Smoothly change playing strength with skill level. (#2142)

[stockfish] / src / search.cpp

diff --git a/src/search.cpp b/src/search.cpp
index 37fc2ec48a8bfa99b7e4a125f68f540fe1ebaba0..b4a69092ccedc1489c53ae7c064ec99b46e9e157 100644 (file)
--- a/src/search.cpp
+++ b/src/search.cpp
@@ -102,6 +102,48 @@ namespace {
     Move best = MOVE_NONE;
   };
 
+  // Breadcrumbs are used to mark nodes as being searched by a given thread.
+  struct Breadcrumb {
+    std::atomic<Thread*> thread;
+    std::atomic<Key> key;
+  };
+  std::array<Breadcrumb, 1024> breadcrumbs;
+
+  // ThreadHolding keeps track of which thread left breadcrumbs at the given node for potential reductions.
+  // A free node will be marked upon entering the moves loop, and unmarked upon leaving that loop, by the ctor/dtor of this struct.
+  struct ThreadHolding {
+    explicit ThreadHolding(Thread* thisThread, Key posKey, int ply) {
+       location = ply < 8 ? &breadcrumbs[posKey & (breadcrumbs.size() - 1)] : nullptr;
+       otherThread = false;
+       owning = false;
+       if (location)
+       {
+          // see if another already marked this location, if not, mark it ourselves.
+          Thread* tmp = (*location).thread.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
+          if (tmp == nullptr)
+          {
+              (*location).thread.store(thisThread, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+              (*location).key.store(posKey, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+              owning = true;
+          }
+          else if (   tmp != thisThread
+                   && (*location).key.load(std::memory_order_relaxed) == posKey)
+              otherThread = true;
+       }
+    }
+
+    ~ThreadHolding() {
+       if (owning) // free the marked location.
+           (*location).thread.store(nullptr, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    }
+
+    bool marked() { return otherThread; }
+
+    private:
+    Breadcrumb* location;
+    bool otherThread, owning;
+  };
+
   template <NodeType NT>
   Value search(Position& pos, Stack* ss, Value alpha, Value beta, Depth depth, bool cutNode);
 
@@ -293,7 +335,12 @@ void Thread::search() {
   beta = VALUE_INFINITE;
 
   multiPV = Options["MultiPV"];
-  Skill skill(Options["Skill Level"]);
+  // Pick integer skill levels, but non-deterministically round up or down
+  // such that the average integer skill corresponds to the input floating point one.
+  PRNG rng(now());
+  int intLevel = int(Options["Skill Level"]) +
+        ((Options["Skill Level"] - int(Options["Skill Level"])) * 1024 > rng.rand<unsigned>() % 1024  ? 1 : 0);
+  Skill skill(intLevel);
 
   // When playing with strength handicap enable MultiPV search that we will
   // use behind the scenes to retrieve a set of possible moves.
@@ -847,6 +894,9 @@ moves_loop: // When in check, search starts from here
     moveCountPruning = false;
     ttCapture = ttMove && pos.capture_or_promotion(ttMove);
 
+    // Mark this node as being searched.
+    ThreadHolding th(thisThread, posKey, ss->ply);
+
     // Step 12. Loop through all pseudo-legal moves until no moves remain
     // or a beta cutoff occurs.
     while ((move = mp.next_move(moveCountPruning)) != MOVE_NONE)
@@ -1019,6 +1069,10 @@ moves_loop: // When in check, search starts from here
       {
           Depth r = reduction(improving, depth, moveCount);
 
+          // Reduction if other threads are searching this position.
+         if (th.marked())
+              r += ONE_PLY;
+
           // Decrease reduction if position is or has been on the PV
           if (ttPv)
               r -= 2 * ONE_PLY;