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Subject: Re: h5 with many of the old 1997 comments are interesting

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 12:33:43 09/29/05

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On September 29, 2005 at 13:53:27, Gerd Isenberg wrote:

>[D] r2qk2r/pp3ppp/2p1pn2/4n3/1b6/3P2PP/PPPN1PB1/R1BQK2R b KQkq - 4 1
>>>11...h5 is very logical for computer to play.
>>>It increase the mobility of the rook at h8 so there is no reason for computers
>>>not to play it.
>>
>>Sorry, but I _totally_ disagree there.  Most any decent computer chess program
>>has an evaluation component that covers the king-side pawn structure.  Playing
>>h5 creates a pawn target for black to aim at.  It weakens g5 and g6.  So a
>>computer has to see something _else_ to more than offset that king safety issue.
>>
>
>Seems that Fruit doesn't care so much about pushing pawns on one wing, if the
>own king has still the option to castle to the other sheltered wing without
>enemy pawn advances there.
>
>The move is somehow committing and narrows black options to castle (kingside
>here)  - but also, or even more, white castle options.
>
>
>>I suspect _many_ strong computers will _not_ play this move, for the reason
>>given above, since any long-term gain by the move is way beyond any search
>>horizon, and is going to be purely based on positional scoring numbers..
>>
>>Mobility of the rook is a lousy reason for h5.  Otherwise black would always be
>>playing a5 and h5 to give both rooks more mobility...
>>
>
>Agreed - but for the same reason, black king still has a nice shelter on the
>queenside and may castle queenside, rook mobility might be an issue here.
>
>Gerd


Would seem to me that white has that same "castle queenside" option open,
although it will take a couple of moves to prepare by getting development done
over there...

Crafty has that same sort of "it is ok to disrupt pawns on one side if castling
to the other side is still an option, but it also used to have an anti-opposite
castling term to avoid very precise lines where it would have a chance to lose
one tempo and the game quickly after that...

Still won't play h5, even the new non-asymmetric version that is being developed
right now...




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