>get i have to double check things. Majority of all positions a few
>tactical extensions find it already 100x faster.
>
>Your rook position was very cool though. The bad bishop on g3 i had
>already implemented quite some time ago :)
>
>The problem here is that in a normal position a single bad placed pawn
>can lose, nearly all programs realize that now.
>
>however this position is more complicated from human viewpoint as the black
>king is doing a great job, so you need more weaknesses and need a zugzwang
>here.
>
>How to tell my program that it only wins this position if it can create
>a zugzwang?
>
>So the basic fault here of the chessplayer is the assumption that it is a
>bad bishop position. it's in fact a zugzwang position.
>for a single zugzwang you need a few plies of search that's it.
>
>Cool for my double nullmove to show its correctness, but no big deal
>really :)

 Very relevant remarks, thanks! I also noticed this double thing very
 clearly in the following position:

 white: Kb4, Nc5, Pd4,e5,g5  black: Kb6, Bf7, Pd5,e6,g6

 Now this is a good knight vs bad bishop ending - and white wins.
 But the second factor is the king's positions! Just try to shift them
 to: white Kb3 black Kb5...





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