Infinite analysis sends the engine looking for as long as you let it. The line keeps deepening, the evaluation may drift, and the credit meter keeps moving. It is powerful, but only if you use it with a question.
When infinite mode helps
- A quiet position where the plan is unclear and you want to see how the evaluation settles.
- A critical opening position where you need to compare long-term plans.
- A complex endgame where the first few depths disagree.
- A position you want to study interactively, stopping when a new idea appears.
It is less useful for a simple tactical position where a depth-12 search already gives a stable answer.
Watch the depth, not just the evaluation
If the evaluation swings every few depths, the position is unresolved. If it stabilises and the principal variation stops changing, the search is telling you something. Stop when the line is stable and you can explain the plan.
How billing works
ChessUrge reserves credits up to an admin-configured infinite cap, then refunds the unused nodes when you stop. The engine also has a node ceiling, so a forgotten tab cannot run forever. On the UCI engine, the same rule applies: reserve, stream, stop, refund.
Stop with a reason
Do not stop because the number looks impressive. Stop because the line is stable, because you found the idea, or because the position is clearly decided. Then write down the plan in one sentence and move on.
Try infinite mode on the analysis board and compare it with a fixed 10 MN search on the same position. The difference in clarity is the lesson.
See the whole game, not just the blunder.
Choose a review depth, see the maximum cost, and get move-by-move accuracy with blunder, mistake and inaccuracy markers.