Originally posted by greenpawn34turning a Rolls Royce into a Skoda = upgrading your Rolls Royce
I'm really the wrong guy to ask about computers and what they can do.
But basically you are asking a box to accept risky sacs, defend poorly
and forget 150 years of opening theory and chess development.
I know you can tamper with the settings but that to me is like
turning a Rolls Royce into a Skoda.
(I bet you now all the Skoda owners will ...[text shortened]... ave it beat in all the main opening
variations I play and if I play it agin it just repeats.
Originally posted by greenpawn34"Thanks for the links but I have Gromit which plays a 'human' type game... "
I'm really the wrong guy to ask about computers and what they can do.
But basically you are asking a box to accept risky sacs, defend poorly
and forget 150 years of opening theory and chess development.
I know you can tamper with the settings but that to me is like
turning a Rolls Royce into a Skoda.
(I bet you now all the Skoda owners will now ...[text shortened]... I have it beat in all the main opening
variations I play and if I play it agin it just repeats.
Aw, and I just love that cute puppy dog engine logo, too! 🙂
Apologies if I persist with a topic you may not be interested in, but I'm intrigued with your comment about Gromit having a human style. I've heard others talk about other engines with human styles, such as Hiarcs (I think), Rebel/ProDeo, and Phalanx (the latter two have Skoda settings, don't know about Hiarcs), but I don't remember anyone else making this claim about Gromit. Could you give me some details regarding why Gromit is human in your eyes? (I know, I'm such a weak player that I may not even be able to tell the difference between human and comp moves, but the subject still fascinates me.)
" ...though I hardly play it these days. I have it beat in all the main opening variations I play and if I play it again it just repeats. "
Wow, so it never varies its opening moves? Shouldn't you be able to introduce some randomness into the GUI book, or does Winboard not have that feature? (Yeah, I know, like you stay current on all the latest Winboard features. 🙂 ) Or maybe a newer version of Gromit that would probably play different moves? (You use 2.1, right? I've seen links to 3.0 and 3.8.2. I can look up the links if needed. )
Gromit seemed stuck on a horizon of about 4 moves and so took
pieces if there was no mate in four. Very Human in displaying a
total lack of danger. Also you could 'cheapo' it.
Fritz6, the other program I played when I was into these things
seemed to shift up a gear if there were tactics about and had
'something' that told it King was in danger.
Cannot recall swindling Fritz when it was a piece up.
Again thanks for the links but I've enough programs for when I want a game.
If I do I usually play my systec portable next to a full sized set on level 6.
(30 secs a move.) Some I win, some I lose. sometimes we agree a draw.
(when It's winning and I turn it off it's a draw).
Get more from playing over games from books - Or skipping
through the fun stuff on;
http://www.timeforchess.com/gamesexplorer/
You can also use it as a training excersie to see if you can spot shots
from actual games without relying on the slightly false though adequate
'tap on the shoulder' postions you get from books or tactical sites.
Practically every game has a missed shot in the under 1900 section.
Some are very simple, some a bit deeper.
Your job is to 'sense' there is something on and look.
Here a box beats a book hands down for honing this skill, you could
not ask a player to play over these games looking for shots.
(well you could, but few would do it - chess players are lazy).
In another thread some lad has a wee joke saying if White played Bg2
in this position.
He would play g5 and win the Knight.
So I scanned the (OUTDATED) RHP database to see if anyone had
fallen for this.
onyx - ceders Game 3032648 comes close but no coconut.
However a good game to skip though with no big shots that I could see
but you can see some nice wee traps getting set and avoided.
I spotted (and then rejected) a 'might have been.'
On move 22 if Black had tried 22...Kf7 23.Rh7+ Ke8.
We have this as the bones. White to play.
24.Nd6+ fxQ 25.Re7 mate.
But flesh out the actual 'might have been' position.
24.Nd6+ fxQ check. (OOPS!).
In the actual game after 21.Nd5 Rbe8 was worth a try instead of 21...f5.
Not forced but plausible if White sees he can nick both Rooks and
bring his Queen back to stop the perpetual which it appears all
Black has.