Endgame

From The Othello Wiki Book Project

Endgame is the last n moves of a game.

Depending on your silicon content n may be any number between about 30 and 1.

Parity and Stable Disks are important concepts in the end game as you try and reach the goal of the game of having as many disks as possible your colour.

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Is the endgame the phase of the game in which it is possible for you to count the number of disks you will have, or is it still endgame even if you cannot?

Strong programs start returning endgame score (ie real count disc number, not heuristical evaluation), quite early by mean of selective search where only the most promising lines are simulated until the end of the game.

What depth endgames do computers play these days?

In 15 minute games, strong programs on fast computers solve games exactly at depths between 25 and 30 moves, but start to return selective endgame score much earlier, at depths sometimes greater than 40 moves.