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Subject: Re: What is incorrect in my Post?

Author: Michael Yee

Date: 19:06:40 10/11/05

Go up one level in this thread


On October 11, 2005 at 21:32:54, chandler yergin wrote:

>On October 11, 2005 at 21:17:18, Michael Yee wrote:
>
>>On October 11, 2005 at 20:47:54, chandler yergin wrote:
>>
>>>On October 11, 2005 at 20:34:28, Michael Yee wrote:
>>>
>>>>On October 11, 2005 at 19:52:46, chandler yergin wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On October 11, 2005 at 19:43:59, Michael Yee wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On October 11, 2005 at 17:46:02, chandler yergin wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I apologize if I have offended anyone.
>>>>>>>A case of "Apples & Oranges" again..
>>>>>>>Misunderstandings..
>>>>>>>Stephen, and a few others here, know I seldom voice "Opinions";
>>>>>>>I Post facts..
>>>>>>>That way... if someone differs from the Post, they should attack the Fact,
>>>>>>>not the Poster.
>>>>>>>It doesn't always work that way...
>>>>>>>Everything I have Posted about Computer Chess Programs..I gave the Link
>>>>>>>Everything else I have Posted about Engines, Analysis Modules, is directly
>>>>>>>from the Chessbase Manual. It therefore refers to the Top Commercial
>>>>>>>Programs only.. Fritz, & Shredder
>>>>>>>Many of you that Program your own Engines 'tweak' them as you desire,
>>>>>>>and have a lot of fun.
>>>>>>>Players mostly use the Top Commercial Programs to assist in their play
>>>>>>>and improve their expertise.
>>>>>>>Thanks to a recent Post by Dan H. some of the confusion has been cleared up.
>>>>>>>Chessbase does use Mini/Max and so does indeed search every legal move
>>>>>>>for every position.
>>>>>>>So the "Apples & Oranges" now are just the difference between the Top
>>>>>>>Commercial Programs and the others.
>>>>>>>I find it very intersting that some of the 'lesser' Engines are really
>>>>>>>kicking Butt! Congrats to all! Keep it up...
>>>>>>>A Swift Kick only hurts for a little while..
>>>>>>>;)
>>>>>>>Chan
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>The posts from Dan don't say that chessbase uses minimax and searches every
>>>>>>legal move for every position.
>>>>>
>>>>>I know he didn't say it.. I said it!
>>>>>
>>>>> In fact, he said something almost the
>>>>>>opposite--that if a program worked that way, it would be crushed.
>>>>>
>>>>>Just plain wrong..sorry.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>You actually supplied evidence of the answer in one of your other posts (where
>>>>>>you provide a description of the analysis output). The analysis window reported:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>search depth = 12 (selective depth 40)
>>>>>>positions searched = 4.2 x 10^7
>>>>>
>>>>>I was using an example.. the type of info the Analysis Module window shows.
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>If the analysis module really searched every position up to depth 12
>>>>>>(approximately 20 moves, 20 replies to each of those moves, 20 replies to each
>>>>>>of those replies, etc.), then it would have searched
>>>>>>
>>>>>>20^12 = 4.1 x 10^15 positions
>>>>>>
>>>>>>This is way more than what was reported in the analysis window. (And the 20 is a
>>>>>>very low estimate of average moves per position anyway.) Instead,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>4.32^12 = 4.22 x 10^7
>>>>>>
>>>>>>shows a branching factor that's more like 4--i.e., the program was not searching
>>>>>>every move in every position.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Michael
>>>>>    Michael, Please read the Chessbase Manual!
>>>>>Do you have Chessbase? Do you have Fritz or Shredder?
>>>>>If so Start the engine look at the Analysis Window as I have requested.
>>>>>You will find what I said. EVERY Legal move in the position is evaluated.
>>>>>It's the way it works. Like it or not.
>>>>
>>>>Some commercial engines I have include an old fritz 7, shredder 9 uci, fruit
>>>>2.2, and gandalf 6. I've analyzed positions before (e.g., during some of the
>>>>recent World Championship games from Argentina). What I see are depths,
>>>>selective depths, and node counts that are not consistent with a program that
>>>>searches every legal move in every position.
>>>>
>>>>You're right that engines do look at each move in the root (initial) position
>>>>(as Dann noted in another post). If that's what you meant, then I agree. But you
>>>>seem to referring to *all* positions (not just the root).
>>>
>>>No Michael, and as Shakespeare said.. "Aye, there lies the rub.."
>>>Please re-read my Post carefully.
>>>Well.. here..
>>>"Start your Engine for a position or at any part of a game.
>>>Look at the analysis window
>>>What do you see?
>>>The analysis module should show the following:
>>>The name of the Engine
>>>The search depth (brute force selective) Example "12/40" means that all
>>>variations were
>>>searched to a depth of 12 ply, while some promising continuations were checked
>>>down to  40 ply.
>>>Next should show the move currently being investigated. Example f4-d6 (3/47)
>>>meaning number 3 of 47 legal moves in the position.
>>>Next it will show the speed at which the program is running.
>>>Example: 403kN/s means it is looking at 403,000 nodes (= positions) per second.
>>>This is normal on a 400MHz processor.
>>>The main variation for example shows "=(0.00)", then the best sequence of moves
>>>the program has found so far, the amount of time it has spent computing on the
>>>position,(1 min. 46 sec) and the number of positions it has examined
>>>(41937kN =41,973,000)
>>>The evaluation expressed in units of a pawn, always from the point of view of
>>>White
>>>"+0.53) means the program thinks White has an advantage of about half a pawn;
>>>" (-3.52" indicates Black is more than a piece up. If Mate is found the Program
>>>stops calculating and displays the Mate. (Mate in 6)."
>>>
>>>What if anything is incorrect in the above?
>>
>>Nothing's wrong with what's posted above.
>>
>>But you've asserted in other places that top chessbase engines "search every
>>legal move for every position".
>>
>>http://www.talkchess.com/forums/1/message.html?455204
>
>They do Michael
>A point to remember.. the Top Programs support large Databases.
>Chessbase Mega99.cbh for example consists of 1161937 Games
>54,277 Opening Keys
>54,277 Positions.
>In order to properly "Classify" a Position  per ECO it must search every
>possible legal move in a position. That's what we pay em for.
>>
>>Yet the above numbers in the above (depth=12 and nodes=42,000,000) don't support
>>that point of view.
>
>I'm sure it does..

Okay. So you're sure it does, and I'm sure it doesn't... :)

I guess no one's going to persuade the other (at least tonight).

>>
>>>>
>>>>You yourself computed a while ago an estimate of the number of move sequences
>>>>that can happen from the start position. Given the nodes per second you see in
>>>>the analysis windows, how could the engine possibly be following all move
>>>>sequences (even taking into account transpositions)?
>>>
>>>That was Dann, not me..
>>
>>I might be remembering wrong, but I thought it was in the context of trying to
>>estimate the number of possible games as part of an argument that there weren't
>>even that many atoms in the universe and so chess could never be solved. (But
>>believe me--I certainly don't want to revive that old debate again!)
>
>Bruce Posted why..  the Link I gave also shows why..
>>
>>Michael



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