The Nolot Suite

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A test-suite created by Pierre Nolot, in 1994 introduced by Marc-François Baudot in rec.games.chess.

=Discussion and Results= The suite was widely discussed in the news groups by Feng-hsiung Hsu, Steven Edwards  and others.

=Bruce's Analysis= Bruce Moreland made an analysis of those hard positions : The suite contains eleven positions:

So 3, 6, and 9 are monsters and remain unsolved, if they aren't actually broken. 1, 4, and 10 are solvable, but the scores haven't been convincing yet. 11 is also findable, but it seems that the best result is a draw, so don't expect a big positive score. 8 is also solvable, but it might be found due to speculation. 2, 5, and 7 are known to be findable as wins.

=EPD= The Nolot Suite as EPD records: r3qb1k/1b4p1/p2pr2p/3n4/Pnp1N1N1/6RP/1B3PP1/1B1QR1K1 w - - bm Nxh6; id "Position 1"; r4rk1/pp1n1p1p/1nqP2p1/2b1P1B1/4NQ2/1B3P2/PP2K2P/2R5 w - - bm Rxc5; id "Position 2"; r2qk2r/ppp1b1pp/2n1p3/3pP1n1/3P2b1/2PB1NN1/PP4PP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - bm Nxg5; id "Position 3"; r1b1kb1r/1p1n1ppp/p2ppn2/6BB/2qNP3/2N5/PPP2PPP/R2Q1RK1 w kq - bm Nxe6; id "Position 4"; r2qrb1k/1p1b2p1/p2ppn1p/8/3NP3/1BN5/PPP3QP/1K3RR1 w - - bm e5; id "Position 5"; rnbqk2r/1p3ppp/p7/1NpPp3/QPP1P1n1/P4N2/4KbPP/R1B2B1R b kq - bm axb5; id "Position 6"; 1r1bk2r/2R2ppp/p3p3/1b2P2q/4QP2/4N3/1B4PP/3R2K1 w k - bm Rxd8+; id "Position 7"; r3rbk1/ppq2ppp/2b1pB2/8/6Q1/1P1B3P/P1P2PP1/R2R2K1 w - - bm Bxh7+; id "Position 8"; r4r1k/4bppb/2n1p2p/p1n1P3/1p1p1BNP/3P1NP1/qP2QPB1/2RR2K1 w - - bm Ng5; id "Position 9"; r1b2rk1/1p1nbppp/pq1p4/3B4/P2NP3/2N1p3/1PP3PP/R2Q1R1K w - - bm Rxf7; id "Position 10"; r1b3k1/p2p1nP1/2pqr1Rp/1p2p2P/2B1PnQ1/1P6/P1PP4/1K4R1 w - - bm Rxh6; id "Position 11";

=Forum Posts=
 * 11 tactical positions computers can't solve by Marc-François Baudot, rec.games.chess, July 11, 1994
 * Pierre Nolot's solutions to the 11 positions by Marc-François Baudot, rec.games.chess, July 29, 1994
 * Nolot's 11 difficult positions (possible spoilers) by Feng-hsiung Hsu, rec.games.chess, July 29, 1994
 * Nolot test positions: EPD version by Steven Edwards, rec.games.chess, July 29, 1994
 * Nolot's test vs. Spector by Steven Edwards, rec.games.chess, July 29, 1994
 * A second look at the Nolot positions by Feng-hsiung Hsu, rec.games.chess August 2, 1994
 * Nolot Bxh7 and deep thought/deep blue by Vincent Diepeveen, CCC, January 12, 2000

=External Links=
 * Nolot from Wikipedia
 * Gambisco from blitzchess.fr(French)

=References=

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