Some new, and relatively challenging checker puzzles
I was surfing over at Bob Newell’s “Checker Maven” website, and found this awesme collection of PDN files for download. I have a table of challenging positions compiled into milhouse, which I use for debugging and testing, so I decided to hack a simple parser to input some of the positions into Milhouse. The “Gem Problems” file contain 162 positions, some all of which are quite challenging. Consider this one:
It takes around a 55 ply search to find the winning line, but a reasonably skilled checker player would be expected to play this line out without mistakes. Milhouse still finds some positions like this challenging, since it typically maxes out around 40 ply or so before grinding to a halt. I suspect this reveals a deep flaw in my move ordering, and I think it might be difficult to fix it. But I’ll think about it some more.
I suspect the world would be better if that percentage were even greater.
Apparently 15% of all web traffic is cat related. There's no reason for Brainwagon be any different.
Thanks Mal! I'm trying to reclaim the time that I was using doom scrolling and writing pointless political diatribes on…
Brainwagons back! I can't help you with a job, not least because I'm on the other side of our little…
Congrats, glad to hear all is well.