585
edits
Changes
→Purposes
* Save time: Chess programs could use [[Search|search]] from the beginning and look through all possible continuations in detail to find the best next move, but as this is quite time-consuming. In contrast, opening books can play opening moves almost instantly without searching nor heavy computing and help to save time.
* Provide a higher quality of play: Searching even with large depths can't see deep tactics, strategy, compensation. It may lose temporarily material for long term advantage.
* Provide variety: there already exists a lot of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_opening_book_%28literature%29 literature] about different opening lines. As book moves are usually can be chosen [[Pseudorandom Number Generator|randomly]], whereas searches are more or less deterministic.
=Types=
=Book Playing=
* [[Engines]]: They can directly use opening books to make move. Some engines use external books, some others integrate books inside their codes. Those engines need both opening book code and book data to run
* [[GUI]]: They can play opening books thus engines don't need to deal with and they just start computing from the middle period only. This way is quite popular because of some advantages (compared with let letting engines play opening books themselves): simplifier for chess engines, save space, easier to manage opening books, more various ways to select openings, more fair-play to compare engines... The main disadvantage is that engines can’t or hardly use some book learning techniques
=Quotes=
