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Subject: Re: Chess solved!

Author: Djordje Vidanovic

Date: 08:48:26 03/17/00

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On March 17, 2000 at 10:36:02, Graham Laight wrote:

>On March 17, 2000 at 07:21:12, Frederic Friedel wrote:
>
>>On March 17, 2000 at 06:00:20, Marc Plum wrote:
>>
>>>It is only an assumption that the result of best play
>>>is a draw.  Perhaps if computers do eventually solve the game, it will turn out
>>>to be a forced win for White, or even Black.  I don't believe that this is true,
>>>but it can't be completely discounted.
>
>This is true. I am basing the assumption on the general observation that the
>higher the standard of play, the higher the proportion of draws.
>
>>>
>>
>>Black wins. A friend of Billy Graham worked it out. The initial position is
>>reciprocal zugzwang. Both 1.d4 and 1.b3 put up the greatest resistance and delay
>
>Eh? What???
>
>This sounds like nonsense to me! How did friend of Billy Graham (FOBG) "work it
>out"? Has FOBG put his work into the public domain? When did FOBG carry out this
>"divine" piece of work? Why do GMs who play black continue to lose? Why don't
>they just sit and "work it out" like good old FOBG did? Is FOBG God? Who has
>verified the work of FOBG? Why is the work of FOBG accepted without question? If
>FOBG is God, how was this discovery communicated to the human community? Is FOBG
>> God? Is Kasparov > God? Is Kasparov just toying with us when he plays black
>and fails to win? Is the whole of chess a great psychological ploy to keep us
>all from real mischief? What about the team of mathematicians who worked out a
>way to see 30-40 moves ahead using formulae about 3 years ago - wouldn't they
>have discovered this forced win? Isn't 34 moves almost within range a DB, if
>left for a year or so? Would FOBG go to any lengths for some publicity?
>
>All these questions must be answered...
>
>-g
>
>>the forced mate for 34 moves. Interestingly 1.d4 d5?? actually loses for Black
>>(1.d4 d6? is a draw).


Mum's the word:  actually Frederic met FOBG while he was in the States last
month.  FOBG had been working on the problem for more than two decades (one of
his nephews is as a matter a fact on the team of mathematicians you mentioned)
and is about to have his findings published in one of the forthcoming issues of
*Science* titled _Finality of Chess_.  Pretty depressing, don't you think?

P.S.  Frederic was pulling your leg a wee bit.  Black loses in 54 moves, not 34.
 Ts, ts. Naughty, naughty.


***  Djordje



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