UCI seldepth

[metax]

Why do so many engines omit to report the UCI seldepth?

[zullil]

Why do so many engines omit to report the UCI seldepth?

For those who don't already know what this is:

* seldepth

selective search depth in plies

[zamar]

"selective search depth in plies" still doesn't say me anything.

I know that depth is also quite ambiguous concept in modern computer chess, but it can often be interpreted as iteration. But what is "selective search depth"?

[Michel]

I know that depth is also quite ambiguous concept in modern computer chess, but it can often be interpreted as iteration. But what is "selective search depth"?

I would assume that this is the depth of the deepest branch searched.
Not sure if one has to count quiescence search.

[Aaron Becker]

It's definitely ill-defined. In Daydreamer I report depth as the nominal root depth, and seldepth as the maximum length path from the root, including quiescence. I've never found seldepth all that helpful, though.

[Gian-Carlo Pascutto]

As a developer it is sometimes useful to spot search explosions.