Bug in all versions of Pro Deo

[Yurist]

Hi! When I use Pro Deo (all from 1.2 to 1.6) against another engine and time control 1+0, there is a bug which occurs every game. When Pro Deo reaches time "10 sec. left" it starts move immidietly and each move 5ply depth, so it loses absoluetly winning position. During the game pro Deo make some instant moves with 5ply depth, but these moves are obvious captures and there is no need wasting time in this positions, but with 10 sec. left it behaves strangely. Why? What should I do with this?

[Uri Blass]

Hi! When I use Pro Deo (all from 1.2 to 1.6) against another engine and time control 1+0, there is a bug which occurs every game. When Pro Deo reaches time "10 sec. left" it starts move immidietly and each move 5ply depth, so it loses absoluetly winning position. During the game pro Deo make some instant moves with 5ply depth, but these moves are obvious captures and there is no need wasting time in this positions, but with 10 sec. left it behaves strangely. Why? What should I do with this?

I do not think that it is a strange behaviour.


Different behaviour may lead to losses on time and it is not clear what is better espacielly if the programmer does not waste time on 1+0 games.

Uri

[Matthias Gemuh]

Hi! When I use Pro Deo (all from 1.2 to 1.6) against another engine and time control 1+0, there is a bug which occurs every game. When Pro Deo reaches time "10 sec. left" it starts move immidietly and each move 5ply depth, so it loses absoluetly winning position. During the game pro Deo make some instant moves with 5ply depth, but these moves are obvious captures and there is no need wasting time in this positions, but with 10 sec. left it behaves strangely. Why? What should I do with this?

It is normal for a chess engine to behave so if there are only 10 sec left for an unknown number of moves.
My engine may even resign.


Matthias

[Yurist]

But no one engine does the same thing (moves immidietly each move with 5oly depth). When I use Pro Deo 1+1 and 10sec. left, everything is ok, and when I use for example 40/4+ 40/4 and 10 sec. left everything is ok, the engine plays fast but not immidietly and with fixed depth of 5ply. I think it is a little bit strange.

[Ovyron]

It is normal for a chess engine to behave so if there are only 10 sec left for an unknown number of moves.
My engine may even resign.

But maybe it's doing it too early, as 5 ply moves will be moved instantly and there are many "instants" in 10 seconds, so it could wait till it has 5 or 2 seconds left.

I still think that playing 1 0 games is probably as good as flipping weighted coins to know the games' results, though

[bigo]

Known Problems


When you are playing eng-eng matches or auto232 make sure you limit the maximum number of moves else PRO DEO might play funny moves or worse crash.
For ChessBase this means: Move Limit = 240
For LokaSoft: Max Moves in Game = 160


Under ChessBase and perhaps other Interfaces such as Arena, ChessMaster, Winboard a time-control problem may or may not occur. Using the tournament time control make sure that time-control-1 is equal to time-control-2 and that you zero time-control-3. So: 40/2hr+40/2hr or 40/20+40/20. Doing otherwise it may happen PRO DEO will start moving instantly after move 41 for the rest of the game

[Yurist]

Known Problems


When you are playing eng-eng matches or auto232 make sure you limit the maximum number of moves else PRO DEO might play funny moves or worse crash.
For ChessBase this means: Move Limit = 240
For LokaSoft: Max Moves in Game = 160


Under ChessBase and perhaps other Interfaces such as Arena, ChessMaster, Winboard a time-control problem may or may not occur. Using the tournament time control make sure that time-control-1 is equal to time-control-2 and that you zero time-control-3. So: 40/2hr+40/2hr or 40/20+40/20. Doing otherwise it may happen PRO DEO will start moving instantly after move 41 for the rest of the game

Where can I check Move Limit? In Fritz GUI or in Pro Deo parameters?

[Yurist]

I found Move Limit only when I want to mahe engine/engine match, but if I want to make a tournament there is no option "Move Limit". What should I do in that case?

[Yurist]

By the way, I conducted a match (engine/engine match) and made Move Limit 240 moves, but Pro Deo again after 10 sec. left moves immidietly... So if there is a solution, it is definitly onther.

[Mike S.]

Is it absolutely necessary that you use a time control of 1+0, with Pro Deo? Why not simply 1+1 in that case... Although, that is still extremely short. But I guess you want a high number of games for a specific type of test.

I did use Pro Deo most often in Arena 1.1. There, you can set a move limit for engine games always, because it doesn't distinguish between engine match or -tournament (which is a design flaw in the Fritz interface).

I never noticed the problem you describe, but I didn't try x+0 time controls. I did use 40/10m once, but I think I set it to 40/10+40/10... as recommended. Also, I limited it to 120 moves total. See the longest game from these below. PD's time consumption before the 40th, 80th and 120th move was normal, each.

