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Subject: Re: What are the Top 10 Computer Chess Algorithms & Techniques?

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 18:38:27 06/11/00

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On June 11, 2000 at 17:46:32, Ricardo Gibert wrote:

>In the January/February issue of CiSE, there was published a list of 10
>algorithms having "the greatest influence on the development and practice of
>science and engineering in the 20th century" . You can see this here:
>
>http://www.cecm.sfu.ca/personal/jborwein/algorithms.html
>
>Which I found this to be quite interesting, so naturally I wondered what the
>membership of CCC thought were the Top 10 Computer Chess Algorithms & Techniques
>having the greatest influence on the development and practice of Computer Chess.
>I'll get things started with my Top 10 List:
>
>1.  Alpha-Beta search Algotihm
>
>2.  Iterative Deepening
>
>3.  Transposition Tables
>
>4.  Null Move Pruning
>
>5.  Chess Game Databases (Chessbase)
>
>6.  Ken Thompson's Endgame Tablebases
>
>7.  Judea Pearl's Scout Algorithm
>
>8.  Bitboards
>
>9.  Tim Mann's Winboard
>
>10. Robert Hyatt's source listing of Crafty
>
>BTW, I've tried to place items in the list in order of importance. The first
>four were easy, but I would expect a lot of disagreement in the next 6. In fact,
>I disagree with myself here. It's not easy. Deep Blue ought to fit in there
>somewhere. Also, I made a half-hearted attempt to include attribution, so any
>additional information or corrections will be appreciated.
>
>I can't help but notice the absence of commercial programmers from my list, but
>I think this is due to their keeping their methods "secret". History may
>remember their programs, but credit them with few innovations.



I would delete 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10.  I don't think the source for Crafty has been
an "important event".  Gnuchess source has been out far longer, as has the
source for other programs like Sargon, Cray Blitz, chess 4.x, who knows what
else.

I believe one day parallel alpha/beta will have its place in that list.  And
maybe tablebases (in general, not just the Ken Thompson variant) belong in
there.



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