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Subject: Re: Knight to the Rim

Author: Stuart Cracraft

Date: 06:19:59 08/14/04

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On August 11, 2004 at 23:36:53, Robert Hyatt wrote:

>On August 11, 2004 at 17:22:04, Stuart Cracraft wrote:
>
>>On August 10, 2004 at 13:07:21, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>
>>>On August 09, 2004 at 14:26:18, Stuart Cracraft wrote:
>>>
>>>>Sorry, the posted position was in error. It is:
>>>>
>>>>>[D]r1bqkb1r/2pp1ppp/p1n2n2/1p2p3/4P3/1B3N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQ1RK1 b q - 4 1
>>>>
>>>>On August 09, 2004 at 14:25:30, Stuart Cracraft wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>[D]r1bqkb1r/2pp1ppp/p1n2p2/1p2p3/4P3/1B3N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQ1RK1 b q - 4 1
>>>>>
>>>>>I don't know if I filled in the castle flags right but in this position
>>>>>black still has both rights left.
>>>>>
>>>>>The question is, if your program values bishops more than knights,
>>>>>how do you prevent it from playing Na5 to capture the White Bishop
>>>>>but then giving up the pawn at e5 (since the capture Nxe4 by black
>>>>>is unplayable). (e.g. 1. ... Na5 2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. ab)
>>>>>
>>>>>I've searched this to 10 full ply with unlimited quiescence
>>>>>and it still can't see that Na5 is bad.
>>>>>
>>>>>It would help if some people posted their searches and mention
>>>>>how they avoid this kind of issue.
>>>>>
>>>>>My search:
>>>>>
>>>>>Alpha=-255 Beta=245 Maxdepth=99 MaxTime=9999999
>>>>> 1/11> c6a5  0.00  245       68 c6a5
>>>>> 1/11  f6e4  0.01 1026      159 f6e4
>>>>> 2/15  f6e4  0.01 1008      946 f6e4 f1e1
>>>>> 3/17< f6e4  0.02  758     4181 f6e4 d2d4 e5d4
>>>>> 3/20  f6e4  0.04   75     7143 f6e4 b3d5 e4f6
>>>>> 4/30  f6e4  0.13   75    24970 f6e4 b3d5 e4f6 d5c6
>>>>> 5/34  c6a5  0.50   57   104715 c6a5 f1e1 a5b3 a2b3 c8b7
>>>>> 6/34  c6a5  1.22   45   256985 c6a5 f1e1 a5b3 a2b3 c8b7 b1c3
>>>>> 7/42  c6a5  4.31   32   889215 c6a5 f3e5 a5b3 c2b3 f8d6 d2d4 f6e4
>>>>> 8/51  c6a5 24.86   19  5021946 c6a5 f3e5 a5b3 c2b3 d8e7 d2d4 d7d6 e5f3
>>>>> 9/54  c6a5 115.27   19 19483875 c6a5 f3e5 a5b3 c2b3 d8e7 d2d4 d7d6 e5f3
>>>>>10/54  c6a5 264.28   26 44999682 c6a5 f1e1 a5b3 a2b3 c8b7 d2d4 f6e4 b1d2 d7d5
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Stuart
>>>
>>>
>>>The output above looks broken.  Why not just take the pawn.  Here is Crafty
>>>after I play Na5 as black:
>>>
>>>                1     0.09   0.47   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Nxe4
>>>                1->   0.09   0.47   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Nxe4
>>>                2     0.09   0.47   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Nxe4
>>>                2->   0.09   0.47   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Nxe4
>>>                3     0.09   0.47   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Nxe4
>>>                3->   0.09   0.47   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Nxe4
>>>                4     0.10   0.61   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Bd6 4. d4 Bxe5
>>>                                    5. dxe5 Nxe4
>>>                4->   0.10   0.61   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Bd6 4. d4 Bxe5
>>>                                    5. dxe5 Nxe4
>>>                5     0.10   0.61   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Bd6 4. d4 Bxe5
>>>                                    5. dxe5 Nxe4
>>>                5->   0.10   0.61   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Bd6 4. d4 Bxe5
>>>                                    5. dxe5 Nxe4 (s=2)
>>>                6     0.10   0.61   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Bd6 4. d4 Bxe5
>>>                                    5. dxe5 Nxe4
