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Subject: Re: Strength of the engine in chess programs

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 08:42:38 05/21/02

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On May 21, 2002 at 09:15:08, Torstein Hall wrote:

>On May 20, 2002 at 16:54:06, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On May 20, 2002 at 16:48:49, Albert Silver wrote:
>>
>>>>>Let me clarify the argument against that statement:  "there is no currently
>>>>>existing in FIDE or USCF rules that prevent memorization of long seqauences
>>>>>of opening moves."  Never has been, never will be.
>>>>
>>>>I think it is easy to make an argument that permanent memory is written
>>>>material. If you store a openingbook on your harddrive it is written material in
>>>>my view. Its there to read for anyone with a PC to connetc to the HD. :-) And as
>>>>such against the rules!
>>>
>>>I think it is equally easy to argue that hashtables are nothing more than
>>>written notes that the program writes and then consults. Afterall, the fact that
>>>it is stored/written into memory should make no difference, otherwise I could
>>>simply load the opening book into the RAM. I know that I am not allowed to write
>>>down my own analysis during a game to consult while I am playing. I think it is
>>>therefore also time to ban hashtables. Adios Fritz!
>>>
>>>                                           Albert
>>>
>>
>>
>>That is where the argument takes us.  My evaluation "patterns" are clearly
>>written on the disk and read in at execution time.  And then they are clearly
>>written into memory.  The _entire_ program is really illegal if anyone wants
>>to take that particularly obtuse argument...
>
>Whatever way we look at this it is reasonable arguments both ways. Of course
>programs in the form we have them today will have less and less to do in human
>competition.
>
>But I think it would be interesting if someone could make a program that would
>work on the openingface of the game, not just copy human moves. Perhaps the
>programs could add something to our opening knowledge, not just copy human
>analysis. I imagine a program that experiment with different opening lines it
>calculated itself, learn, try new lines and do some real learning.  Slowly
>building its own openingbook. But this just dreaming I guess.
>
>Torstein
>
>



I believe you will find this has already happened.  Many humans try to play
computers by playing oddball first moves to "take the machine out of book."
As a general rule that doesn't help them at all because _they_ are out of
book as well.  Kasparov tried this against deep blue.  It failed.

You will also find several novelties found by computers.  My first program
found one 30+ years ago that was published in Chess Life.  It happens all the
time.




>
>
>>>>
>>>>So what it boils down to is what kind of material you consider the openingbook
>>>>on your PC to be.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>So the argument is totally moot.  As shown by the USCF allowing computers to
>>>>>play in rated events for 40 years.  FIDE even allowed them for a period of
>>>>>time...
>>>>
>>>>In the "old days" the programs where so weak that we allowed them to "cheat"
>>>>with a openingbook. Without it the programs would play to stupid chess. Now I
>>>>think it is time for the programs to do without.
>>>>
>>>>Torstein



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