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Subject: Re: But Not Yet As Good As Deep Blue '97

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 17:07:55 07/19/00

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On July 19, 2000 at 16:38:18, Ed Schröder wrote:

>On July 19, 2000 at 14:12:14, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On July 19, 2000 at 12:53:59, Ed Schröder wrote:
>>
>>>On July 19, 2000 at 12:04:25, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>
>>>>On July 19, 2000 at 00:51:49, Ed Schröder wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On July 18, 2000 at 21:58:45, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On July 18, 2000 at 16:49:19, Peter Kappler wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On July 18, 2000 at 16:03:28, Ed Schröder wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>On July 18, 2000 at 14:08:54, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>On July 18, 2000 at 11:38:01, Ed Schröder wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>On July 18, 2000 at 10:58:51, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>On July 18, 2000 at 02:00:31, Ed Schröder wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>On July 17, 2000 at 20:08:06, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>On July 17, 2000 at 17:02:22, Peter Kappler wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>On July 17, 2000 at 16:09:09, Amir Ban wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>On July 17, 2000 at 07:22:41, Graham Laight wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I'm afraid I still feel that Junior could have come out ahead (instead of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>level)in this tournament by beating Bareev and Khalifman - and possibly by not
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>losing with such apparent ease to Kramnik. Continuing the game against Anand
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>might possibly have gained an extra half point as well.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I think that Amir has an aspiration to make his program demonstably better than
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Deep Blue (this certainly comes across in his interviews published on the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Chessbase Website coverage of Dortmund (www.chessbase.com) before the Kramnik
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>game). If so, as a (hopefully!) impartial member of the viewing public, I'm
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>afraid to say that I've yet to be convinced.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>As evidence, I point firstly to the games against Bareev and Khalifman. On both
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>occasions when Deep Blue '97 gained an advantage over Gary Kasparov (who's a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>better player than anyone at Dortmund was), it parlayed that advantage into
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>victory - whilst Deep Junior twice failed conspicuously to "slam in the lamb".
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I would also point to the game against Khalifman. Here we see Deep Junior lose
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>to a combination of blocked centre and king attack - classic anti computer
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>methods which have both been well known for a long time. They work because, in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>this case, nothing short of truly massive search depth is going to help you to
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>make the correct moves.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>However, for both king attack and blocked centre, Deep Blue '97 demonstrated
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>that it's evaluation knowledge was able to adequately handle the challenge.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Indeed, in game 2 in '97, Deep Blue not only handled the blocked centre, it
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>turned it into a win!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>It took Deep Blue 2 attempts to beat Gary Kasparov, the world's best player -
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>maybe another year of work will push Deep Junior to a position where it can try
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>to win these tournaments, instead of settling for a middling position.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>But let's not be completely churlish - Dortmund 2000 was indeed a fantastic
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>performance by Deep Junior - and a landmark in computer chess history, since
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>here is both a computer and a program which one can buy in the shops!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I disagree with most of this, but it's your opinion, and if experience teaches
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>us anything, it's useless to argue.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>For the record, I'm not trying to prove that I'm better than Deep Blue. I think
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I've already shown this some time ago, and I'm not the only one who can say so
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>either.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Looking at the (very few) games of DB, I don't see that it had either better
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>evaluation or deeper search than today's top programs.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Amir
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I must say I'm skeptical, though I would have a good laugh if it were true.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Are you aware of any positions from the 2nd Kasparov-DB match where Junior (or
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>any other micro) plays a clearly better move than DB?  Not that this would