>>>                6->   0.11   0.61   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Bd6 4. d4 Bxe5
>>>                                    5. dxe5 Nxe4 (s=2)
>>>                7     0.11   0.80   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Bd6 4. d4 Bb7
>>>                                    5. f3 O-O
>>>                7->   0.12   0.80   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Bd6 4. d4 Bb7
>>>                                    5. f3 O-O (s=2)
>>>                8     0.15   0.85   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 d6 4. Nf3 Be6
>>>                                    5. e5 Ne4 6. d4
>>>                8->   0.17   0.85   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 d6 4. Nf3 Be6
>>>                                    5. e5 Ne4 6. d4
>>>                9     0.22   0.65   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 d6 4. Nc6 Qd7
>>>                                    5. Nb4 Nxe4 6. d3 c5
>>>                9->   0.35   0.65   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 d6 4. Nc6 Qd7
>>>                                    5. Nb4 Nxe4 6. d3 c5 (s=3)
>>>               10     0.44   0.97   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 d6 4. Nc6 Qd7
>>>                                    5. Nb4 Be7 6. d4 O-O 7. Nc3 (s=2)
>>>               10->   0.54   0.97   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 d6 4. Nc6 Qd7
>>>                                    5. Nb4 Be7 6. d4 O-O 7. Nc3 (s=2)
>>>               11     0.70   0.78   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 d6 4. Nc6 Qd7
>>>                                    5. Nb4 Be7 6. d4 O-O 7. Nc3 Bb7
>>>               11->   2.44   0.78   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 d6 4. Nc6 Qd7
>>>                                    5. Nb4 Be7 6. d4 O-O 7. Nc3 Bb7 (s=4)
>>>               12     3.03   0.83   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 d6 4. Nc6 Qd7
>>>                                    5. Nd4 Be7 6. Qf3 O-O 7. Nc3 b4 8.
>>>                                    e5 (s=3)
>>>               12->   6.44   0.83   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 d6 4. Nc6 Qd7
>>>                                    5. Nd4 Be7 6. Qf3 O-O 7. Nc3 b4 8.
>>>                                    e5 (s=5)
>>>               13    10.00   0.88   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 d6 4. Nc6 Qd7
>>>                                    5. Nb4 Be7 6. Nc3 O-O 7. Qf3 Bb7 8.
>>>                                    d4 Qg4 <HT> (s=4)
>>>               13->  18.39   0.88   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 d6 4. Nc6 Qd7
>>>                                    5. Nb4 Be7 6. Nc3 O-O 7. Qf3 Bb7 8.
>>>                                    d4 Qg4 <HT> (s=4)
>>>               14    31.39   0.82   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Bb7 4. d4 Be7
>>>                                    5. f3 d6 6. Nd3 O-O 7. c4 c5 8. cxb5
>>>                                    axb5 9. Rxa8 Bxa8 (s=3)
>>>               14->  55.88   0.82   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Bb7 4. d4 Be7
>>>                                    5. f3 d6 6. Nd3 O-O 7. c4 c5 8. cxb5
>>>                                    axb5 9. Rxa8 Bxa8 (s=3)
>>>               15     1:28   0.80   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Be7 4. d4 O-O
>>>                                    5. f3 d6 6. Nc6 Qd7 7. Nxe7+ Qxe7 8.
>>>                                    Bg5 h6 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Nc3 Re8 (s=2)
>>>               15->   3:00   0.80   2. Nxe5 Nxb3 3. axb3 Be7 4. d4 O-O
>>>                                    5. f3 d6 6. Nc6 Qd7 7. Nxe7+ Qxe7 8.
>>>                                    Bg5 h6 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Nc3 Re8 (s=4)
>>
>>Black cannot play Na5 because of Nxe5 and the loss of a pawn.
>>
