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Subject: Re: To evaluate/test 'positional skills' of chess engines

Author: Ingo Lindam

Date: 08:36:03 12/07/02

Go up one level in this thread


On December 07, 2002 at 11:25:03, Uri Blass wrote:

>On December 07, 2002 at 05:04:33, Ingo Lindam wrote:
>
>>Hello all,
>>
>>concerning the current discussion about testing positional skills
>>I like to add the following:
>>
>>I think to evaluate/test positional skills of an chess engine you don't need to
>>have positions without tactics (what I think is impossible, because for
>>everything true in a chess position there is a tactical proof if you are just
>>able to look deep enough into the tree).
>>
>>We agree that also in a nearly 'tactical solution free' (within a certain scope)
>>position with a one and only best move it could happen that the engine plays the
>>right move for the wrong reason.
>>
>>So why not test the other direction? Assume that you have a true evaluation for
>>a position. This true evaluation doesn't need to be exact it can also be: "White
>>is atleast equal (or better)." So as long as the engine claims a clear advantage
>>for black, it fails the test. If the score corresponds with your own evaluation
>>you are ofcourse not able to judge about the engine as long as you not checked
>>the reason, why it gives this evaluation. Ofcourse your test positions prefers
>>the engine to give the wrong evaluation instantly because of e.g. being a pawn
>>up. The deeper the engine goes into the search tree keeps to give the wrong
>>evaluation the worse is the positional evaluation of the maschine (at least at
>>this special kind of positions). And because you know at least one reason, why
>>the position shouldn't be judge that worse as the engine does, you should also
>>be able to name some/a positional feature/s the engine doesn't evaluate right.
>>
>>Giving an example:
>>
>>[D] r3kb1r/1p1q1ppp/p1n1p3/3pN1B1/3Pb3/1Q2P3/PP2BPPP/2R1K2R b Kkq - 0 1
>>
>>position after 12.Se5
>>
>>Analysis by Fritz 7:
>>(sorry for the german letters: S=N,L=B,D=Q,T=R and K=K)
>>
>>12...Sxe5 13.f3 Sg6 14.fxe4 h6 15.Lf4 Sxf4 16.exf4 dxe4
>>³ (-0.69) Tiefe: 8/21 00:00:00 151kN
>>12...Sxe5 13.dxe5 Lxg2 14.Tg1 Le4 15.f3 h6 16.Lh4 Lf5 17.Kf1
>>³ (-0.69) Tiefe: 9/24 00:00:00 400kN
>>12...Sxe5 13.f3 Sg6 14.fxe4 h6 15.Lf4 Sxf4 16.exf4 dxe4 17.De3 Lb4+
>>µ (-0.78) Tiefe: 10/27 00:00:01 935kN
>>12...Sxe5 13.dxe5 Lxg2 14.Tg1 Le4 15.f3 h6 16.Lf4 Lf5 17.Kf1 Tc8 18.Kg2
>>µ (-0.75) Tiefe: 11/29 00:00:04 2493kN
>>12...Sxe5 13.dxe5 Lxg2 14.Tg1 Le4 15.f3 h6 16.Lf4 Lg6 17.Kf1 Le7 18.Ld3 Lxd3+
>>19.Dxd3
>>µ (-0.78) Tiefe: 12/31 00:00:10 5134kN
>>12...Sxe5 13.dxe5 Lxg2 14.Tg1 Le4 15.f3 h6 16.Lf4 Lf5 17.Kf1 Tc8 18.Txc8+ Dxc8
>>µ (-0.84) Tiefe: 13/36 00:00:28 15940kN
>>12...Sxe5 13.dxe5 Lxg2 14.Tg1 Le4 15.f3 h6 16.Lf4 Lf5 17.Kf1 Tc8 18.Txc8+ Dxc8
>>µ (-0.78) Tiefe: 14/38 00:01:06 39095kN
>>12...Sxe5 13.dxe5 Lxg2 14.Tg1 Le4 15.f3 Lf5 16.Kf2 b5 17.Lf4 Tc8 18.Txc8+ Dxc8
>>µ (-0.84) Tiefe: 15/42 00:02:47 102460kN
>>12...Sxe5 13.dxe5 Lxg2 14.Tg1 Le4 15.Db6 Tc8 16.Txc8+ Dxc8 17.Kd2 d4 18.Dxd4
>>Dc2+
>>µ (-0.72) Tiefe: 16/46 00:08:08 293734kN
>>
>>Still at ply 16 the machine evaluates (in my opinion wrongly) an advantage for
>>black, although the PV contains th ebest moves for white in the beginning.
>>(going one move back in the position you will see that the engine will not play
>>Ne5 within 17 plys).
>>
>>Giving the engine some more (white) moves towards 16. Kd2 the evaluation will
>>change into the right direction.
>>
>>in the game it follows:
>>
>>12... Nxe5 13. dxe5 Bxg2 14. Rg1
>>Be4 15. Qb6 Rc8
>
>
>The question is if 12.Ne5 was the only best move.
>I doubt it
>
>Movei prefers 15...h6
>
>Is there a win for white after  15...h6?
>
>A possible line is 16.Rc7 Qa4 17.a3 hxg5 18.Qxb7 Bb4+ 19.Kf1 0-0 20.Qxb4 Qxb4
>21.axb4 and the endgame seems to be equal.
>
>Uri

My question was not whether Ne5 is doubtless the one and only best move. I am
sure...that black is not better here, after white plays Ne5 and nevertheless the
engine (Fritz 8) gives a clear advantage to black. And (if I am right) that
should be a sign that the positional evaluation of the engine is not optimal is
this position here, shouldn't it?



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