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Subject: Re: My solution

Author: KarinsDad

Date: 10:32:50 01/18/99

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On January 18, 1999 at 12:32:31, John Coffey wrote:

>On January 18, 1999 at 01:59:39, Laurence Chen wrote:
>
>>I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with your statements. It's like asking a GM
>>rated 2500+ to play at 1400 ELO which is impossible to accomplish.
>
>Of course you can make a 2500+ program have an option to play at 1400
>elo.  There are many ways to do it.  (Some programs don't even try.)  If it
>can play at one second per move then why couldn't it play at a tenth of a second
>per move or even less?  Another way to do it is to increase the randomness.
>(i.e. don't differentiate between moves below a certain threshhold.  That
>threshhold could be made pretty large if necessary.)
>
>I still like my idea of having levels where level 1 looks at 30 possibilities,
>level 2 at 60, level 3 at 120, level 4 at 240 etc.
>
>Best wishes,
>
>john coffey

John,

Although I agree that any of the methods you describe above will force a
computer to play weaker moves, I do not think that simplistic approaches such as
these will enable a program to play human-like 1200 level chess.

The approaches above result in a more randomized level of play, not a weaker and
more flawed level of play.

I've analyzed quite a few amateur games (both my own and from others) and have
noticed that weaker players do not play random moves. They play what to them
appears to be the strongest move and quite often, these moves are identical to
what a strong computer would play. However, quite often, these moves are not
identical.

One mechanism that a chess program could emulate human play is to not make one
move hangs of pieces, but rather 3 move or 5 move hang of pieces. I've noticed
that in CM6000, you can be playing a 1400 rated player and the program will do a
1 or 2 move hang of a piece. Although this occassionally happens in 1400 level
chess (and I'm talking slower speeds here, not G5), it is more rare than you
would think.

A computer analysis of lower rated games could probably result in a statistical
evaluation of the range and frequency of errors made by weaker players at
various portions of the game and the program could attempt to emulate that
frequency and range of errors. Remember that on a good day, a 1400 player can
beat an 1800 player and on a bad day, can lose to a 1000 player. The program
could also be designed to have "good" and "bad" games as well.

Something to chew on :)

KarinsDad



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