This updates estimates from 2yr ago #2401, and adds missing terms.
All tests run at 10+0.1 (STC), 20000 games, error bars +- 1.8 Elo, book 8moves_v3.png.
A table of Elo values with the links to the corresponding tests can be found at the PR
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3868
Non-functional Change
This is a reintroduction of an idea that was simplified away approximately 1 year ago.
There are some tweaks to it :
a) exclude promotions;
b) exclude Pv Nodes from it - Pv Nodes logic for captures is really different from non Pv nodes so it makes a lot of sense;
c) use a big grain of capture history - idea is taken from my recent patches in futility pruning.
passed STC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/61bd90f857a0d0f327c373b7
LLR: 2.96 (-2.94,2.94) <0.00,2.50>
Total: 86640 W: 22474 L: 22110 D: 42056
Ptnml(0-2): 268, 9732, 22963, 10082, 275
passed LTC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/61be094457a0d0f327c38aa3
LLR: 2.95 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.00>
Total: 23240 W: 6079 L: 5838 D: 11323
Ptnml(0-2): 14, 2261, 6824, 2512, 9
https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3864
bench 4493723
This patch is a follow up of previous 2 patches that introduced more reductions for PV nodes with low delta and more pruning for nodes with low delta. Instead of writing separate heuristics now it adjust reductions based on delta / rootDelta - it allows to remove 3 separate adjustements of pruning/LMR in different places and also makes reduction dependence on delta and rootDelta smoother. Also now it works for all pruning heuristics and not just 2.
Passed STC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/61ba9b6c57a0d0f327c2d48b
LLR: 2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <0.00,2.50>
Total: 79192 W: 20513 L: 20163 D: 38516
Ptnml(0-2): 238, 8900, 21024, 9142, 292
passed LTC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/61baf77557a0d0f327c2eb8e
LLR: 2.96 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.00>
Total: 158400 W: 41134 L: 40572 D: 76694
Ptnml(0-2): 101, 16372, 45745, 16828, 154
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3862
bench 4651538
This idea is somewhat similar to extentions in LMR but has a different flavour.
If result of LMR was really good - thus exceeded alpha by some pretty
big given margin, we can extend move after LMR in full depth search with 0 window.
The idea is that this move is probably a fail high with somewhat of a big
probability so extending it makes a lot of sense
passed STC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/61ad45ea56fcf33bce7d74b7
LLR: 2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <0.00,2.50>
Total: 59680 W: 15531 L: 15215 D: 28934
Ptnml(0-2): 193, 6711, 15734, 6991, 211
passed LTC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/61ad9ff356fcf33bce7d8646
LLR: 2.95 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.00>
Total: 59104 W: 15321 L: 14992 D: 28791
Ptnml(0-2): 53, 6023, 17065, 6364, 47
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3838
bench 4881329
Improve compatibility of the last NUMA patch when running under older versions of Windows,
for instance Windows Server 2003. Reported by user "g3g6" in the following comments:
7218ec4df9
Closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3821
No functional change
This patch is a result of refining of tuning vondele did after
new net passed and some hand-made values adjustements - excluding
changes in other pruning heuristics and rounding value of history
divisor to the nearest power of 2.
With this patch futility pruning becomes more aggressive and
history influence on it is doubled again.
passed STC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/61a2c4c1a26505c2278c150d
LLR: 2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <0.00,2.50>
Total: 33848 W: 8841 L: 8574 D: 16433
Ptnml(0-2): 100, 3745, 8988, 3970, 121
passed LTC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/61a327ffa26505c2278c26d9
LLR: 2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.00>
Total: 22272 W: 5856 L: 5614 D: 10802
Ptnml(0-2): 12, 2230, 6412, 2468, 14
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3814
bench 6302543
This idea is somewhat of a respin of smth we had in futility pruning and that was simplified away - dependence of it not only on static evaluation of position but also on move history heuristics.
Instead of aborting it when they are high there we use fraction of their sum to adjust static eval pruning criteria.
passed STC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/619bd438c0a4ea18ba95a27d
LLR: 2.93 (-2.94,2.94) <0.00,2.50>
Total: 113704 W: 29284 L: 28870 D: 55550
Ptnml(0-2): 357, 12884, 30044, 13122, 445
passed LTC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/619cb8f0c0a4ea18ba95a334
LLR: 2.96 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.00>
Total: 147136 W: 37307 L: 36770 D: 73059
Ptnml(0-2): 107, 15279, 42265, 15804, 113
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3805
bench 6777918
Current master implements a scaling of the raw NNUE output value with a formula
equivalent to 'eval = alpha * NNUE_output', where the scale factor alpha varies
between 1.8 (for early middle game) and 0.9 (for pure endgames). This feature
allows Stockfish to keep material on the board when she thinks she has the advantage,
and to seek exchanges and simplifications when she thinks she has to defend.
