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Subject: Re: Howard's positional sacrifice test

Author: Ed Schröder

Date: 02:10:20 12/02/99

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>Posted by Robert Hyatt on December 01, 1999 at 14:57:54:
>
>In Reply to: Howard's positional sacrifice test posted by Ed Schröder on
>December 01, 1999 at 13:09:37:
>
>On December 01, 1999 at 13:09:37, Ed Schröder wrote:
>
>>I ran Howard's test, Rebel Century had no problems with all 9 positions. I
>>will comment the interesting ones and paste the crucial lines of the LOG.
>>
>>r1bb2k1/p1q2pp1/4p1np/2ppP2Q/8/2P2N2/2P2PPP/R1B1R1K1 w - - am Bxh6;
>>00:00:14  9.00  0.33   1.c4 d4 2.Bd2 a5 3.Ra3 a4 4.Rea1 Bd7 5.Rb1
>>
>>r3q1k1/ppp1rpp1/2n1b2p/8/2P2B2/3B4/PPPQ1RPP/5RK1 w - - bm f4h6;
>>00:00:00  1.00  1.02   1.Bxh6 gxh6 2.Qxh6
>>00:00:00  4.04  0.88   1.Bxh6 gxh6 2.Qxh6 f5 3.Bxf5 Bxc4  4.Bg6
>>
>>The position which started the whole issue.
>>----------------
>>
>>r3q1k1/ppp1rpp1/4b1np/8/2P2B2/3B4/PPPQ1RPP/5RK1 w - - am BXH6;
>>00:00:16  8.00  0.26   1.Bg3 Rd8 2.Qb4 b6 3.Bxg6 fxg6 4.Bh4 g5 5.Bg3 Bf7
>>
>>3rrnk1/ppp1qpp1/4b2p/8/2P2B2/3B4/PPPQ1RPP/5RK1 w - - id BXH6spe;
>>00:00:14  8.00  0.48   1.Qa5 c6 2.Qxa7 Ra8 3.Qd4 c5 4.Qc3 Rxa2 5.Bg3
>>
>>3r1rk1/p2q1ppp/2pb1n2/5b2/1nB5/2N1BN1P/PP2QPP1/R4RK1 b - - bm BXH3;
>>00:00:52  9.00  0.31   1..Rfe8 2.Nd4 Bxh3 3.gxh3 Qxh3 4.Nf3 Qg4+
>>00:02:19  9.19  0.41   1..Bxh3 2.gxh3 Qxh3 3.Rac1 Ng4 4.Ne4 Nxe3 5.Qxe3 Qg4+
>>6.Ng3 Bf4
>>
>>Rebel Century needs SEARCH + EVAL to find the find the sac.
>>-----------
>>
>>3r1rk1/p2q1ppp/2pb4/p4b2/1nB5/4BN1P/PP2QPP1/R4RK1 b - - am BXH3;
>>00:00:54  9.00  0.82   1..Rfe8 2.Rfd1 Nc2 3.Ng5 Re7 4.Rac1 Nxe3
>>
>>1qr1b1k1/4bpp1/pn2p2p/1p1nN3/3P4/P2BBN1Q/1P3PPP/4R1K1 w - - bm Bxh6;
>>00:00:00  3.01  0.20   1.Bxh6 gxh6 2.Qxh6 Nf6 3.Ng5 a5
>>00:00:00  4.00  0.23   1.Bxh6 gxh6 2.Qxh6 Nf6 3.Ng5 Qd6 4.Bh7+ Nxh7
>5.Qxh7+ Kf8
>>6.Nexf7
>>00:00:00  5.00  0.30   1.Bxh6 gxh6 2.Qxh6 Nf6
>>00:00:05  6.00  1.30   1.Bxh6 Nf6 2.Bg5 Qd6 3.Bxf6 Bxf6 4.Qh7+ Kf8 5.Qh8+ Ke7
>>00:00:08  7.00  1.39   1.Bxh6 Nf6 2.Bg5 Nbd5 3.Nd2 Bd6 4.b4
>>00:00:21  8.00  1.39   1.Bxh6 Nf6 2.Bf4 Qb7 3.Ng4 Nbd5  4.Nxf6+ Nxf6 5.Ne5+
>>00:00:49  9.00  1.42   1.Bxh6 Nf6 2.Bg5 Nbd5 3.Bxf6 Bxf6 4.Qh7+ Kf8 5.Qh8 Ke7
>>6.Ng4
>>
>>Another working case of an early positional sacrifice. SEARCH proves Rebel
>>is right.
>>---------------
>>
>>1qr1b1k1/4bpp1/p3p2p/1p1nN3/3P4/P3BN1Q/1P3PPP/4R1K1 w - - am Bxh6;
>>00:00:00  1.01  0.13   1.Bxh6 gxh6 2.Qxh6
>>00:00:00  2.00  -0.34   1.Bxh6 gxh6 2.Qxh6 f6 3.Ng6
>>00:00:00  3.00  -1.02   1.Bxh6 gxh6 2.Qxh6 Bf8 3.Qh5 Bg7
>>00:00:00  3.01  -0.39   1.Qg3 Nxe3 2.fxe3 Rc2
>>00:00:00  4.00  -0.40   1.Qg3 Nxe3 2.fxe3 Rc2 3.b4
>>00:00:00  4.02  -0.34   1.Bd2 Rc2 2.Qg4 Nf6 3.Qg3 Bd6
>>00:00:00  5.00  -0.28   1.Bd2 Rc2 2.Qg3 g5 3.b4
>>00:00:01  6.00  -0.34   1.Bd2 Bd6 2.Qg4 Nf6 3.Qg3 Rc2
>>00:00:03  7.00  -0.34   1.Bd2 Rc2 2.Qg4 Kf8 3.b4 Bd6
>>00:00:09  8.00  -0.40   1.Bd2 Rc2 2.Qg4 Kh8 3.Qh5 Rxb2 4.Nxf7+
>>00:00:37  9.00  -0.34   1.Bd2 Rc2 2.Qg4 Kh8 3.b4 Qc7
>>00:02:17 10.00  -0.38   1.Bd2 Rc2 2.Qg4 Kf8 3.b4 Qc7
>>
>>This is a very interesting one. The first 2 plies Rebel Century sacs the
>bishop
>>but then is corrected by SEARCH after seeing 2..Bf8 and 3..Bg7 on the third
>>ply. Isn't CC sometimes wonderful?
>>-------------------

