Use per-thread dynamic contempt

We now use per-thread dynamic contempt. This patch has the following
effects:

 * for Threads=1: **non-functional**
 * for Threads>1:
   * with MultiPV=1: **no regression, little to no ELO gain**
   * with MultiPV>1: **clear improvement over master**

First, I tried testing at standard MultiPV=1 play with [0,5] bounds.
This yielded 2 yellow and 1 red test:

5+0.05, Threads=5:
LLR: -2.96 (-2.94,2.94) [0.00,5.00]
Total: 82689 W: 16439 L: 16190 D: 50060
http://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/5aa93a5a0ebc5902952892e6

5+0.05, Threads=8:
LLR: -2.96 (-2.94,2.94) [0.00,5.00]
Total: 27164 W: 4974 L: 4983 D: 17207
http://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/5ab2639b0ebc5902a6fbefd5

5+0.5, Threads=16:
LLR: -2.97 (-2.94,2.94) [0.00,5.00]
Total: 41396 W: 7127 L: 7082 D: 27187
http://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/5ab124220ebc59029516cb62

Then, I tested with Skill Level=17 (implicitly MutliPV=4), showing
a clear improvement:

5+0.05, Threads=5:
LLR: 2.96 (-2.94,2.94) [0.00,5.00]
Total: 3498 W: 1316 L: 1135 D: 1047
http://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/5ab4b6580ebc5902932aeca2

Next, I tested the patch with MultiPV=1 again, this time checking for
non-regression ([-3, 1]):

5+0.5, Threads=5:
LLR: 2.96 (-2.94,2.94) [-3.00,1.00]
Total: 65575 W: 12786 L: 12745 D: 40044
http://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/5ab4e8500ebc5902932aecb3

Finally, I ran some tests with fixed number of games, checking if
reverting dynamic contempt gains more elo with Skill Level=17 (i.e.
MultiPV) than applying the "prevScore" fix and this patch. These tests
showed, that this patch gains 15 ELO when playing with Skill Level=17:

5+0.05, Threads=3, "revert dynamic contempt" vs. "WITHOUT this patch":
ELO: -11.43 +-4.1 (95%) LOS: 0.0%
Total: 20000 W: 7085 L: 7743 D: 5172
http://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/5ab636450ebc590295d88536

5+0.05, Threads=3, "revert dynamic contempt" vs. "WITH this patch":
ELO: -26.42 +-4.1 (95%) LOS: 0.0%
Total: 20000 W: 6661 L: 8179 D: 5160
http://tests.stockfishchess.org/tests/view/5ab62e680ebc590295d88524

---
***FAQ***

**Why should this be commited?**
I believe that the gain for multi-thread MultiPV search is a sufficient
justification for this otherwise neutral change. I also believe this
implementation of dynamic contempt is more logical, although this may
be just my opinion.

**Why is per-thread contempt better at MultiPV?**
A likely explanation for the gain in MultiPV mode is that during
search each thread independently switches between rootMoves and via
the shared contempt score skews each other's evaluation.

**Why were the tests done with Skill Level=17?**
This was originally suggested by @Hanamuke and the idea is that with
Skill Level Stockfish sometimes plays also moves it thinks are slightly
sub-optimal and thus the quality of all moves offered by the MultiPV
search is checked by the test.

**Why are the ELO differences so huge?**
This is most likely because of the nature of Skill Level mode --
since it slower and weaker than normal mode, bugs in evaluation have
much greater effect.

---

Closes https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/pull/1515.

No functional change -- in single thread mode.

diff --git a/src/evaluate.cpp b/src/evaluate.cpp
index 5f8db7414eb83c064e3679ea8570f40a144f0972..69c3278556ab856026f556b49ec9614680fd5a1e 100644 (file)
--- a/src/evaluate.cpp
+++ b/src/evaluate.cpp
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@
 #include "evaluate.h"
 #include "material.h"
 #include "pawns.h"
-
-std::atomic<Score> Eval::Contempt;
+#include "thread.h"
 
 namespace Trace {
 
@@ -844,7 +843,7 @@ namespace {
     // Initialize score by reading the incrementally updated scores included in
     // the position object (material + piece square tables) and the material
     // imbalance. Score is computed internally from the white point of view.
-    Score score = pos.psq_score() + me->imbalance() + Eval::Contempt;
+    Score score = pos.psq_score() + me->imbalance() + pos.this_thread()->contempt;
 
     // Probe the pawn hash table
     pe = Pawns::probe(pos);
@@ -915,7 +914,7 @@ std::string Eval::trace(const Position& pos) {
 
   std::memset(scores, 0, sizeof(scores));
 
-  Eval::Contempt = SCORE_ZERO; // Reset any dynamic contempt
+  pos.this_thread()->contempt = SCORE_ZERO; // Reset any dynamic contempt
 
   Value v = Evaluation<TRACE>(pos).value();
 

diff --git a/src/evaluate.h b/src/evaluate.h
index c3b0b2b9e2bab40f15e739211270d2f359c2f79e..ccc6d5fa7b4b867e15786b328367fd99932bbfe9 100644 (file)
--- a/src/evaluate.h
+++ b/src/evaluate.h
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ namespace Eval {
 
 constexpr Value Tempo = Value(20); // Must be visible to search
 
-extern std::atomic<Score> Contempt;
-
 std::string trace(const Position& pos);
 
 Value evaluate(const Position& pos);

diff --git a/src/search.cpp b/src/search.cpp
index af0946ea577722b5f3aaab25fb5f176bae8dc094..66c406936eed57af83547d84aad79784978fa2bf 100644 (file)
--- a/src/search.cpp
+++ b/src/search.cpp
@@ -309,8 +309,8 @@ void Thread::search() {
   multiPV = std::min(multiPV, rootMoves.size());
 
   int ct = Options["Contempt"] * PawnValueEg / 100; // From centipawns
-  Eval::Contempt = (us == WHITE ?  make_score(ct, ct / 2)
-                                : -make_score(ct, ct / 2));
+  contempt = (us == WHITE ?  make_score(ct, ct / 2)
+                          : -make_score(ct, ct / 2));
 
   // Iterative deepening loop until requested to stop or the target depth is reached
   while (   (rootDepth += ONE_PLY) < DEPTH_MAX
@@ -353,8 +353,8 @@ void Thread::search() {
               // Adjust contempt based on root move's previousScore (dynamic contempt)
               ct += int(std::round(48 * atan(float(previousScore) / 128)));
 
-              Eval::Contempt = (us == WHITE ?  make_score(ct, ct / 2)
-                                            : -make_score(ct, ct / 2));
+              contempt = (us == WHITE ?  make_score(ct, ct / 2)
+                                      : -make_score(ct, ct / 2));
           }
 
           // Start with a small aspiration window and, in the case of a fail

diff --git a/src/thread.h b/src/thread.h
index 1397449733d8f7eebbc303ce879ff1dc7954b7ff..0d5077393c1233792d7c1d5efcc7f1bbe7dfe2c1 100644 (file)
--- a/src/thread.h
+++ b/src/thread.h
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ public:
   ButterflyHistory mainHistory;
   CapturePieceToHistory captureHistory;
   ContinuationHistory contHistory;
+  Score contempt;
 };