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Joseph Sible-Reinstate Monica
Joseph Sible-Reinstate Monica
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Consider a chess position like this one:

[FEN "K7/4k1p1/8/8/3B4/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]

1. Ka7 (1. Bxg7) 1... g5 2. Ka6 Kd6 3. Ka5 Kd5 4. Ka4Ba7 Kc4 5. Bc5Bb6 Kc3 6. Bd6Bc5 Kb2 7. Bc5Ka4 Ka1 8. Kb3 g4 9. Kc2 g3 10. Bb4 g2 11. Bc5 g1=N (11... g1=Q 12. Bxg1) 12. Bb4 Ne2 13. Bc5 Nc1 14. Ba3 Na2 15. Bb2#

No forced mate is possible there. But a helpmate is possible, so if Black runs out of time, or just plays exceptionally terribly, then White will win. Given that, why does Stockfish pick Bxg7 there, which immediately ends the game in a draw, rather than picking basically any other move (except for the losing Bf6+) to at least have some hope of winning?

Consider a chess position like this one:

[FEN "K7/4k1p1/8/8/3B4/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]

1. Ka7 (1. Bxg7) 1... g5 2. Ka6 Kd6 3. Ka5 Kd5 4. Ka4 Kc4 5. Bc5 Kc3 6. Bd6 Kb2 7. Bc5 Ka1 8. Kb3 g4 9. Kc2 g3 10. Bb4 g2 11. Bc5 g1=N (11... g1=Q 12. Bxg1) 12. Bb4 Ne2 13. Bc5 Nc1 14. Ba3 Na2 15. Bb2#

No forced mate is possible there. But a helpmate is possible, so if Black runs out of time, or just plays exceptionally terribly, then White will win. Given that, why does Stockfish pick Bxg7 there, which immediately ends the game in a draw, rather than picking basically any other move (except for the losing Bf6+) to at least have some hope of winning?

Consider a chess position like this one:

[FEN "K7/4k1p1/8/8/3B4/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]

1. Ka7 (1. Bxg7) 1... g5 2. Ka6 Kd6 3. Ka5 Kd5 4. Ba7 Kc4 5. Bb6 Kc3 6. Bc5 Kb2 7. Ka4 Ka1 8. Kb3 g4 9. Kc2 g3 10. Bb4 g2 11. Bc5 g1=N (11... g1=Q 12. Bxg1) 12. Bb4 Ne2 13. Bc5 Nc1 14. Ba3 Na2 15. Bb2#

No forced mate is possible there. But a helpmate is possible, so if Black runs out of time, or just plays exceptionally terribly, then White will win. Given that, why does Stockfish pick Bxg7 there, which immediately ends the game in a draw, rather than picking basically any other move (except for the losing Bf6+) to at least have some hope of winning?

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Joseph Sible-Reinstate Monica
Joseph Sible-Reinstate Monica
  • 457
  • 3
  • 13

Consider a chess position like this one:

[FEN "K7/4k1p1/8/8/3B4/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"] 

1. Ka7 (1. Bxg7) 1... g5 2. Ka6 Kd6 3. Ka5 Kd5 4. Ka4 Kc4 5. Bc5 Kc3 6. Bd6 Kb2 7. Bc5 Ka1 8. Kb3 g4 9. Kc2 g3 10. Bb4 g2 11. Bc5 g1=N (11... g1=Q 12. Bxg1) 12. Bb4 Ne2 13. Bc5 Nc1 14. Ba3 Na2 15. Bb2#

No forced mate is possible there. But a helpmate is possible, so if Black runs out of time, or just plays exceptionally terribly, then White will win. Given that, why does Stockfish pick Bxg7 there, which immediately ends the game in a draw, rather than picking basically any other move (except for the losing Bf6+) to at least have some hope of winning?

Consider a chess position like this one:

[FEN "K7/4k1p1/8/8/3B4/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]

No forced mate is possible there. But a helpmate is possible, so if Black runs out of time, or just plays exceptionally terribly, then White will win. Given that, why does Stockfish pick Bxg7 there, which immediately ends the game in a draw, rather than picking basically any other move (except for the losing Bf6+) to at least have some hope of winning?

Consider a chess position like this one:

[FEN "K7/4k1p1/8/8/3B4/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"] 

1. Ka7 (1. Bxg7) 1... g5 2. Ka6 Kd6 3. Ka5 Kd5 4. Ka4 Kc4 5. Bc5 Kc3 6. Bd6 Kb2 7. Bc5 Ka1 8. Kb3 g4 9. Kc2 g3 10. Bb4 g2 11. Bc5 g1=N (11... g1=Q 12. Bxg1) 12. Bb4 Ne2 13. Bc5 Nc1 14. Ba3 Na2 15. Bb2#

No forced mate is possible there. But a helpmate is possible, so if Black runs out of time, or just plays exceptionally terribly, then White will win. Given that, why does Stockfish pick Bxg7 there, which immediately ends the game in a draw, rather than picking basically any other move (except for the losing Bf6+) to at least have some hope of winning?

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Joseph Sible-Reinstate Monica
Joseph Sible-Reinstate Monica
  • 457
  • 3
  • 13

Why do chess engines cause immediate draws rather than giving the opponent the opportunity to blunder or run out of time?

Consider a chess position like this one:

[FEN "K7/4k1p1/8/8/3B4/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]

No forced mate is possible there. But a helpmate is possible, so if Black runs out of time, or just plays exceptionally terribly, then White will win. Given that, why does Stockfish pick Bxg7 there, which immediately ends the game in a draw, rather than picking basically any other move (except for the losing Bf6+) to at least have some hope of winning?