Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site tekchips.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!tekcrl!tekchips!stevev 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