[Event "PD12_40in10m"]
[Site "Athlon@1200"]
[Date "2006.11.18"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Pro Deo 1.2"]
[Black "Scorpio 1.8"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A47"]
[PlyCount "240"]

1. Nf3 b6 2. d4 {+0.27/12 12} Nf6 {-0.57/13 29} 3. Bg5 Bb7 4. Nc3 {+0.23/12 18}
e6 {-0.33/12 14} 5. e4 {+0.30/12 16} h6 {-0.51/12 14} 6. Bxf6 {+0.28/12 13}
Qxf6 {-0.47/12 14} 7. Be2 {+0.20/11 11} Be7 {-0.23/12 14} 8. O-O {+0.20/11 17}
O-O {-0.30/12 14} 9. Bd3 {+0.16/10 11} Qg6 {-0.25/11 14} 10. Nb5 {+0.35/11 16}
Rc8 {-0.06/12 14} 11. Ne5 {+0.23/11 11} Qh7 {-0.24/12 14} 12. d5 {+0.18/10 12}
d6 {-0.10/11 14} 13. Nc4 {+0.18/11 18} e5 {-0.11/12 14} 14. Qg4 {+0.18/11 14}
a6 {-0.12/12 14} 15. Nc3 {+0.13/12 11} Rd8 {-0.04/12 15} 16. f4 {+0.08/11 17}
Nd7 {+0.02/11 14} 17. a4 {+0.08/10 21} h5 {-0.12/10 15} 18. Qf3 {+0.18/12 17}
Qg6 {-0.02/10 15} 19. Rae1 {+0.21/11 20} Bh4 {-0.01/10 15} 20. Rb1 {+0.23/11 16
} Bf6 {+0.03/11 15} 21. b4 {+0.23/11 18} Qh6 {+0.08/12 15} 22. fxe5 {
+0.22/11 10} Nxe5 {+0.15/12 15} 23. Nxe5 {+0.19/11 12} dxe5 {+0.15/11 3} 24.
Be2 {+0.21/10 9} Bc8 {+0.11/11 15} 25. h3 {+0.22/11 13} h4 {+0.06/11 16} 26. a5
{+0.23/11 13} bxa5 {-0.06/12 15} 27. bxa5 {+0.30/9 2} Qd2 {-0.13/13 16} 28. Rf2
{+0.12/12 22} Qd4 {+0.07/13 16} 29. Nd1 {+0.16/11 12} Bd7 {+0.08/11 16} 30. Ne3
{+0.12/10 11} Qc5 {0.00/11 16} 31. Ra1 {-0.02/11 22} Be8 {+0.17/12 16} 32. Nf5
{-0.15/10 11} Bg5 {+0.18/12 16} 33. Qa3 {-0.09/11 11} Qxa3 {+0.21/12 16} 34.
Rxa3 {-0.07/5} g6 {+0.24/13 16} 35. Ne3 {-0.16/12 16} Be7 {+0.22/13 16} 36. Rc3
{-0.21/12 11} Ra7 {+0.20/14 16} 37. Rf1 {-0.04/13 24} Bb4 {+0.13/13 17} 38. Rb3
{-0.10/14 22} Bc5 {+0.21/14 17} 39. Kh2 {-0.05/14 21} Ba4 {+0.16/14 17} 40. Rc3
{-0.04/14 16} Bd4 {+0.11/15 18} 41. Ra3 {-0.05/13 10} Bd7 {+0.08/14 14} 42. Ng4
{0.00/12 24} Kg7 {-0.11/14 14} 43. Nf6 {+0.02/12 14} c6 {-0.11/13 14} 44. c4 {
+0.04/11 12} cxd5 {-0.10/13 14} 45. Nxd7 {+0.28/11 11} Raxd7 {-0.04/14 14} 46.
cxd5 {+0.43/12 10} Rd6 {-0.13/14 14} 47. g4 {+0.42/12 15} hxg3+ {+0.09/13 14}
48. Kxg3 {+0.17/12 23} f5 {+0.09/14 14} 49. exf5 {+0.18/12 15} Rf6 {0.00/13 14}
50. fxg6 {+0.41/11 14} Rxg6+ {+0.07/15 14} 51. Kh2 {+0.41/11 11} Rxd5 {
0.00/14 14} 52. Bd3 {+0.25/12 20} Rf6 {+0.10/15 14} 53. Rxf6 {+0.14/13 24} Kxf6
{+0.10/14 3} 54. Bxa6 {+0.11/13 18} Bb2 {+0.10/16 14} 55. Ra4 {+0.10/12 14} Bc3
{+0.10/16 15} 56. Bb7 {+0.10/13 18} Rxa5 {0.00/17 15} 57. Rxa5 {+0.09/14 23}
