diff --git a/src/search.cpp b/src/search.cpp
index a26a7bc4..995204f3 100644
--- a/src/search.cpp
+++ b/src/search.cpp
@@ -261,19 +261,6 @@ void MainThread::search() {
   DrawValue[ us] = VALUE_DRAW - Value(contempt);
   DrawValue[~us] = VALUE_DRAW + Value(contempt);
 
-  TB::Hits = 0;
-  TB::RootInTB = false;
-  TB::UseRule50 = Options["Syzygy50MoveRule"];
-  TB::ProbeDepth = Options["SyzygyProbeDepth"] * ONE_PLY;
-  TB::Cardinality = Options["SyzygyProbeLimit"];
-
-  // Skip TB probing when no TB found: !TBLargest -> !TB::Cardinality
-  if (TB::Cardinality > TB::MaxCardinality)
-  {
-      TB::Cardinality = TB::MaxCardinality;
-      TB::ProbeDepth = DEPTH_ZERO;
-  }
-
   if (rootMoves.empty())
   {
       rootMoves.push_back(RootMove(MOVE_NONE));
@@ -283,38 +270,6 @@ void MainThread::search() {
   }
   else
   {
-      if (    TB::Cardinality >=  rootPos.count<ALL_PIECES>(WHITE)
-                                + rootPos.count<ALL_PIECES>(BLACK)
-          && !rootPos.can_castle(ANY_CASTLING))
-      {
-          // If the current root position is in the tablebases, then RootMoves
-          // contains only moves that preserve the draw or the win.
-          TB::RootInTB = Tablebases::root_probe(rootPos, rootMoves, TB::Score);
-
-          if (TB::RootInTB)
-              TB::Cardinality = 0; // Do not probe tablebases during the search
-
-          else // If DTZ tables are missing, use WDL tables as a fallback
-          {
-              // Filter out moves that do not preserve the draw or the win.
-              TB::RootInTB = Tablebases::root_probe_wdl(rootPos, rootMoves, TB::Score);
-
-              // Only probe during search if winning
-              if (TB::Score <= VALUE_DRAW)
-                  TB::Cardinality = 0;
-          }
-
-          if (TB::RootInTB)
-          {
-              TB::Hits = rootMoves.size();
-
-              if (!TB::UseRule50)
-                  TB::Score =  TB::Score > VALUE_DRAW ?  VALUE_MATE - MAX_PLY - 1
-                             : TB::Score < VALUE_DRAW ? -VALUE_MATE + MAX_PLY + 1
-                                                      :  VALUE_DRAW;
-          }
-      }
-
       for (Thread* th : Threads)
           if (th != this)
               th->start_searching();
@@ -1661,3 +1616,49 @@ bool RootMove::extract_ponder_from_tt(Position& pos)
 
     return false;
 }
+
+void Tablebases::filter_root_moves(Position& pos, Search::RootMoves& rootMoves) {
+
+    Hits = 0;
+    RootInTB = false;
+    UseRule50 = Options["Syzygy50MoveRule"];
+    ProbeDepth = Options["SyzygyProbeDepth"] * ONE_PLY;
+    Cardinality = Options["SyzygyProbeLimit"];
+
+    // Skip TB probing when no TB found: !TBLargest -> !TB::Cardinality
+    if (Cardinality > MaxCardinality)
+    {
+        Cardinality = MaxCardinality;
+        ProbeDepth = DEPTH_ZERO;
+    }
+
+    if (Cardinality < popcount(pos.pieces()) || pos.can_castle(ANY_CASTLING))
+        return;
+
+    // If the current root position is in the tablebases, then RootMoves
+    // contains only moves that preserve the draw or the win.
+    RootInTB = root_probe(pos, rootMoves, TB::Score);
+
+    if (RootInTB)
+        Cardinality = 0; // Do not probe tablebases during the search
+
+    else // If DTZ tables are missing, use WDL tables as a fallback
+    {
+        // Filter out moves that do not preserve the draw or the win.
+        RootInTB = root_probe_wdl(pos, rootMoves, TB::Score);
+
+        // Only probe during search if winning
+        if (TB::Score <= VALUE_DRAW)
+            Cardinality = 0;
+    }
+
+    if (RootInTB)
+    {
+        Hits = rootMoves.size();
+
+        if (!UseRule50)
+            TB::Score =  TB::Score > VALUE_DRAW ?  VALUE_MATE - MAX_PLY - 1
+                       : TB::Score < VALUE_DRAW ? -VALUE_MATE + MAX_PLY + 1
+                                                :  VALUE_DRAW;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/syzygy/tbprobe.h b/src/syzygy/tbprobe.h
index 2bcc0834..b23fdf66 100644
--- a/src/syzygy/tbprobe.h
+++ b/src/syzygy/tbprobe.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ int probe_wdl(Position& pos, int *success);
 int probe_dtz(Position& pos, int *success);
 bool root_probe(Position& pos, Search::RootMoves& rootMoves, Value& score);
 bool root_probe_wdl(Position& pos, Search::RootMoves& rootMoves, Value& score);
+void filter_root_moves(Position& pos, Search::RootMoves& rootMoves);
 
 }
 
diff --git a/src/thread.cpp b/src/thread.cpp
index 4dc7d9e9..b38bdd6e 100644
--- a/src/thread.cpp
+++ b/src/thread.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "search.h"
 #include "thread.h"
 #include "uci.h"
+#include "syzygy/tbprobe.h"
 
 ThreadPool Threads; // Global object
 
@@ -169,7 +170,7 @@ int64_t ThreadPool::nodes_searched() {
 /// ThreadPool::start_thinking() wakes up the main thread sleeping in idle_loop()
 /// and starts a new search, then returns immediately.
 
-void ThreadPool::start_thinking(const Position& pos, StateListPtr& states,
+void ThreadPool::start_thinking(Position& pos, StateListPtr& states,
                                 const Search::LimitsType& limits) {
 
   main()->wait_for_search_finished();
@@ -183,6 +184,8 @@ void ThreadPool::start_thinking(const Position& pos, StateListPtr& states,
           || std::count(limits.searchmoves.begin(), limits.searchmoves.end(), m))
           rootMoves.push_back(Search::RootMove(m));
 
+  Tablebases::filter_root_moves(pos, rootMoves);
+
   // After ownership transfer 'states' becomes empty, so if we stop the search
   // and call 'go' again without setting a new position states.get() == NULL.
   assert(states.get() || setupStates.get());
diff --git a/src/thread.h b/src/thread.h
index 0b112de9..4e63fe47 100644
--- a/src/thread.h
+++ b/src/thread.h
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ struct ThreadPool : public std::vector<Thread*> {
   void exit(); // be initialized and valid during the whole thread lifetime.
 
   MainThread* main() { return static_cast<MainThread*>(at(0)); }
-  void start_thinking(const Position&, StateListPtr&, const Search::LimitsType&);
+  void start_thinking(Position&, StateListPtr&, const Search::LimitsType&);
   void read_uci_options();
   int64_t nodes_searched();
 
diff --git a/src/uci.cpp b/src/uci.cpp
index a9811a9a..4ae66620 100644
--- a/src/uci.cpp
+++ b/src/uci.cpp
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ namespace {
   // the thinking time and other parameters from the input string, then starts
   // the search.
 
-  void go(const Position& pos, istringstream& is) {
+  void go(Position& pos, istringstream& is) {
 
     Search::LimitsType limits;
     string token;