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Subject: Re: Are computer ugly looking moves better moves?

Author: Telmo Escobar

Date: 20:53:42 07/02/02

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On July 01, 2002 at 12:44:02, Mike S. wrote:

>On July 01, 2002 at 01:54:03, Telmo Escobar wrote:
>
>>On June 30, 2002 at 04:22:06, Mike S. wrote:
>>(...)
>>>[D]r1b1k2b/pp1p3p/2p5/3Nqp2/2B4Q/8/PP1P1PPP/n1BK3R w q - 0 16
>>>16.Nc7+!! A typical computer move.
>
>> Alas, how can you call this a computer move? 16.Nc7+ is the first move I think
>>about!
>> This example makes me suspect the very idea of "computer move" is based upon a
>>misunderstanding.
>
>Normally, a chessplayer won't think first about a move which looks like a
>blunder (Qe5xNx7), at least for a few milliseconds. The knight goes to a guarded
>square and is "simply" lost (not so simply, as it turns out a few 100.000
>calculated positions later). It's not at all the "normal" Nc7+ fork.
>
>It's a *19 ply* combination. So if you saw it immediatly that Nc7+ is playable:
>Congratulations

 When I think first about a move, I don't care about material. My first concern
in this kind of position is about to get important squares, lines or rows, to
deviate hostile pieces, etc. 16.Nc7+ looks obvious because Black queen is forced
to go far from the arena, while my remaining pieces work together against the
lonely Black king. I smell blood.

 To be sure, if I have enough time to calculate variations I'll think about
other moves -mainly 16.Re1- as well, and indeed it's likely that, provided other
move is evaluated as winning, I'll play the dull move, following the rule that
"apparently brilliant moves you better avoid, except there are no alternatives
left".  In fact, brilliances are risky because they are so appealing that you
are prone to overlooking something- so better play dull whenever possible.

 But this cautious philosophy I follow only when there is plenty of time and no
pressure about the result. My first impulse will be to play the obvious Nc7+
without calculating anything.

 Your belief that chessplayers normally won't think first about such a "blunder"
is wrong. Well, it may be statistically correct, but then don't forget that most
people play extremely bad chess. For this reason, when I think about how human
beings "normally" play, I don't think about the average player. I think about
the reasonably strong player, and for them a move like 16.Nc7+ catches the eye.

  Telmo




















;o) I guess the next you saw was ...QxNc7 which should have
>raised some doubt, at least for the following minutes.
>
>Such a move will be a riciculous blunder in 99.999 of 100.000 cases, that's why
>I call it surprising, and computer-typical because programs find it very fast.
>
>Regards,
>M.Scheidl



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