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Subject: Re: (Another) Question for Hyatt about Alpha/Beta

Author: Slater Wold

Date: 09:46:04 02/05/04

Go up one level in this thread


On February 05, 2004 at 12:22:44, Bob Durrett wrote:

>Referenced by:
>
>http://www.talkchess.com/forums/1/message.html?345569
>
>> An alpha cutoff is what happens when you search the second move,
>>> and you prove that if you play that move, your opponent has a move
>>> he can play that will produce a score less than your "lower bound"
>>> you established for the first move.  There is no need to search
>>> further.
>>>
>>> For example, after that +1 on the first move, you try the second
>>> move and after trying the first move the opponent has in reply to
>>> that move, you discover you _lose_ a pawn.  The score is -1.0...
>>> There is no need to search other opponent moves to produce a
>>> score even lower than -1.00, because you already know this move
>>> is at _least_ -1.00 and possibly worse, while the first move is
>>> +1.00.  You stop searching this move and move on to your third
>>> choice...

I haven't looked at many programs, other than TSCP, source, but I have a few
question about this also...

When do most engines call the qsearch?  After selecting a move believed to be
correct, of at the end of each search tree?

The reason I ask is, say you get a cutoff, because the 2nd move produced -1.0
(as in above), but after 4 checks and a capture, you regain that pawn & better
position.

How do you prevent from not making a move that caused a cutoff, that actually
leads to a better position?



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