The Best of Creative Computing Volume 2 (published 1977)

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Summary of the ACM Sixth U.S. Computer Chess Championship (CHESS 4.0, TREEFROG, RIBBIT, SORTIE)
by M. M. Newborn

graphic of page

Summary of the ACM Sixth U.S. Computer Chess Championship

By M.M. Newborn
McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Playing stronger chess than ever before on CDC's superfast CYPER 175, CHESS 4.4,
the chess program of David Slate and Larry Atkin captured the ACM's Sixth U.S.
Computer Chess Championship in Minneapolis at the ACM's Annual Conference on
October 19-21, 19765.  CHESS 4.4 defeated all four opponents in capturing its
fifth of the ACM's six tournaments.  TREEFROG, the work of Ron Hansen, Gary
Calnek, and Russell Crook of the University of Waterloo and winner in 1975, lost
only to CHESS 4.4 in the final round and finished in second place.  It was
TREEFROG *under the name RIBBIT) that dethroned Slate Atkin's program last year.
 Twelve teams participated in the four round Swiss style tournament.  


In addition to the tournatment, David Levy, International Master from England
and the tournament director, played a simultaneous exhibition on Sunday evening
against the program.  SORTIE passed up the exhibition; Slate and Atkins' program
played two boards running on Northwestern University's CDC 6400 computer in one
game and on a CDC CYBER 175 in the other.  Levy won ten games, drew two, and
lost none;  CHESS 4.4, running on the CYBER 175 and TREEFROG, running on a
Honeywell 6080 drew with Levy.  Against CHESS 4.4, the game edned with Levy
having a Pawn on the seventh rank but dow a Knight and probably lost against
best play by his Opponent (Fig. 1).  In his game again TREEFROG, Levy left a
rook en prise on the 50th move and was fortunate to gain a draw when TREEFROG
was unable to force a win with a Rook and Bishop to Levy's Bishop of opposite
colore.  (Fig.2).  In the exhibition the computers plated at a rate of 40 moves
in two hours.

[image]
David Slate, programmer of CHESS 4.0,  winner at ACM-76.

[image]
"The minute you say that a thing cannot be done, you are through with that
thing.  And no matter how much you know – even if you are an expert – if you
say it can't be done, you are all through.  And someone knowing nothing about
it, but thinking it can be done, now is a better man for the job than you." 
Harry Myers

[image}
Figure 1.  Position at end of Levy (White) vs CHESS 4.0 (Black_ White to move.

[image]
Figure 2.  Position at edn of TREEFROG (White) vs Levy (Black) Black to move.

*Black pieces are circled.

[image]

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