Zchess and search depth

[Andrew Tanner]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Andrew Tanner am 11. November 1999 08:20:46:
Just started to test Zchess vs SOS at Blitz and was blown out of the water by this first game! I just had to post it. A Successfull positional sacrifice of a knight at move 8 by Zchess! I had selected: min_search depth 9 , selectivite=50 and SELECTIVITY_SEARCH_PLIES=20 in the .ini file.
However, for some reason it hasn't been searching to a forced depth of 9 in subsequent games and I've noticed other more serious quirks in it's play like the "horizon effect". I don't know as of yet whether this sudden quirky play is related to my tamperings, but it's a good bet that it is. I would like to see it play again at a forced search depth of at least 9. Does anyone have an idea of what it might be the cause? A conflict with winboard?

[Event "Computer chess game"]
[Site "Win98 AMD266 64M RAM"]
[Date "1999.11.10"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Zchess"]
[Black "SOS"]
[Result "1-0"]
[TimeControl "300"]
1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Bd3 c6 7. O-O b5 8.
Nxb5 cxb5 9. e5 Nd5 10. Bxb5 Bb7 11. c4 Nb6 12. c5 a6 13. Bd3 dxc5 14. dxc5
Na4 15. b4 a5 16. Qxa4 Bxf3 17. b5 Bxg2 18. Rd1 Bb7 19. Be4 Qc7 20. c6 Bc8
21. Be3 Bh3 22. b6 Qc8 23. b7 Qg4+ 24. Kh1 Ra6 25. c7 Qe6 26. Rd8 Nc6 27.
Rxf8+ Bxf8 28. c8=Q Qxc8 29. bxc8=Q
{Black resigns} 1-0

[Pete Galati]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Pete Galati am 11. November 1999 16:54:16:
Als Antwort auf:/As an answer to: Zchess and search depth geschrieben von:/posted by: Andrew Tanner am 11. November 1999 08:20:46:

Just started to test Zchess vs SOS at Blitz and was blown out of the water by this first game! I just had to post it. A Successfull positional sacrifice of a knight at move 8 by Zchess! I had selected: min_search depth 9 , selectivite=50 and SELECTIVITY_SEARCH_PLIES=20 in the .ini file.
However, for some reason it hasn't been searching to a forced depth of 9 in subsequent games and I've noticed other more serious quirks in it's play like the "horizon effect". I don't know as of yet whether this sudden quirky play is related to my tamperings, but it's a good bet that it is. I would like to see it play again at a forced search depth of at least 9. Does anyone have an idea of what it might be the cause? A conflict with winboard?

[Event "Computer chess game"]
[Site "Win98 AMD266 64M RAM"]
[Date "1999.11.10"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Zchess"]
[Black "SOS"]
[Result "1-0"]
[TimeControl "300"]
1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f4 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Bd3 c6 7. O-O b5 8.
Nxb5 cxb5 9. e5 Nd5 10. Bxb5 Bb7 11. c4 Nb6 12. c5 a6 13. Bd3 dxc5 14. dxc5
Na4 15. b4 a5 16. Qxa4 Bxf3 17. b5 Bxg2 18. Rd1 Bb7 19. Be4 Qc7 20. c6 Bc8
21. Be3 Bh3 22. b6 Qc8 23. b7 Qg4+ 24. Kh1 Ra6 25. c7 Qe6 26. Rd8 Nc6 27.
Rxf8+ Bxf8 28. c8=Q Qxc8 29. bxc8=Q
{Black resigns} 1-0

You should use a lower minimum search depth than that, ther was no reason to raise it from it default setting of 1, also don't expect it to search very deep when you play Blitz games, giving it more time to play the games will get it searching deeper.
Zchess is a very good program, I have not used it in over a month now but I do remember that Zchess could play some brilient moves, allot of the moves I just couldn't see coming, it's a great program.
Pete