This patch updates the stat_bonus() function (used in the history tables to
help move ordering), keeping the same quadratic for small depths but changing
the values for depth >= 9:
The old bonus formula was increasing from zero at depth 1 to 4100 at depth 14,
then used the strange, small value of 73 for all depths >= 15.
The new bonus formula increases from 0 at depth 1 to 2000 at depth 8, then
keeps 2000 for all depths >= 8.
passed STC:
LLR: 2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <-0.50,2.50>
Total: 169624 W: 42875 L: 42454 D: 84295
Ptnml(0-2): 585, 19340, 44557, 19729, 601
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/615bd69e9d256038a969b97c
passed LTC:
LLR: 3.07 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.50>
Total: 37336 W: 9456 L: 9191 D: 18689
Ptnml(0-2): 20, 3810, 10747, 4067, 24
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/615c75d99d256038a969b9b2
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3731
Bench: 6261865
When playing games in MultiPV mode we must take care to only track the
best move changing for the first PV line. Otherwise, SF will spend most
of its time for the initial moves after the book exit.
This has been observed and reported on Discord, but can also be seen in
games played in Stefan Pohl's MultiPV experiment.
Tested with MultiPV=4.
STC:
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/615c24b59d256038a969b990
LLR: 2.95 (-2.94,2.94) <-0.50,2.50>
Total: 1744 W: 694 L: 447 D: 603
Ptnml(0-2): 32, 125, 358, 278, 79
LTC:
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/615c31769d256038a969b993
LLR: 2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.50>
Total: 2048 W: 723 L: 525 D: 800
Ptnml(0-2): 10, 158, 511, 314, 31
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3729
Bench: 5714575
Respin of multi-thread idea that was simplified away recently: basically doing
more reductions with thread count since Lazy SMP naturally widens search. With
drawish book this idea got simplified away but with less drawish book it again
gains elo, maybe trying to reinstall other ideas that were simplified away
previously can be beneficial.
passed STC
LLR: 2.96 (-2.94,2.94) <-0.50,2.50>
Total: 39736 W: 10205 L: 9986 D: 19545
Ptnml(0-2): 45, 4254, 11064, 4447, 58
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/615750702d02f48db3961b00
passed LTC
LLR: 2.97 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.50>
Total: 60352 W: 15530 L: 15218 D: 29604
Ptnml(0-2): 24, 5900, 18016, 6212, 24
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/6157d8935488e26ea5eace7f
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3724
Bench 5714575
Idea is to extend some quiet ttMoves if a lot of things indicate that
the transposition table move is going to be a good move:
1) move being a killer - so being the best move in nearby node;
2) reply continuation history is really good.
This is basically saying that move is good "in general" in this position,
that it is a good reply to the opponent move and that it was the best in
this position somewhere in search - so extending it makes a lot of sense.
In general in past year we had a lot of extensions of different types,
maybe there is something more in it :)
passed STC
LLR: 2.96 (-2.94,2.94) <-0.50,2.50>
Total: 42944 W: 10932 L: 10695 D: 21317
Ptnml(0-2): 141, 4869, 11210, 5116, 136
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/614cca8e7bdc23e77ceb89f0
passed LTC
LLR: 2.93 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.50>
Total: 156848 W: 39473 L: 38893 D: 78482
Ptnml(0-2): 125, 16327, 44913, 16961, 98
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/614cf93d7bdc23e77ceb8a13
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3719
Bench: 5714575
In master, during singular move analysis, when both the transposition value
and a reduced search for the other moves seem to indicate a fail high, we
heuristically prune the whole subtree and return an fail high score.
This patch is a little bit more cautious in this case, and instead of the
risky cutoff, we now search the ttMove with a reduced depth (by two plies).
STC:
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/614dafe07bdc23e77ceb8a89
LLR: 2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <-0.50,2.50>
Total: 46728 W: 11909 L: 11666 D: 23153
Ptnml(0-2): 181, 5288, 12168, 5561, 166
LTC:
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/614dc84abe4c07e0ecac3c95
LLR: 2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.50>
Total: 74520 W: 18809 L: 18450 D: 37261
Ptnml(0-2): 45, 7735, 21346, 8084, 50
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3718
Bench: 5499262
This patch relax a little bit the condition for doubly singular moves
(ie moves that are so forced that we think that they deserve a local
double extension of the search). We lower the margin and allow up to
six such double extensions in the path between the root and the critical
node.
