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Subject: Re: Different test suite method?

Author: Dann Corbit

Date: 13:43:22 06/15/04

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On June 15, 2004 at 16:39:30, David Dahlem wrote:

>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.

There may be many more mates than that.  Those mates listed are mates forced
within 5 plies, as located by Chest.  Mates deeper than that were not searched
for.  But certainly some will exist.



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