Chess (Northwestern University): Difference between revisions

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Also in 1977, '''Chess 4.6''' on a [[CDC Cyber|CDC Cyber 176]] won the second World Computer Chess Championship in Toronto, ahead of 15 other programs including [[Kaissa|KAISSA]]; an earlier version finished in second place to KAISSA at the first tournament in 1974. The favorite to win the tournament, like all but one other entry Chess 4.6 ran on a computer located away from the tournament; despite losing 90 minutes to hardware failure at the start of its first match the program rapidly defeated its opponent in 27 moves, earlier than any other first-round match. Chess 4.6 was capable of defeating 99.5% of [[United States Chess Federation]]-rated players under tournament conditions, and was stronger in [[blitz chess]].<ref name="jennings197801">{{cite news | url=http://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1978-01/1978_01_BYTE_03-01_The_Brains_of_Men_and_Machines#page/n107/mode/2up | title=The Second World Computer Chess Championships | work=BYTE | date=January 1978 | accessdate=17 October 2013 | author=Jennings, Peter | pages=108}}</ref>
Also in 1977, '''Chess 4.6''' on a [[CDC Cyber|CDC Cyber 176]] won the second World Computer Chess Championship in Toronto, ahead of 15 other programs including [[Kaissa|KAISSA]]; an earlier version finished in second place to KAISSA at the first tournament in 1974. The favorite to win the tournament, like all but one other entry Chess 4.6 ran on a computer located away from the tournament; despite losing 90 minutes to hardware failure at the start of its first match the program rapidly defeated its opponent in 27 moves, earlier than any other first-round match. Chess 4.6 was capable of defeating 99.5% of [[United States Chess Federation]]-rated players under tournament conditions, and was stronger in [[blitz chess]].<ref name="jennings197801">{{cite news | url=http://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1978-01/1978_01_BYTE_03-01_The_Brains_of_Men_and_Machines#page/n107/mode/2up | title=The Second World Computer Chess Championships | work=BYTE | date=January 1978 | accessdate=17 October 2013 | author=Jennings, Peter | pages=108}}</ref>


