[computer-go] Choosing a move in UCT (was: Re: The physics of Go playing strength.)

[Janzert]

Don Dailey wrote:
[Snip]
> 
> One thing that I think most people are doing is related to how you
> select a move once you have finished the search.   Do you pick the
> highest scoring move?   Sometimes the highest scoring move has very
> few simulations in that part of the tree and the simplest and safest
> thing to do is pick the node that has the highest number of 
> simulation under it.   This move is usually the highest scoring move,
> or has been the highest scoring and probably will be again.   Another
> thing you can do is to delay the search to see if the new move sticks.
> 
> That's the only thing I would consider an enhancement - I don't know
> how much strength it contributes but it does help.
> 
> - Don
> 

This is something that I have been wondering about. It seems to me that
since UCT is exploring moves by choosing the move with the most
optimistic score (estimate plus confidence bound) that it would be very
natural to play the move with the highest conservative score (estimate
minus confidence bound) but I don't believe I've seen this mentioned
much if at all. Has anyone tried this and does it help or hurt any?

I suppose the highest conservative score may very well be the most
visited move most of the time, if not always, so maybe it doesn't
actually make any difference?

Janzert