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Subject: Re: What's the Secret to Shredder 7.04 Success?

Author: Uri Blass

Date: 12:59:17 05/03/03

Go up one level in this thread


On May 03, 2003 at 15:45:14, Jim Bond wrote:

>On May 03, 2003 at 15:10:50, Uri Blass wrote:
>
>>On May 03, 2003 at 14:37:48, Jim Bond wrote:
>>
>>>On May 03, 2003 at 14:07:59, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>
>>>>On May 03, 2003 at 13:44:27, Jim Bond wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On May 03, 2003 at 10:32:08, George Wilson wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>Hi
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  After playing Shredder 7.04 against Several Strong programs on two separate
>>>>>>computers I am very "Impressed" . I wonder though what distinguishes this
>>>>>>program from the other top programs, what gives it the edge in playing strength?
>>>>>> I think it is shredders fantastic endgame prowness. All six of the games it won
>>>>>>against century 4 was in the endgame, however rebel seemed to play even with it
>>>>>>tactically in all the middlegames
>>>>>
>>>>>This could be partly due Shredder's ability to probe ending game table base.  I
>>>>>tend to find that, in its analysis window, the tb numbers are much bigger than
>>>>>other engines.
>>>>
>>>>I disagree
>>>>Bigger is not better.
>>>>
>>>>I did not check your theory but if shredder probes ending tablebases more than
>>>>other programs then it suggests that shredder has not knowledge that it can
>>>>trust without tablebases.
>>>>
>>>>A program with knowledge is not going to probe tablebases in a lot of tablebases
>>>>positions because calculating the winner by knowledge is faster.
>>>>
>>>>Uri
>>>
>>>Calculating the winner by knowledge may be faster but is it more accurate than
>>>tablebase?  I am afraid not.  The table base is a superset of conventional
>>>theory or knowledge.  It is an oracle.  Shredder might be going for accuracy as
>>>oppose to speed.
>>>
>>>Jim
>>
>>It is not less accurate if you do it only in the right part of the cases.
>>The right part can be bigger when the program has more knolwedge.
>>
>>Uri
>
>Not less accurate?  So are you claiming you or someone can program chess
>knowledge equally or more accurate than the complete 5-men tablebase?  I believe
>the fact is no body can otherwise there wouldn't be tablebase at all.  People
>wouldn't have developed it in the first place.  Can anyone cover all the "right
>parts" as quoted from you?  Have anyone been able to?  I am afraid not.
>
>Jim

I do not use tablebases in movei but there are cases that can be evaluated
correctly without tablebases

I can give you examples:

KQ vs K is always a win if the position is not stalemate and findin if the
position is stalemate is faster than calling tablebases.

KBP vs K is a draw when the bishop is blind and the king is close enough to the
corner.

KPP vs KP is a win for the side with the pp if this side is to move and has
unstoppable pawn  and the distance of the opponent's pawn to be a queen is
bigger by at least 2.

It is possible to define a lot of rules that will be 100% correct and will cover
part of the cases.

The main part when they can help is in positions when one side has 3 pieces
because these cases can be detected as wins in most of the cases with no errors
in the cases that they are detected as wins.

Uri



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