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Subject: Re: Could a combination of programs have a better chance vs Kramnik ?

Author: Ed Schröder

Date: 22:32:24 03/21/01

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On March 21, 2001 at 11:50:55, Vincent Diepeveen wrote:


Although I am not in agreement with every statement you made this is
a cool posting Vincent!

Ed




>On March 21, 2001 at 09:53:07, Jorge Pichard wrote:
>
>Well first of all, today programs all search way deeper as deep blue,
>so i don't see the deep blue issue, but regarding the subject
>question:
>
>the problem is picking the move from a combination of programs.
>If we call the picking the move person or entity or program a 'hirn'
>(from 3-hirn, which means translated from german to US 'brain') then
>the hirn is the weakest link.
>
>Suppose the hirn is 2200 rated in selecting moves, not to confuse with the
>hirns own rating.
>
>Supposing that the programs play 2600 fide rated, then obviously there
>is a major problem as 2200 < 2600. So the level will be UNDER the level
>of the programs.
>
>In general most hirns will give weaker play, especially if you replace the
>hirn by a simple program with a few rules.
>
>Suppose we have 2 programs from equal strength, but different
>programs.
>
>And suppose the rule inside the hirn is next:
>
> 'play the move of the program with the highest score'
>
>MOST LIKELY THAT WILL PLAY NOT BETTER!
>
>>Since Deep Blue had a tremendous calculating power, I was wondering if a
>>combination of the best current programs available such as: Deep Fritz, Deep
>>Shredder, Deep Junior and Gambit Tiger II with all the Deeps using a minimum of
>>a PIII 2X 1,0 GHz and and G-Tiger II using a minimum of a P III 1,2 GHz could
>>have a better chance to beat Kramnik than using a single program. Of course
>
>Now let's pick things from a different spot: "can we beat anyhow kramnik".
>
>Whatever combination you're not going to beat kramnik anyway, unless
>he's playing the match in the same kind of suicide-chess way as kasparov
>did against Deep Blue. Without commenting too loud on Deep Blue, as we
>must compare with 1997 programs and not with the high level standard
>of today, it's obvious that the big guilty person in this match was
>Kasparov. He CAN be blamed for losing the match by pathetic moves.
>
>But what is best way to show based upon what happened so far in
>computer-human why kramnik would be an ideal player to face computers?
>
>Best is probably to look at the 2 matches from 1997 and 2001, where
>kasparov played deep blue and where v/d wiel played rebel. The only
>slow level matches from the last 5 years actually...
>
>If kasparov would have shown the same kind of games like v/d wiel recently
>showed against rebel, then things would have been different.
>
>v/d wiel had 3 disadvantages against the computer which kasparov nor kramnik
>never will have and never had:
>  a) v/d wiel was badly out of shape the weeks before the match he
>     had lost from dozens of 2200 players. his rating also dropped
>     a lot.
>  b) the tactical weakness. When kasparov has a big dip he'll lose perhaps
>     from Van Wely (2700) a game, but not based upon tactics.
>     However if v/d Wiel is badly out of shape tactically spoken,
>     then he blunders away piece after piece. Of course not the first 20
>     moves. The big suffering for the human player always happens after
>     some time has passed, like 3.5 hours and more...
>  c) v/d wiel actually will have problems playing his default openings
>     against the computer. His default opening is caro-kann with black.
>     Now i'm also a caro-kann player and i can assure everyone that with
>     caro-kann i lose in blitz nearly everything against the computer.
>     On the other hand with French, which i never play in my life, i have
>     a very good score against the computer with black. Even in blitz i
>     sometimes manage to win it, which is quite incredible as i am not aware
>     of any standard tricks in french. Kasparov on the other hand has
>     a splendig openings repertoire to play against the computer. I mean
>     najdorf is completely deadly for the computer. It will be lost bigtime
>     long before it realizes it and it most likely won't sacrafice material
>     for complicated positions which is nearly always needed to win
>     najdorf in an objective way for white. If white never sacrafices in
>     a najdorf game, then usually  black is either a complete beginner or
>     black was the one who sacraficed himself to mate white...
>
>There are just a few factors to consider where v/d wiel has the edge over
>kasparov, but in no means this is a big plus for v/d wiel
>  a) not paranoia/crazy. v/d wiel is in no way crazy or paranoia, whereas
>     kasparov definitely is. His stupid accusations against the Deep Blue
>     team are already enough proof of this. Later he didn't even correct
>     this. As a world champ it is NOT very polite to accuse the opponent
>     from something just to DISTRACT the audience from what a bad games he
