Author: Harald Faber
Date: 07:40:40 12/06/99
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On December 06, 1999 at 08:46:09, Robert Hyatt wrote: >>>Bob Hyatt stated in a recent post that all chess programs have "absolutely >>>glaring holes." What are the specific weaknesses of some of the top programs. >> >>In most cases it is their own king safety. > > >That is certainly a big one. I know, I have some unbelievable examples. >Another is over-rating the attacking chances relative to the opponent's >king safety. IE many programs think that after Bxg3 hxg3 that white's >king is very unsafe, when in reality, it is not with a doubled pawn at >g3. > >Passed pawns. Many over-value these, to the point that they will create an >advanced one that becomes lost laster. Others have no clue about the advantage >of an outside (or distant) passed pawn. An ancillary point here is that even >if a program recognizes a passed pawn as good (outside passed pawn) many don't >recognize a 'distant majority' which is essentially the same thing. I have >seen more than one program trade into a K+P vs K+P (multiple p's on both >sides) ending that was dead lost, even though they might have been a pawn >up or have a more advanced passer. > >Some value a rook on the 7th too highly, particularly after all the pawns have >advanced and the king is centralized. A rook on the 7th there isn't doing >anything, yet more than one program is very happy with it. > >Some (including older versions of crafty) value connected passed pawns more >valuable than two isolated passed pawns... This is wrong in king and pawn (only) >endings... > >The list goes on and on... To be fair it is not that easy to evaluate passed pawns and connected (passed) pawns correctly. And some programs, having in mind to play "attractive" chess, sac incorrectly. Sometimes the sacs win, sometimes/often they don't. Of course many of us want to see attractive, attacking games, but the games also have to contain sound sacs without any or too much wishful thinking "if the opponent blunders I will win". And in this regard I prefer to see the King, WChess and MChessPro play, rather than Harakiri-Tal e.g.
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