[computer-go] Amazons comment

["Richard J. Lorentz" <lorentz@xxxxxxxx>]

As an Amazons programmer I certainly agree with the implication that it 
is a difficult game to program.  With over 1000 legal moves during most 
of the opening and hundreds throughout most of the rest of the game we 
are not able to look ahead very far, even with severe forward pruning.  
In fact, I find it amazing that Amazons programs play a well as they do, 
given that my program, Invader, for example, isn't able to complete a 
4-move lookahead until well into the middle game when the number of 
legal moves has been considerably reduced.  The frustrating thing about 
Amazons is that it is very difficult (even for humans) to distinguish 
the best moves from the merely mediocre, but perhaps as we learn more 
about the game (it is young, having been invented in 1988), this will 
change.  Of course this might also mean that it's not our programs that 
are playing well, but we humans are still playing terribly.  As to 
whether computer skill in Amazons will translate to go, that is far from 
clear.  Actually maybe the reverse is true:  perhaps if Amazons 
programmers start incorporating more go programming techniques into 
their program, e.g., pattern matching, these programs will improve.

-Richard Lorentz

Suciu Flavius wrote:

> Hi,
>
> just a little diversification ...
>
> could anybody recomand his "secret" AI introductory
> book?? I'm interested in a book related to minimax,
> alfa-beta, aspiration search and other game tree
> search algorithms.
>
> A beginner supposition: who will "solve" Amazons, will
> have a big chance in go "solving"
> Any comment regarding this? ;)
>
> Thanks in advance..
>
>
>
> 	
> 		
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