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Subject: Re: Question for Bob Hyatt

Author: Stuart Cracraft

Date: 11:33:30 03/01/06

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On February 28, 2006 at 14:33:53, Robert Hyatt wrote:

>On February 28, 2006 at 13:12:58, Stuart Cracraft wrote:
>
>>Weak pawns
>>
>>1. cannot advance without the destination square being
>>   attacked by enemy pawns moreso than friendly pawns
>>
>>2. if pawn attacks outnumber pawn defenses by 1, it is lightly weak.
>>
>>3. if pawn attacks outnumber pawn defenses by >1, it is heavily weak.
>>
>>4. current defended/undefended status of pawn in consideration does not matter.
>>
>
>I would not do that one.  If a pawn is currently undefended by another pawn, and
>it can't safely advance to where it is defended by more pawns than it is
>attacked by, then it is weak.  Classic example is black pawn at c5, white pawns
>at c4 and b3.  b3 pawn is often called "backward" but it is just a case of a
>pawn not defended by a pawn, and can't advance safely to where it is defended by
>another pawn.  It's weak and can easily be lost.
>
>
>
>
>>5. current half-open-file or not status of pawn does not matter.
>
>Depends.  If the pawn is weak, and on a half-open file (no enemy pawns in front
>of it) and the opponent has a rook, then that pawn is weaker than if there was
>an enemy pawn in front of it blocking the rook attack.
>
>
>
>
>>
>>Anything you wish to add or change to the above?
>>
>>What kind of penalty would you put on this kind of weak pawn?
>>
>>Does it have any tie-in to game-stage or other modifiers (such as
>>undefended further defining it as a backward and additionally also
>>on half-open then as dangerously backward.)
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Stuart
>
>The game stage is tough to analyze.  As the game progresses, weak pawns become
>more of an issue, until the king and pawn endgame when they are often decisive
>and are lost...
>
>The "value" is very subjective and depends on the rest of the evaluation.  The
>rule of thumb is to make it big enough to not create them, but not so big that
>you will wreck your position even worse while avoiding creating them....

Great stuff - reimplementing per now.

Thanks - Stuart



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