>>So my question was / still is, what should Black instead of Na5
>>if the program values Knights more than Bishops? Mine plays Na5,
>>gets the Bishop for the Knight and then promptly loses a center
>>pawn. I could decrease the value of the Bishop or increase the
>>value of the center pawn, but both of these seem a little extreme
>>given Bishop vs. Knight and the current high value of a center pawn.
>>The point is that a center pawn in this program is not worth as much
>>as a Bishop minus a Knight. The former is maybe 30 or 40 millipawns
>>and the latter is maybe 100 or 200 millipawns. I am looking for good
>>ways to avoid 1. ... Na5 in the first place.
>>
>>A knight on the rim penalty doesn't do it since the Knight is just
>>traded off.
>>
>>Valuing the center pawn too much makes no sense.
>>
>>I am running out of ideas to prevent 1. ... Na5.
>>
>>Stuart
>
>
>Why would the program "value knights more than bishops"??  firstly???
>
>Next, chess is a complex game that requires harmonious coordination between the
>various eval terms.  Make one too big and it fails to work as planned.  Or it
>causes other terms to appear to be too small, and making them bigger only makes
>things get worse.
>
>First, here is crafty in the position where you are wanting to play the knight
>to a5:
>
>               10     0.71   1.00   1. ... d6 2. Ng5 d5 3. exd5 Nd4 4.
>                                    Re1 Ng4 5. Ne6 fxe6 6. Qxg4 Nxb3 <HT>
>               10->   0.81   1.00   1. ... d6 2. Ng5 d5 3. exd5 Nd4 4.
>                                    Re1 Ng4 5. Ne6 fxe6 6. Qxg4 Nxb3 <HT>
>               11     0.81   1.00   1. ... d6 2. Ng5 d5 3. exd5 Nd4 4.
>                                    Re1 Ng4 5. Ne6 fxe6 6. Qxg4 Nxb3 <HT>
>               11->   1.26   1.00   1. ... d6 2. Ng5 d5 3. exd5 Nd4 4.
>                                    Re1 Ng4 5. Ne6 fxe6 6. Qxg4 Nxb3 <HT>
>               12     4.12   1.10   1. ... d6 2. Ng5 Be6 3. Bxe6 fxe6 4.
>                                    Nxe6 Qd7 5. Nxf8 Rxf8 6. d3 Qf7 7.
>                                    Nc3 Nd4 8. Bg5
>               12->  19.14   1.10   1. ... d6 2. Ng5 Be6 3. Bxe6 fxe6 4.
>                                    Nxe6 Qd7 5. Nxf8 Rxf8 6. d3 Qf7 7.
>                                    Nc3 Nd4 8. Bg5 (s=6)
>               13    30.75   1.04   1. ... d6 2. Ng5 Be6 3. Bxe6 fxe6 4.
>                                    Nxe6 Qd7 5. Nxf8 Rxf8 6. d3 Qg4 7.
>                                    f3 Qh4 8. Be3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 (s=5)
>               13->  50.84   1.04   1. ... d6 2. Ng5 Be6 3. Bxe6 fxe6 4.
>                                    Nxe6 Qd7 5. Nxf8 Rxf8 6. d3 Qg4 7.
>                                    f3 Qh4 8. Be3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5
>               14     1:17   1.23   1. ... d6 2. Ng5 d5 3. exd5 Nd4 4.
>                                    d6 Nxb3 5. dxc7 Qxc7 6. cxb3 Bg4 7.
>                                    f3 Bf5 8. Re1 Rd8 9. Qe2
>
>
>
>Black has already played some pawn moves that leave white looking fine.  Why
>move the knight two more times, trading three tempi for the white bishop?  Black
>needs to develop.  Develop.  Develop.  Not waste time chasing an unimportant
>bishop.  Later, maybe.  But if black wastes too much time, the game will slip
>away.  The first few moves are not about bishops vs knights, because it is not
>yet clear which will end up being more valuable.  The opening is to develop
>pieces first.  _then_ start with other things...  IE A GM will tell you that
>three tempi are worth a pawn.  Three tempi for that bishop are hardly worth that
>cost...

I realize and understand this but wonder what is the best method
to avoid a Na5.

Penalize repeat opening moves by the same piece?
Have large rim penalties for knights?
Value bishops equally to bishops in the opening?
I'm sure it's a long list.



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