This patch slightly offsets the turning point between these two strategies, by adding
to Stockfish's evaluation a small "optimism" value before actually doing the scaling.
The effect is that SF will play a little bit more risky, trying to keep the tension a
little bit longer when she is defending, and keeping even more material on the board
when she has an advantage.
We note that this patch is similar in spirit to the old "Contempt" idea we used to have
in classical Stockfish, but this implementation differs in two key points:
a) it has been tested as an Elo-gainer against master;
b) the values output by the search are not changed on average by the implementation
(in other words, the optimism value changes the tension/exchange strategy, but a
displayed value of 1.0 pawn has the same signification before and after the patch).
See the old comment https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/1361#issuecomment-359165141
for some images illustrating the ideas.
-------
finished yellow at STC:
LLR: -2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <0.00,2.50>
Total: 165048 W: 41705 L: 41611 D: 81732
Ptnml(0-2): 565, 18959, 43245, 19327, 428
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/61942a3dcd645dc8291c876b
passed LTC:
LLR: 2.95 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.00>
Total: 121656 W: 30762 L: 30287 D: 60607
Ptnml(0-2): 87, 12558, 35032, 13095, 56
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/61962c58cd645dc8291c8877
-------
How to continue from there?
a) the shape (slope and amplitude) of the sigmoid used to compute the optimism value
could be tweaked to try to gain more Elo, so the parameters of the sigmoid function
in line 391 of search.cpp could be tuned with SPSA. Manual tweaking is also possible
using this Desmos page: https://www.desmos.com/calculator/jhh83sqq92
b) in a similar vein, with two recents patches affecting the scaling of the NNUE
evaluation in evaluate.cpp, now could be a good time to try a round of SPSA tuning
of the NNUE network;
c) this patch will tend to keep tension in middlegame a little bit longer, so any
patch improving the defensive aspect of play via search extensions in risky,
tactical positions would be welcome.
-------
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3797
Bench: 6184852
In case the evaluation at root is large, discourage the use of lazyEval.
This fixes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/issues/3772
or at least improves it significantly. In this case, poor play with large
odds can be observed, in extreme cases leading to a loss despite large
advantage:
r1bq1b1r/ppp3p1/3p1nkp/n3p3/2B1P2N/2NPB3/PPP2PPP/R3K2R b KQ - 5 9
With this patch the poor move is only considered up to depth 13, in master
up to depth 28.
The patch did not pass at LTC with Elo gainer bounds, but with slightly
positive Elo nevertheless (95% LOS).
STC:
LLR: 2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <0.00,2.50>
Total: 40368 W: 10318 L: 10041 D: 20009
Ptnml(0-2): 103, 4493, 10725, 4750, 113
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/61800ad259e71df00dcc420d
LTC:
LLR: -2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.00>
Total: 212288 W: 52997 L: 52692 D: 106599
Ptnml(0-2): 112, 22038, 61549, 22323, 122
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/618050d959e71df00dcc426d
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3780
Bench: 7127040
Maintain for each root move an exponential average of the search value with a weight ratio of 2:1 (new value vs old values). Then the average score is used as the center of the initial aspiration window instead of the previous score.
Stats indicate (see PR) that the deviation for previous score is in general greater than using average score, so later seems a better estimation of the next search value. This is probably the reason this patch succeded besides smoothing the sometimes wild swings in search score. An additional observation is that at higher depth previous score is above but average score below zero. So for average score more/less fail/low highs should be occur than previous score.
STC:
LLR: 2.97 (-2.94,2.94) <0.00,2.50>
Total: 59792 W: 15106 L: 14792 D: 29894
Ptnml(0-2): 144, 6718, 15869, 7010, 155
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/61841612d7a085ad008eef06
LTC:
LLR: 2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.00>
Total: 46448 W: 11835 L: 11537 D: 23076
Ptnml(0-2): 21, 4756, 13374, 5050, 23
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/618463abd7a085ad008eef3e
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3776
Bench: 6719976
Currently we handle the UCI_Elo with a double randomization. This
seems not necessary and a bit involuted.
This patch removes the first randomization and unifies the 2 cases.
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3769
No functional change.