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Subject: Re: Different test suite method?

Author: David Dahlem

Date: 13:39:30 06/15/04

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On June 15, 2004 at 16:31:22, Dann Corbit wrote:

>On June 15, 2004 at 16:01:50, David Dahlem wrote:
>
>>On June 15, 2004 at 15:56:27, Dann Corbit wrote:
>>
>>>On June 15, 2004 at 15:45:08, David Dahlem wrote:
>>>
>>>>On June 15, 2004 at 15:33:41, David Dahlem wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>One of the problems with the current method of testing engines with test suites
>>>>>(e.g. WM-Test) is the problem of proving that the proposed solution move is
>>>>>actually the best move, especially with positions of a positional nature.
>>>>>Perhaps a new method would avoid this problem, namely a suite of mate positions,
>>>>>with known, more easily proven solutions? Time to solution could be the criteria
>>>>>by which engines are evaluated.
>>>>>
>>>>>Just an idea. Any thoughts? Would this work?
>>>>>
>>>>>Regards
>>>>>Dave
>>>>
>>>>This method would also avoid the problem of engines finding the solution for the
>>>>wrong reason. :-)
>>>
>>>The engine that performs best at these problems will be an engine like Chest,
>>>which cannot play chess but can solve mates.
>>>
>>>When the game is in doubt, is when almost all of the moves are played.  If we
>>>tune for the very end, the engines will play well in that phase.  But it is a
>>>tiny fraction of the game.
>>>
>>>There are many checkmate test suites.
>>>BWTC springs to mind, as an example.
>>
>>Not all checkmate problems are from endgames, many checkmates occur in the
>>middle game, even in openings. :-)
>
>The ones that occur in the openings are only going to happen to the weakest
>players. But they might make an interesting suite anyway.
>

Yes, i agree, but that doesn't mean the solutions are necessarily easy to find.

>I was a bit surprised to see that there are 5363 certain mates within the first
>5 plies of the game of chess (ignoring transpositions).
>ftp://cap.connx.com/pub/chess-engines/new-approach/qmates.epd

That is surprising, thanks for the info and for the link. The file has already
been downloaded.

Regards
Dave



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