Original idea by Siad Daboul (@TopoIogist) in PR #3709
Tested with the previous commit:
passed STC:
LLR: 2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <-0.50,2.50>
Total: 33048 W: 8458 L: 8236 D: 16354
Ptnml(0-2): 120, 3701, 8660, 3923, 120
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/614b24347bdc23e77ceb88fe
passed LTC:
LLR: 2.95 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.50>
Total: 54176 W: 13712 L: 13406 D: 27058
Ptnml(0-2): 36, 5653, 15399, 5969, 31
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/614b3b727bdc23e77ceb8911
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3714
Bench: 5792377
This patch detects some search explosions (due to double extensions in
search.cpp) which can happen in some pathological positions, and takes
measures to ensure progress in search even for these pathological situations.
While a small number of double extensions can be useful during search
(for example to resolve a tactical sequence), a sustained regime of
double extensions leads to search explosion and a non-finishing search.
See the discussion in https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3544
and the issue https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/issues/3532 .
The implemented algorithm is the following:
a) at each node during search, store the current depth in the stack.
Double extensions are by definition levels of the stack where the
depth at ply N is strictly higher than depth at ply N-1.
b) during search, calculate for each thread a running average of the
number of double extensions in the last 4096 visited nodes.
c) if one thread has more than 2% of double extensions for a sustained
period of time (6 millions consecutive nodes, or about 4 seconds on
my iMac), we decide that this thread is in an explosion state and
we calm down this thread by preventing it to do any double extension
for the next 6 millions nodes.
To calculate the running averages, we also introduced a auxiliary class
generalizing the computations of ttHitAverage variable we already had in
code. The implementation uses an exponential moving average of period 4096
and resolution 1/1024, and all computations are done with integers for
efficiency.
-----------
Example where the patch solves a search explosion:
```
./stockfish
ucinewgame
position fen 8/Pk6/8/1p6/8/P1K5/8/6B1 w - - 37 130
go infinite
```
This algorithm does not affect search in normal, non-pathological positions.
We verified, for instance, that the usual bench is unchanged up to depth 20
at least, and that the node numbers are unchanged for a search of the starting
position at depth 32.
-------------
See https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3714
Bench: 5575265
This patch introduces extension for captures and promotions. Every capture or
promotion that is not the first move in the list gets extended at PvNodes and
cutNodes. Special thanks to @locutus2 - all my previous attepmts that failed
on this idea were done only for PvNodes - idea to include also cutNodes was
based on his latest passed patch.
STC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/6134abf325b9b35584838574
LLR: 2.95 (-2.94,2.94) <-0.50,2.50>
Total: 188920 W: 47754 L: 47304 D: 93862
Ptnml(0-2): 595, 21754, 49344, 22140, 627
LTC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/613521de25b9b355848385d7
LLR: 2.93 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.50>
Total: 8768 W: 2283 L: 2098 D: 4387
Ptnml(0-2): 7, 866, 2452, 1053, 6
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3692
bench: 5564555
The main idea is that illegal moves influencing search or
qsearch obviously can't be any sort of good. The only reason
why initially legality checks for search and qsearch were done
after they actually can influence some heuristics is because
legality check is expensive computationally. Eventually in
search it was moved to the place where it makes sure that
illegal moves can't influence search.
This patch shows that the same can be done for qsearch + it
passed STC with elo-gaining bounds + it removes 3 lines of code
because one no longer needs to increment/decrement movecount
on illegal moves.
passed STC with elo-gaining bounds
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/60f20aefd1189bed71812da0
LLR: 2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <-0.50,2.50>
Total: 61512 W: 4688 L: 4492 D: 52332
Ptnml(0-2): 139, 3730, 22848, 3874, 165
The same version functionally but with moving condition ever earlier
passed LTC with simplification bounds.
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/60f292cad1189bed71812de9
LLR: 2.98 (-2.94,2.94) <-2.50,0.50>
Total: 60944 W: 1724 L: 1685 D: 57535
Ptnml(0-2): 11, 1556, 27298, 1597, 10
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3618
bench 4709569
This patch removes the UCI option for setting Contempt in classical evaluation.
It is exactly equivalent to using Contempt=0 for the UCI contempt value and keeping
the dynamic part in the algo (renaming this dynamic part `trend` to better describe
what it does). We have tried quite hard to implement a working Contempt feature for
NNUE but nothing really worked, so it is probably time to give up.
