Thursday, July 19, 2007

Checkers has been solved


From Tic Tac Toe, to Connect 4, onto Checkers, Chess then Go. Checkers has fallen. 24 Piece Tablebases have been created, and wired into an unbeatable game.

And currently we are of the belief that chess, while not solved, on standard laptop computers are of a strength that may be beyond any human play over the board. It may well never be solved because of storage problems. But it sure doesn't seem like a lot of moves from the multi-gigabyte opening books that are available, and the 6 piece tablebases at the end. It is alot, but it doesn't seem alot.

Chess, fortunately, has plenty of room for us to play through, including us class players that weren't going to add much to the theory of the game. But it does make you wonder if Skynet is going to become self-aware anytime now.

6 comments:

Temposchlucker said...

In games or sport it doesn't matter that there is a better solution to the problem. Because both are designed to be impractical. With the invention of the much faster recumbent bicycles the rules of the Tour the France were adapted just to avoid that people would use them. After all, a motor isn't allowed too in the Tour.

Pawn Shaman said...

Kasparov as the knightanator goes back in time to beat the greatest of the 17th century at correspondence chess. In the slowest, dryest movie of all time.

Anonymous said...

You seem to list go as if it is more complicated than chess. This is a common misunderstanding. Go is much less mathematically complicated than chess. Go is partially solved already. Chess is not.

Blue Devil Knight said...

Not surprisingly, checkers is a draw with optimal play from both sides. It will turn out the same for chess, or I'll eat my hat.

Blue Devil Knight said...

Hey, you've disappeared!

hisbestfriend said...

Vacation... Back Soon!