Computer chess

Computer chess or computer chess called playing chess against a computer, playing computer intercommunication, the development of chess-playing machine ( chess computer ), and the development of chess programs.

The idea of ​​creating a chess -playing machine dates back to the 18th century. More on the history see chess computer for operation under chess program.

Computer chess as a research object

The main objectives of computer chess were entertainment, chess analysis and hope for insights into the human mind. Since the mid- 1960s, computer chess has often been referred to as the " Drosophila of artificial intelligence." While the first two goals were achieved within 50 years with flying colors, the hope of insight into the human mind was disappointed. All research in this direction (eg from Mikhail Botvinnik Moissejewitsch or Allen Newell ) were never successful.

For this reason, computer chess (like Scrabble ) nowadays no longer object of research, and has been largely replaced by games like Go or Arimaa, since these computer programs may be less achieve success through sheer computing power than a more complex evaluation function, and both games still relatively easy can be learned by people and played successfully.

Instead, the continued miniaturization and sustained doubling of processing speed of computers ( Moore's Law ) played the camp of the brute-force advocates of chess in the hands: chess computer for home use nowadays to purchase at nominal costs, and there are a number of chess programs ( open source and freeware programs like Fruit, Amy, Pepito, Crafty and others) that are equal to standard commercial PCs grandmasters. Top programs like Shredder, Junior and Fritz beat even now the world leader in tournament time controls regularly.

It is still unclear whether the computer make the game of chess in the foreseeable future uninteresting because their skill level is constantly increasing. However, it is argued that even if invincible computer programs remain the chess game interesting - after all, people would also be measured nor in the sprint or marathon, although any motorized vehicle is faster. One possibility is to use only as strong hardware in show struggles that the software is with the opponent in roughly equal. While Deep Blue 1997 on specialized hardware already could analyze 200 million positions per second, Deep Fritz was able to analyze 2006 on commodity hardware only about 8 to 10 million positions per second. The speed penalty of the hardware was offset by improved sorting, search and evaluation algorithms of the software.

Strategies against computer

While humans can design longer -term plans, while sometimes overlooked but short-term threats, take advantage of computers every little tactical error. The programmers try their programs teach whatever better strategic " knowledge ". There are, however, particular problems in how an item is to be rated. A chess program tries roughly from any train ( and all of its possible up to a certain depth) and evaluate the resulting positions by means of an evaluation function. Many positions, however, are difficult to evaluate with a number. Often have features such as pawn structure, open lines, etc. for both sides advantages and disadvantages. People who lack the computing power of a computer that can not play every train in the head and look at the resulting positions. Rather, it follows the course of time a feeling ( intuition ) for which train could arise in which position an advantage. These traits are then considered in more detail.

Significantly superior computer are the people in tactical maneuvers that can be completed within their computing depth. It is particularly dangerous while the lady, so that human players often try to move the computer to an exchange of queens. It is in the nature of things that such "tricks" - are taken into account by programmers in subsequent versions of programming - once detected.

Strategically, a person must operate against a computer with long-term maneuvers, their approach to the computer as part of its search depth is not initially visible. Kramnik had against Deep Fritz eg success with a long-term potential walkover of a free peasant who - was Deep Fritz too late recognized as a serious threat - not initially drawn right.

Thus, the computer punished combinatorial strategies and forces a positional game system.

Computer chess game against people

The Levy- bet

1968 bet the Scottish International Master David Levy with several computer scientists at 1,250 pounds, it would not create a computer program within the next ten years to defeat him in a race. In August 1978, it came into Toronto for the match against the then best program Chess 4.7, won the Levy with 3.5:1.5. In 1979 he played against an improved version of this program a game show, which was broadcast on ZDF and ended with a draw. There was a second bet, which ran again for ten years. 1988 Levy was then but against Deep Thought program not stand a chance and lost with 0:4.

AEGON Tournaments

Between 1986 and 1997 took place in The Hague annual tournaments between chess computers and human players instead of which were financed by the insurance company AEGON. In the first years exclusively Dutch amateurs were playing against the computer, later also known as Grandmaster David Bronstein, Jeroen Piket, Vlastimil Hort, John Nunn, Larry Christiansen and Yasser Seirawan were invited to offer the increasingly sophisticated computers can stand up. Although a man won the individual competition in all twelve tournaments, the computer in 1993 won first in the overall standings.

Battle with the world top

Since the 1990s, chess computers were also players in the world elite to serious opponents, but initially only in blitz and rapid chess. On 31 August 1994, there was a sensation when the world champion Garry Kasparov lost in a rapid tournament in London against the current on a Pentium program ChessGenius with 0.5:1.5.

The specially designed chess machine Deep Blue beat Kasparov by IBM in 1997 in a media-savvy contest over six games with a long period of consideration. As this version of Deep Blue, however, has publicly only played a total of six games this is about the achieved skill level not much is known. After the competition Kasparov expressed the suspicion that the victory of the machine in the second competition game has come with the help of human existence. Evidence that would support this claim, were not found.

In 2002 and 2003 kept newer programs draw in show competitions against two of the world's top grandmasters ( Brains in Bahrain 2002 "Deep Fritz" against Vladimir Kramnik, 2003 "Junior" and in turn "Deep Fritz" against Kasparov ).

In 2005, the grandmaster Michael Adams ( number 7 in the world chess rankings in July 2005) a match against the computer Hydra approached. The computing power of the program amounted to about 200 million positions per second. The computer the match with five wins and a draw clearly decided for themselves. In the tournament, the machine of human remains unbeaten. In correspondence chess Hydra had to play correspondence chess Grandmaster Arno Nickel, however, already once two defeats.

Many critics had the end of human superiority after the defeat of Kasparov predicts much earlier, but after the initial shock trained many Grand Master with the help of computers, especially against their success. It is becoming apparent, however, that the man in the long term against the ever -increasing computational power of the computer can not exist.

From 25 November to 5 December 2006, they played Vladimir Kramnik against Deep Fritz 10 in Bonn a contest over six games. Here some beneficial for the people conditions were: Kramnik received advance the program version used in the competition to become familiar with their style of play. During the games he got displayed stored in the opening book of the program features. After 56 moves he had the right to apply for a stalemate, he also could have claim a draw in positions that are evaluated by the endgame database accordingly. This occurred in the competition but not. Deep Fritz won 4-2 (2 wins, 4 draws ).

Competitions between chess computers

There were and are a number of national competitions between chess computers. International meaningful chess computer Championship ( WCCC ) (see chess programs ) and the Micro World Computer Chess Championship ( WMCCC ) (see chess computer). Competitions of chess programs themselves say only conditionally something about the skill level against people. A greater playing strength against another chess program does not mean that this is also better against a human opponent.

Computer chess in the media

Chess playing computers are also motifs again and again in films, for example in 2001: A Space Odyssey. In the series Star Trek first officer noticed ( Spock) of the spaceship a malfunction of the computer, as this chess loses against him and not, as might have been expected, achieved a draw against the Vulcans. In one of the Star Trek movies (Star Trek IV ) an upside by a computer chess problem in the 3D Chess is one of the tasks by means of which the mental skills Spock be checked after the accident.