Author: Christophe Theron
Date: 10:01:09 04/25/00
Go up one level in this thread
On April 25, 2000 at 08:16:11, Jerry Adams wrote:
>
> I'm assuming that since there are only a dozen programs currently rated over
>2400+ that it must be extremely difficult to program a IM/GM level program.
>Does this effort require Above Average ability in programming? If so Why is it
>so difficult? Is it just as difficult to becomne a 2400+ programmer as it is to
>become a Grandmaster? These Questions are asked out of curiosity. I think one
>tends to appreciate these super programms more when you understand the work
>which is behind it.
I don't think it requires to be an extremely good programmer or an overly smart
person to write a 2400+ playing chess program.
The most critical thing to have is: TIME and WILL.
It is currently possible to write a 2400+ program faster than it used to be,
mainly because programming tools are much better now, and chess programming
techniques are now well documented.
But don't expect this process to take less than 4 years or more.
A side effect of this process is that the programmer will certainly improve
dramatically by writting his program and working on it for so long. At least it
is what happened to me.
It is possible to write a chess program that will beat 90% of the chess players
around you in, say, 3 days to 3 months (depending how fast a programmer you are
and the energy you spend on it).
In the next 6 months you'll be able to improve it so much that the new version
will beat the first one almost all the time.
After one year you'll find that it is more and more difficult to improve it. You
can work for a week without improving anything, then when you think you have
improved, extensive testing shows you that the new version is worse.
From that point on, improving becomes an incredibly difficult task, a real
fight. The strength of the program will increase very slowly, sometimes the
curve will even have to go down, then up again.
Normally you'll have to rewrite your program from scratch after 2 or 3 years of
work, because you'll understand that it is possible to do many things in a more
effective way.
Reaching the 2400 level will normally require one to two rewrite, several years
of work, and incidentally a lot of trouble in your personal life (probably).
Because of the time and energy needed, only the craziest and most stubborn
individuals manage to reach 2400 elo and above. Most programmers are satisfied
when they reach a level of 2200 or so, realize what it takes to go higher, and
decide that the sane thing to do is to stop spending all that time on their
chess program, spend more time with their families, and use the skills they have
acquired in the process to do more productive things.
And I think it is easier to write a 2400+ chess program than to become a
gransmaster. However I'm not sure, as I didn't try to become a grandmaster
myself. :)
Christophe
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