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Subject: Re: Test positions.

Author: Bruce Moreland

Date: 08:53:52 06/28/98

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On June 28, 1998 at 01:57:27, Mark Young wrote:

>I would agree. Player A can not get "!" until play B does "?" first. Thinking
>about what you and Bob wrote. I wonder just how much more can the programmers
>get out of just software improvments. Have we got about all there is to get from
>improving ones program. How much more can chess programs improve from just
>software?

Informant defines "!" as being "a very good move".  Others have defined this
symbol as meaing "best", but that is obviously not a complete definition.

A "!" does not have to change the game-theoretical result.

It is possible and common to get a "!" when playing the losing side of a lost
position that remains lost.

This is a strange discussion, I don't know what Don is trying to show, but I
think he is wrong that you can't find a tactic unless you are already won.

In one sense this is by definiition, since if you find a winning move, then you
had a winning position.

If what Don is suggesting is that there is always more than one path to victory,
this is false.

If Don is suggesting that a tactical shot *always* springs from positional
advantage, this is also false, unless you want to say that the any position
containing a winning shot is positionally advantageous, in which case there is
no discussion here since we're back to definitions again.

If Don means that when you find a tactical shot, you often have laid the
groundwork (intentionally or unintentionally) by out-playing your opponent
positionally, then this sounds true to me.  It's an old maxim in chess that
tactics tend to flow from positional superiority.

bruce



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