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Subject: Re: First mate in 2, then mate in 3

Author: Ulrich Tuerke

Date: 07:52:54 03/03/03

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On March 03, 2003 at 10:09:46, Albert Bertilsson wrote:

>On March 03, 2003 at 09:43:24, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On March 03, 2003 at 09:13:36, Albert Bertilsson wrote:
>>
>>>Hi!
>>>
>>>During a recent game my engine reported that a mate in 2 was found, then after
>>>the next opponent move it reported that a mate in 3 was found. Does this
>>>indicate a bug in the engine?
>>>
>>>If it matters the opponent didn't followed the PV that engine displayed mate in
>>>2. But after the mate in 3 was claimed the opponent followed the PV until its
>>>defeat.
>>>
>>>/Regards Albert
>>
>>
>>It could be
>>
>>(a) a bug in hashing, where you don't adjust the mate score before storing it,
>>or you
>>don't adjust it when you hit it in the table.
>>
>>(b) your extensions make it easier to find the mate in 3 than the mate in 2 and
>>you quit
>>too soon.
>I interpret your answer as this should not happen if the engine has no bugs and
>no extensions. Since Sharper doesn't have any extensions it would be (a) then...
>alhtough I can't see how this could happen.

I think that this can happen without extensions, too.

It's a consequence of alpha-beta. Often some move of ply n+1 already suffices to
refute the preceeding move of ply n, instead of the checking move leading to the
mate. It's rather a matter of move ordering.

It may for instance help a bit in some cases to prefer checking moves when
ordering moves.

Uli

>
>Hmm... hope I can find anything in those .cpp files... =)
>
>/Regards Albert



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