Openings Question

[ChessAddict]

Is there any cause to having negative openings one after the other? I found the chess program playing okay and then suddenly the openings become negative for black or white. Mostly from +.25 for black and -.25 for white and then it gets worse from there. When i load my chess engine for the first time and play i also get this kind of problem. Negative openings one after the other. I usually switch to a different book and find that it's much better. Just wondering what might cause it if anyone might know. Thanks.

[Mike S.]

I suspect it has to do with book learning, but I don't have experience with book learning. Anyway, the scenario I imagine would be:

1. The engine starts to play good opening variations
2. Unfortunately, most opponents are simply stronger (i.e. faster hardware)
3. The engine loses with the good openings and "learns" that they seem to be bad
4. Only other openings remain, which are in fact less good

Although, since you wrote you have a 8 cores computer IIRC, I wonder if that can be the cause... do you score clearly over 50%? I don't know if you have restrictions in your formula. Maybe you play against even stronger opponents too often.

Anyway, I would try the following:

1. Select a good opening book you trust, in it's original form (as you bought or downloaded it.)
2. Write-protect the book files (in Windows Explorer). Book learning is off then, but also "wrong book learning" will be avoided.

(I don't know if a software option to switch book learning off, is always available but write-protecting the files is bullet proof.)

Another thing worth trying in addition to that: If you usually selected the "optimized" book settings, try "normal" (or vice versa). What's better can depend on the book.

[ChessAddict]

Now it makes a little more sense after what you said. At least i have some idea what might be going on. How do you write-protect a file in windows? I will try what you suggest and see how it goes. Thanks.

[ChessAddict]

Forgot to add. I do play strong opponents but i also play less strong opponents and that i am still having negative openings with weaker opponents. Should i go back and edit my lines?

[Mike S.]

(...) i also play less strong opponents and that i am still having negative openings with weaker opponents. Should i go back and edit my lines?

Not because of that, because there is no connection between an opponent's rating and the process of choosing a book move in your interface. In other words, the software displays the opponent's rating in a server game, but it makes no book or engine adjustments due to that. (And I think that is ok, because ratings don't always reflect the true strength.)

To write-protect files with Windows Explorer, find the files *.ct? and right-click them, --> properties. There is the check box for write protected. Don't write-protect the ini file.

Someting I wanted to add: A slightly negative eval after the book moves does not have to mean it's a bad variation for the engine. Decisive is only, if the engine can continue properly and with success or not, from there. - Although, if White regularly gets negative evals after book, there must really be something wrong.

But actually, if you have Black and the first eval is +0.25 in White's favour, this is of course ok (even if slightly worse). If both opponents have fairly good books, Black usually cannot expect to start with a - eval. That would require that White makes a bad opening move, or some "suboptimal" moves. From Black's viewpoint, I would start to worry if you get something like >+0.70 very often.

[ChessAddict]

(...) i also play less strong opponents and that i am still having negative openings with weaker opponents. Should i go back and edit my lines?

Not because of that, because there is no connection between an opponent's rating and the process of choosing a book move in your interface. In other words, the software displays the opponent's rating in a server game, but it makes no book or engine adjustments due to that. (And I think that is ok, because ratings don't always reflect the true strength.)

To write-protect files with Windows Explorer, find the files *.ct? and right-click them, --> properties. There is the check box for write protected. Don't write-protect the ini file.

Someting I wanted to add: A slightly negative eval after the book moves does not have to mean it's a bad variation for the engine. Decisive is only, if the engine can continue properly and with success or not, from there. - Although, if White regularly gets negative evals after book, there must really be something wrong.

But actually, if you have Black and the first eval is +0.25 in White's favour, this is of course ok (even if slightly worse). If both opponents have fairly good books, Black usually cannot expect to start with a - eval. That would require that White makes a bad opening move, or some "suboptimal" moves. From Black's viewpoint, I would start to worry if you get something like >+0.70 very often.

Just a note. I gave my back to test to someone with stronger hardware than mine. He was doing well at first winning and not drawing much and then suddenly most his games became drawish. I was having the same problem too. So i know something is definitely going on. thanks.