>>
>>r1br2k1/p1q2pp1/4p1np/2ppP2Q/2n5/2PB1N2/2P2PPP/R1B1R1K1 w - - bm Bxh6;
>>00:00:17  8.08  0.00   1.Bxh6 gxh6 2.Qxh6 Rd7 3.Bxg6
>>00:01:43  9.00  0.62   1.Bxh6 a5 2.Bg5 Re8 3.Bxg6 fxg6 4.Qxg6 Rf8
>>
>>Thanks Howard for interesting set. If you have more please post.
>>
>>Ed
>
>
>This output wasn't exactly what I was looking for.  I am much more interested
>in your 1-2-3 ply results for these position...
>
>Why?
>
>Because here is what your program will do:  (a) I like Bxh6, but after I get to
>depth=7 I see that it is bad...  so (b) I will first play two captures that
>eat 4 plies, then a check to eat a couple more, and _then_ I can now play Bxh6
>and I don't see anything bad happening.

This ONLY happens if the software (in this case King Safety)...
a) is TOO speculative (too high values)
b) missing important knowledge -> inaccurate judgement
c) is not in balance with other positional rules (values)

Above I have given you one case Rebel is wrong at the very first plies, in
all the other 8 cases this wasn't an issue otherwise I would have posted
that. Here is the one I am talking about, I quote from above:

[ begin ]

1qr1b1k1/4bpp1/p3p2p/1p1nN3/3P4/P3BN1Q/1P3PPP/4R1K1 w - - am Bxh6;
00:00:00  1.01  0.13   1.Bxh6 gxh6 2.Qxh6
00:00:00  2.00  -0.34   1.Bxh6 gxh6 2.Qxh6 f6 3.Ng6
00:00:00  3.00  -1.02   1.Bxh6 gxh6 2.Qxh6 Bf8 3.Qh5 Bg7
00:00:00  3.01  -0.39   1.Qg3 Nxe3 2.fxe3 Rc2
00:00:00  4.00  -0.40   1.Qg3 Nxe3 2.fxe3 Rc2 3.b4
00:00:00  4.02  -0.34   1.Bd2 Rc2 2.Qg4 Nf6 3.Qg3 Bd6
00:00:00  5.00  -0.28   1.Bd2 Rc2 2.Qg3 g5 3.b4
00:00:01  6.00  -0.34   1.Bd2 Bd6 2.Qg4 Nf6 3.Qg3 Rc2
00:00:03  7.00  -0.34   1.Bd2 Rc2 2.Qg4 Kf8 3.b4 Bd6
00:00:09  8.00  -0.40   1.Bd2 Rc2 2.Qg4 Kh8 3.Qh5 Rxb2 4.Nxf7+
00:00:37  9.00  -0.34   1.Bd2 Rc2 2.Qg4 Kh8 3.b4 Qc7
00:02:17 10.00  -0.38   1.Bd2 Rc2 2.Qg4 Kf8 3.b4 Qc7

This is a very interesting one. The first 2 plies Rebel Century sacs the
bishop but then is corrected by SEARCH after seeing 2..Bf8 and 3..Bg7 on
the third ply. Isn't CC sometimes wonderful?

[ end ]



>This has happened to me on many occasions on ICC.  Sure, at the root you can
>
>dismiss Bxh6 maybe, but if you can't dismiss it at the tips with equal
>accuracy,
>you are going to (on occasion) make a committal move at ply-1 that means you
>_must_ follow through with Bxh6 at ply=9...
>
>What I want is as much tactical accuracy as I can get, with some speculative
>evaluation terms that are right most of the time, but even when they are wrong
>I maintain a chance to not lose.  Because then this sort of 'horizon effect'
>doesn't hurt.  Of course, I might miss a speculative sac that wins, or I might
>miss one by my opponent that loses (less likely as I use assymetric king
>safety)
>But at least I try to avoid being "hoisted on my own petard"...

My vision is different. I believe positional sacrifices are doable as long
as you stick to certain rules. The best example is your friend Hsu. In game
2 of the rematch against Kasparov 3 pawns were sacrificed in exchange for a
strong king attack. Maybe you should ask him about his opinion :)

Ed




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