On Thu, 2009-01-08 at 20:29 +0100, Olivier Teytaud wrote: > > I don't know the answer, but it's not too surprising - with > random play > the komi should be something like 2 or 3, so white with 7.5 > komi has a > pretty good advantage. This advantage disappears (or > almost > disappears) if the games are well played, but in your case > they are > not. > > I think that the advantage increases when the games are well played, > and I > believe some people with other programs have the same results. In > particular > with good openings, white becomes very strong. Also, high level human > players > also have this feeling (I think).
The advantage I am referring to is not real - I'm saying that 2 or 3 komi is even with random play - so if you give white more than this, he has an "advantage." The advantage you are referring to is based on the assumption that 7.5 is too high and thus white (using 7.5 komi) probably has a won game technically. If white has a won game, then the stronger you are as white, the more games you will win, exactly as you say. It's also true that if, for instance, 5.5 is too low, then black has a technically won game and with stronger play black should do better and better (with strong enough play, black would win every game if 6.5 is really too low.) I know that the good bots on CGOS at 9x9 and 7.5 komi score between 50% and 51% as white. That does imply that white has a better game at 7.5 komi. Having a better game can be in a practical or real sense. In the real sense, you have a better game if it is a win with very best play, but in a practical sense it's possible that the game is won, but it's very difficult to win and may even be easier for the other side to win. Of course this depends on your skill level. With random play and 5.5 komi, I believe it is a real win for black, but for random bots the position gives white better practical chances. This is almost a paradox but it seems to be true. So if you are a random bot playing another random bot, you want to start the game with the losing side if the komi is 5.5. - Don > Olivier > > > _______________________________________________ > computer-go mailing list > computer-go@computer-go.org > http://www.computer-go.org/mailman/listinfo/computer-go/ _______________________________________________ computer-go mailing list computer-go@computer-go.org http://www.computer-go.org/mailman/listinfo/computer-go/
