Using COW Professional - Basic questions

[FreeRepublic]

I have several COW professional databases and am getting more by converting by COW express files. I have three basic questions about the Professional version

1. Opposite (right of) the candidate moves, I see a bar with three segments, white, gray, black. I assumed this corresponded to win loss results: 1-0, 1/2-1/2, 0-1. But now I'm wondering if it corresponds to Stockfish evaluations of the final position. One might expect it comes out the same. However I have a database of my speed games and find such oddities as Black having a completely winning position and losing on time. So, how do I interpret this bar?

2. Along side the candidate move and bar is a count. At first I assumed it was the count of games from that point onward. Then I thought perhaps a count of lines: games and analysis. Now I'm wondering if it is the number of lines that I have personally considered. So, how should one interpret this number?

3. To the right of the certainty slider, there is a "Move" box/field. It's blank in the data bases I just checked. How is this field used?

Thanks in advance.

[jws555]

Hi, FreeRepublic,

Re: your questions.

2. This is the number of lines following the candidate move. If there are two lines AFTER the candidate move and each of these branches into two lines, the number you should be seeing is 4.

3. Allows you to type in a candidate move either to add a new one or select from the current list. Useful (I guess) if you don't have a working mouse.

Not sure how to interpret the tri-bar. Will try to find an answer for you.

Regards,
John

[FreeRepublic]

Thanks John,

I confirmed your answer to my third question. It's kind of neat in operation, though I don't know if I will use it.

As to 2, I think you are basically right, but there seems to be a twist of sorts. Here is a test case example. I have a database with the following moves (PGN, Export line as a game): 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5! e6!? 7. Qd2!? Qb6!?. There is no number following 8Be3, though once this move is selected there are two candidates: 8...Ng4 and 8...Qxb2. Selecting each candidate and following through to subsequent branches, then returning to the position at move 8 registers 15 lines after the candidate move 8Be3. As a separate matter, there is no tri-bar associated with 8Be3.

[jws555]

From the help file for Bookup 2000:

<start>
What do those numbers mean to the right of the candidate moves?

The top number[Note: the rightmost number in the current version of COW Pro] shows the number of branches in the tree beyond
the candidate move. This is handy to see where the bulk of the analysis is. For example, if the first candidate has 350 then there are 350
variations of analysis after that move. If the number is blank then there are no more variations, and chances are the line follows a single game.

This number may not be accurate because it is calculated by backsolving. Batch backsolving will
calculate this number correctly.
...
<end>

I do not know if COW Pro now updates the variation count automatically. It sounds like a user may need to periodically backsolve their
ebooks to update/correct the variation count.

Regards,
John

[FreeRepublic]

Thanks John.

Here's something I found on BackSolving on pg 3:

"Numbers are the numeric assessments of the leaf nodes which are assigned by chess engines. That can be done manually by visiting a leaf node, allowing the engine to think, and then grabbing the engine analysis. It is more commonly done by analyzing EPD files which is also known as "overnight analysis" because batches take a while."

Backsolving is clearly a powerful tool, but takes time. I tried it on a small file - my speed games - and could see that it would take a long time. Backsolving all known games for the Rossolimo Sicilan (a game/position file of moderate size) would take longer.

A quicker, small scale, approach is to evaluate a final position, for example +=. This is then inherited back to the candidate choice that led to the final position.

Note that ECO is not a games database; it's a lot smaller. One could select a few representative best lines or games, then backsolve to generate a COW ECO. It took a team to generate ECO C. FIDE Chess also published some smaller monographs. GM Akopian wrote one for B89. Doing this initially in COW would take some effort. At least COW would do the evaluations for you.

One benefit from using COW would be that if you added a new and theoretically significant game, you could then backsolve and all affected earlier positions would reflect the new information. Botvinnik defeated Capablanca in a variation of the Nimzo-Indian. I think that result stuck in people's minds until Carlsen revisited that line and improved on Capa's play. Just entering that game and backsolving would capture the changed evaluation.

It would be an interesting project to make a COW file from all World Championship games, then backsolve it.

[jws555]

Regarding the three segment bar: Included with COW is a GrandMaster tree file named Pedigree2600.GMT . Found in x/Chess Openings Wizard 2016/Data Files/Game Trees where x is the installation drive. This is the only .GMT extension file found in a search of my computer.

Open an ebook and find a move with a tri-color bar. Click on <Games><Find Games with this Move Order> from the menu across the top. You should open two more windows. The one with a game board and labeled "Select Move Order" shows Game Results about halfway down on the right and these appear to be what are used to calculate the white/grey/black ratios shown in the box.

MY GUESS is you need Game Master 8000 (or later?) program to add/delete/change games in Pedigree2600.GMT or create your own .GMT file. Couldn't find any information on the COW site.

Regards,
John

[MikeAtBookup]

Currently there is no way to edit the Pedigree database. It is made up of exclusively games with Super GMs on both sides of the board. You can assume that if a move has no tri-color bar that it has not been played between strong grandmasters and therefore has no "pedigree."

[Gahaka]

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