This has been going on for a few months. I forwarded the BUG to ChessBase, then update 16 came out. After now again long time update 17 comes out, but still totally BUGGY. How often should I write to ChessBase? I have no more desire!
I have seen many losses with this BUG on the server PlayChess, but I can only kibitz or play myself. Many losing games I could not even see.
Here are 4 positions, the first 3 are from version 14 or 16 I don't know exactly. The last position is the one from today, but today alone there were more such defeats:
8/5N2/8/3K2p1/5kP1/3p4/8/8 w - - 0 1
8/2p5/8/1K1k4/8/P6P/8/8 b - - 0 1
8/8/7k/2K5/1p4n1/1P6/P7/8 b - - 0 1
8/8/8/5pp1/4k3/4P1K1/5P2/8 w - - 0 113
I will continue to collect and have the games chipped for myself, but I will not play the eternal beta tester for ChessBase - I am very dissatisfied.
First: For me, both the engine and the GUI play with 6stones. When 6 pieces are reached, the GUI takes over. The engine does not calculate from now on. The advantage is: The GUI moves immediately, the engine would not. I can play with a higher value for slow mover, also I use less power and avoid too much heat in the PC.
The version 10 plays absolutely correct, so it should be no problem to compare the versions and find the error.
Besides: The BUG is also present in ChessBase program 16. I loved this feature when I bought the program. Conclusion: Everything is getting worse with CB.
I know how it works, Eduard, but it is not the job of the GUI to play instead of the engine, imho.
If this is only because the GUI plays almost instantly and you want the engine to play much faster in TB positions with 6 or lesser pieces,
this is trivial to change in SF and its forks ...
One more thing: On InfinityChess this feature does not exist. The solution there is: I allow draw to be offered at 6 pieces. We all play this way. After a few more moves the game is finished. It runs automatically.
The Fritz server does not know this! Under Fritz I can only set that early or late draw is offered, but not at how many pieces.
Early under Fritz is usually already at move 20-30, and late in the late middlegame with eval 0.00. But many games take much longer, especially when a complex position is on the board (english). In such complex positions, mistakes often occur. Most players therefore want to play out the game completely.
ChessBase has remained in the stone age. It would be reasonable to do it the same way as InfinityChess does it.
You have obviously CB 16 not Fritz 18. Therefore you got Update 21 on yesterday. CB 16 update 21 is affected from the same error as described by Eduard Nemeth for Fritz. Just give it a try!