Tablebase Question

[Dark_wizzie]

Hi,

If I download a 5 piece tablebase, do I still need to get the 4 piece and the 3 piece tablebases? Or does the 5 piece tablebase include all the positions for 4 and 3 piece tablebase? I'm testing Houdini and Stockfish on my own time and I want to try adding tablebases to the mix as well.

Thanks

[XenonS]

Hi,
after having done a rudimentary test, it appears to me that some engines will have a hard time to find solutions for chess positions when they don't have *all* relevant TBs at disposal, some may handle it, others not. It also depends what you want to test.
Example: if a pawn is to be promoted in a queen and the relevant 4-men with a queen is not there, the engine will have to calculate on its own, not having the TB at disposal.

XenonS

[syzygy]

If I download a 5 piece tablebase, do I still need to get the 4 piece and the 3 piece tablebases? Or does the 5 piece tablebase include all the positions for 4 and 3 piece tablebase? I'm testing Houdini and Stockfish on my own time and I want to try adding tablebases to the mix as well.

For none of the formats I know of do 5 piece tablebases include the positions for 4 and 3 piece tablebases.

If you use Syzygybases, you absolutely need the 3- and 4-piece tables (but when downloading the 5- you most likely get the 3- and 4- as well). Same with 6: you need the 5.

In general, it makes no sense not to include the 3- and 4-piece for any tablebase format, since their total size is about the same as that of a single 5-piece tablebase file.