Validating a Range of Endgame Programs

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Barth, Wilhelm | Barth, Stephan

Affiliations: Technische Universitat Wien, Austria

Abstract: In this contribution we describe a method for developing computer programs for chess endgames. Rules based on knowledge about chess and about α-β search are their main ingredients. But tables for some positions and their assumed evaluations may be added. The developer may influence the relative importance of the three components: knowledge, search and table look-up. Thus, using cleverer rules may reduce the amount of search and conversely; storing more positions in tables may stop the rules from being overburdened with exceptions. Instead of using only the scalars win/draw/loss as values for positions we allow the rules to compute intervals guaranteed to contain the true values; very simple yet effective rules may be found by applying this method. Moreover, bounds for the intervals are not only win/draw/loss; the number of moves to reach mate or an irreversible move on a winning path is also taken into account; this feature avoids cycling. The validation of each program, i.e., the complete proof of its correctness, is done by a run which checks consistency of the evaluations of all legal positions covered by the rules; validation and play do not require any database at all. We have applied our method to the endgames KPK, KQKP and KQKQ, but this does not exhaust its scope.

DOI: 10.3233/ICG-1992-15303

Journal: ICGA Journal, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 132-139, 1992