Computer chess designates a playing of chess against a computer, playing computers among themselves, which game of chess-end development of machines (chess computers), as well as the development of chess programs.

The idea, one game of chess-ends machine to create, is enough in 18. Century back. Further to history see under chess computers. Further to the function mode see under chess program.

Computer chess as research article

The principal purposes of computer chess were maintenance, chess analysis and hope for insights into human thinking (in a special field of computer science, artificial intelligence). While the first two goals were achieved within 50 years with Bravour, hope for insights into human thinking was disappointed. All research in this direction (e.g. of Mikhail Moissejewitsch Botwinnik or Alan Newell) was never crowned with success.

For this reason computer chess (just as Scrabble) is nowadays no more research article, and to a large extent replaced by plays such as Go or Arimaa, since with this computer programs can less by pure arithmetic performance than by a substantially more complex weighing function success obtain, and both plays nevertheless relatively easily learned by humans and successfully to be played to be able.

Instead the continuous miniaturization and continuous doubling of the computing speed of computers (Moore's Law) played the camp of the Brute Force advocates of chess into the hands: Chess computers for the domestic purposes are to be purchased nowadays to negligible costs, and there is a set of chess programs (open of SOURCE and Freeware programs as bspw. Fruit, Amy, Pepito, Crafty, Zappa and further), which are equal on commercial PCs large masters. Topprogramme such as Shredder, junior or Fritz strike in the meantime even the world point on tournament considering times regularly.

Psychological aspects

It is open whether the computers make the game of chess uninteresting in foreseeable time, since its play strength constantly rises. The number of the specialists, who forecast the imminent final victory of the programs over each human player, constantly grows. However there are also voices, which state, the top players became equally better like the computer programs. Others argue that even with unbesiegbaren computer programs the game of chess did not become uninteresting - finally humans would measure also still in the Sprint or marathon race, although each motorized vehicle was faster. Critics argue that computers are superior theoretically also to the world-best players long, with however only in each case so strong hardware are used that the software with the opponent lies in approximately up. While Deep Blue could analyze still approx. 100 million positions in the second, Deep Fritz, who probably had clearly better software was able, to analyze only approx. 2 million positions in the second.

In addition it is remarkable that computers use completely different strategy than humans: While humans play very strategically, computers use each smallest error. "„The strategy value "“was subject today to humans until, although the programmers continue to try ever to teach to their programs strategic "„knowledge "“. There are however in particular problems thereby how an arisen position is to be evaluated. A chess program tries roughly said each possible course out (and all on it possible up to a certain depth) and evaluates the developing positions (analysis function). Many positions are to be evaluated however only heavily with a number. Often characteristics have like isolated farmers ("„Isolanis "“) or open lines and diagonals for both sides pro and cons. Humans, to who the clenched computing strength of a computer is missing, cannot play at all each course to the end in the head and regard the arising positions. Rather a feeling (intuition) for it in the course of the time, which course in which position could result in an advantage, results. These courses are then regarded more exactly.

Strategies against computers

Computers humans are clearly superior with tactical maneuvers, which can be locked within their computing depth. Thereby the lady who is suitable for short term tactical maneuvers particularly well, is particularly dangerous. With the human players try often to induce the computer to a lady exchange. This takes place for example by means of the fact that humans go at the beginning of the portion with intention into a position, which is rated favourably by the computer as for him. If the computer determines a position favorable for it, the software will accomplish under normal conditions a possible figure exchange. It lies in the nature of the thing that such "„cheat "“- once recognized - by the programmers in follow-up versions with programming are considered.

Strategically humans must operate against a computer with maneuvers put on on a long-term basis, whose beginning for the computer is first not recognizable in the context of its computing depth. Kramnik had against Deep Fritz e.g. Success with a possible Durchmarsch of a free farmer put on on a long-term basis, who - first not yet far pulled - was too late recognized of Deep Fritz only as serious threat.

Thus the computer punishes combinatorial strategies and forces a positional play area.

Chess computer in the play against humans

The Levy bet

1968 bet the Scottish international master David Levy with several computer scientists 1.250 English Pound that it would not create a computer program within the following 10 years to defeat it in a match. In August 1978 it came into Toronto to the match against the then best program Chess 4,7, which could win Levy with 3,5:1,5. it played 1979 against an improved version of this program a looking portion, which became to transfer in the Second Channel of German Television and with a Remis ended. It came to a second bet, which ran again over ten years. 1988 were Levy then however against the program Deep Thought completely chanceless and lost with 0:4.

AEGON tournaments

Between 1986 and 1997 tournaments between chess computers and human players took place annually into the Hague, which were financed by the insurance company AEGON. In the first years Netherlands amateurs played also well-known large masters against the computers, such as David Bronstein, Jeroen Piket, Vlastimil stronghold, John Nunn, Larry Christiansen and Yasser Seirawan were later invited, in order to be able to offer that to better and better becoming computers Paroli excluding. Although in all twelve tournaments humans won the single valuation, the computers triumphed for the first time 1993 in the total valuation.

Fight with the world point

For the 1990er years chess computers became also for players of the world elite dangerously, first however only in lightning and high-speed chess. On 31 August 1994 it came to a sensation, when the world champion lost Garri Kasparow with a high-speed tournament in London against the program Chess genius with 0,5:1,5, running on a Pentium.

The particularly developed chess machine Deep Blue of IBM struck Kasparow 1997 in an medium-effective match over six portions with long considering time. Since this version of Deep Blue played however publicly only altogether these six portions, much is not well-known over the reached play strength. After the match Kasparow expressed the suspicion, the victory of the machine in the second match portion with human assistance had come off. One did not find reference points, which would support this statement. (see also Deep Blue)

In the year 2002 and 2003 newer programs held remis in looking matches against two of the world-best large masters (2002 "„Deep Fritz "“against Kramnik, 2003 "„junior "“and again "„Deep Fritz "“against Kasparow).

In the year 2005 the large master Michael Adam (in July 2005 the number 7 of the chess world rank list) began a match against the computer Hydra. The arithmetic performance of the program amounted to approx. 200 million positions in the second. The computer decided the match with five victories and a Remis clearly for itself. In the tournament the machine of humans remains ungeschlagen so far. Into remote chess Hydra had to put already two defeats against remote chess large master Arno nickel however.

Many critics had already very much in former times prophesied the end of the human superiority after the defeat Kasparows, but after the initial shock many large masters trained by computers, particularly against their Erfolge.Es appear however that humans cannot exist on a long-term basis against the constantly increasing computing strength of the computers. Since the game of chess in the western world attained a deep cultural meaning and controlling the play is associated with Fantasie and intelligence, the triumphant advance of the computer in this kind of sport has a noticeable psychological effect.

Matches between chess computers

There was and gives a set of national matches between chess computers. The chess computer world championship (WCCC) is internationally important (see chess programs) and the Microcomputerschachweltmeisterschaft (WMCCC) (see chess computers). Important it is to be also known that a large play strength does not have to mean against another chess program that this is better against a human opponent also. Competitions of chess programs among themselves say only cause something about the play strength against humans out.

Computer chess in the media

Game of chess end of computers are also again and again motives in films, for example in 2001: Odyssey in space.

See also

• Chess computer
• Chess program
• Artificial intelligence
• Turing test

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