Author: Christopher R. Dorr
Date: 06:46:22 12/04/01
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Again, this brings us to the issue of 'true' computer strength. I Have the next-to-latest versions of Tiger, Rebel, and Fritz. All of these could likely 'hang' with a 2550-2600 GM. But is it fair to say that is their 'true' strength? I'm only a USCF 2150 or so, but I have been able to draw all of these programs *much* more often that I 'should' be able to against a 2600 player. I've gotten very proficient at playing for a draw against programs. I have blitz draws against Crafty online. When you play for a draw at the outset, these programs do *not* win nearly as often as would an equivalent human GM. They often fall for things like pawn sacs to get to an opposite-color bishop ending, or pawn sacs to reach dead drawn R+P endings, or even pawn sacs to get to drawn K+P endings (he has 2 connected passers, but I have one protected one that he can't move away from). In a thread on this earlier, a couple other expert/NM level players expressed the same thing. I have a very good friend who is a USCF 2100 who was able to draw Fritz 5 almost at will. Over several dozen games with muliple 'GM' programs, I was able to get enough draws to extrapolate a USCF 2400-2450 performance rating at G/15 and G/30 on a Celeron 800. So which is it? Are these programs the 2600s that they look like when they plan Anand, or are they the USCF 2450s that they look like when they play me? One's a strong GM, the other a weak IM. I am certainly *not* saying these programs are weak. But I am saying that they do not conform to the typical performance pattern of a human, hence saying *either* that they are strong GMs or weak IMs is misleading. Eventually, this artifact will disappear as they become capable of playing GMs at the 3000 level, but for now, it really isn't fair to say that Program X is a strong GM any more than it is to say the same program is only a weak IM. Chris On December 03, 2001 at 22:06:25, Dr. Franklin wrote: >This is an extrodinarily Strong Engine!!! I believe it could compete evenly with >any 2600 elo human. A truly remarkable accomplishment by Mr. Schroeder.
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