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

Author: Sandro Necchi

Date: 12:16:52 09/25/04

Go up one level in this thread


On September 25, 2004 at 14:52:42, Vasik Rajlich wrote:

>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.

I agree.

>
>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.

Of course not so weak, but a GM would see that they are not the best and
increase the advantage move after move...normally a GM makes at least 2 mistakes
and some minor ones in a game, but on correspondance chess it would be
different...

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



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