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

Author: Kurt Utzinger

Date: 04:24:19 10/08/02

Go up one level in this thread


On October 08, 2002 at 07:06:17, Odd Gunnar Malin wrote:

>On October 08, 2002 at 06:39:42, Uri Blass wrote:
>
>>On October 08, 2002 at 06:32:43, Kurt Utzinger wrote:
>>
>>>On October 08, 2002 at 05:52:11, Bernhard Bauer wrote:
>>>
>>>>On October 08, 2002 at 03:01:00, Kurt Utzinger wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On October 07, 2002 at 23:11:32, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>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?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>The basic idea is that one computer matches are not very informative.  You have
>>>>>>two
>>>>>>choices:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>1.  Ponder=on.  Engines can "steal" time from each other since both will be
>>>>>>computing most
>>>>>>of the time.  Unless one is unlucky enough to not have anything to ponder.  For
>>>>>>that move, the
>>>>>>opponent runs twice as fast.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>2.  Ponder=off.  This might cause poor time utilization as it is an unnatural
>>>>>>way to run and
>>>>>>is not always very well tested.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Either way causes problems.  Moral?  Use two computers or else don't pay a
>>>>>>significant amount
>>>>>>of attention to the results.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Previous and still running tests with quite a lot of games in Germany prove that
>>>>>there is no significant difference in results between matches played with either
>>>>>ponder on/off. And most surprisingly - contrary to your assumption - this also
>>>>>refers to Crafty.
>>>>>Kurt
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>The running test
>>>>
>>>>As many computer chess fans are only interested in results and not in game
>>>>quality it doesn't matter wether you play with ponder on or off.
>>>>And it doesn't matter wether you play a game using 2 hours for 40 moves or only
>>>>1 hour. The results are the same.
>>>>And it doesn't matter wether you play a game using 1 hours for 40 moves or only
>>>>30 minutes. The results are the same. I think that has been proven in Germany.
>>>>And Crafty plays better without ponder than with ponder has been posted in
>>>>Germany too.
>>>>So what? Let them play without ponder at all.
>>>>regards
>>>>Bernhard
>>>
>>>Hi Bernhard
>>>Your conclusion is wrong. If you use two PC's and let one program play with
>>>ponder=on and the other one with ponder=off, the program without ponder will
>>>have no chance.
>>>Kurt
>>
>>Pondering may help but saying that the program without ponder will have no
>>chance is clearly wrong.
>>
>>Uri
>
>I'm sure he meant the same program on each PC. If the PC with the pondering
>engine don't win the match there have to be something wrong with the
>implementation. Of course you need some games to lower the errorbar.
>
>But anyway, there is some info to get from tournament with ponder off, so keep
>doing them. I think most people (except cc-folks) use the strongest engines for
>analyzing, and then a ratingdifference of +-50 elo isn't so important. In
>addition maybe a ponder off tournament shows better the analyze quality of
>engines.
>
>Odd Gunnar
>(This is not a start for a discussion about analyzing)

Of course, I meant the same program on each PC.
Kurt



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