Re: Using partial plys

[David Fotland <fotland@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>
>> what you really need to play above the double-digit kyu level is a
>> module that:
>> 1) says 'alive,' 'dead,' or 'undecided' 
>> 2) is right 90% of the time when it's confident,
>> 3) tells you when it's not confident, and
>> 4) is confident in a large proportion of positions of normal 
>>    complexity.
>> 

Agreed, and this is very hard.  It might be OK instead to choose how to
think about an unclear group, and follow that consistently.

For example:  Here is a group that is undecided, and unclear if the
answer is correct.  But I am way ahead, this is a small group, and
it not a strategic group (cutting, etc).  So I will assume it is dead.
Now I have one less uncertain group.  I am certain it will die, since I
won't try to save it.  If the situation becomes clear and I can confidently
save it in the future, I can change my mind, but I want to keep the evaluation
consistent as long as possible.

I don't do this in Many Faces yet, but I think it has promise.

I think a consistent evaluation is as imortant or more important than
a correct evaluation.  Inconsistent evaluation is one of the causes of
the many bad tenuki moves most go programs make.

David Fotland