In 1978 the improved '''Chess 4.7''' was pitted against [[David Levy (chess player)|David Levy]] who, in 1968 had [[Computer chess bet|wagered that he would not be beaten by a computer within ten years]]. Whereas Chess 4.7 had beaten Levy under blitz conditions, the bet involved forty moves over a two-hour period, the computer's choices being relayed by telephone from Minnesota to the board.<ref>Mather, Ian, ''The great computer chess bet'', [[The Observer]] 20 August 1978</ref> Levy won the bet, defeating the Chess 4.7 in a six-game match by a score of 4.5-1.5.<ref>David Levy, "Man Beats Machine!", ''[[Chess Life & Review]]'', November 1978, pp. 600-03, at pp. 601-03.</ref><ref>David Levy and Monroe Newborn, ''More Chess and Computers: The [[Microcomputer]] Revolution, The Challenge Match'', Computer Science Press, Potomac, Maryland, and Batsford, London, 1980, pp. 10-30. ISBN 0-914894-07-2.</ref> The computer scored a [[draw (chess)|draw]] in game two (after getting a completely winning position but being outplayed by Levy in the [[chess endgame|endgame]]) and a win in game four, when Levy essayed the very sharp, dubious [[Latvian Gambit]].<ref>David Levy, "Man Beats Machine!", ''[[Chess Life & Review]]'', November 1978, pp. 600-03, at pp. 602-03.</ref> Levy wrote, "I had proved that my 1968 assessment had been correct, but on the other hand my opponent in this match was very, very much stronger than I had thought possible when I started the bet."<ref name="Monroe Newborn 1980, p. 30">David Levy and Monroe Newborn, ''More Chess and Computers: The [[Microcomputer]] Revolution, The Challenge Match'', Computer Science Press, Potomac, Maryland, and Batsford, London, 1980, p. 30. ISBN 0-914894-07-2.</ref> He observed that, "Now nothing would surprise me (very much)."<ref>David Levy and Monroe Newborn, ''More Chess and Computers: The [[Microcomputer]] Revolution, The Challenge Match'', Computer Science Press, Potomac, Maryland, and Batsford, London, 1980, Preface. ISBN 0-914894-07-2.</ref>
In 1978 Atkin and Peter W. Frey published in ''[[BYTE]]'' the [[Pascal language|Pascal]] source for ''Chess 0.5'', a chess engine suitable for microcomputers.<ref name="byte197811">{{cite news | url=http://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1978-11/1978_11_BYTE_03-11_The_Sky_is_the_Limit#page/n163/mode/2up | title=Creating a Chess Player Part 2: Chess 0.5 | work=BYTE | date=November 1978 | accessdate=17 October 2013 | author=Frey, Peter W.; Atkin, Larry R. | pages=162}}</ref> That year the improved '''Chess 4.7''' played against [[David Levy (chess player)|David Levy]] who, in 1968 had [[Computer chess bet|wagered that he would not be beaten by a computer within ten years]]. Whereas Chess 4.7 had beaten Levy under blitz conditions, the bet involved forty moves over a two-hour period, the computer's choices being relayed by telephone from Minnesota to the board.<ref>Mather, Ian, ''The great computer chess bet'', [[The Observer]] 20 August 1978</ref> Levy won the bet, defeating the Chess 4.7 in a six-game match by a score of 4.5-1.5,<ref>David Levy, "Man Beats Machine!", ''[[Chess Life & Review]]'', November 1978, pp. 600-03, at pp. 601-03.</ref><ref>David Levy and Monroe Newborn, ''More Chess and Computers: The [[Microcomputer]] Revolution, The Challenge Match'', Computer Science Press, Potomac, Maryland, and Batsford, London, 1980, pp. 10-30. ISBN 0-914894-07-2.</ref> The computer scored a [[draw (chess)|draw]] in game two after getting a completely winning position but being outplayed by Levy in the [[chess endgame|endgame]], and a win in game four—the first computer victory against a human master<ref name="douglas197812">{{cite news | url=http://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1978-12/1978_12_BYTE_03-12_Life#page/n85/mode/2up | title=Chess 4.7 versus David Levy | work=BYTE | date=December 1978 | accessdate=17 October 2013 | author=Douglas, J R | pages=84}}</ref>—when Levy essayed the very sharp, dubious [[Latvian Gambit]].<ref>David Levy, "Man Beats Machine!", ''[[Chess Life & Review]]'', November 1978, pp. 600-03, at pp. 602-03.</ref> Levy wrote, "I had proved that my 1968 assessment had been correct, but on the other hand my opponent in this match was very, very much stronger than I had thought possible when I started the bet."<ref name="Monroe Newborn 1980, p. 30">David Levy and Monroe Newborn, ''More Chess and Computers: The [[Microcomputer]] Revolution, The Challenge Match'', Computer Science Press, Potomac, Maryland, and Batsford, London, 1980, p. 30. ISBN 0-914894-07-2.</ref> He observed that, "Now nothing would surprise me (very much)."<ref>David Levy and Monroe Newborn, ''More Chess and Computers: The [[Microcomputer]] Revolution, The Challenge Match'', Computer Science Press, Potomac, Maryland, and Batsford, London, 1980, Preface. ISBN 0-914894-07-2.</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 05:35, 18 October 2013

Chess was a pioneering chess program from the 1970s, authored by Larry Atkin and David Slate at Northwestern University. Chess ran on Control Data Corporation's line of supercomputers. Work on the program began in 1968.[1] It dominated the first computer chess tournaments, such as the World Computer Chess Championship and ACM's North American Computer Chess Championship. Chess was the first published use of the bitboard data structure applied to the game of chess.

In 1976, Chess 4.5 won the Class B section of the Paul Masson tournament in Northern California. The performance rating was 1950. This was the first time a computer was successful in a human tournament.

