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Subject: Re: Computer - WorldChampion: which result would satisfy everybody here?

Author: Louis Fagliano

Date: 07:14:16 10/24/02

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On October 24, 2002 at 08:05:41, Jouni Uski wrote:

>I mean which result would be DEFINITE/FINAL/LAST etc. indicator, that computer
>is better than best human in chess.
>10-0? 20-0? 40-0? And may be human mated in under 30 moves in each game? Should
>be quite clear then for most, if not for all.
>
>Jouni

Chess is such a game that played at it's highest levels (GM World Champions) it
is impossible to win every single game.  That is even if it was possible for a
machine to play absolutely perfect chess (i.e. 32-man tablebases!) a human GM
could still draw with the White pieces by refusing to undertake anything even
remotely resembling playing for a win by employing a supercautious approach.
And if he's REALLY good he might be able to (very occasionally) draw as Black.

In other words, our mythical 32-man tablebase machine would show that the
opening position is a draw.  I may be wrong, of course, but it doesn't "feel"
like White has a forced win based on the fact that in any major opening system
they're are lines that exist (as discovered and continually discovered by strong
GM opening theorists) where Black, though under pressure, can achieve equality
or at least a playable middlegame.  Komputer Korner I believe came closest to
the truth when he said that White cannot force a +/= and Black cannot force an =
and that opening theory is and will remain in a permanent flux beteween those
two.

Anyway, because of the above there's never going to be a 10-0 or 20-0 defeat of
a human world champion especially since 32-man tablebase are impossible (it's
hard to see how some 10 to the 42nd power number of positions could ever be
stored and recalled).  Thus, I'd say that in a 20-game match, a 12-8 or 13-7
defeat of a human world champion (depending on how dominant he is over all the
other GM contenders) would be the sign that it's over for the human race as
chess champions.



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