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DO HUMANS HAVE A CHANCE TO BEAT CHESS COMPUTERS?



Computers even though are man-made but have the ability to defeat them. Technology has proven that machine era is quite better and time saving then the man made one up to some extent, because man makes mistakes but machine when kept in good condition never make the mistake! Hence machine wins in most of the cases!

Same is in the case of Chess Computers. As they make no mistake in making the correct move so does human and as a result there is more chance of winning against them.

This article can be helpful for those who want to win against the Chess Computers.

A few things that really help are to be able to understand that how they work and we will be able to find out up to some extend and try to understand what parts of the game a computer is better than humans at playing.

HOW CHESS COMPUTER WORKS

There is a simple way to play perfect chess: write down all the possible games of chess, note if the final position is won, drawn or lost, and then working backwards assume each player chooses the best line, you will eventually end up with a list of all the best possible games of the chess.

Even for the strongest computers nowadays, this approach is clearly impractical. A compromise is to grow the list of variations as large as possible, in the time permitted, and then use an evaluation function to try and decide the likely outcome from the final position of each variation.

The evaluation function of commercial chess programs is generally a closely guarded secret, but generally speaking it takes into consideration the following factors:

·       Doubled pawns

·       Trapped rooks

·       Trapped bishops

·       Material

·       King safety

·       Development

·       Bishop pair

·       Centralization

·       Rooks on open files

·       Doubled rooks

·       Rooks on the 7th rank

·       Bishops of opposite colour

·       Weak back rank

·       Knight/Bishop Outposts

·       Pawns on same colour as a single Bishop

·       Rooks behind passed pawns

·       Passed pawns

·       Doubled pawns

·       Developing minor pieces before the Queen

 

So basically what happens the computer subtracts your score from its own score. A positive score means the computer is ahead and a negative score means that the human is ahead. (Which is once in a blue moon!)

 

BACKBONE AND FLAWS IN COMPUTER PLAY

· BACKBONE(STRENGTH)

Computers are well functioned for good tactical play.

Most modern chess programs have an extensive opening book, and so play according to the best theory in many lines.

This is a strength- wouldn’t we all play better with a copy of ECO- although sometimes computers find themselves a little lost at the end of their opening book when first forced to think for themselves.

Standard Endgames are a strength as modern programs have databases, computers are appalling at endgames. Probably because tactics are if not less important, then easier to see, whilst ideas become more important.

· FLAWS (WEAKNESSES)

Understanding the positions-

Computers don’t understand even simple positions they evaluate. If something will not happen they cannot understand that.

Let’s take the example of Zugzwang, which is a difficult position for computers.

The pieces are on okay squares, there are perhaps a few pawn moves available before one side is forced to make a worsening piece move, so the computer can’t see that forthcoming doom.

Strategies for Beating Computers

· Play great chess

A good and massive strategy in chess can make up a good move and a way towards success can be seen

· Breaking rules of Thumb

The chess computers evaluation function is basically a list of “rules of Thumb” and when you give it a position where these rules aren’t valid it will still blindly follow them. (Unless it can see the result)

· A bookworm opponent

As it is almost not a surprise that modern computer chess programs contains extensive opening books, but often primitive understanding of a position, so one strategy that has been used successfully is to deviate from book early.

Many of the GMs do not use this strategy- perhaps they have the advantage of being familiar with all the latest analysis- possibly even more up to data than the machines- but for the less strong players, this is a useful strategy and probably will give the club player good practice at thinking through opening plans.

If theory helps you how the practical things are to be done the same way practical teaches you to do it more perfectly and in a different innovative way. Many tactics have different variations and same result which comes from experience not from every book. You just can’t keep reading all the books in your practical session and bit the shit up. You need to use your brain for that and man I assure you if your opponent is a complete bookworm with less practical knowledge then dodge him!

· Win the Endgame

Look for non- standard Endgames, in which chess computers can be misled by the pre-defined evaluation of position.

 

So this were some of the basics to beat that chess computer and experience a win of machine 0 vs man 1!

Let us know if you know anything better than this. Don’t forget to share your valuable thoughts with us.

 

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