Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!WILKINS@SRI-AI.ARPA
From: WILKINS@SRI-AI.ARPA@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.chess
Subject: Re: Miscellaneous
Message-ID: <3119@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Jul-83 20:15:19 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.3119
Posted: Thu Jul 14 20:15:19 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 17-Jul-83 07:22:05 EDT
Lines: 40

From:  Wilkins  

I keep hearing about a program being the world backgammon champion, and this
is not true.  Furthermore, the falsehood is perpetrated by people in AI who
should know better which also annoys me.  (Fortunately, the author of the
program plays no part in such perpetration).  Hans Berliner's program did beat
the reigning world champion in a 7-point match.  Now, suppose the St. Louis
Cardinals play a one-inning exhibition against the baseball team of Alcorn
State (3 outs for each team).  The Cardinals happen to get 3 outs without
scoring while Alcorn State's best hitter happens to catch one good for a home
run.  Do you now say that Alcorn State's baseball team is the World Champion?
No way.  Likewise, there is no way you can claim the program is world champion
because it got better luck in a match that was only a small fraction of the
length of any reasonable championship match.

So please stop perpetrating this falsehood and try to stop others from
perpetrating it also.  I have corrected some of the top people in AI who have
said similar things in public.  Then there are books like "Science Observed"
by Jeremy Bernstein, which go out of their way not only to perpetrate such
falsities but actually add to them.  The first n pages are about this
backgammon match, with lots of stress put on the fact that it wasn't just a
program but an actual robot that won (bogus).  He then went on to tell how
Berliner told the downhearted Villa, "we both know you're the better player",
insinuating that Villa was being humored (we all know how smart the computer
is).  I know Dr. Berliner, and he knows Villa is the better player and I feel
certain that he meant every word sincerely.  I certainly did not read the rest
of Bernstein's book after wading thru the crap in the first few pages.

The program does not play anywhere near a world-class game.  I have a ready
proof in the form of an offer you are free to give on my behalf to anyone who
claims otherwise.  I'll let you bet on the program against me and I'll give
you 7 to 5 odds.  The offer applies to either 7-point matches or simply games
for money.  7 to 5 odds would be overwhelming between two world-class players,
yet I'm only an intermediate player, not even an expert.  (P.S.  If you take
my offer you'll likely lose a lot of money, as I will want a high enough stake
to pay for my time.)

In search of truth and knowledge,
David Wilkins
-------