Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/3/84; site garfield.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!garfield!kinman From: kinman@garfield.UUCP (Kinman Tam) Newsgroups: net.chess Subject: Re: Can computers ever play world-caliber chess? Message-ID: <1671@garfield.UUCP> Date: Thu, 11-Oct-84 22:06:45 EDT Article-I.D.: garfield.1671 Posted: Thu Oct 11 22:06:45 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 12-Oct-84 00:41:38 EDT References: <12734@sri-arpa.UUCP> <1165@eosp1.UUCP> Organization: Memorial U. of Nfld. C.S. Dept., St. John's Lines: 16 There has been quite a bit of work done on endgames for computer chess recently. Endgames allow more controlled experimentation than the middlegame. More importantly, the endgame has traditionally been the part of chess that computers are the weakest at. I was quite astounded when I learned a few years ago about the difference in their caliber of play between the middlegame and the endgame. Computers could outplay 90% of non-tournament chess players at the middlegame, but this figure dropped drastically for the endgame. I can't remember what the percentage for the endgame was, but it was evident that there was definitely room for improvement. Does anyone have some up-to-date figures on this? -- Kinman Tam {allegra, ihnp4, utcsrgv}!garfield!kinman