>     showed. The games are really around 2400 level at most, from tactical
>     viewpoint. From strategical viewpoint kasparov played like 1900 at most.
>     Now 99.99% of the world population for sure doesn't have 1900 so won't
>     notice that...
>  b) kasparov won the first game. Actually kasparov after the match said:
>     "i shouldn't have won the first game that easy". This is very true,
>     when talking about the PERSON kasparov.
>     Deep Blue does about everything wrong with pawn structure what one
>     can do wrong, even 1997 programs understood that with perhaps exception
>     of the blunder g7-g5 which most progs still play. In fact by playing
>     so deadly passive (just 3 rows) any 2600 player would have completely
>     humiliated kasparov if the 2600 player would have had black. If deep
>     blue would have been a box with a 2600 GM inside who doesn't fear
>     tactics, then kasparov would have lost that first game for sure.
>     Speculations are always dubious to do, but very sure kasparov offered
>     deep blue the first point for free. Perhaps in an attempt to attract
>     more spectators?
>     So kasparov simply played a bit suicidal in order to get more audience
>     seemingly. Resigning in a drawn position is only confirming this. In
>     real matches you play till the last pawn. So then you play qe3 and
>     you either find Re8 then and draw the game, or you don't find Re8
>     and you lose the game. Kasparov already resigned long before that
>     stage... ...definitely v/d wiel is not so stupid. He is a lot smarter
>     as kasparov. Basically because of his low rating (low for GM):
>      list april     2000: Wiel J.T.H.    v/d    M 2551  17*
>      list september 2000: Wiel J.T.H.    v/d    M 2483  47*
>     Someone from 2483 (dropped 70 points within 47 games)
>     risks of course to not get invited anymore if he loses by a big margin.
>     Kasparov doesn't care. He has 28xx anyway so he cares shit in
>     this respect.
>  c) Now playing 3 rows hoping your opponent to rape its own pawn
>     structure is a very well known way to attack a computer, most likely
>     kasparov didn't know this as he didn't try any other trick which was
>     shown in Aegon tournaments, but in aegon tournament it was very common
>     for white players to open with a near to 3 row system: d4 c3 e3 and then
>     wait till computer kills itself and then strike. V/d Wiel clearly
>     based his games against Rebel upon experience from the Aegon tournaments,
>     whereas Kasparov obviously played without caring what to play against
>     the computer. Even worse, kasparov played only systems from Karpov
>     versus it.
>  d) All those systems share that they just shuffle with pieces. Now even
>     Seirawan in ICCA journal june 1997 says several times: "perhaps kasparov
>     is not used to this kind of play and therefore plays this horrible
>     strategic mistake". Tactical blunders are of course usually decisive in
>     games. Above 2400 we talk usually about a level where those horrible
>     moves don't get played. A few bad moves usually don't hurt a game too
>     much, but a move that's taking the wrong strategical decision is
>     completely going to lose games for you!
>     V/d Wiel didn't make any obvious strategical mistake against Rebel in
>     the first few games.
>     Kasparov made plenty against Deep Blue. Kasparov made actually only
>     1 game several tactical mistakes and that was in game 6.
>  e) Kasparov technique is kind of bad when looking at his 28xx rating.
>     Most 2500+ gm's are technical better in endgames as Kasparov. Without
>     claiming a world title yet myself, i'm pretty sure that if i would make
>     after  many hours of play a bit less tactical blunders (sometimes i
>     make one), then i would probably be a big problem for kasparov in
>     technical endgames. Now v/d Wiel has dropped in rating, but i'm pretty
>     sure he's technical better as kasparov. However, also v/d Wiel suffers
>     from the same tactical blackouts as i do.
>     Playing for many hours without blundering away material is something
>     which not too many people on this planet can do. for > 2200 players
>     they CAN play a game without blunders. Above 2600 sure tactics is
>     not the problem. Actually one of the greatest tacticians in the world
>     is a female! She's called Judith Polgar!
>
>In short we have a few DISADVANTAGES of v/d Wiel which Kasparov doesn't
>have nor Kramnik has. We have a few ADVANTAGES of v/d Wiel which kasparov
>doesn't have, most of them psychological.
>
>If i find kasparov so bad to face a computer, what made kasparov for
>so long the #1 of the world and what are still his strong points that
>let his rating raise and raise?
>
>Ok this is easy:
>  a) if you come to the board to kasparov, you feel the eyes of kasparov
>     in your body as if you play against someone who thinks you are a
>     complete beginner. Fearing complete humiliation you sit down and
