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Subject: Re: chess solved

Author: Jason Williamson

Date: 05:01:18 12/14/00

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On December 14, 2000 at 05:11:53, David Rasmussen wrote:

>On December 13, 2000 at 19:26:20, Robin Smith wrote:
>
>>On December 13, 2000 at 13:33:55, Bruce Moreland wrote:
>>
>>>On December 13, 2000 at 12:50:16, walter irvin wrote:
>>>
>>>>would most people considder chess to be solved if a computer had an oppening
>>>>database that always left the computer +2.50 when it was out of book and not
>>>>ever permitting the blocking of position??? with best play does anyone believe
>>>>that black does not lose ?? also if 100% represents the total number of legal
>>>>positions then what % make up positions that could SAFELY be reached vs strong
>>>>opposition ???(3% perhaps)and if that is the case then should that not be the
>>>>positions to solve???
>>>
>>>There is no guarantee that this would solve chess, but the odds would be high
>>>that there is at least one forced win if white can force a +2.5 computer
>>>evaluation from the root.
>>
>>The likelyhood of chess being a win for white, with perfect play from both
>>sides, is very low.  This is born out by computer-computer games, where the draw
>>percentage increases as search depth/time increases and also by the fact that
>>super GM vs. super GM games have a much higher draw rate than games by lower
>>rated players.  In both cases as playing strength increases the percentage of
>>draws also increases.  Strong evidence that chess is a draw.  Also, in decisive
>>games one almost invariably finds that one of the players either made a mistake
>>or mistakes, or at the very least took unneccesary risks.  And most strong
>>chesspayers believe a perfectly played game should end in a draw.  When Kasparov
>>was once asked why he did not win a particular game he replied "Chess is a draw,
>>no?".
>>
>>So, there will NEVER be any computer opening database, no matter how big, where
>>computers (playing white) think the 1st position out of book is always at least
>>+2.50 for the computer .... unless the computer has a seriously flawed
>>evaluation, in which case it will hardly mean chess is solved.
>>
>>Robin Smith
>
>Many twoplayer zerosum games with perfect information have game trees that are
>dominated by draws close to the winning lines. Connect 4 is a win for white with
>best play, but with slightly less perfect play, it's a draw. There are many more
>draws, than wins. So unless players play perfect, in practice, there is a 55%
>win rate for white, as in chess.
>
>You have to remember that there may, in theory, only be 1 perfectly winning line
>for white, to make chess a win for white. If this is the case, and people
>haven't found this line, you're not going to see this in practical results.
>
>My personal belief is that chess is a win for white.

Don't you see, its a win for black!  White is in Zugzwang on move one!  ;)

JW




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