Scalable Search in Computer Chess

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XVIII

   PDF

2. Summary and Contributions

   1. Summary and Contributions

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 1-6

3. Computer-Chess Primer

   1. Computer-Chess Primer

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 7-26

4. Forward Pruning without Tears

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 27-27

      PDF

   2. Adaptive Null-Move Pruning

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 29-40

   3. Extended Futility Pruning

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 41-51

   4. AEL Pruning

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 53-61

5. Integration of Perfect Knowledge

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 63-63

      PDF

   2. Efficient Interior-Node Recognition

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 65-81

   3. Index Schemes of Endgame Databases

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 83-98

   4. Knowledgeable Endgame Databases

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 99-120

6. Search Behaviour at Increasing Depths

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 121-121

      PDF

   2. DarkThought Goes Deep

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 123-144

   3. Modeling the “Go Deep” Behaviour

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 145-156

   4. Self-Play Experiments Revisited

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 157-179

   5. Perspectives on Future Work

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 181-182

7. Appendices

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 183-183

      PDF

   2. How DarkThought Plays Chess

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 185-198

   3. Tournament History of DarkThought

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 199-200

   4. DarkThought and Test Suites

      • Ernst A. Heinz

      Pages 201-202

This book presents the results of our past two-and-a-half years of research aimed at increasing the scalability and performance of game-tree search in computer chess. We elaborate on our respective works in the areas of (I) selective forward pruning, (II) the efficient application of game-theoretical knowledge, and (III) the behaviour of the search at increasing depths. The broad range of topics covered by the three distinct parts of the book seek to provide interesting material for everybody interested in the field of "Compu­ tational Intelligence", regardless of their individual focus (researcher, student, or other). The text does not require readers to know about chess and computer game-playing beforehand. The initial chapter entitled "Computer-Chess Primer" introduces all the necessary basics and fundamentals thereof. The remaining chapters, however, go far beyond those topics. They show how to make sophisticated game-tree searchers still more scalable at ever higher depths. Throughout the whole book, our high-speed and master-strength chess program DARKTHOUGHT serves as a realistic test vehicle to conduct numerous experiments at unprecedented search depths. The extensive experimental evalu­ ations provide convincing empirical evidence for the practical usefulness of the techniques presented by us. These results will certainly be of special interest to researchers and programmers of computer strategy-games alike (chess, checkers, Go, and Othello in particular). Last but not least, I like to mention that I am most grateful to the series editors for offering me the opportunity to publish my book under their auspices.

• Computational Intelligence
• Computer Chess
• DarkThought
• Pruning
• Scalability
• Search
• Search Behaviour
• algorithms
• behavior
• cognition
• computational intelligence
• computer
• computer chess
• database
• intelligence
• knowledge
• material
• research

Ernst A. Heinz earned his "Doktor" (Ph.D.) degree with "Auszeichnung"
(summa cum laude) from the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, in July 1999 and
joined the Laboratory for Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (M.I.T.), Boston/Cambridge, USA, as a Postdoctoral Fellow later
that year.

----- German -----

Ernst A. Heinz bestand seine Doktorprüfung an der Universität Karlsruhe im
Juli 1999 mit Auszeichnung und ist seit Herbst 1999 als "Postdoctoral
Fellow" am "Laboratory of Computer Science" des "Massachussetts Institute
of Technology" (M.I.T.) in Boston/Cambridge, USA.

Policies and ethics