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Subject: Re: There IS Hope For The Computers!

Author: stuart taylor

Date: 02:00:24 01/09/00

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On January 08, 2000 at 22:43:01, Robert Hyatt wrote:

>On January 08, 2000 at 20:10:06, stuart taylor wrote:
>
>>On January 08, 2000 at 16:57:04, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>
>>>On January 08, 2000 at 12:02:19, Graham Laight wrote:
>>>
>>>>On January 08, 2000 at 09:56:37, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Computers do _some_ tactics great.  But I have seen GM players take them to the
>>>>>woodshed on tactics as well, as at times, the computer simply doesn't/can't go
>>>>>deep enough to see the _real_ answer, and the 'phantom answer' it sees can be
>>>>>wrong.
>>>>>
>>>>>But the problem is that the positional holes are significant enough that it is
>>>>>possible to exploit them without much risk, because many programs don't struggle
>>>>>to keep the game position in a state that favors the computer.  While the GMs
>>>>>can definitely steer the game into positions that do not favor the machine, if
>>>>>it passively allows this to happen.
>>>>>
>>>>>Again, this comes from watching on ICC.  If you'd like to see how bad your
>>>>>favorite program can play there, try this:  log on, and accept _every_ match
>>>>>request from humans rated (say) 2500 and up.  Even if they want to play 50 games
>>>>>in a row.  And watch what happens after a while when they find a weakness they
>>>>>can pick on repeatedly.  The weakness can be anything, from a feature that is
>>>>>not evaluated, to a book hole.  And the humans _talk_.  So when one finds a
>>>>>weakness, you can expect it to be hit on by several players...
>>>>>
>>>>>And you are correct that 2700 players will occasionally make a mistake that
>>>>>a computer wouldn't...  but on balance, the computer has a lot more holes in
>>>>>its armor than that 2700 player.  And when you move the time control up to
>>>>>40/2hrs, the tactical errors by the GMs go way down, while the positional
>>>>>errors by the computer are unchanged...
>>>>
>>>>This is good, convincing argument, but the computers are probably getting close
>>>>to being able to fight back.
>>>>
>>>>Firstly, look at DB v GK. Granted, GK didn't have enough time to discover all
>>>>the weaknesses, and the program was probably changed between games, but look at
>>>>the way the program survived in positions when all the GMs would have bet their
>>>>houses on it being beaten!
>>>>
>>>>And secondly, ongoing improvements in search selection and evaluation (+ faster
>>>>computers with more processors) will, in some marginal positions, result in
>>>>computers choosing a move from which it can survive, rather than one from which
>>>>it must die. How soon this happens depends on how close to being GMs the
>>>>computers are (if they're not already).
>>>>
>>>>-g
>>>
>>>
>>>I would never argue with any of the above.  Faster hardware helps.  It doesn't
>>>make a program invincible, but it _always_ helps.  The question is, when will
>>>the hardware be fast enough to break the 2500 barrier?  And then the 2600
>>>barrier?  It will happen.  But maybe not real soon...
>>
>>
>>I would like to know what Robert Hyatt means by 2500 barrier. Surely the
>>results of top software is already well over that stage? Maybe the
>>knowledge level isn't. But there are other strengths which assure that
>>computers of today are always well over 2500 if not 2600.
>>Thank you!
>>S.Taylor
>
>
>What evidence are you talking about?  The Rebel challenge match has Rebel well
>under 2500 at present.. 2466 or so last time I saw Enrique's numbers.  2466 is
>not "well over 2500" in my math book.  :)


Obviously I'm speaking about ssdf and selective search types of rating.
I didn't realize they were THAT far behind other correct testings. And on
the likes of k6-2 450mhz.           S.Taylor



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