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Subject: Re: Interesting Quote

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 12:25:30 08/30/01

Go up one level in this thread


On August 30, 2001 at 12:56:29, Mark Young wrote:

>On August 30, 2001 at 12:38:16, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On August 30, 2001 at 12:21:27, Mark Young wrote:
>>
>>>On August 30, 2001 at 11:44:19, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>
>>>>On August 30, 2001 at 10:38:06, Mark Young wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On August 30, 2001 at 10:13:31, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On August 30, 2001 at 09:31:42, Mark Young wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On August 29, 2001 at 22:03:12, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>On August 29, 2001 at 16:39:09, Mark Young wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>On August 29, 2001 at 16:22:49, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>On August 29, 2001 at 16:16:06, Mark Young wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>On August 29, 2001 at 15:36:54, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>On August 29, 2001 at 15:21:09, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>On August 29, 2001 at 14:41:48, Mark Young wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>On August 29, 2001 at 14:03:49, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>On August 29, 2001 at 13:52:33, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>On August 29, 2001 at 12:52:15, Roy Eassa wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>This sentence DOES say a lot, doesn't it:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>"By the summer of 1990--by which time three of the original Deep Thought team
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>had joined IBM--Deep Thought had achieved a 50 percent score in 10 games played
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>under tournament conditions against grandmasters and an 86 percent score in 14
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>games against international masters."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>That was 7 years before, and many-fold slower hardware (and much weaker
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>software, no doubt), than what played Kasparov in 1997.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>No
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>This sentence tells me nothing new.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I know that humans at that time did not know how to play against computers like
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>they know today.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Today programs got clearly better results than deep thought
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>and there is more than one case when they got >2700 performance inspite of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>the fact that the opponents could buy the program they played against them
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>something that Deep thought's opponents could not do.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Deep thought produced a rating of 2655 over 25 consecutive games against a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>variety of opponents.  None of them were "inexperienced" in playing against
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>computers.  Byrne.  Larson.  Browne.  You-name-it.  That argument doesn't hold
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>up under close scrutiny.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>In some ways, it appears that the GMs of today are
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>prepared far worse than the GMs of 1992 were prepared to play computers.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I don?t see how GM?s of today are less prepared to play computers. Anyone of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>them can and has played computer programs at home stronger then the programs of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>the early 1990?s.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>I am basing that on the games I have seen, plus the important detail that in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>1992, strong GM players at the US Open, the World Open, and other events
>>>>>>>>>>>>>(particularly those in the northeast US) knew they would be facing Hitech,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>Deep Thought, and at times, Belle and others.  Since 1995 this has not been
>>>>>>>>>>>>>the case as it is nearly impossible to find a tournament in the US that will
>>>>>>>>>>>>>allow a computer to compete.  If they aren't going to face the machines, they
>>>>>>>>>>>>>aren't going to study them.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I don?t think preparation is the problem. It is the strength of the programs of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>today. It seems if you are not in the top 100 of the Fide list your chances of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>besting the better programs is not very good.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>It seems clear that the programs of today are stronger then Deep Thought of 1992
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>that produced a rating of 2655 playing against "Byrne.  Larson.  Browne.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>You-name-it". Do you agree with this?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>No I don't.  I would agree that probably they programs of today are in the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>same league with Deep Thought of 1992, maybe.  At least on the 8-way boxes.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>Their NPS speed would be similar.  Deep Thought wasn't known to be an incredibly
>>>>>>>>>>>>>"smart" program, neither are today's programs.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>I consider the top programs of today as clearly smarter than Deep thought.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>Deep thought had also a problem in the repetition detection and I believe that
>>>>>>>>>>>>the search algorithm of the top programs of today is superior because Deep
>>>>>>>>>>>>thought did not use null move or other pruning methods.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>I agree, and there are many games to play over that show todays programs are
>>>>>>>>>>>much smarter and faster then Deep Thought of 1992. Even without a 8-way box. To
>>>>>>>>>>>me it is clear that preparation is not the problem, as any GM can play much
>>>>>>>>>>>stronger programs then Deep Thought, Hitech, Etc. of the 1980's and early
>>>>>>>>>>>1990's. And it has already been suggested as fact all programs have the same
>>>>>>>>>>>fundamental weaknesses. So playing any top program or studying any old Deep
>>>>>>>>>>>Thought games should be the only preparation needed. As this is the only prep
>>>>>>>>>>>the early GM's had when facing Deep Thought.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>BTW. I don't understand how we take as fact that "Byrne.  Larson.  Browne.
>>>>>>>>>>>You-name-it" prepared for their games with computers, but any of today's GM's
>>>>>>>>>>>that know their playing computers and also lose don't prepare for their games.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>How does Bob and other know what kind of preparation past or present GM's do
>>>>>>>>>>>when they know they are facing a computer program.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Perhaps we ask?  I know several that will answer.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Let ask, GM Leko, GM Huebner, GM Pablo Ricardi, GM Andres Rodriguez, GM Oscar
>>>>>>>>>Panno, GM Alejandro Hoffman, for starters.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>BTW: What kind of preparations did GM Byrne, GM Larson, and GM Browne do to
>>>>>>>>>prepare for Deep Thought since you already know.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I didn't talke to Larson, ever.  I talked to byrne on more than one occasion
>>>>>>>>as he helped me with some analysis of some moves by Cray Blitz.  Browne was
>>>>>>>>quite calm about Deep Thought.  I looked over his shoulder one night and
>>>>>>>>watched him play over several deep thought games from memory.  Which showed that
>>>>>>>>he had studied the thing at length.  Byrne thought Deep Thought was the
>>>>>>>>beginning of the end for humans being the best chess players around.  He took
>>>>>>>>DT very seriously.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>"And he studied the games several times looking for ways to
>>>>>>>exploit the thing.  He simply wasn't up to it tactically, however."
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Bob this is the point many of us have been making, but why to you does this only
>>>>>>>apply to Deep Thought. Many GM's even with preparation are not up to dealing
>>>>>>>with the tactics of todays computer programs. That's why they lose, even with
>>>>>>>preparation!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Do you realize how _old_ Robert Byrne is?
>>>>>
>>>>>Yes I know, he was born in 1928, but age is not the issue, In 1992 GM Byrne was
>>>>>rated about 2500 elo that is the issue. It is not how old you are it is how well
>>>>>you still play chess. If you have doubt ask GM Korchnoi
>>>>
>>>>One exception to a general rule.
>>>
>>>Wrong many players are strong in their 50, 60, 70, etc. Some player even get
>>>better with age.
>>
>>
>>
>>I don't want to get into yet another argument here.  But name one world
>>champion in the last 50 years that was over 70 years old.  There are none.
>>
>
>"Name one 70+ year old player that is a serious competitor in major
>tournaments."
>
>You asked for it you got it.
>
>
>The winner of the Grandmaster Tournament 2001, Biel 2001 Cat XI 2650 (Major
>Tournament)
>
>GM Viktor Kortchnoi, Switzerland  Age 70!!
>
>Ranking:
>
>                                        Points Sonneborn
>1. GM Viktor Kortchnoi SUI 2617         6      28.75
>2. GM Peter Svidler RUS 2695            5.5    26.75
>3. GM Boris Gelfand ISR 2714            5      24.25
>4. GM Yannick Pelletier SUI 2531        4.5    23.5
>5. GM Joel Lautier FRA 2675             4.5    22.75
>6. GM Alexander Grischuk RUS 2669       4.5    22
>
>
>
>

