Monty Newborn

Monroe Newborn

David N. L. Levy

It now appears possible - even likely - that within a few decades and within certain specialized domains, the computer will be more intelligent than we ourselves. What was unimaginable a few years ago is happening today with alarming rapidity. A small piece of silicon, no larger than a thumbnail, can exhibit more "intelligence" than the best human brains. This book attempts to satisfy two different goals. It presents a comprehensive history of computer chess along with many rare examples of the play of early programs. These examples contain both amazing strokes of brilliance and inexplicable catastrophes; they will give the reader a dear perspective of the pioneer days of computer chess. In contrast, contemporary programs are capable of defeating International Grandmasters; the text contains several recent examples including a remarkable victory over former World Champion Anatoly Karpov. The remainder of the book is devoted to an explanation of how the various parts of a chess program are designed and how they function. Readers who have no knowledge of computers will gain insight into how they "think." Readers who own a personal computer and who want to write their own chess programs will find sufficient information in this book to enable them to make a good start.

How Computers Play Chess

Computer Chess deals with the history of computer chess games and the programming of computer chess. Topics covered include chess programs such as the one initiated by Richard Greenblatt and those launched by the United States and the USSR in 1966-1967. The United States Computer Chess Championships from 1970 to 1973 are also discussed. Comprised of 10 chapters, this book begins with a historical overview of the basic ideas underlying computer chess and several of the earliest computer games. The next chapter deals with the chess match held in 1966 pitting the Kotok-McCarthy Chess Program of the United States and the ITEP (Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics) Chess Program of the Soviet Union. The reader is then introduced to Greenblatt's program, named Mac Hack Six, the first chess program to compete respectably against humans in tournament play. Subsequent chapters focus on the U.S. Computer Chess Championships, from its first edition in New York in 1970 to the fourth, held in Atlanta in 1973. Russia's chess program called KAISSA, an improved version of the ITEP Chess Program, is also described. The final chapter is devoted to OSTRICH, a chess-playing program written by George Arnold in the Digital Computer Laboratory of Columbia University's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in 1971. This monograph will be of value to computer science and those interested in computer chess programs and in the broader field of artificial intelligence.

Computer Chess

This book offers a detailed account of IBM's Deep Blue chess program, the people who created it, and its historic battles with World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov. The text examines the progress made by the creators of Deep Blue, beginning with the1989 two-game match against Kasparov. The heroes are: IBM researchers Feng-hsiung Hsu, Murray Campbell, and Joe Hoane, along with team leader Chung-Jen Tan and International Grandmaster Joel Benjamin. The text chronicles one of the great technology achievements of the 20th Century. It establishes the point in history when mankind's exciting new tool, the computer, came of age and competed with its human creators in the ultimate intellectual competition: a game of chess. This book will serve as the premier story documenting that achievement and a milestone in the development of artificial intelligence.

Monroe Newborn

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