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Subject: Re: Pro Deo at Blitz: re-examined

Author: Ed Schröder

Date: 14:36:24 09/12/04

Go up one level in this thread


On September 12, 2004 at 13:37:45, Dave Kuntzsch wrote:

>On September 12, 2004 at 05:46:21, Ed Schröder wrote:
>
>>On September 11, 2004 at 23:12:46, Albert Silver wrote:
>>
>>>One of the common seen comments on Pro Deo is that it is a poor blitz player.
>>>I've seen this comment in several Computer Chess forums. However, one can't help
>>>but notice how unusually quickly it plays compared to the time it has alloted,
>>>no matter what the time control. At the Pro Deo parameter page
>>>(http://members.home.nl/matador/engine.htm) there is a switch that allows one to
>>>have Pro Deo play faster or slower on average:
>>>
>>>[Time Control ? 125]            * 125
>>>[Time Control Status ? PB ONLY] * ALWAYS|PB ONLY
>>>
>>>(to activate, one must replace the '?' with '=')
>>>
>>>I ran 2 blitz matches using the Nunn 2 set with Pro Deo playing against Ruffian
>>>1.05 at 5 mins + 3 sec increment, in one set using the default settings
>>>(September 1st) and in the other using the time control parameter. The only
>>>other change I made was to turn off all learning (position, engine, book) so as
>>>to be sure the conditions were identical. It's not conclusive but it is very
>>>interesting, as 80 games were played in all.
>>>
>>>Conditions: Athlon 2400XP+, 32 MB hash, Arena 1.08 GUI, pondering off.
>>>
>>>Without Time Control setting: Pro Deo lost 16 - 24 to Ruffian 1.05
>>>
>>>With the Time Control setting (at 125): Pro Deo *won* 20.5 - 19.5
>>>
>>>                                        Albert
>>
>>
>>Let me clarify.
>>
>>[Time Control = 125]            * 125
>>[Time Control Status = PB ONLY] * ALWAYS|PB ONLY
>>
>>First of all "PB ONLY" stands for "Permanent Brain Only". Meaning that the 25%
>>increase of time management is only active when using the Permanent Brain (PB).
>>If you want the option to be active in (say) regular eng-eng matches where the
>>PB is off by default then set the switch to ALWAYS.
>>
>>I don't know how you have tested but if the 2 matches were without PB you have
>>played with indentical settings.
>>
>>The switch is there because I think that increasing the time control works when
>>the PB is active and doesn't work very well when it is not.
>>
>>As you see testing is hell.
>>
>>My best,
>>
>>Ed

>For clarification: Are you saying that if we want [Time Control = 125] to work
>for eng-eng matches, we must specify [Time Control Status = PB ONLY]? Or is it
>the other way around: [Time Control Status = ALWAYS]?

It's not a matter of eng-eng, it's a matter of the PB being active or not.

For instance, if you are playing an eng-eng match on a single PC (not a dual)
you will need to set the ALWAYS option, else the [Time Control] parameter is not
active at all.

My best,

Ed




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