Interested chess fans wishing to keep playing with the UCI option for Contempt and
use it with the classical eval are urged to download the version tagged "SF_Classical"
of Stockfish (dated 31 July 2020), as it was the last version where our search
algorithm was tuned for the classical eval and is probably our strongest classical
player ever: https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/tags
Passed STC:
LLR: 2.95 (-2.94,2.94) <-2.50,0.50>
Total: 72904 W: 6228 L: 6175 D: 60501
Ptnml(0-2): 221, 5006, 25971, 5007, 247
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/60c98bf9457376eb8bcab18d
Passed LTC:
LLR: 2.93 (-2.94,2.94) <-2.50,0.50>
Total: 45168 W: 1601 L: 1547 D: 42020
Ptnml(0-2): 38, 1331, 19786, 1397, 32
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/60c9c7fa457376eb8bcab1bb
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3575
Bench: 4947716
This patch restricts LMR extensions (of non-transposition table moves) from being
used when the transposition table move was extended by two plies via singular
extension. This may serve to limit search explosions in certain positions.
This makes a lot of sense because the precondition for the tt-move to have been
singular extended by two plies is that the result of the alternate search (with
excluded the tt-move) has been a hard fail low: it is natural to later search less
for non tt-moves in this situation.
The current state of depth/extensions/reductions management is getting quite tricky
in our search algo, see https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3546#issuecomment-860174549
for some discussion. Suggestions welcome!
Passed STC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/60c3f293457376eb8bcaac8d
LLR: 2.95 (-2.94,2.94) <-0.50,2.50>
Total: 117984 W: 9698 L: 9430 D: 98856
Ptnml(0-2): 315, 7708, 42703, 7926, 340
passed LTC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/60c46ea5457376eb8bcaacc7
LLR: 2.97 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.50>
Total: 11280 W: 401 L: 302 D: 10577
Ptnml(0-2): 2, 271, 4998, 364, 5
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3546
Bench: 4709974
The Tempo variable was introduced 10 years ago in our search because the
classical evaluation function was antisymmetrical in White and Black by design
to gain speed:
Eval(White to play) = -Eval(Black to play)
Nowadays our neural networks know which side is to play in a position when
they evaluate a position and are trained on real games, so the neural network
encodes the advantage of moving as an output of search. This patch shows that
the Tempo variable is not necessary anymore.
STC:
LLR: 2.94 (-2.94,2.94) <-2.50,0.50>
Total: 33512 W: 2805 L: 2709 D: 27998
Ptnml(0-2): 80, 2209, 12095, 2279, 93
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/60a44ceace8ea25a3ef03d30
LTC:
LLR: 2.95 (-2.94,2.94) <-2.50,0.50>
Total: 53920 W: 1807 L: 1760 D: 50353
Ptnml(0-2): 16, 1617, 23650, 1658, 19
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/60a477f0ce8ea25a3ef03d49
We also tried a match (20000 games) at STC using purely classical, result was neutral:
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/60a4eebcce8ea25a3ef03db5
Note: there are two locations left in search.cpp where we assume antisymmetry
of evaluation (in relation with a speed optimization for null moves in lines
770 and 1439), but as the values are just used for heuristic pruning this
approximation should not hurt too much because the order of magnitude is still
true most of the time.
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3481
Bench: 4015864
This patch increases lmrDepth threshold for continuation history based pruning in search.
This part of code for a long time was known to be really TC sensitive - decreasing
this threshold easily passed lower time controls but failed badly at LTC,
on the other hand it increase was part of a tuning that resulted
in being negative at STC but was +12 elo at 180+1.8.
After recent simplification of special conditions that sometimes
increase it from 4 to 5 it was logical to overall test at longer
time controls if 5 is better than 4 with deeper searches.
reduces strenght on STC
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/60a3a8bbce8ea25a3ef03c74
ELO: -2.57 +-2.0 (95%) LOS: 0.6%
Total: 20000 W: 1820 L: 1968 D: 16212
Ptnml(0-2): 68, 1582, 6836, 1458, 56
Passed LTC with STC bounds
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/60a027395085663412d090ce
LLR: 2.93 (-2.94,2.94) <-0.50,2.50>
Total: 175256 W: 6774 L: 6548 D: 161934
Ptnml(0-2): 91, 5808, 75604, 6034, 91
Passed VLTC with LTC bounds
https://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/60a2bccce229097940a037a7
LLR: 2.96 (-2.94,2.94) <0.50,3.50>
Total: 65736 W: 1224 L: 1092 D: 63420
Ptnml(0-2): 5, 1012, 30706, 1136, 9
closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/3473
bench 3689330
