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Subject: Re: mate threat extension/null move

Author: Bas Hamstra

Date: 07:58:13 09/25/04

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On September 25, 2004 at 10:30:52, Rick Bischoff wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I am confused about the mate threat extension.  I have the following code:
>
>search ( depth, alpha, beta )
>
>->check extension
>->else pawn extension
>
>->if depth <= 0 do the queiscent
>
>->if checkReps return draw
>->if insufficnetMaterial return draw
>
>->Probe the hash table and return if good
>
>->if not in check and depth>3 and last move was not null and material is ok:
>->-> do null move
>->-> x = -search(depth - 3, -beta, -beta +1 )
>->-> undo null move
>->-> if ( x >= beta ) return beta
>->-> if ( x < (-MATE+MAXPLY) ) cout << "found mate"
>
>->normal alpha/beta stuff
>
>end search
>
>"found mate" never gets printed out in WAC141 unless I change the null move to a
>full width search... Why?  Well, I shouldn't say never, but I let it run to ply
>9.

Sigh. Do you do checks in quisce? No? If you do recursive R=2 with no checks in
the qsearch, nullmove makes the search absolutely BLIND for mates in the last 3
plies. Think about it, set the position up with this in mind and analyze it.
Further if you use a window <alpha, beta> then you miss a large portion of mate
threats anyway.

Bas.

• Re: mate threat extension/null move Rick Bischoff 20:59:27 09/25/04
  • Re: mate threat extension/null move Bas Hamstra 06:20:52 09/26/04
  • Re: mate threat extension/null move Stuart Cracraft 21:13:20 09/25/04
    • Re: mate threat extension/null move Bas Hamstra 06:29:12 09/26/04

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