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Subject: Re: CSTAL2??

Author: Dave Gomboc

Date: 18:54:21 05/11/99

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On May 11, 1999 at 20:42:30, Thorsten Czub wrote:

>branching factor:
>
>my experience is, that we have to INCREASE the branching factor !
>example:
>
>without nullmove on cstal gets arround 3-4 branching factor.
>with nullmove cstal gets normally <3 , often 2.5 or even less.
>
>but : imo this does not help, the opponents use nullmove, cstal uses
>null move, so how do you want to defeat your opponent, if you cannot
>see more than your opponent does ?
>IMO alpha-beta and nullmove are what scientist have tried in early days:
>they tried to come near to the sero-point in temperature!
>
>
>but this does IMO not help us to play chess.
>pruning has not the target that all programs behave equal and
>have similar mainlines and play the same moves and come to the same
>conclusions and get stronger and stronger each version and day (incest!!),
>thats NOT the target: the target should be the opposite:
>more variance...

Variance to take your opponent into a position they do not understand sounds
like a good strategy to me.  Variance just for the sake of playing a second-best
move isn't so good, though.  Telling the difference between the two may or may
not be a lot of work.

>imo a NEW chess program should NOT follow the old way. it should go a different
>way. and it should NOT optimize itself by doing what the others do.
>because this cannot work.

It can work if you do it better. :)  Of course, going a different way might work
too.

>so - branching factor is only important if your chess strength comes
>via search. than it is maybe important to have an efficient search
>and to decrease branching factor.

Okay.

>maybe it is important for all the dump programs who have nothing than search
>to generate strength. but - only for them.

And the open-source examples of something different that plays well are
where...?

Dave



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