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Subject: Re: two simple endings, too hard for computers?

Author: blass uri

Date: 12:09:38 08/31/99

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On August 31, 1999 at 12:18:41, Gerrit Reubold wrote:

>On August 31, 1999 at 10:19:35, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On August 31, 1999 at 10:02:19, Gerrit Reubold wrote:
>>
>>>Hi all,
>>>
>>>Here are two endgame positions which are easy draws (for humans), however, my
>>>program (Bringer) lost both. Does your programs play better moves? how long do
>>>they take to see the draw?
>>>
>>>Position from Bringer 1.4 - Crafty 16.11, after 155. ... Bb5
>>>
>>>8/8/2k5/1bp5/4p2p/2K1P2P/4B1P1/8 w - - 0 1
>>>
>>>How long does your program take to avoid the losing 156. Bc4?? Instead,
>>>sacrificing the g2 pawn with Bg4 and keeping the king on c3 should be an easy
>>>draw. (Bringer would need 6 min on a PII 300 to avoid Bc4 :-( )
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>Crafty seens that Bc4 loses in about 30 seconds on my PII/300 notebook,
>>after getting to depth=18.  Score goes from -1.58 to -5.21 at that depth.
>>The quad xeon sees this in 4 seconds however...
>
>Sure, searching faster an deeper helps. I hoped for an answer like "Do this ...
>and that ..., and your engine will see it immediately". Maybe I have to accept
>that there are still positions which humans solve easily and progs need some 18
>plies.
>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>Position from Crafty 16.11 - Bringer 1.4
>>>
>>> - - 0 1
>>>
>>>43. ... g5 would be an easy draw, does any program see this move (BTW, Bringer
>>>played Kg6 and h5 and lost)
>>>
>>
>>
>>I'll have to try this one on the xeon, but it is busy.  It has all the 3 vs 2
>>endings and may be able to search this to the end.
>>>
>>>The second position leads to the question: how should we evaluate positions like
>>>this:
>>>8/2k5/2n5/8/8/2BN4/2K5/8 w - - 0 1
>>>Don't tell me "5 pieces EGTBs", because there may be another black pawn, which
>>>wouldn't change a thing.
>>>
>>>
>>>Greetings,
>>>Gerrit
>>
>>
>>Tablebases _will_ help... because often a 20 ply search is more than enough
>>to find a way to eliminate that last pawn and get an exact score...  otherwise
>>such evaluations are difficult, because _all_ KN vs KBN positions are not
>>drawn...
>
>I was looking for a way to *know* it is a draw, not for searching 20 plies to
>hit the tablebases.

There are programs with some knowledge about these positions

Junior evaluates the last position without tablebases only as a small advantage
for white(clearly less than a pawn).

I know that Rebel evaluated KN vs KBB in WCCC as only 0.xx for the BB(It lost
the game when the opponent had tablebases and went for a winning position of KBB
vs KN)

Uri



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