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Date: 30 Mar 2006 12:47:55
From: tjb
Subject: [Fritz 9] Explain All Moves
I'm curious about the Explain All Moves pane. Does Fritz use the engine to
its *maximum* strength when suggesting moves on this pane? That is,
assuming I give the Explain All Moves pane enough time, on any given turn
does it report (via the first item in the list) what move the engine would
make on its *strongest* setting?




 
Date: 30 Mar 2006 14:27:47
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: [Fritz 9] Explain All Moves
tjb <[email protected] > wrote:
> I'm curious about the Explain All Moves pane. Does Fritz use the
> engine to its *maximum* strength when suggesting moves on this pane?
> That is, assuming I give the Explain All Moves pane enough time, on
> any given turn does it report (via the first item in the list) what
> move the engine would make on its *strongest* setting?

It doesn't make sense to ask what move the engine would make on its
strongest setting without saying how much time is available.

Now, when `Explain all moves' is on, it seems that the program has
more work to do. Therefore, it seems likely that less CPU is
available to the engine so it should take longer to find any
particular move.


Dave.

--
David Richerby Broken Apple (TM): it's like a tasty
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ fruit but it doesn't work!


  
Date: 30 Mar 2006 15:17:11
From: tjb
Subject: Re: [Fritz 9] Explain All Moves
David Richerby <[email protected] > wrote:

>> I'm curious about the Explain All Moves pane. Does Fritz use the
>> engine to its *maximum* strength when suggesting moves on this pane?
>> That is, assuming I give the Explain All Moves pane enough time, on
>> any given turn does it report (via the first item in the list) what
>> move the engine would make on its *strongest* setting?
>
> It doesn't make sense to ask what move the engine would make on its
> strongest setting without saying how much time is available.
>
> Now, when `Explain all moves' is on, it seems that the program has
> more work to do. Therefore, it seems likely that less CPU is
> available to the engine so it should take longer to find any
> particular move.

Okay. Essentially what I'm trying to ask is: how powerful is the "explain
all moves" thing? Are we talking more or less GM-level thinking, or is it
way off? Just trying to get a rough idea, out of interest.


   
Date: 30 Mar 2006 17:10:00
From: David Richerby
Subject: Re: [Fritz 9] Explain All Moves
tjb <[email protected] > wrote:
> Okay. Essentially what I'm trying to ask is: how powerful is the
> "explain all moves" thing? Are we talking more or less GM-level
> thinking, or is it way off? Just trying to get a rough idea, out of
> interest.

The `thinking' should be reasonably good. However, the explaining was
pretty dreadful in Fritz 8... (Yes, OK, playing a3 controls b4 but
it's usually just a pointless pawn push.)


Dave.

--
David Richerby Salted Cheese (TM): it's like a lump
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ of cheese but it's covered in salt!


   
Date: 30 Mar 2006 17:00:22
From: HD
Subject: Re: [Fritz 9] Explain All Moves
tjb wrote:
> David Richerby <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>> I'm curious about the Explain All Moves pane. Does Fritz use the
>>> engine to its *maximum* strength when suggesting moves on this pane?
>>> That is, assuming I give the Explain All Moves pane enough time, on
>>> any given turn does it report (via the first item in the list) what
>>> move the engine would make on its *strongest* setting?
>> It doesn't make sense to ask what move the engine would make on its
>> strongest setting without saying how much time is available.
>>
>> Now, when `Explain all moves' is on, it seems that the program has
>> more work to do. Therefore, it seems likely that less CPU is
>> available to the engine so it should take longer to find any
>> particular move.
>
> Okay. Essentially what I'm trying to ask is: how powerful is the "explain
> all moves" thing? Are we talking more or less GM-level thinking, or is it
> way off? Just trying to get a rough idea, out of interest.


The feature calculates on ALL possible moves, not just the best, or the
good ones, and tries to give an explantion to each. The moves is
reordered from time to time when new depths is reached. It's more like a
helping hand to the beginner/intermediate player during analysis than a
playing feature. Surely, like David says, since it's going through every
move in the position, it's weaker than the pure playing engine.