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Subject: What do you do in your q-search

Author: Anthony Cozzie

Date: 21:57:57 11/22/02


The discussion on verified null move pruning has got me thinking about my
qsearch.  Right now zappa does simple-stupid qsearch: captures and recaptures,
and I'm thinking about adding some things.  If I have a better q-search it may
be possible to move to straight R=3, which would be faster than the current
R=2/3 (Heinz). So I am considering adding:

1. Pawn Promotions. It would be very easy to add some sort of "generate white
pawn promotions".  Usually there would be none, but this could be determined
quickly by a bitboard and (for those of us smart enough to use bitboards . . . .
hehehe)

2. Check evasion.  Right now if one of the captures puts the King in check in
qsearch, zappa just stops.

3. A Horizon zone.  For example, Search() would call horizon() which would call
QSearch().  In the horizon zone, Zappa would also search checks and killer
moves.

Secondly, what are people's opinions on SEE versus futility pruning in QSearch?
I was using SEE up until recently, when I did some experiments and decided
Qsearch was working better.  Of course, I may just have bugs in my SEE.

I'll probably try most or all of this stuff anyway, but I'm curious what other
people's views on this are.

anthony



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