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>conclusively prove a thing - it would just be interesting.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>--Peter
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>Or we can take a few of the positions from the DB log files and try them on
>>>>>>>>>>>>>"top programs".  I'm not aware of any "top program" that can do 16-18 plies
>>>>>>>>>>>>>in the middlegame...
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>Please post these positions that would be fun and you might be surprised
>>>>>>>>>>>>about the outcome. But the key-moves must be clear as there should be no
>>>>>>>>>>>>discussion what is the best move. I for example don't believe the Rc6 vs
>>>>>>>>>>>>Rc7 is a good position as this is a case of 0.10 (or so) in evaluation.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>Ed
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>I am not talking about "key move" at all.  I am talking about doing a full-width
>>>>>>>>>>>exhaustive search to depth 16-18 in the middlegame, in the same positions where
>>>>>>>>>>>DB did 16-18 ply full-width searches.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>I don't believe _anybody_ can match their depth/speed.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>All fine but where are the promised positions from the log-files...
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Ed
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>I didn't "promise" any positions:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Yes you are right after I read again. I thought you had some challenging
>>>>>>>>positions for us poor micro users to compare. What a pity.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Ed
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I would suggest that we take a close look at some of the positions from game 1
>>>>>>>of the '97 match.  It's the only game that DB lost.  Could the micros have
>>>>>>>avoided some of those mistakes at tournament time controls?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>BTW, I don't think it's interesting to compare search depths with the IBM
>>>>>>>logfiles, as Bob has suggested.  I think Amir's original point was that Junior
>>>>>>>searches as deeply as DB in the lines where it matters.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>--Peter
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I would claim that point is nonsense.  You only have to read their papers on
>>>>>>DT and DB to see what their search was doing, extension-wise.  It was quite
>>>>>>sophisticated, as it proved over and over against micro programs in ACM events.
>>>>>
>>>>>I would claim that point is nonsense. Chess is about playing the right
>>>>>moves. We have seen machines with >200 processors losing all the time
>>>>>from the micros. If memory serves me well no multi-processor system was
>>>>>able to win the world champion title since 1992, Deep Thought included.
>>>>
>>>>And?  Let's try the following dates:
>>>>
>>>>1983, 1986 (both cray machines)
>>>>
>>>>1989, special purpose machine
>>>>
>>>>1992, no "big iron" present (cray blitz, deep thought).
>>>>
>>>>1995 DT lost one game.
>>>>
>>>>So your statement, while true, is not exactly revealing of what went on.  My
>>>>program is not doing badly today.  It is (except for wild null move R) very
>>>>similar to Cray Blitz of 1995 in terms of search extensions and knowledge
>>>>(except I am not yet using singular extensions as I did in 1995 CB).  I don't
>>>>think the micros were as far ahead of the 'big iron' as you want to believe.
>>>>You think it was all hardware.  It wasn't.  And I agree that it still isn't
>>>>today.  But a better program, on faster hardware, will beat a good program on
>>>>slow hardware most (but not all) of the time.
>>>
>>>We have been going through this issue how many times? :)
>>>
>>>Fact is this is the year 2000 five years after Hong Kong where everybody
>>>included me expected DT to become the new world champion due to its huge
>>>hardware advantage. It did not happen.
>>>
>>>I don't see any reason why this could not happen again.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>I don't either. But take the following scenario:  Someone walks up to you and
>>says that all the programs in the world are going to gather, including the 97
>>version of deep blue, and they are going to play a round-robin chess tournament.
>>You have to pick one program to win the event.  If you are wrong, you lose your
>>head.  You _must_ bet on one program to win, you have no other choice.
>>
>>Who do _you_ bet on?  To me it is a no-brainer...
>>
>>I wouldn't be happy having to bet on DB, but I can't think of anyone that would
>>have a better chance to win, even though we _know_ that "crap happens" and any
>>program can lose a game under the right circumstances.
>>
>>But what about probability?  I think it would be open and shut to pick the
>>program with the best chance, with no thought at all required.
>>
>>And yes, there would be a significant chance that you will lose your head.  But
>>if you pick anybody _but_ DB, the probability goes up dramatically that you will
>>one day star in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow".  :)
>
>I have a more realistic scenario. Micro's have made tremendous progress
>the last years. Imagine that all the programs which participarted last
>year in Paderborn would meet again including DB. Micro's will enter with
>more multi-processor systems than last year. In that extremely strong
>field it's not unlikely DB will lose one or two games + a couple of draws.
>Okay, worst scenario but quite well possible. If this happens your end up
>on place 5-7 or so. Like last year in Paderborn not always the strongest
>hardware wins. A simple Pentium 550 ended number 1 despite of the many
>multi-processors around. Faster hardware makes you a big favorite but that
>doesn't mean you will win as Hong Kong has proven so convincingly.
>
>Ed
>
>

I agree.  But you didn't answer my question.  With your head hanging in
the balance, _who_ would you pick to win such a tournament?

:)






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