Idea to view weaknesses of the engine

[cdani]

Hi.
I think it's easier to view some weaknesses of the engine if you for example make it reduce a lot from depth 1. It will be more evident the faults in the sort order of the moves, and also faults in the evaluation that tends to correct the sort order mistakes.
This must be true even for the strongest engines.
May be there are better ways, but I found this system very interesting.

[cdani]

Also it has another nice side effect, at least is what I think, to be able to test some changes with less games or with faster ones, because the problem you are trying to improve are not hidden behind the wall of, for example "if depth >5" in LMR.

[Ferdy]

Also it has another nice side effect, at least is what I think, to be able to test some changes with less games or with faster ones, because the problem you are trying to improve are not hidden behind the wall of, for example "if depth >5" in LMR.

In the early part of your development or if the engine strength is close to your chess ability, it is easier to correct the engine's weaknesses.

One of the best challenges out there is for the developer to estimate or have knowledge if the strength enhancement features (search or eval) added will scale well with time. Unfortunately possibly the best way to know this is by playing games at different time controls with a good selection of different opponents.

One of the methods I use to study the weaknesses of the engine is by using the Game Analyser by Thomas McBurney and Guenther Simon.

[cdani]

In the early part of your development or if the engine strength is close to your chess ability, it is easier to correct the engine's weaknesses.

Yes. And also when is more advanced, i think that the idea of reducing a lot from start of alpha-beta exposes clearly some weaknesses. And once arranged, just go back to normal reductions.

One of the best challenges out there is for the developer to estimate or have knowledge if the strength enhancement features (search or eval) added will scale well with time. Unfortunately possibly the best way to know this is by playing games at different time controls with a good selection of different opponents.

Yes.

One of the methods I use to study the weaknesses of the engine is by using the Game Analyser by Thomas McBurney and Guenther Simon.

Will try it. Thanks