Ponder question

[jwes]

If your opponent makes a move you did not predict and you have only one legal move, you can make that move without searching. What move or moves should you ponder then ?

[bob]

If your opponent makes a move you did not predict and you have only one legal move, you can make that move without searching. What move or moves should you ponder then ?

Why not do a short search before you ponder so that you have a PV. Or, you can do as Crafty would do and "switch sides" and do a search to find the best move to ponder, all on the opponent's clock...

[Dirt]

If your opponent makes a move you did not predict and you have only one legal move, you can make that move without searching. What move or moves should you ponder then ?

I found your question unclear. I think you meant:

When you are about to start pondering, if the move you would normally ponder has only one response, then what should you do?

There seem to be three reasonable responses:

• 1) Find another reasonable move he might make, and ponder that.
  
  2) Ponder his position after he makes your predicted move and forced response, to fill the transposition table with useful data.
  
  3) Somehow choose one of his possible moves after your predicted forced move, and ponder your response to that.

I would guess the best strategy depends on the position.

[jwes]

If your opponent makes a move you did not predict and you have only one legal move, you can make that move without searching. What move or moves should you ponder then ?

I found your question unclear. I think you meant:

When you are about to start pondering, if the move you would normally ponder has only one response, then what should you do?

There seem to be three reasonable responses:

• 1) Find another reasonable move he might make, and ponder that.
  
  2) Ponder his position after he makes your predicted move and forced response, to fill the transposition table with useful data.
  
  3) Somehow choose one of his possible moves after your predicted forced move, and ponder your response to that.

I would guess the best strategy depends on the position.

No, I meant that is that one common pondering strategy is to spend all your time pondering the opponent's first move from the PV from your last search (if you disagree with this strategy PLEASE search the archives before posting). In the case I specified, there is no PV, so some other strategy must be used.

[hgm]

Ponder the position with the opponent to move, in stead of the position after the expected move?

Or, perhaps, play the third move of the PV of your before-last search, if thesecond (opponent's) move matched as well.