Author: Stuart Cracraft
Date: 14:30:29 08/13/04
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On August 13, 2004 at 02:44:03, GuyHaworth wrote: > >My notes indicate that: > >HITECH beat Denker in September 1988, 3.5-0.5 [See 'Inside Chess', 1988]. >I don't think Denker was that 'active' at the time: ELO rating(s) and ranking >unknown. > > >In November, 1988, 'active' GM Bent Larsen lost to DEEP THOUGHT at Long Beach, >CA. DEEP THOUGHT was 1= in this 8-round Swiss Tournament with a PR of 2745. >[ Levy, 'How Computers Play Chess', p125] is one reference. > >Incidentally, I don't have all the games of this tournament, which contributed >to DEEP THOUGHT winning the 2nd Friedkin Prize when it rated 2500+ (USCF >presumably?). Any sources would be most welcome - even a list of those in the >group it was playing in. > >Again, Bent Larsen's ELO rating and ranking is unknown but it was quite high, I >think. > >Difficult to rate 'DEEP THOUGHT' in MHz terms :-) > >Guy It was a monster even back then. You might try asking Murray Campbell at IBM's TJ Watson Research Labs for the game listings. I'm sure he could locate them. Or just search some of the large archives, like Pittsburgh, for Deep Thought's complete games, etc. (Sorry I can't give out Murray's contact info but it is available "out there.") I was fortunate enough to be the operator/representative of Deep Thought at this event. The event was a watershed in many ways for computer chess. The table at which "we" were was in the far corner. Nobody could come behind to view the screen (my Toshiba notebook connected up to the Arpanet and over to CMU where DT was.) I had been on the Arpanet for years connecting through military TACs via IMPS and the like so this kind of stuff was very old hat to me by then. I was there for the chess and the fun. Throughout the event, various luminaries dropped by and there were many interesting moments. GM Larsen was not the high point (for me) because it was pretty obvious he didn't fully understand that you don't mess with the machine's tactics. He violated that and got hit rather hard -- actually all the way into history at this point. But then GM Larsen has always had a "bent" for bizarre positions brimming with tactics so who can blame him? Still I felt sorry that his name would go down in the history book in a different kind of way since I always liked his games and way of approaching the game. My favorite moment was when FIDE Master David Gliksman was playing and on the screen I saw a mate in some outlandish number of moves announced by the program. Of course we all know the modern era of drawish, non-romantic, boring chess-for-money. My first chess teacher, Richard Shorman of Hayward, gave me a lasting appreciation for the earlier days of chess and while fondly recollecting our many analyzed games and mutual study I told Mr. Gliksman that the program had found a mate in N and whatever N was. Poker-faced, David continued staring at the board. Nothing would break that concentration! A couple minutes later, as I recall, he broke out in laughter -- I suspect he had calculated the mate in that time. He held no grudge and enjoyed the game for what it was and provided his business card. That's the kind of chess player I like. Totally non-ego. Enjoy Crazy Bird's commentary about that in the book but you're getting the real inside scoop here of why it was done: for the betterment of the game. The crowd gasped as Singular Extension capability allowed the machine to announce the lonnnnnngggg mate. Another good moment was watching GM Walter Browne defeat the program, its only defeat of the event as it went on to tie GM Miles for 1st place in the Open section. It could not share the monetary prize in this event. Browne took good care of the program there and I suspect it was a strong lesson for the evolution of the program. Tal came over and checked things out. I don't think I'd ever want to play him. Besides, I couldn't handle the second-hand-smoke-breath. Always the great chess journalist, he brought a kind of frenzied intensity and the era of romantic chess back into a highly deadened game back in the 60's at his height. At this point he was a shell of a man with a strong drinking and smoking habit. But that tremendous experience and flair he carried... Large crowds were collecting around the table as the final rounds approached and as the GM's and IM's and Fide Masters mostly fell or could simply make no progress. And in some places were simply crushed. Les Crane, then the owner of Software Toolworks came by, and sponsor of the event (as well as a former talk show host!), and I recall was particularly cordial. I was impressed by the silk/satin company jackets that he and his girlfriend were wearing. Great walking ads for the company. Stuart
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