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Subject: Re: M$ goes Chess?!?

Author: Fernando Villegas

Date: 15:56:51 01/05/99

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Dear Chris:
We does not need to speculate about what could happen IF Bill gates decides to
make a run in the chess field. We already know what happens when you put
toguether a very great amount of resources: critical mass appears and great
jumps are the rsult. Manhattan proyect is an example: many phisicyst already
knew about nuclear reactions et all, but it was needed a huge amount of money,
personnel etc to make it work. That's the reason Germany was not capable, least
Japan.
In fact, even if Bill does not do anything about this, it is already happening,
as in any industry once it has reached certain level of development. I think
that Ed and Christophe venture is a sample of that. I am sure they have already
discovered great ideas and new grounds for progress due to his colaboration. In
any science or technology, when you put people to work toguether and gives them
money enough, results begin to flow in mass. To think that the esential thing is
personal creativity of this or that genius is somewhat naive. Truly genuses are
badly needed when no organization and many tools and resoruces are present, but
once organization exist, the accumulative work of high intelligences get more
things that anything an isolated genius can get.
besides, do not believe we have already reache a top level in chess programming.
They are very primitive in the fact that, although they get results, the do that
trought a kind of accumulated practical wisdom in the same sense alchemist got
things trought many years of practice. A great research team with money to spare
could get a fundamental jump in terms of creating a real AI chess engine instead
of what we have now, just a machine that run a list of specific routines that
works fine toguether in the most unscientific way, just adding weights and
testing the mix with thousands of games. Alchemy, again.
Anf , of course, don be deceived by the apparent trivial meaning of "just" going
from 2600 to 2700 or even 2650; it is a great jump and you as master know it. If
a great reasearch team can do it, IT will be a wonderfull jump.
fernando



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