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Subject: Re: Ruffian's most peculiar way of pondering

Author: Peter Berger

Date: 18:13:53 03/27/04

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On March 27, 2004 at 21:07:11, Odd Gunnar Malin wrote:

>On March 27, 2004 at 19:51:33, Peter Berger wrote:
>
>>For about a month I have waited for someone to bring this up now. Occasionally I
>>thought I should post about it, but then I thought someone else (a much more
>>knowledgeable guy at best) would do it anyway sooner or later. I decided to just
>>do it now and not bother to do it very well at all.
>>
>>This is about Ruffian 2.1.0 I bought at Lokasoft's ( it probably applies to
>>other Ruffian 2 versions too).
>>
>>Now how does Ruffian 2 ponder?
>>
>>Usually programs assume the second move of the PV as being played, and then
>>think as if it were their own move in the meantime. If the expected move gets
>>played indeed, some (loads of at times ) time has been saved - else the time is
>>lost (despite some potentially useful entries in the hashtable).
>>
>>Another approach ( inferior) is to just think as if you were the opponent during
>>ponder and rely on savings from the hashtable you achieved -you get some useful
>>entries in the hashtable anyway, but this can't be an optimal strategy IMHO.
>>
>>Now Ruffian _does_ think as if it were the opponent during pondering, too,  but
>>in case the expected move is played it does the same as the usual strategy does
>>during pondering but one ply further. The second move in the PV is the move to
>>be played in case time has already run out, else some time has been saved of
>>course. Again, if another move has been played, the time is lost.
>>
>
>If the engine is running as wb engine there is two methods to show the pv-line:
>
>1. Send a hint-move for your opponent move and then send the pv in normal way
>eg. starting with your next move.
>2. Put the hintmove in front of the pv for each time you send the pv.
>
>You are sure it isn't this second method you observe, eg. do it ever change the
>first move in the pv.
>

Feeling more positive now as I at least thought about this obvious explanation
:). Yes, it will change the first move; else I would obviously make no sense at
all.

Daylight saving - it's 4 AM now - time for bed :).

Cheers,
Peter




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