New Scientist reports that Jonathan Schaeffer has proven Checkers to end in a draw if neither player makes a mistake.
The crucial part of Schaeffer’s computer proof involved playing out every possible endgame involving fewer than 10 pieces. The result is an endgame database of 39 trillion positions. By contrast, there are only 19 different opening moves in draughts. Schaeffer’s proof shows that each of these leads to a draw in the endgame database, providing neither player makes a mistake.
Schaeffer was able to get his result by searching only a subset of board positions rather than all of them, since some of them can be considered equivalent. He carried out a mere 1014 calculations to complete the proof in under two decades. “This pushes the envelope as far as artificial intelligence is concerned,” he says.
To sum it up: If we were only a little smarter, Checkers would be just as boring as Tic Tac Toe.
Thanks to Henrik Bennetsen for the heads up.
“If we were only a little smarter, Checkers would be just as boring as Tic Tac Toe.”
To be fair, I thinks this can be said about most deterministic symmetric games of perfect information where draws are possible, only with different degrees of ‘smarter.’
Solving checkers is undeniably impressive, though.
You could say that, but it’s not as catchy.
Good point.
laughing out loud. (chess player)
>To be fair, I thinks this can be said about most deterministic symmetric games of perfect information where draws are possible, only with different degrees of ?smarter.?
This is why I think to get the draw you should have to roll a saving throw. Shakes things up a bit ;-)
Does anybody know what the current hypotheses are about chess if both players play perfectly? Is it a draw? Does white win?
(Speculating: The advantage for white in current chess could be a reflection of the opening player being allowed to select his/her favorite part of the chess game?)
J>
(Speculating: The advantage for white in current chess could be a reflection of the opening player being allowed to select his/her favorite part of the chess game?)
Are you asking whether initiative translates into better options or whether initiative means better ability to control which options get exercised? I would think a combination of both.
I believe that it’s undetermined whether or not white or black have an advantage in Chess.