Bxa5 {0.00/18 3} 58. Kg3 {+0.08/14 8} Be1+ {0.00/18 15} 59. Kg4 {+0.09/14 16}
Bc3 {0.00/22 15} 60. h4 {+0.19/15 17} Be1 {0.00/23 15} 61. h5 {+0.20/15 11} Kg7
{0.00/20 15} 62. Be4 {+0.29/14 8} Bd2 {0.00/22 15} 63. Kf5 {+0.30/15 18} Kh6 {
0.00/23 15} 64. Bf3 {+0.29/15 12} Bc3 {0.00/22 15} 65. Bg4 {+0.30/15 12} Bd4 {
0.00/25 15} 66. Be2 {+0.27/15 12} Kh7 {0.00/27 15} 67. Bf3 {+0.27/15 16} Kg7 {
0.00/23 15} 68. Bd5 {+0.28/15 17} Bc3 {0.00/23 15} 69. Bc6 {+0.28/15 14} Kh6 {
0.00/22 16} 70. Bf3 {+0.26/15 12} Kg7 {0.00/22 16} 71. Bd5 {+0.26/15 15} Kh7 {
0.00/24 16} 72. Be4 {+0.26/15 14} Kh6 {0.00/24 16} 73. Kg4 {+0.25/15 11} Bd4 {
0.00/26 16} 74. Bd3 {+0.26/15 17} Bb2 {0.00/25 16} 75. Bc2 {+0.28/15 9} Bd4 {
0.00/23 16} 76. Be4 {+0.23/15 14} Bc3 {0.00/25 16} 77. Bf5 {+0.25/15 10} Bd4 {
0.00/30 16} 78. Bc2 {+0.26/15 10} Bb2 {0.00/25 17} 79. Bg6 {+0.21/16 22} Bd4 {
0.00/23 17} 80. Kf5 {+0.25/15 10} Bc3 {0.00/25 18} 81. Bf7 {+0.23/16 21} Kh7 {
0.00/23 14} 82. Bc4 {+0.25/15 14} Kh8 {0.00/25 14} 83. Kg6 {+0.58/14 10} e4 {
0.00/24 14} 84. Kg5 {+0.55/14 11} e3 {0.00/25 14} 85. Kg6 {+0.50/14 17} Bd4 {
0.00/25 14} 86. Bd3 {+0.48/14 15} Be5 {0.00/26 14} 87. Bb5 {+0.49/14 17} Bd6 {
0.00/26 14} 88. Bc4 {+0.43/14 12} Be5 {0.00/22 14} 89. Ba6 {+0.39/14 17} Bf4 {
0.00/26 14} 90. Bf1 {+0.39/14 12} Kg8 {0.00/26 14} 91. Bd3 {+0.47/14 14} Be5 {
0.00/26 14} 92. Ba6 {+0.41/14 18} Bd4 {0.00/26 14} 93. Bf1 {+0.40/14 14} Bf6 {
0.00/25 14} 94. Kxf6 {+10.00/15 14} e2 {0.00/28 14} 95. Bxe2 {+10.19/17 42} Kh7
{0.00/70 3} 96. Kf7 {+0.05/17 15} Kh8 {0.00/70} 97. Kg6 {+15.27/18 13} Kg8 98.
Bc4+ {+6.55/16 14} Kh8 {0.00/70} 99. Bd3 {+0.05/16 16} Kg8 100. Kh6 {
+10.48/17 8} Kh8 {0.00/70} 101. Kg5 {+6.56/15 21} Kg7 {0.00/70} 102. Bf5 {
+10.47/15 9} Kh8 {0.00/70} 103. h6 {+10.01/16 21} Kg8 104. Kg6 {+0.05/17 14}
Kh8 {0.00/70 2} 105. Kf6 {+0.05/15 9} Kg8 106. Ke5 {+0.05/15 16} Kh8 {0.00/70}
107. Kf4 {+0.05/14 12} Kg8 108. Kg5 {+13.16/16 11} Kh8 {0.00/70} 109. Kh5 {
+0.05/15 13} Kg8 110. Bc2 {+0.05/17 27} Kh8 {0.00/70} 111. Be4 {+10.48/16 15}
Kg8 112. Bf5 {+0.05/16 14} Kh8 {0.00/70} 113. Kg4 {+10.40/16 8} Kg8 114. Be4 {
+0.05/16 21} Kh8 {0.00/70} 115. Kg3 {+0.05/16 15} Kg8 116. Kg2 {+0.05/15 15}
Kf7 {0.00/70} 117. Bd3 {+12.84/16 15} Kg8 {0.00/70} 118. Kf3 {+7.23/17 12} Kh8
{0.00/70} 119. Kg4 {+5.74/17 10} Kg8 120. Bc2 {+13.27/16 12} Kh8 {
0.00/70 1/2-1/2 Arena Entscheidung} 1/2-1/2