Re: computer-go: Programming the capturing game

[Tristan Cazenave <cazenave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Has anyone written a program that will play the capturing game?  It would
> seem, from my naive perspective, to be a rather trivial task for those who
> have written engines to play the 'real' game of go.  Assuming that it has
> not already been done, could I interest anyone in doing so?  Or, failing
> that, could someone point me in the direction of some suitable starting
> point for algorithms which would be useful in developing a program whose
> goal is merely to be the first to capture a stone?
> 

I have written such a program. I solved AtariGo 6x6 with a crosscut in
the
center. Win for the first player.

I published a paper about it last month. You can have a look at it at:

http://www.ai.univ-paris8.fr/~cazenave/AGPS-RFIA.pdf

Some related papers can be also found at:

http://www.ai.univ-paris8.fr/~cazenave/papers.html

I also made a demo at the conference where I gave the talk,
but unfortunately people did not want much to play the game
because they knew my program was playing perfectly and they
did not want to lose... I convinced some to play by telling
them that they could win by resisting as long as possible.

Maybe I should change my interface to allow people to play
first and maybe win :)

I also made very strong Go players play with my program in 
May 2001 in Korea, and it was funny to see that in certain 
positions they did not see the correct way to play at AtariGo 
(they had problems with forbidden sacrifice moves).

I also gave this project to my students last year, so some
weaker computer opponents also exist for this game...

Tristan.