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Subject: Re: Alpha-Beta Conspiracy Search

Author: Omid David Tabibi

Date: 19:22:33 10/04/03

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On October 04, 2003 at 18:57:18, Vincent Diepeveen wrote:

>On October 04, 2003 at 18:40:08, Russell Reagan wrote:
>
>Just put next in your engine:
>  - checks in qsearch at the first ply (or when you already did them
>    just stick to what you did now; in diep i do them at any ply in qsearch
>    btw, but most have problems controlling that so i do not mind it if you
>    just try 1 ply)
>  - nullmove search with window alfa,beta = -mate+1000,
>    so you'll find 100% sure a mate threat
>
>  - if you see a mate threat you extend that position by 1 ply and store
>    in hashtable this position got a mate extension.
>
>  - now you extend moves double sometimes. So recapture that gives extension,
>    you extend. If the same move also gives opponent a check, another extension.
>    So you can extend 2 plies then.

2 plies extension at once? What if you detected a mate threat and played a move
which is a recapture and also checks the opponent? Extend by 3 plies?!

Seems a little frightening! But will try it tonight...

Looking at Fritz's parameters, the default values are selectivity=2, and
futility pruning activated. So, we can assume that Fritz is using R=2. However,
looking at its analysis it rapidly reaches very deep while not ignoring any
significant tactical threats. That's also the case with Shredder, which uses
selectivity=-1 (it is not a typo, -1 ?!) and futility=2.

Falcon's tactical strength is somewhat superior to that of Crafty, but comparing
it to other null-movers, Fritz and Shredder, it is way behind in tactics...

BTW, when in quiescence you detect that one side is in check, do you do the
following:

int quiesce(int alpha, int beta) {
    ...
    if (checked)
        return search(alpha, beta, 1);
    ...
}


I haven't implemented checks in quiescence yet, but it seems inevitable...


>>I don't think Christophe uses null move. At least, if he does, I don't think
>>it's the "main algorithm" contributing to Chess Tiger's strength. I remember
>
>May i beg your pardon?
>
>Without nullmove you can go home.

Junior and Rebel are good examples of non null-mover successful programs. And
there are some strange programs like Hiarcs; I don't think it is using null-move
pruning, at least not anything with R > 1.



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