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Subject: Re: Chess problem – was it solved?

Author: Dann Corbit

Date: 22:56:12 05/03/01

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On May 04, 2001 at 01:46:06, Pham Minh Tri wrote:

>Hi friends,
>
>Some recent posts raise some interesting questions to me: What is chess the
>problem and has it been solved or not? Many people believe that we can not solve
>the chess problem because of exponential cost and can only approximate the
>solutions, which is good enough. However, we have not been given clear and
>unique definitions of the chess problem and of what is a solution. If you give
>me one, the answer would probably be different. I think, with almost all
>definitions, we can be happy to say, the chess problem was solved (or been
>solved in this year). For example:
>
>Some old books (actually, I did not read about their definitions but could infer
>from them) define a chess problem in that with any given positions of chess, we
>would know the results and how to defeat (or draw) the opponent. I am sure those
>problems were solved with some evidence:
>
>1) Opening positions: To me, any good chess programs of people in this club
>could beat me easily all games, even if I play the white or black side. The
>situation is the same with almost all people in the world (as they may be beaten
>by the best chess programs). With some top players like Garry, the DB has beaten
>him since 1997 in an __old__ computer. I think with the best computer nowadays
>(note that I mention any kinds of computer, not only PC), which may be 1000
>times as fast as DB, and a huge additional knowledge of 4 years, they could beat
>any GMs.

Opening positions are all experimental, and they change over time.  When the
openings are solved, then the game will be solved.  Until then it is a heuristic
approxmiation.

>2) Endgames: our software (in general), knew how to solve them all.

Endgames are solved if you have enough tablebase files on your disk and a board
population small enough to measure with it.

>This post is just for fun, to bring you a little more energy and optimism.
>Please do not take too seriously when discussing here :-))
>
>Have a good weekend,
>Pham



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