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From: bruck@actcom.co.il (Uri Bruck)
Subject: Re: Chess concept (need help)
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Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 20:29:33 GMT
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casanova@info.polymtl.ca (Hugues Lamy) wrote:

>[ Article crossposted from rec.games.chess.computer ]
>[ Author was  ]
>[ Posted on 10 Apr 1996 19:23:56 GMT ]

>I'm looking for some help from you.
>I don't need all the code to wite a chess game I already have.

>Now, I'm doing the computer part. Most of it is very trivial things to do.
>But for the fonction of evaluation, I need some help from you.

>I'm using a classic Alpha-Beta test to get the best movement.
>Now I'm using a notion developped by Niessen, Lieberman and Kotok at the 
>MIT in 1961. Their criteria was the weighted sum of material, center 
>control, Pawn structure "tempo" advantage and development.

>The part I have problem is the development. What is it ?? (Don't give me 
>any code just a simple explanantion.) I think it could me the nomber of 
>square a piece can move but I need a confirmation.
You should really  get yourself a chess book for this. but I'll try to
some up development in a few words.
Development does have to do with freedom of movement, as you
suggested. However the term refferes also to a process.
The first stage of the game is called development. Roughly it means,
first, you have to get your pieces, 'out there', so to speak. Out to
the battlefield, where they can do some good. A rule of thumb would
be, that you should have your Chess-Persons fully developed withing
the first 10 moves.
Now, number of squares one can move may not be enough. For a rook,
f'rinstance, an open column is a big advantage, and six squares on a
row, are not the same as six squares on a column.
I would also suggest changing the relative during the course of the
game. You might choose to give more emphasis to development at the
beginning, which goes hand in hand with pawn structure, and raise
center control and material later. At the begining material is quite
balanced. There are different schools of thought on this.
You might also like to take a look at gnu-chess, they take an
interesting approach.
The computer player in gnu-chess tries to minimize the number of
pieces on the board. The rationale is that it's easier to handle fewer
pieces. It favors sacrifices. That would mean taking the material
advantage as a parameter rather than the absolute material.

>The other thing is the notion of passed pawn. I don't know what is it. 
>(Since English isn't the language I usually speak, I have some trouble 
>figuring what this might be.)

Again, any good chess with diagrams would better than me. 
But here goes
Passed pawn - en passant

A pawn that has taken the first two square move - may capture, or be
captured, as if it had taken just the regular pawn move. I think this
may be restricted to just the next move, better look it up.

Uri
>Thanks for your time.

>Please, post you answer to the net, but send a personnal reply to me if 
>possible. I'll apreciate it alot.

>--
>Hugues Lamy - casanova@info.polymtl.ca
>--- In the battle between Good and Evil, Evil has more fun! ---
>"Renegade Legion."

>--
>Hugues Lamy - casanova@info.polymtl.ca
>--- In the battle between Good and Evil, Evil has more fun! ---
>"Renegade Legion."