In February 1977 Chess 4.5, the only computer entry, surprised observers by winning the Minnesota Open. It achieved an Expert USCF rating, higher than previous programs' Class C or D,[2] by winning five games and losing one. It had a performance rating of 2271. Stenberg (rated 1969) became the second Class A player to lose to a computer in a tournament game, the first being Jola.

Also in 1977, Chess 4.6 on a CDC Cyber 176 won the second World Computer Chess Championship in Toronto, ahead of 15 other programs including KAISSA; an earlier version finished in second place to KAISSA at the first tournament in 1974. The favorite to win the tournament, like all but one other entry Chess 4.6 ran on a computer located away from the tournament; despite losing 90 minutes to hardware failure at the start of its first match the program rapidly defeated its opponent in 27 moves, earlier than any other first-round match. Chess 4.6 was capable of defeating 99.5% of United States Chess Federation-rated players under tournament conditions, and was stronger in blitz chess.[1]

In 1978 Atkin and Peter W. Frey published in BYTE the Pascal source for Chess 0.5, a chess engine suitable for microcomputers.[3] That year the improved Chess 4.7 played against David Levy who, in 1968 had wagered that he would not be beaten by a computer within ten years. Whereas Chess 4.7 had beaten Levy under blitz conditions, the bet involved forty moves over a two-hour period, the computer's choices being relayed by telephone from Minnesota to the board.[4] Levy won the bet, defeating the Chess 4.7 in a six-game match by a score of 4.5-1.5,[5][6] The computer scored a draw in game two after getting a completely winning position but being outplayed by Levy in the endgame, and a win in game four—the first computer victory against a human master[7]—when Levy essayed the very sharp, dubious Latvian Gambit.[8] Levy wrote, "I had proved that my 1968 assessment had been correct, but on the other hand my opponent in this match was very, very much stronger than I had thought possible when I started the bet."[9] He observed that, "Now nothing would surprise me (very much)."[10]

References

  1. ^ a b Jennings, Peter (January 1978). "The Second World Computer Chess Championships". BYTE. p. 108. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  2. ^ Wheland, Norman D. (October 1978). "A Computer Chess Tutorial". BYTE. p. 168. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  3. ^ Frey, Peter W.; Atkin, Larry R. (November 1978). "Creating a Chess Player Part 2: Chess 0.5". BYTE. p. 162. Retrieved 17 October 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Mather, Ian, The great computer chess bet, The Observer 20 August 1978
  5. ^ David Levy, "Man Beats Machine!", Chess Life & Review, November 1978, pp. 600-03, at pp. 601-03.
  6. ^ David Levy and Monroe Newborn, More Chess and Computers: The Microcomputer Revolution, The Challenge Match, Computer Science Press, Potomac, Maryland, and Batsford, London, 1980, pp. 10-30. ISBN 0-914894-07-2.
  7. ^ Douglas, J R (December 1978). "Chess 4.7 versus David Levy". BYTE. p. 84. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  8. ^ David Levy, "Man Beats Machine!", Chess Life & Review, November 1978, pp. 600-03, at pp. 602-03.
  9. ^ David Levy and Monroe Newborn, More Chess and Computers: The Microcomputer Revolution, The Challenge Match, Computer Science Press, Potomac, Maryland, and Batsford, London, 1980, p. 30. ISBN 0-914894-07-2.
  10. ^ David Levy and Monroe Newborn, More Chess and Computers: The Microcomputer Revolution, The Challenge Match, Computer Science Press, Potomac, Maryland, and Batsford, London, 1980, Preface. ISBN 0-914894-07-2.
  • "Computer Chess Compendium", L. Atkin & D. Slate, Springer-Verlag, 1988, pp. 80–103
  • "Chess Skill in Man and Machine" Peter W. Frey, 1977, pp. 82–118 - devotes a chapter to the internals of Chess 4.5
  • Source code for Chess 4.6 available at [1]
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