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Subject: Re: Schaeffer, Long-range planning in computer chess, 1983

Author: Michael Yee

Date: 11:45:12 05/25/05

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On May 25, 2005 at 02:12:13, Steven Edwards wrote:

>On May 24, 2005 at 18:49:05, Michael Yee wrote:
>
>>Schaeffer essentially computes piece square table "bonuses" that depend on the
>>root position (e.g., plans like "king-side attack" or "try to occupy f5 with
>>your knight") and get added to the score of a branch in a path dependent way.
>>
>>Some questions:
>
>>(2) Does anyone know how Schaeffer's Planner compared to Wilkin's PARADISE (in
>>terms of playing strength)?
>
>The only strength data point on Paradise is that it performed better on tactical
>problems than either Chess 4.x or Tech II (given a significant time advantage
>(45 minutes vs. 5 minutes per position).  If the ChessLisp interpreter had been
>available, the time advantage would have been unneeded.
>
>My understandng is that the output of Schaeffer's Planner was limited to a set
>of twelve piece/square tables used in leaf node evaluations.  This was generated
>once, at the root node only.  Paradise generated a relatively complex plan that
>was then used as a search control program.  Plans would also be generated at
>other nodes when needed, and a variety of other somewhat advanced techniques
>(e.g., a causality facility)  were used to assist with the search.
>
>Schaeffer's root preprocessing work is interesting in that it's initial phase of
>long term goal selection is similar to Symbolic's KsSurveyor theme selection.
>Any planning program will need such a component.  Symbolic has the capability
>(and the requirement) to potentially apply the theme selection at any node, not
>just at the root.
>
>Generating piece/square evaluation tables at the root and expecting them to be
>of much use a dozen plies later is unrealistic.
>
>>(3) Is anyone experimenting with this or other types of path dependent eval?
>>
>>Steven is of course working on long-range planning. And I think Uri has some
>>path dependent stuff. But have most people pretty much abandoned it?
>
>Instead of calling it "path dependent eval"', I prefer saying "root
>preprocessing" meaning that it's a one time task done only at the root position.
> Symbolic, like Paradise, has a recursive planner that can be potentially
>applied at any node and is not limited to the root position.  In fact, if an
>obvious move is available in the root position then the planner will never be
>invoked.

Thanks for the explanations. I think Schaeffer's approach at least included the
ability to detect when the root plan was no longer valid for a given branch (in
which case the rest of that branch would be treated in the standard no-plan
way). But the ability of symbolic and paradise to re-plan at any node sounds
much more flexible and realistic.

Michael



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