>     already lose
>     the game psychological against kasparov. Kasparov even very intimidating
>     always puts down the his wristwatch besides the board, to measure what
>     time it takes to humiliate you.
>  b) openings preparation. the first 15 moves or so Kasparov plays very quick.
>     Now and then he takes half a minute to remember an openings line. Very
>     soon after you leave your home preparation you discover after some
>     investment in time that you have a lost position here. Actually you
>     are the second one to discover that, as kasparov during all that
>     time investment already obviously knew you were lost as he was smiling
>     like a happy collie-dog.
>  c) killerinstinct. At the moment you feared that a certain move would
>     cause you much troubles, either objective or subjective, then kasparov
>     already plays that move. Sometimes within a second... ...everyone remembers
>     kasparov quick knock-out of karpov in the famous live television broadcast.
>     This is how kasparov always strikes. quick, mercilous and like a fanatic.
>  d) no perpetuals. As soon as kasparov thinks he has a won position he
>     puts back on his watch to his wrist. Now that's a clear sign for beginners
>     of around 2600 who play him to resign AT THAT MOMENT.
>
>None of the above advantages were used against deep blue!
>
>Even if kramnik doesn't show his openings preparation he'll kick the hell
>out of the computer as
>  a) Kramnik is technical number 1 of the world, great chess heroes like
>     Capablanca were best in their days but would get beaten
>     simultaneously blindfolded in endgames when facing Kramnik.
>  b) Kramnik is by a large margin the best ever in positional shuffling,
>     even complete useless demonstration games he wins by a few shuffle
>     moves. Very well i remember a 1 hour a game exhibition on german
>     broadcast versus Judith Polgar. 1.Nf3 a few shuffle moves and it was
>     'game over'.
>  c) Kramnik is strategical best in world by a large margin
>  d) Kramnik is very good in tactics. Note that many 'shufflers' are
>     tactical not bad at all. This applies to Karpov too.
>
>So in short at 40 in 2 level Kramnik is the ultimate nightmare against
>computers.
>
>At blitz i don't know whether the advantages of kramnik are going to
>work for him. In blitz general shuffling works against you. Especially
>the tactical details of shuffling need to get calculated very accurate
>as without detailed tactical planning having little space means you
>get beaten quickly by a few combinations! Even if you see the combinations
>nothing is going to stop you from losing then!
>
>But we already know that humans play worse in blitz as they play at 40 in 2,
>so it would be cool to see a 40 in 2 match, but a 40 in 2 match
>against kramnik objectively seen is completely suicide for the computer,
>*whatever* computer now or in the future, with exception of course of a
>10^40 database.
>
>The only one that can beat kramnik in a match against a computer is
>the same person as who beated kasparov. And that was the person himself.
>Only kramnik can beat kramnik.
>
>If he thinks he is just playing a few suicide-chess games for money,
>without realizing he needs to play a few GOOD games, then he might lose
>if he blunders away pieces.
>
>My own expectation would be that kramnik plays on safe. He's going to win
>the match. After he has nearly won the match or has enough points to win
>the match he might not want to humiliate his opponent to much (that's like
>humiliating a big sponsor, basically also a factor where kasparov
>had to deal with) otherwise he'll lose the pretty income for next year
>perhaps...
>
>>there would have to be a human monitoring the most selected move to be the
>>chosen move against Kramnik. By the end of the GTiger II vs Web, we should have
>>a good idea on much advantage if there is any of using several programs versus
>>using a single program. Please take a look at this interesting position
>>where the Web with black pieces take the initiative of the attack.
>
>The average rating on the world is 1500, so a web game versus a program
>is going to play 1500 rated moves theoretically spoken. Especially
>if you play based upon 'voting'.
>
>That's in no way a compare for
>kramnik versus a program. The > 1500 player always wins of course
>a web game, in this case tiger.
>
>The only exception being here that if a real strong player gives
>advice on which move to play, then the level of the game gets near to
>the level of the strong player. Of course many <1500 players still will
>vote for a bad move. So sometimes a horrible moves is getting made despite
>perhaps superb advice, see kasparov versus world when a strong playing girl
>was simply not allowed to post here advice on the website, which at the same
>day caused the 'world' to play a completely idiotic blunder. Not even
>close to common sense even of an average national player...
>
>>http://www.rebel.nl/gt2-web.htm



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