Computer Chess Club Archives


Search

Terms

Messages

Subject: Re: Gravy for the brain that supports a 2500+ elo standard for computer GM's

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 05:34:07 06/21/01

Go up one level in this thread


On June 20, 2001 at 17:01:50, Tapio Huuhka wrote:

>On June 19, 2001 at 22:06:22, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On June 19, 2001 at 12:15:52, Tapio Huuhka wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>Now that we are talking FIDE rules, I wonder why it's still conveniently
>>>forgotten that opening libraries and endgame tablebases do not agree with FIDE
>>>rules (conduct of players). Human players are prohibited from using books during
>>>play.
>>
>>
>>This argument is flawed _and_ pointless.  It is flawed because as a human, I
>>memorize openings by reading them, studying them, and playing them.  I know
>>players that can read a game one time, and play it back move for move 5 years
>>later.  "Kolty" (for those that had the pleasure of meeting him) could do this
>>in a heartbeat, and for anyone that saw his impossible knight's tour demos
>>naming each square as directed by the audience and then using those 64 names
>>to do the tour, was amazing.
>>
>>He obviously had a great memory.
>>
>
>Interesting, but Koltanowski is a good example of what people in general are
>_not_. People really have what we could call a "poor" memory.

I disagree when it comes to chess masters and beyond.  I have seen these
people play over a game they played 5 or 10 years previously, move by move,
going over side-variations, resetting the board to the correct position to
move on, etc...

I used to know every king's gambit line in mco10, including the footnotes and
even updates found in Chess Life and so forth.  Once I memorize a book line,
and then use it in a game, am I cheating?  If so, why?  If not, why does the
computer cheat when it reads the game one time and converts it into something
_it_ can remember?



>
>>So does a computer.  The computer does not use a "book".  It uses something
>>stored "internal" to the machine, just like a human.
>>
>We could argue where to draw the border of the system. FIDE does not include
>books or notes for humans. You seem to include external and internal (below)
>data for programs, so that the player is the computer with a program, not the
>program itself. Seems reasonable to me, but when we compare computers with
>humans, it might be more reasonable to compare either:
>
>1. computers with computer assisted humans (or humans with books) or
>2. computers without opening libraries and endgame tablebases with humans




I don't see how that is a valid comparison.  Humans memorize book lines.
Suppose the book is made a _part_ of the program, as constants that are conpiled
into the executable.  What then?



>
>That might give us a better perspective to both human and computer strengths and
>weaknesses.

So a computer with _zero_ opening theory memory vs a human that knows thousands
of opening lines and traps?  How does that give us a better perspective on
anything.  What about playing the games inside a sawmill?  Both players "should"
be bothered equally...





>
>>The argument is pointless because when you look at a chess program, that is
>>nothing but "written computer instructions", the computer "moves" pieces on
>>its internal electronic board, it uses stored (written) patterns in the
>>evaluation, etc.  Basically a computer and human are different.  The human
>>has some capabilities that the computer doesn't, which I could claim is "unfair"
>>too. :)
>>
>
>Yes, I didn't have the energy to spell that out, but I'm glad you did. It seems
>we agree that computers do not obey the FIDE rules. I couldn't care less, if I
>didn't so often bump into these amusing human-computer comparisons in the web.
>It's more or less like comparing apples to oranges, to use the banal old saying.
>My "comparison" would be that I like them both. :)



I happen to totally disagree.  FIDE rules say you can't move pieces on the
game board.  The computer does not.  It moves pieces on its "internal" board
just like I do mentally when I am playing.  The computer doesn't use any
"handwritten" notes, nor does it make them during a game.  Etc...  I think the
machines play perfectly legal chess according to any rules currently being
used.  I also think computers and humans are significantly different in the way
they do things, such that a common set of rules is likely to be impossible to
write or enforce.





>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>Maybe this has something to do with the fact that computers can't compete in
>>>FIDE events and that many players don't want to play against computers. I think
>>>it's not reasonable to compare human players with computers. Look what happened
>>>to Kasparov: in the prefece of MCO de Firmian tells that much of the success of
>>>Deep Blue was due to their good opening preparation (so Kasparov was outprepared
>>>that time, too :)
>>
>>
>>Computers _can_ compete... but the registration fee is extremely large.  A
>>resolution allowing this was passed several years ago (It might well have
>>been rescinded but I have not heard that.)  At the time it was passed, most
>>of us thought "that is a ridiculous amount of money to require..."
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>What would be the rating of top programs without opening libraries and endgame
>>>tablebases?
>>>
>>>Tapio



This page took 0.01 seconds to execute

Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700

Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.