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Subject: Re: Strength of the engine in chess programs

Author: Otello Gnaramori

Date: 09:43:25 05/20/02

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On May 20, 2002 at 12:13:51, Rolf Tueschen wrote:


>To prevent that we begin talking at cross purposes, let me please add, Tim, that
>I like playing the programs too with all that integrated. The question about
>strength of the engine is often confused with wrong comparisons. Here are some
>of them I met in earlier discussions.
>
>- Humans learn theory by heart so why books are wrong in computer programs?
>- The design of a computer program was always a combination of engine and book.
>- Also human players learn by heart without necessarily understanding each move.
>
>All these arguments are false. But it's not so at first sight. And therefore we
>discuss all the time.
>
>With human players we mean weak amateurs or masters? It begins with such trivial
>questions. Ok, a weak amateur learns by heart a few lines. The opponent, also a
>weak amateur makes a weaker reply and our first weak amateur cannot exploitate
>it, although the move is weaker than the book move.
>Or the line ends and the weak amateur all on his own begins to blunder. Ah, he
>had studied typical master games of that opening? Again the answer from above.
>It's a total gamble. If the variation is played like it should, our amateur
>might win in the end or lose or the other way round.
>
>A master, and that is difficult to understand as I have seen, does _not_ simply
>play learned moves or lines. Simply because it wouldn't help him. He can only
>play line he has analysed high up into the middle game. It's a capital error to
>think that masters play chess with learning by heart lines they don't analyse.
>Of course they must learn by heart their analyses.
>
>Now, what chapter should be discussed for our engines? I take for granted the
>master chapter. So here comes my crucial argument: book doctors do nothing else
>but preventing the machine play something that could lead into disadvantages.
>But the machines would play these lines if they could. They are blind and can't
>foresee the dangers. So far about master play by machines. I am not talking
>about training games or my own fun games against engines with all power books
>etc. Here the question was, what is the strength of the engine. Would you anwer
>me, that the machine is very strong, if the book doctor has done a good work? Do
>you think that the average master could only prevent opening traps if he learned
>them by heart or does he understand the content and the context of a trap? So,
>this is how long it takes to discuss only a few aspects of only the first
>argument.
>
>Let me add the next two points in short.
>
>The design was defined/ found in the old days of CC when the machines couldn't
>play chess without a minimum of moves. So this should not be an argument for the
>actual machines. The engine should have enough chess knowledge to be able to
>play reasonable opening moves.
>
>Then the point learning by heart without understanding. Well, that's an easy
>one. This is how weaker amateurs must play chess. Still it makes fun, as I know.
>Masters would not be masters if they played chess like this. Masters and their
>big brothers write the theory weaker amateurs then must learn by heart.
>
>Of course I know the simulating thing, Tim, but I cannot understand why "we",
>computerchess people, programmers and their programs should try to simulate
>being GM without respecting the normal FIDE rules of chess! Why human
>chessplayers can't read out of books during a game of chess too? Because, I got
>the answer, opening books are not books, they are integral constituent of a
>machine. Ahar...
>
>For me the development of computerchess took a wrong course. For me a
>self-learning system playing chess could be a better symbol of AI than the
>package which is simply not following the FIDE rules of chess. I'm talking about
>games between human players and comps. What were the reasons for the programmers
>to take the forbidden short cut?
>
>Rolf Tueschen

Let me clarify in a sentence the Rolf original statement:

"It's clear cheating to play with books against humans".

w.b.r.
Otello




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