Anti-computer tactics
Encyclopedia
Anti-computer tactics are a style of play used by humans to beat strong computer opponents at various games, especially in board games such as chess
and Arimaa
. It involves playing conservatively for a long-term advantage the computer is not able to see in its game tree search. This will frequently involve selecting moves that are believed to be sub-optimal in order to exploit known weaknesses in the way computer players evaluate positions
.
One particular example of the use of anti-computer tactics was Brains in Bahrain
, an eight-game chess match between human chess grandmaster, and then World Champion
, Vladimir Kramnik
and the computer program Deep Fritz 7, held in October 2002. The match ended in a tie 4-4, with two wins for each participant and four draws
.
played the anti-computer tactic move at the start of the game in order to get Deep Blue out of its opening book
. Kasparov chose the unusual Mieses Opening
and thought that the computer would play the opening
poorly if it had to play itself rather than use its opening book. Kasparov played similar anti-computer openings in the other games of the match but the tactic backfired.
has shown that the top-rated Rybka
chess computer's unwillingness to accept 50-move draws when it has a solid material advantage can be exploited to play a highly effective game against it, when playing 3-minute blitz chess
.
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
and Arimaa
Arimaa
The objective of the game is to move a rabbit of one's own color onto the home rank of the opponent. Thus Gold wins by moving a gold rabbit to the eighth rank, and Silver wins by moving a silver rabbit to the first rank...
. It involves playing conservatively for a long-term advantage the computer is not able to see in its game tree search. This will frequently involve selecting moves that are believed to be sub-optimal in order to exploit known weaknesses in the way computer players evaluate positions
Evaluation function
An evaluation function, also known as a heuristic evaluation function or static evaluation function, is a function used by game-playing programs to estimate the value or goodness of a position in the minimax and related algorithms...
.
In chess
A number of tactics have been used at the highest level in games between humans and computers.One particular example of the use of anti-computer tactics was Brains in Bahrain
Brains in Bahrain
Brains in Bahrain was an eight-game chess match between World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik and the computer program Deep Fritz 7, held in October 2002. The match ended in a tie 4-4, with two wins for each participant and four draws.-Outcome of games:...
, an eight-game chess match between human chess grandmaster, and then World Champion
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
, Vladimir Kramnik
Vladimir Kramnik
Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...
and the computer program Deep Fritz 7, held in October 2002. The match ended in a tie 4-4, with two wins for each participant and four draws
Draw (chess)
In chess, a draw is when a game ends in a tie. It is one of the possible outcomes of a game, along with a win for White and a win for Black . Usually, in tournaments a draw is worth a half point to each player, while a win is worth one point to the victor and none to the loser.For the most part,...
.
Unusual opening
In 1997 Garry KasparovGarry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
played the anti-computer tactic move at the start of the game in order to get Deep Blue out of its opening book
Opening book
Chess opening book refers either to a book on chess openings, or to a database of chess openings used by chess programs.-Literature:Opening books, which discuss chess openings, are by far the most common type of literature on Chess play...
. Kasparov chose the unusual Mieses Opening
Mieses Opening
The Mieses Opening is a chess opening:It is named after the German-British grandmaster Jacques Mieses.White's 1.d3 releases his c1 bishop and makes a modest claim for the center, but since it does not stake out as large a share of the centre as 1.d4 does, it is not a popular opening move. Of the...
and thought that the computer would play the opening
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
poorly if it had to play itself rather than use its opening book. Kasparov played similar anti-computer openings in the other games of the match but the tactic backfired.
Fifty-move rule
As recently as 2008 Hikaru NakamuraHikaru Nakamura
Hikaru Nakamura is an American chess Grandmaster . He has been ranked among the top six players in the world by FIDE....
has shown that the top-rated Rybka
Rybka
Rybka is a computer chess engine designed by International Master Vasik Rajlich. , Rybka is one of the top-rated engines on chess engine rating lists and has won many computer chess tournaments...
chess computer's unwillingness to accept 50-move draws when it has a solid material advantage can be exploited to play a highly effective game against it, when playing 3-minute blitz chess
Blitz chess
Fast chess, also known as blitz chess, lightning chess, sudden death, speed chess, bullet chess and rapid chess, is a type of chess game in which each side is given less time to make their moves than under the normal tournament time controls of 60 to 180 minutes per player.-Overview:The different...
.
Anti-computer chess games
- Garry Kasparov vs Deep Blue (Computer) IBM Man-Machine, New York USA 1997
- Garry Kasparov vs X3D Fritz (Computer) Man-Machine World Chess Championship 2003
- Rybka (Computer) vs Hikaru Nakamura ICC blitz 3 0 2008
See also
- Human-computer chess matchesHuman-computer chess matchesThis article documents the progress of significant human-computer chess matches.Chess computers were first able to beat strong chess players in the late 1980s...
- ArimaaArimaaThe objective of the game is to move a rabbit of one's own color onto the home rank of the opponent. Thus Gold wins by moving a gold rabbit to the eighth rank, and Silver wins by moving a silver rabbit to the first rank...
- A game inspired by Kasparov's loss to Deep Blue in 1997.