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Subject: Re: Are the top micros playing at GM level?

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 07:39:53 02/28/99

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On February 27, 1999 at 16:19:46, Leon Stancliff wrote:

>  While scrounging around in the research area of ICC, I found what I think is
>very interesting data. I have been interested for many years in the human vs
>computer chess ratings. It is but a matter of time before any person who desires
>will be able to own a computer chess program that plays at lower grandmaster
>level, even at time limits of 40/2.
>
>  Why does this seem to be such a hot topic? Automobiles make faster time than
>the top human runners. Machines are also superior to humans in other areas. The
>reason this is so intriguing is that we are here considering human thought
>processes, and also that the competition is very close.
>
>  Here is the data I found. I first looked at the Fide ratings of the
>grandmasters on ICC who were in the 2500 to 2600 range. There were about fifty
>of these persons. I compared their ICC Blitz ratings with their Fide ratings.
>The average Fide rating was 2532. The average ICC Blitz rating of these persons
>was 2686, or 154 points higher than the Fide rating.
>
>  The average Blitz rating of the seven highest computer programs was 2929. Thus
>the computer programs were clearly superior to the grandmasters in the 2500-2600
>range at Blitz times.
>
>  Next comes the shocker! Although very few grandmasters are willing to play at
>ICC standard times, there were ten who had played enough games to be
>significant. These ten grandmasters had ICC standard ratings of 2456. The same
>ten had Fide ratings of 2541. Note that the standard ICC rating is 85 points
>lower than the Fide rating. Obviously these standard games were played at much
>shorter time limits than 40/2. Still, these figures would cause us to be
>suspicious that top computers which are rated above 2500 are more than capable
>of competing on even terms with grandmasters rated under 2600 Fide.
>
>  Come on grandmasters. Let us see some more standard games at 30 0 against the
>top computer programs! Losses do not take away from your prestige. Are you game?


You've already highlighted the problem here.  30 0 games are already known to
be problematic for humans vs computers.  IE we had a tournament on chess.net a
year or so ago with 4 computers and 4 GM players, at game/30, and _all_ four
computers finished above all four GM players.

So I doubt there is any argument about a computer being a GM+ at blitz or even
at game/30. But 40/2 is a good bit different, and you won't find any of those on
the chess servers...



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