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Subject: Re: Why set Ponder=off in a comp to comp match?

Author: Uri Blass

Date: 15:47:47 10/07/02

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On October 07, 2002 at 18:33:43, Jeremiah Penery wrote:

>On October 07, 2002 at 18:29:35, Uri Blass wrote:
>
>>On October 07, 2002 at 18:19:29, Jorge wrote:
>>
>>>This may be a dumb question, but could someone tell me the reason for setting
>>>Ponder=off in comp to comp matches? If two computers with the same hardware with
>>>different, each with a program playing each other, why set ponder off?
>>>
>>>thnx,
>>>jorge
>>
>>Usually the people who play games with ponder off use only one computer and not
>>2 computers.
>
>Why set ponder off with one computer?

I meant one processor and not only one computer and I will explain why to set
ponder off.

The problem is that the sides may not get equal computer time if you set ponder
on with one computer.

For example suppose one side see a mate during pondering or get maximal depth
and stop to ponder.
The opponent suddenly may get more computer time relative to the case of 2
computers that are twice faster.

I agree that stopping to ponder(even in these cases) is not a good decision
but I believe that a lot of engines do it and the programmers have more
important things to fix than fixing that problem.

I still have problems in implementing pondering and I have more serious problems
than stopping to ponder at mate(one of the problems is that the latest movei
plays after seeing a mate and start to ponder on the next move so it may declare
a mate when the position is not a mate by a sequence of similiar events).

Uri



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