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Subject: Re: Shredder 8 in Argentina: Seconds or Centaurs?

Author: George Sobala

Date: 09:25:55 07/23/04

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On July 23, 2004 at 01:50:12, Sandro Necchi wrote:

>
>Still I understant this is all the owners can do. I am not criticizing this, but
>want to remember that there is available a stronger version, so the gap, if any,
>is lower.
>
>
>Sandro

I do realise that most major computer tournaments such as WCCC and man-machine
matches are played this way, with a programmer or team fine-tuning the computer,
especially the book, from game to game.

But to me it is an interesting philosophical question: is the human team behind
the engine, which chooses which openings to play, merely like the seconds who
help top players through e.g. World Championship matches, or are they more than
this: does this team become more like a centaur, a computer-human fusion? I
would argue that it is really a type of centaur. Kramnik's second will not
*tell* him which openings to play against Leko, he will merely assist him with
his preparation. Whereas in a tournament you *tell* Shredder which openings it
can play. I know you try to guide it into openings you think it plays well, but
it does not actually get a vote in the decision. This is a qualitative
difference between what you do and what a second does.



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