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Subject: Re: Rebel 9's time usage in handicap modes - realistic?

Author: Don Dailey

Date: 13:04:57 08/02/98

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On August 02, 1998 at 15:30:17, Robert Hyatt wrote:

>On August 02, 1998 at 12:25:52, Robert Pawlak wrote:
>
>>On August 02, 1998 at 09:36:20, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>
>>>>>3.  factor in some sort of random number so that positions that are bad
>>>>>will randomly look less bad or actually look good.  Or, if the random
>>>>>addition is large enough, but infrequent enough, the program might begin
>>>>>to make tactical blunders (ICC has some *bach programs that do (or did))
>>>>>this, and they would make an occasional blunder like a weaker human).
>>
>>I think I remember playing one of these, and having bach overlook a mate in 1!
>>(is this possible, or is my memory confused) Yeah, this is what I want :)
>>
>>But seriously, from a marketing standpoint, I think that good handicapping could
>>be an effective selling point for some of the up-and-coming software.
>>
>>It is probably too much to ask Ed which approach he uses - probably a trade
>>secret.
>>
>>Bob P.
>
>This is a difficult problem.  You want a program to play worse, but a 1500
>player does't hang his queen very often, nor does he overlook mate in 1 very
>often.  That's what I don't like about the handicapping ideas I have tried so
>far...  program still plays like s 2200 player except for an occasional mistake
>that looks like an 800.
>
>I think you have to tone down the search + qsearch as Don suggested, but I think
>you also *must* tone down the positional scores.  IE does a 1200 player really
>know much about distant passed pawns, outposts, backward pawns, etc?  Crafty at
>2 plies still plays non-1500 chess, although it might overlook something
>tactically that a 1500 player would probably not...

It depends on whether you are just trying to weaken the program to
some level, or you are trying to simulate a weak HUMAN player of
that level.

But your point is well taken.  A 1 ply search can play pretty good
positional chess compared to a beginner (like actually developing
pieces logically) and this could be frustrating too.

- Don




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