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Subject: Correctness of a move

Author: Russell Reagan

Date: 14:51:22 02/16/02


What determines the "correct" or "best" move in any given position?

In addition to your own definition of what defines the "correct" or "best" move,
I'd like to know people's thoughts on the following questions:

Is the correct move the move that leads to the highest evaluation, namely win,
loss, or draw?

Does the number of moves taken to achieve the highest evaluation matter? For
example, is a move that leads to a mate in 5 any better than a move that leads
to a mate in 6 (assuming the 50 move rule would not affect the outcome of the
game given the additional move)?

If you have two moves that lead to a mate in X, how do you determine which of
them are the better move? Does anyone take any additional considerations into
their program to account for a position of the following nature: Let's say that
your program is playing a grandmaster and your program realizes that the GM has
a mate in 10 in a complicated position. In reality, there are two moves worth
considering for your program. Move A leads to a mate in 9 for the GM, and move B
leads to a mate in 10 for the GM. Move A, which leads to the mate in 9 is much
more complex and there are many attractive moves at each step of the way for the
GM to play that let your program escape mate and acheive a draw farther down the
road. Move B, which leads to a mate in 10 for the GM, is pretty straight forward
and the GM should be able to tighten the noose and finish off your program in 10
more moves. I think (possibly incorrectly) that it is best to go with move A
which makes it very hard for the GM to win, although not impossible. I have a
feeling that most computer programs are going to pick the mate in 10 route
though. Any thoughts or actual methods used to handle this kind of thing in your
program?

Russell



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