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Subject: Re: The opening book is extreamly important for a chess engine.....Jorge....

Author: Vasik Rajlich

Date: 11:52:42 09/25/04

Go up one level in this thread


On September 25, 2004 at 11:19:52, Sandro Necchi wrote:

>On September 25, 2004 at 11:12:19, Vasik Rajlich wrote:
>
>>On September 25, 2004 at 09:47:23, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>
>>>On September 25, 2004 at 03:57:30, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>
>>>>On September 25, 2004 at 01:56:37, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On September 24, 2004 at 13:05:52, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On September 24, 2004 at 12:09:00, Vasik Rajlich wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On September 23, 2004 at 13:31:55, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>On September 23, 2004 at 01:44:08, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>On September 23, 2004 at 01:31:37, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>On September 22, 2004 at 06:58:33, martin fierz wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>On September 22, 2004 at 05:56:02, Vikrant Malvankar wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>It is not a benefit for a weak engine as it will also probably play weak moves
>>>>>>>>>>>>in the middlegame which will be properly exploited by the stronger engine. Dont
>>>>>>>>>>>>u think so.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>it's not the issue whether a strong engine will beat a weak engine. that is so
>>>>>>>>>>>by definition :-)
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>the question is: take 2 engines of approximately equal playing strength, give
>>>>>>>>>>>one of them a good book, and look what happens in a match.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>i believe that for 2 weak engines the difference will be larger in the match
>>>>>>>>>>>result than for 2 strong engines.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>now we only need somebody to test this hypothesis :-)
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>cheers
>>>>>>>>>>>  martin
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Hi,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>I made very many tests and I can make statements on this matter:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>1. A program stronger 150 points than another will win nearly all games no
>>>>>>>>>>matter how bad it comes out from the openings.
>>>>>>>>>>2. The stronger the program is the most important the book is. Of course weak
>>>>>>>>>>lines should be checked and removed to avoid loosing positions.
>>>>>>>>>>3. The weaker the program is the less the book is important. The reason is that
>>>>>>>>>>it will find very many positions where it does not know how to play them.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>P.N. Do not take the Shredder - Hydra example to state the opposite, because I
>>>>>>>>>>knew we had some weak lines in the book, but for personal reasons could not work
>>>>>>>>>>on them.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Of course anybody can state the opposite, but my statements are supported by
>>>>>>>>>>thousand of games and more than 100 engines/prototype testing at all level and
>>>>>>>>>>with very many different harware.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>I have no time and williness to do deeper into these matters, so it is up to you
>>>>>>>>>>to believe me or not.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Sandro
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>At the very weak level books are not important because the program that get
>>>>>>>>>better position cannot use it.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>At the very high level books are also not important because the program can find
>>>>>>>>>better moves by itself.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>No, this is today totally wrong in at least 95% cases.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>It depends on the positions, but in some positions they should search at 64/108
>>>>>>>>to be able to do it and I do not think any chess program is able to reach those
>>>>>>>>depths now.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I have made several tests running fast harware for more than one day and the
>>>>>>>>moves and the evaluation they got was poor compared to real ones.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Depends on what "real ones" means. Humans also make mistakes.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Yes, but I was referring to deep analysis of a position, not games. Some times
>>>>>>deep analysis takes days, months or even longer...otherwise is not deep...:-)
>>>>>
>>>>>An example:
>>>>>
>>>>>after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cd4 4. Nd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 can computers answer
>>>>>these questions:
>>>>>
>>>>>1. Is this the best line for white?
>>>>
>>>>I guess that humans cannot answer better.
>>>
>>>They do...ECO volums are about 80% reliable. Even if there is still a lot of
>>>room for improvements this does not mean that the computers will improve theory.
>>>
>>>Just consider what follows:
>>>
>>>1. Current theory is based on more than 100 years games played by many strong
>>>players also at corrispondance chess too.
>>>2. Top engines do not have more chess knowledge of GMs and they do not see
>>>deeper. A program looking at 18/44 see 9 full moves as average, 22 on the best
>>>line and maybe 4-5 on some lines which are cut early. This is not much compared
>>>to deep analysis by GMs.
>>>
>>>If the programs cannot use the knowledge made by strong players they need to see
>>>quite deeper that they can. Of course there are positions where they look ahead
>>>is already enough and on these they are dangerous players, but these are mostly
>>>tactical ones or where material gain is an important factor.
>>>
>>>Positions where a positional compensation for given material is important are
>>>not handled well unless the look ahead can see how to get back material and or a
>>>mate.
>>>
>>>Of course weak reply can make weak moves very strong, but it depends who is the
>>>opponent...
>>>
>>>>
>>>>>2. Is 2...d6 best move for black?
>>>>
>>>>Again I guess that humans cannot answer.
>>>
>>>They gave a 80% reliable answer...the future will see this percentage raise more
>>>and more...
>>>
>>>>Probably 2...d6 is one of some drawing moves but I cannot be sure about it.
>>>>
>>>>>3. Is this line best line for black?
>>>>>4. What is white best move at move 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,
>>>>>18, 19 and 20?
>>>>>5. What are the best reply for black on those moves and the white best line?
>>>>>6. How deep should a chess program need to search to give these answers?
>>>>>
>>>>>Uri, do you really think a chess program can give better answers (moves) than a
>>>>>strong human player?
>>>>
>>>>I do not know.
>>>>I think that in most cases they will give moves with the same quality.
>>>>In some cases espacially in moves 11-20 they may give better moves if you give
>>>>them a long time to analyze.
>>>
>>>My very many tests show that this is happening very seldom.
>>
>>The big question is if the engine's moves are really worse, or just different.
>
>Most of the time worse...a few times different.
>
>Most of the time worse because the horizonth effect is giving not engough
>depth...a few times different because they do not follows rules as humans do and
>look also moves which will be normally weak, so humans do not investigate on
>them usually...
>
>Sandro

In this case, a competent correspondence chess player should crush an engine
running without human assistance.

IMO a lot of people don't trust computer moves, because they often look so ugly
- but in fact those moves are actually not so weak.

Vas

>>
>>Vas
>>
>>>>
>>>>Uri
>>>
>>>Sandro



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