Ok... He is a good exception to the rule.  We also have a 98 year old
senator in the US Senate, and he seems to know which end goes up still.
But it _is_ an exception.


>
>>
>>Age unfortunately takes its toll.  Mental processes slow down.  Memory fades
>>away.  Along with it some of the necessary skill to play chess.
>>
>>>
>>>BTW: A rating takes concentration into account, as if you lose concentration you
>>>tend to lose games against any player....not just computers. A 2500 elo is 2500
>>>at 20 or 100 years of age.
>>
>>Not quite the same.  Against a computer, any tactical mistake will be noticed
>>quickly.  Against a human, he will often not notice the mistake either if it is
>>very subtle or complicated.  In human blitz you will see two GMs slug it out
>>with a queen en prise for 3 straight moves.  Against a computer, that queen
>>won't last one move.
>>
>>I think just watching Kasparov vs Deep Blue 2 showed just how mentally draining
>>it is to check and re-check every bit of OTB analysis you rely on to make a
>>move, so that you can be sure you are not making an obvious strategic move but
>>hanging a piece to a 20 ply combination.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>GM Huebner is as old as what GM Byrne was when Huebner played Deep Fritz. The
>>>only difference is GM Huebner is 2600+. Or is GM Huebner just another exception
>>>to a general rule that is wrong in many cases.
>>
>>
>>Hubner is nowhere near as strong today as he was 20 years ago either.  Neither
>>is Karpov.  Korchnoi.  Etc.  Chess is pretty well dominated by younger players
>>for obvious reasons.  (younger = 20 to 40, or maybe even 50 on occasion).
>>
>>It will be interesting to see how Kramnik stands up to the mental pressure
>>this is going to put on him.



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