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Subject: Re: Completely blocked positions, some interesting things

Author: Omid David

Date: 03:26:13 10/04/02

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On October 04, 2002 at 04:10:01, Uri Blass wrote:

>On October 03, 2002 at 19:39:27, Omid David wrote:
>
>>On October 03, 2002 at 19:18:16, Jeremiah Penery wrote:
>>
>>>8/7p/6pP/k4pP1/b1p1pP2/KpPpP3/1P1P4/7Q w - - 0 1
>>>3k4/2p1p1p1/p1P1P1Pp/P6P/4K3/8/8/8 w
>>>8/4kr1b/4p3/rp1pPp1p/pPpP1PpP/P1P3P1/2K5/8 w
>>>8/4k3/8/p1p1p1p1/P1P1P1P1/8/2B1K3/8 w
>>>4b3/4k3/2p1p1p1/1pPpPpPp/pP1P1P1P/P2K4/3B4/8 w - - 0 1
>>>3B4/1r2p3/r2p1p2/bkp1P1p1/1p1P1PPp/p1P1K2P/PPB5/8 w - - 0 1
>>>4k3/8/1p1p4/pPpPp1p1/P1P1PpPp/5P1P/2BB4/K7 w
>>>
>>>
>>>This is a set of positions that most chess programs completely don't understand
>>>because the position is completely blocked.  I have implemented some ability in
>>>Crafty to understand this type of position, with decent results.  There are also
>>>a couple of interesting problems that have come up, particularly with the last
>>>position.
>>>
>>>[D]8/7p/6pP/k4pP1/b1p1pP2/KpPpP3/1P1P4/7Q w - - 0 1
>>>
>>>Static evaluation is now 0 here.  The solution is supposed to be Qd1 <bishop
>>>move> {Kb5 Qh5!} Qxb3.  The problem in solving this is that the evaluation after
>>>the given line is negative for white, so it doesn't want to play the
>>>'sacrifice'.  But I consider it a good result that it knows this is a draw since
>>>it can't make progress.
>>>Normal Crafty 18.15 says near +5, while making the wrong move.
>>>
>>>[D]3k4/2p1p1p1/p1P1P1Pp/P6P/4K3/8/8/8 w
>>>
>>>Static evaluation 0, search returns instant 60 plies with drawscore.
>>>Normal Crafty says +1.4 or so.
>>>
>>>[D]8/4kr1b/4p3/rp1pPp1p/pPpP1PpP/P1P3P1/2K5/8 w
>>>
>>>Static 0 again, search says the same.
>>>Normal crafty has static score near -13, and wants to open the position, search
>>>score keeps dropping.
>>>
>>>[D]8/4k3/8/p1p1p1p1/P1P1P1P1/8/2B1K3/8 w
>>>
>>>Drawscore, static and by 60 ply search.
>>>Normal Crafty gives +3.3 for both.
>>>
>>>[D]4b3/4k3/2p1p1p1/1pPpPpPp/pP1P1P1P/P2K4/3B4/8 w - - 0 1
>>>
>>>Static score 0, instant 60 plies.
>>>Normal Crafty is similar, +0.09/+0.06
>>>
>>>[D]3B4/1r2p3/r2p1p2/bkp1P1p1/1p1P1PPp/p1P1K2P/PPB5/8 w - - 0 1
>>>
>>>Static evaluation of -5.93 here, but it finds the draw by search in 6 plies.
>>>Normal Crafty says -6.07, and wants to open the position by search, with
>>>dropping score.
>>>
>>>[D]4k3/8/1p1p4/pPpPp1p1/P1P1PpPp/5P1P/2BB4/K7 w
>>>
>>>This is the first problem position.  It is evaluated statically as a draw, but
>>>once White sacrifices its dark-squared bishop for one of black's pawns, it no
>>>longer gets evaluated as a draw.  No problem, right?  Well, it keeps pushing it
>>>back into the horizon:
>>>
>>>   6     0.01   6.39   1. Bxa5 bxa5 2. Kb2 Ke7 3. Kc3 Kd7
>>>   6->   0.02   6.39   1. Bxa5 bxa5 2. Kb2 Ke7 3. Kc3 Kd7
>>>   7     0.02   6.50   1. Bxa5 bxa5 2. Kb2 Ke7 3. Kc3 Kd7
>>>                       4. Kd3
>>>   7->   0.03   6.50   1. Bxa5 bxa5 2. Kb2 Ke7 3. Kc3 Kd7
>>>                       4. Kd3
>>>   8     0.03     --   1. Bxa5
>>>   8     0.03   0.00   1. Bxa5 bxa5 2. Kb2 Kd7 3. Bb3 Kc7
>>>                       4. Kc3 Kb6
>>>   8     0.04   6.39   1. Ka2 Kd7 2. Kb2 Kc7 3. Bc3 Kb7 4.
>>>                       Bxe5 dxe5
>>>   8     0.05   6.50   1. Kb2 Kd7 2. Kc3 Kc7 3. Kd3 Kd7 4.
>>>                       Bxa5 bxa5 <HT>
>>>   8->   0.05   6.50   1. Kb2 Kd7 2. Kc3 Kc7 3. Kd3 Kd7 4.
>>>                       Bxa5 bxa5 <HT>
>>>   .......................................................
>>>  19     2.69   6.56   1. Kb2 Kd7 2. Kc3 Kc7 3. Kd3 Kd7 4.
>>>                       Bc3 Ke7 5. Bb3 Kd7 6. Be1 Kc7 7. Ba2
>>>                       Kd7 8. Bc3 Ke7 9. Bxe5 dxe5 10. Bb3
>>>  19->   3.05   6.56   1. Kb2 Kd7 2. Kc3 Kc7 3. Kd3 Kd7 4.
>>>                       Bc3 Ke7 5. Bb3 Kd7 6. Be1 Kc7 7. Ba2
>>>                       Kd7 8. Bc3 Ke7 9. Bxe5 dxe5 10. Bb3
>>>
>>>No matter how deep I let it go, it always pushes the bishop sac into the last
>>>couple of plies.  Is there any way I can solve this problem?
>>>Normal Crafty here says 7.77 static, and it doesn't have any captures in the
>>>search as long as it goes, score stays around 8.26.
>>>
>>>Does anyone have more positions they'd like me to try, or has anyone else worked
>>>on this kind of thing in their engine?
>>
>>
>>My under-development engine, detects the positions you mentioned as draw based
>>on static evaluation (seems that you have done something similar).
>
>I think that you did something better.
>
>Based on positions that wereposted here in the past you do not need all the
>pawns to be blocked to detect a draw.
>The only question is if there are cases when your draw detection can be wrong.
>
>If it cannot be wrong then I think that doing it only when the remaining depth
>is big enough can be an advantage.

That's right, if a general "goal-oriented" blockade exists, my algorithms with
detect it (without any risk of mistakes). However its being an algorithm rather
than a simple static evaluation, results in its being too expensive to conduct
at all nodes. However, I believe a wise distribution of it along the search
tree, will make it profitable.

>
>Uri



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