Computer Chess Club Archives


Search

Terms

Messages

Subject: Re: Recapture Extension

Author: Ulrich Tuerke

Date: 09:53:58 01/09/02

Go up one level in this thread


On January 09, 2002 at 12:36:28, Miguel A. Ballicora wrote:

>On January 09, 2002 at 11:30:34, Ulrich Tuerke wrote:
>
>>On January 09, 2002 at 10:15:53, David Rasmussen wrote:
>>
>>>Some time ago we talked about the recapture extension. Bob's experiments with
>>>Crafty seemed to show that recapture extension was a bad idea at least for his
>>>program.
>>
>>I don't know if the notion "the recapture extension" is really so well defined.
>>I think that there are several ways to support recapture extensions; I don't
>>know what Crafty does.
>>
>>A long time ago, I have experimented a lot with these extensions.
>>Currently (IIRC), I extend when there is a capture and in the subsequent half
>>move there is another capture to the same square gaining the same material
>>(ignoring the difference between bishop and knight). I do this extension at most
>>once in a line.
>
>I restrict it a bit more. It has to be not only a recapture on the same square,
>with the same material but also has to be the ONLY recapture possible in that
>square.


Sounds to me like a very reasonable idea.
Uli

>
>In other words, after e4 e5/Nf3 Nc6/Bb5 a6/Bxc6 I do not extend because there is
>two possible recaptures.
>After e4 e5/Nf3 Nc6/Bb5 b6/Bxc6 I extend because there is only one possible
>recapture.
>In this way it is very difficult that the tree will explode, IMHO.
>Of course, the usefulness is limited too.
>
>Regards,
>Miguel
>
>
>
>>
>>This isn't too expensive and helps a bit in tactics.
>>
>>I have also tried to make this extension independent on the square (i.e. just
>>re-gaining the same material one ply later), but I wasn't completely happy with
>>it.
>>
>>Another idea is to define a recapture as 2 subsequent captures to the same
>>square bringing the score back into the aspiration window. I'm afraid that this
>>may be expensive at the start of an iteration where alpha-beta usually uses a
>>larger window. It could also produce some search anomalies because I'm not sure
>>if in all cases the condition for extension will be reproduced in the
>>verification search.
>>
>>Anyway, this extension generates some path dependence, i.e. may occasionally be
>>missed by transposition table entries.
>>
>>Just some simple ideas ...
>>
>>Uli
>>
>>>
>>>How many people have the recapture extension because they positively believe
>>>that it is better for their program, and how many has removed it from their
>>>program because the positively believe that it is bad for their program?
>>>
>>>I am sure a lot of people have it or don't have it, but for no specific reason,
>>>that is, they have not tested the effect of this extension thoroughly.
>>>
>>>/David



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.