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Subject: TSCP and piece square tables. (kinda long, multiple questions)

Author: Joshua Shriver

Date: 21:42:19 01/22/06


Part 1.

I've decided to start my engine from scratch after a couple years leading
nowhere with little to no advancement, chess burnout, and trying to bite off
more than I could chew.

In reviewing the code for tscp, I was wondering what are the piece/square tables
in the eval.c file?

The way I interpret the comments, it adjusts the value of a piece given it's
location on the board. If this is so, then I dont see how it can be useful since
the value of a piece (or strength perhaps) would be determined by all other
pieces on the board and location. Example if the pawn is about to take the
queen, it would have more strength even if it is in a square that this table
claims is weak.

I might be totally off.

Part 2.

I've had some fun ideas that I've been wanting to implement over the years but
could never translate that to code. My major roadblock has been in basic
components such as a move generator. I've read probably every link that's been
posted concerning the various board types (0x88, bitboard, etc), algorithms
(alpha-beta cuttoffs, qsearch, etc) ... however in short of reviewing the code
for tscp, crafty, fruit there seems to be little to no info of how to implement
key features given x,y,z. Each piece seems to be effected by prior parts (move
generator for a bitboard is diff than one for 0x88).


On a humble note, guess I'm just not a good programmer. I've tried looking at
the source for various engines but have no  idea what's going on. TSCP seems
somewhat digestable but finding the flow of it still seems a little rough, let
alone trying to digest fruit or crafty (no disrespect to their authors it's my
inabilities to understand).

Any advice or commentary is appreciated. This is a wonderful hobby and
community. I look forward to having something that really plays even if weak.

Thanks in advance!
-Josh






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