Computer Chess Compendium


Book Description

For many years I have been interested in computer chess and have collected almost every learned paper and article on the subject that I could find. My files are now quite large, and a considerable amount of time, effort and expense has been required to build up this collection. I have often thought how difficult it must be for many computer chess enthusiasts to acquire copies of articles that they see referenced in some other work. Unless one has access to a good reference library, the task is almost impossible. I therefore decided to try to make available, in one volume, as many as possible of the most interesting and important articles and papers ever written on the subject. Such a selection is naturally somewhat subjective, and I hope that I will not offend authors whose works have been excluded. In particular I have decided to exclude any material which has appeared in the Journal of the International Computer Chess Association (ICCA), or in its precursor, the ICCA Newsletter. The reason is simply that the ICCA itself is in the process of compiling a compendium containing the most important material published in those sources. For further information on ICCA membership and publications the reader is invited to contact: Professor H. 1. van den Herik, or Dr Jonathan Schaeffer University of Limburg, Computing Science Dcpaitment, Department of Computer Science University of Alberta, 6200 MD Maastricht Edmonton Netherlands Alberta, Canada T6G 2HI.




Chess and Computers


Book Description




How Computers Play Chess


Book Description

It now appears possible - even likely - that within a few decades and within certain specialized domains, the computer will be more intelligent than we ourselves. What was unimaginable a few years ago is happening today with alarming rapidity. A small piece of silicon, no larger than a thumbnail, can exhibit more "intelligence" than the best human brains. This book attempts to satisfy two different goals. It presents a comprehensive history of computer chess along with many rare examples of the play of early programs. These examples contain both amazing strokes of brilliance and inexplicable catastrophes; they will give the reader a dear perspective of the pioneer days of computer chess. In contrast, contemporary programs are capable of defeating International Grandmasters; the text contains several recent examples including a remarkable victory over former World Champion Anatoly Karpov. The remainder of the book is devoted to an explanation of how the various parts of a chess program are designed and how they function. Readers who have no knowledge of computers will gain insight into how they "think." Readers who own a personal computer and who want to write their own chess programs will find sufficient information in this book to enable them to make a good start.




Behind Deep Blue


Book Description

The riveting quest to construct the machine that would take on the world’s greatest human chess player—told by the man who built it On May 11, 1997, millions worldwide heard news of a stunning victory, as a machine defeated the defending world chess champion, Garry Kasparov. Behind Deep Blue tells the inside story of the quest to create the mother of all chess machines and what happened at the two historic Deep Blue vs. Kasparov matches. Feng-hsiung Hsu, the system architect of Deep Blue, reveals how a modest student project started at Carnegie Mellon in 1985 led to the production of a multimillion-dollar supercomputer. Hsu discusses the setbacks, tensions, and rivalries in the race to develop the ultimate chess machine, and the wild controversies that culminated in the final triumph over the world's greatest human player. With a new foreword by Jon Kleinberg and a new preface from the author, Behind Deep Blue offers a remarkable look at one of the most famous advances in artificial intelligence, and the brilliant toolmaker who invented it.




Computer Chess Compendium


Book Description

The increase in strength of chess computers over the last ten years has resulted in many books and articles on programming methods and new approaches to analyzing positions. In this book, important articles have been collected in one volume together with the best games by chess computers, including the first five World Microcomputer Championships. Every article has been transliterated into algebraic notation and the book is aimed at chess players and computer enthusiasts, particularly those with an interest in artifical intelligence.




Chess Skill in Man and Machine


Book Description

Ten years of intensive effort on computer chess have produced notable progress. Although the background information and technical details that were written in 1975 for the first edition of this book are still valid in most essential points, hardware and software refinements have had a major impact on the effectiveness of these ideas. The current crop of chess machines are performing at unexpectedly high levels. The approach epitomized by the series of programs developed by David Slate and Larry Atkin at Northwestern in the middle 1970s (i. e. , a sophisticated search algorithm using very little chess knowledge) was expected to reach an asymptbtic level of performance no higher than that of a class A player (USCF rating between 1800 and 2000). This perspective was argued quite vigorously by Eliot Hearst in Chapter 8 of the first edition and was held at that time by many chess experts. Subsequent events have clearly demonstrated that the asymptotic performance level for this type of pro gram it at least as high as the master level (USCF rating between 2200 and 2400). Current discussions now focus upon whether the earlier reser vations were wrong in principle or simply underestimated the asymptote. If there is a real barrier which will prevent this type of program from attaining a world championship level of performance, it is not evident from the steady progress which has been observed during the last decade.




Computers, Chess, and Cognition


Book Description

Computers, Chess, and Cognition presents an excellent up-to-date description of developments in computer chess, a rapidly advancing area in artificial intelligence research. This book is intended for an upper undergraduate and above level audience in the computer science (artificial intelligence) community. The chapters have been edited to present a uniform terminology and balanced writing style, to make the material understandable to a wider, less specialized audience. The book's primary strengths are the description of the workings of some major chess programs, an excellent review of tree searching methods, discussion of exciting new research ideas, a philosophical discussion of the relationship of computer game playing to artificial intelligence, and the treatment of computer Go as an important new research area. A complete index and extensive bibliography makes the book a valuable reference work. The book includes a special foreword by Ken Thompson, author of the UNIX operating system.




Scalable Search in Computer Chess


Book Description

Das Buch präsentiert neue Ergebnisse der Computerschach-Forschung in den Bereichen der selektiven Vorwärts-Baumbeschneidung, der effizienten Anwendung spieltheoretischen Wissens und des Suchverhaltens bei zunehmender Suchtiefe. Es zeigt, wie man die bereits gut abgestimmte Spielbaumsuche bei immer höheren Suchtiefen noch besser skalierbar macht.




The Complete Manual of Positional Chess


Book Description

Russia boasts a long and rich tradition in chess education and Russian chess teachers and trainers are simply the best in the world. The Complete Manual of Positional Chess is the latest and most comprehensive product of this Russia striving for perfection. This handbook, probably the most thorough grounding in the history of teaching chess, was recently created for chess teachers at the DYSS, the special sports school for young talents in Russia. Konstantin Sakaev and Konstantin Landa present a complete set of instructions and tips for trainers and self-improvers. It teaches you not only how to enhance your fundamental knowledge and technical skills, but also how to work on your physical and psychological conditioning. If you complete this course you will be able to assess virtually any position you are confronted with. With its all-encompassing approach this ground-breaking book allows everyone to reap the fruits of the long tradition of instructive excellence in Russia.




Competition


Book Description

Examines the common game-theoretical strands that tie seemingly unrelated fields of competitive activities together in a study that makes sense of a new paradigm of scientific thinking that the author refers to as the emerging science of competition.