Author: Howard Exner
Date: 03:29:43 02/02/00
Go up one level in this thread
On February 01, 2000 at 17:26:40, Jeremiah Penery wrote: >On February 01, 2000 at 05:55:07, Howard Exner wrote: > >>On February 01, 2000 at 02:39:46, Jeremiah Penery wrote: >> >>>Thanks for all your analysis! I think I see now that white was lost anyway, >>>though I'm not 100% convinced yet (only 99% :). In any case, it would be really >>>difficult for either side (white to hold the draw, if it existed, and for black >>>to find the win, if white did optimal play). >> >>These positions are always lots of fun to hash out with other chess players. > >Yes! I agree. :) > >>Eventually we seem to get to the truth of a position with the help of our >>computer programs ( at least in my case). > >I couldn't do it without the computer, for sure. I make simple tactical errors, >that the computer can correct for me, while I can try to decide on the strategy. > >>We sort of go into correspondence >>analysis mode (using a computer to boot) while the chess program is bound to the >>limits of the time control it played under. So I agree that this and other >>positions are difficult for machines when faced with optimal play. Would they >>play h4 here and follow up correctly? Would they play the Rg4+ move and >>the Ke5 response!(that you found) from that other interesting thread? > >Before very recently, I never truly appreciated the difficulty in such analysis. > I had done some much simpler analyses, but I never had anyone to help me find >the truth of a position. Of course, I always made mistakes. Before, when I saw >that, say, a GM's analysis had an error, I was really amazed that they could >miss such a thing. Now, I realize just how difficult it is to make sure all the >moves in the analysis is optimal, and that alternate lines are provided. In >some positions, it is really difficult to do. > >Thanks for helping me find the truth in this position. :) > >>Mind you many of todays programs are playing very nice endgame moves when >>compared to say 3-5 years ago. > >True, but it still seems to be one of the major weak points of computers. There >are still too many pieces for them to be able to use TBs, and they just have no >plan on what they need to do. In the middlegame this seems to work Ok, but in >the endgame they need a plan, or else they too often simply shuffle pieces. This idea of needing a plan is indeed a stumbling block in endgames. It's tied in with pattern recognition. Here's an example: This is a sequence of three positions from the same game starting with the final one first and working backwards. 1. Humans and computers know this is an easy win for black. Computers by calculating, humans at a glance through pattern recognition. [D]8/5p2/4p1p1/4P2p/5P1P/kP4P1/8/1K6 w - - bm Kxb3; 2.In this position humans can also see quickly that the queen side pawns can be exchanged leading to the first position. [D]8/5p2/p3p1p1/1p2P2p/5P1P/kP4P1/P7/1K6 w - - bm a6a5; 3. This initial position will lead to the other two losing positions if white plays Bxc5? Humans, knowing the other two patterns will avoid the exchange and instead consider moves like Be3 or Be1 but computers will have to calculate this one to great lengths to avoid losing. How many programs will avoid Bxc5? [D]8/5p2/p3p1p1/1pbkP2p/5P1P/1P4P1/P3KB2/8 w - - am Bxc5
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