Author: Stephen A. Boak
Date: 23:48:10 04/09/01
1. When I select EDIT / COPY / MOVE LIST w/TABS / AUTO-ANNOTATION, then paste the annotated game into WordPad (after selecting Chessmaster 8000 font), the columnar alignment of the game statistics is always destroyed (not the same as shown in the program itself), and the result looks something like this: ; White Black ;Book Move 5 4 ;Leave Book 0 1 ;CM8000 Agrees 21 21 ;CM8000 Disagrees 2 3 ;Agreement Pct. 91% 88% ;Total Error 0.00 1.66 ;Relevant Error 0.00 1.66 ;Missed Mate 0 0 ;Moved Into Mate 0 0 I have to enter a tab in front of the White Black line, as well as 5 of the following 9 statistics figure sets, to correct the pasted output to look like this: ; White Black ;Book Move 5 4 ;Leave Book 0 1 ;CM8000 Agrees 21 21 ;CM8000 Disagrees 2 3 ;Agreement Pct. 91% 88% ;Total Error 0.00 1.66 ;Relevant Error 0.00 1.66 ;Missed Mate 0 0 ;Moved Into Mate 0 0 Can this annoying Copy & Paste problem be fixed in some easy manner? I dislike always having to manually correct the pasted output in order to get clear statistics columns. 2. I previously criticized an unannounced programming change made in CM8000 or one of its patches, for several reasons, one being that it makes CM8000 no longer 'standard' or similar to other programs I own or have used. I believe this programming change has also caused another problem (which I didn't mention previously) to the otherwise fine operation of CM8000 in performing GAME ANALYSIS. The added problem is pointed out below, after the BACKGROUND information, under NEW PROBLEM NOTED, if the reader wishes to skip directly to it. BACKGROUND-- That change caused the program score, best move, and best following line of play to now be shown on the same line as the prior move (as the score and best continuation leading to that score). Previously it had been shown on the line of the actually played next move (as the score and best continuation the program suggested by way of contrast or agreement with the move actually played in the game). Example: OLD WAY: 21. Bc3 0.63 21. Bb2 Rd8 (program recommends 21. Bb2 [not the played Bc3] which would have led, after a Black 21... Rd8 reply, to a 0.63 score in White's favor) 21... Qf6 0.35 21... Nh4 22. Rc1 (program recommends 21... Nh4 [not the played Qf6], leading to a 0.35 score in White's favor after the Rc1 best reply by White) 22. Qa5 0.50 21. Qa5 g6 [etc.] (White made the program recommended best move , with a 0.50 score) Interpretation: White should have lost 0.28 points (i.e. 0.63 - 0.35) of advantage due to making the weaker 21. Bc3 move instead of the recommended 21. Bb2 move followed by Black making the best reply, Rd8. Black didn't make the recommended 21... Nh4 best reply to 21. Bc3, and therefore White's advantage only fell 0.13 points (i.e. 0.63 - 0.50). In the OLD WAY, the program suggested best move is directly compared (on same line) as the actual move played in the game. This is the 'standard' used by other programs I own (Fritz, Rebel and older CM versions). NEW WAY: 21. Bc3 0.35 21...Nh4 Rc1 (program scores 21. Bc3 at 0.35 in White's favor, based on the continuation beginning with Black's 21... Nh4 reply and following 22. Rc1 move by White) 21... Qf6 0.50 22. Qa5 [etc.] (program scores 22... Qf6 at 0.50 in White's favor, based on the continuation beginning with White's 22. Qa5 reply; thus Black lost 0.15 (calculated 0.50 - 0.35) by not taking the opportunity to hold the White advantage to 0.35 by making the 21... Nh4 move suggested in the previous line of analysis after White's 21. Bc3) 22. Qa5 0.51 22...<some Black move> [etc.] (White made the program recommended best move [noted in the line of play shown in the prior move analysis, above], therefore the score stayed at or near the 0.50 calculated on prior ply [score actually grew to 0.51, due to the calculation carried out one play later]) In the NEW WAY, the program score is shown directly on the same line it is calculated for; however the best line of play that that score is based on is shown as the best continuation on the prior ply line of analysis! NEW PROBLEM NOTED-- I have noted one additional problem that I believe was caused by this CM8000 programming change. The final move contained in the analyzed game is NOT ANALYZED. That is, no analysis is shown for the final move, after running GAME ANALYSIS. The program user can look at the prior ply and determine if the final move was the program recommended best move, but if it wasn't, he is not shown the score and best line of play that it should lead to (per the program calculations). This leaves the CM8000 feature, GAME ANALYSIS,incomplete, in my opinion, and should be fixed. --Steve Boak
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