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From: stevev@tekchips.UUCP (Steve Vegdahl)
Newsgroups: net.chess
Subject: Re: machine checkers (Samuel's program)
Message-ID: <93@tekchips.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 13-Aug-85 18:29:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekchips.93
Posted: Tue Aug 13 18:29:05 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Aug-85 16:27:04 EDT
References: <474@oakhill.UUCP> <4900001@ddnt.UUCP> <413@sbcs.UUCP>
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 18

> Talking of game-playing programs, Hans Berliner at CMU had a backgammon
> program in the late '70s - early '80s that beat the then world champion
> pretty convincingly.  But I guess that doesn't really belong here ...

I was in the CS department at CMU when that match occurred.  The victory
in the deciding game was anything but convincing.  The (human) world
champion had a very strong position, but Hans (rolling for the computer)
rolled something like a double-5 and two double-6's right at the end in
order to eek out the victory.  The score might have appeared convincing
due to doubling that may have occured during that game.  I don't remember
the details.  I do remember Hans relating the story to some of us in the
department; he gave the strong impression that his program was very lucky
to have won the match.

		Steve Vegdahl
		Computer Research Lab.
		Tektronix, Inc.
		Beaverton, Oregon