Time control question

[lauriet]

Hi Guys,

I see in some search code something like: 'If TimesUp return 0'
What if this node is examined with alpha = -10 and beta = +10.
Doesn't that mean that the node becomes a PV node by virtue of Alpha < 0 < Beta.
Instead of being ignored.

What have I missed ???

Laurie.

[sje]

In my code there is an AbortSearch boolean variable which is set by time exhaustion or by other search-ending criteria. When the search sees that it is set, then the search terminates immediately. The returned data from the search is the last (most recent) PV which was set; anything calculated between the time of the last PV to the abort is tossed.

The time check is not allowed to run until after the very first PV is set.

Since my search does not use recursion, it doesn't need to unwind or *gasp* use the evil longjmp().

[Evert]

I see in some search code something like: 'If TimesUp return 0'
What if this node is examined with alpha = -10 and beta = +10.
Doesn't that mean that the node becomes a PV node by virtue of Alpha < 0 < Beta.
Instead of being ignored.

What have I missed ???

If you ran out of time you discard the result of the search, and don't update the best thing you found so far.