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Subject: Re: Book vs. Engine

Author: Uri Blass

Date: 06:09:01 08/26/02

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On August 26, 2002 at 09:07:24, Andreas Guettinger wrote:

>On August 26, 2002 at 08:54:13, Uri Blass wrote:
>
>>On August 26, 2002 at 08:31:02, Andreas Guettinger wrote:
>>
>>>On August 26, 2002 at 08:07:26, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>
>>>>On August 26, 2002 at 07:22:28, Steve Coladonato wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>There is a very long thread here concerning the use of a book developed for one
>>>>>program being used by another program.  I am not a programmer, so I don't
>>>>>understand the ramifications of this.  But, I do have a question(s).  If the
>>>>>same book were used by all engines, would that not be a fair comparison of the
>>>>>engines strength?  As long as a program is "in" book, it is not using any of its
>>>>>internal algorithms so the moves it is making are recognized as "best" for a
>>>>>particular line/opening.
>>>>
>>>>I doubt if it is a good idea.
>>>>
>>>>I think that there should be a small book when the program plays moves in 0
>>>>seconds and a big book when the program read the book but does not play the
>>>>moves in 0 seconds.
>>>>
>>>>I saw cases of big tactical mistakes by program because of a mistake in a book
>>>>happen and it is easy at least to prevent it(if we know that a move is good and
>>>>the program evaluates it as a blunder we can put it in the small book).
>>>>>
>>>
>>>I think in general it is the other way round. A lot of critical opening moves in
>>>complex chess openings will not be found by engine pondering even in hours.
>> They
>>>are the work of GMs and hundreds of assistants over decades. As in your case,
>>>that would only proof to be a poor or out of date opening book, where bad lines
>>>are not eliminated.
>>
>>I am not talking about finding moves but about finding blunders.
>>I saw cases when programs played tactical blunders in the opening that they
>>could avoid by searching.
>>
>>I do not say not to play a move that is 0.2 pawns weaker but not to play a move
>>that is at least 1 pawn weaker unless it is in a special small book.
>>
>>It is possible to start by analyzing every position in the big book for 1 second
>>in order to find moves that are suspected to be losing more than 0.5 pawn.
>>
>>The number of these moves is going to be relatively small and it will be
>>possible to analyze these move for longer time.
>>
>>If the computer still evaluates the move as a blunder then the programmer may
>>look at the moves and decide if to include them in the small book.
>>
>>>
>>>An interesting thought crossed my mind when I read the original post in this
>>>thread. What humans actually do in tournaments is choose the opening in respect
>>>to the current opponent, not to fit his style. Anybody designed an engine yet
>>>plays book moves according to its current opponent?
>>>
>>>Andy
>>
>>I think that the ssdf forbid knowing the opponents and I think that this should
>>not be allowed.
>>
>>It is possible to play a killer moves against every opponent and I do not
>>consider it as fair because it is against old programs.
>>
>>In this case programmers can autoplay a lot of comp-comp games against old
>>programs and play the lines that it won when the program play in the ssdf games
>>against the old programs.
>>
>>It is going to increase inflation in the ssdf list.
>>I think that even in the condition of today the book may be a big problem in the
>>ssdf because it is possible that someone is going to have a killer book based on
>>thousands of games against Fritz7 and Junior7 and his program is going to beat
>>them by repeating lines that Fritz7 or Junior7 have no idea about
>>because they do not know the secret games that he played against them.
>>
>
>I agree, but Kramnik will possibly do this against Fritz, as is the case in any
>human-computer match.

This is the reason that the interesting match is kasparov-Junior and not
kramnik-Fritz.

Uri



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