Weakest Chess Program needed
Jones Maxime Murphy
optimized to commit self-mates, etc. I'm teaching a 5-year-old to play, so
even a program that plays completely random moves would be fine for a
few weeks.
I have a 486-33, so this program must be truly bad.
Jones
--
:)
Kenneth S A Oksanen
mor...@cco.caltech.edu (Jones Maxime Murphy) writes:
>This is not a joke. I need a *really* weak chess program, perhaps one
>optimized to commit self-mates, etc. I'm teaching a 5-year-old to play, so
>even a program that plays completely random moves would be fine for a
>few weeks.
I suggest two possibilities: Take gnuchess and give it very little
time or add random noice to the values returned by the evaluation
function. I suggest the latter (the game may feel more authentical):
/* This function returns a random integer value distributed as N(0,deviation).
*/
int N(deviation)
int deviation;
{
int i;
float T = 0;
for(i = 0; i < 12; i++)
T += ((float) random() / (float) ((unsigned) 1 << 31));
return (int) ((T-6.0)*deviation);
}
Initialize random() somewhere, and change `return s;' at the end of
evaluate() to `return s+N(deviation);' The bigger the deviation,
the worse the game.
--
; (c) 1991 by Kenneth Oksanen, <ce...@cs.hut.fi>, +358-0-4513295 or -555017
((lambda (a) (a a ((lambda (a) (lambda () (set! a (+ 1 a)))) 2))) (lambda
(a b) ((lambda (c) (newline) (write c) (a a ((lambda (b) (lambda () (b b)))
(lambda (a) ((lambda (b) (if (= (modulo b c) 0) (a a) b)) (b)))))) (b))))
Jered M. Moses
In a previous article, sig...@nsc.nsc.com (Sigmund Malek) says:
> For about $3 you can get a shareware copy of CYRUS, excellent
>user interface, at its lowest level it could be a nice training
>tool for for a beginner.
Actually, I found CYRUS to be a tremendous opponent at level 1 for the
longest time....Not until I crossed ~1450 could I beat its level 1.
If only it were any better at higher levels..........
My recommendation would be a little program called World Class Chess.
I picked it up for about $8 US or so....Available at most software places...
While its play is absolutely atrocious, it does have the nice feature that
it has an editable opening book, so if you want to study an opening, it's
a nice way.......
Just my $.02 US.
--
The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began, | Jered
Now far ahead the road has gone, and I must follow, if I can. | Moses
Pursuing it with weary feet, until it joins some larger way, |jmm22@po.
Where many paths and errands meet, and whither then, I cannot say." | cwru.edu
Howard Huang
Well, Battle Chess for the Apple IIgs has a few novice levels which MUST
be making random moves. On novice level 1 there's a good chance the
program won't take your queen even if you try to get rid of her. I don't
know if the IBM version has the same features (deficiencies?)
The program also has entertaining graphics and sound that a five-year
old might enjoy. And it does have several other real (i.e., non-
random) levels which may keep your child busy for a little while.
I believe Battle Chess is from Electronic Arts.
Have fun.
--
__________________________________________________________________________
Howard C. Huang Internet: hu...@husc.harvard.edu
Mather House 120 BITNET : hu...@husc9.bitnet
10 Cowperthwaite St. UUCP : ...!harvard!husc9!huang
Cambridge, MA 02138
Andrew Gross
>Well, Battle Chess for the Apple IIgs has a few novice levels which MUST
>be making random moves. On novice level 1 there's a good chance the
>program won't take your queen even if you try to get rid of her. I don't
>know if the IBM version has the same features (deficiencies?)
Disclaimer: I have never played Battle Chess.
That being said, I know for sure that Battle Chess was/is advertised as
being specifically written to teach elemenatry school age children to play
chess. They included animation sequences of pieces capturing one another
because they thought that this would increase interest in the game for
youngsters.
I also remember reading that the low levels intentionally committed errors
in order to give novices a chance to win, as they felt (probably correctly)
that losing every game would be especially discouraging for children.
Again, I have never played Battle Chess, but am quite sure that I have
read the above information in a review of Battle Chess (for the Amiga, I
think, though it should be machine-independent information).
Andrew B. Gross | "Brave, foolish, or both-- there is
abg...@hardy.u.washington.edu | something attractive about an outrageous
abg...@uwavm.u.washington.edu | and futile undertaking."
ab...@johnjohn.uchicago.edu | --Roger Zelazny, _The_Changing_Land_
John Quill Taylor
I would recommend Don Berg's early 1980s version of CHESS.EXE - it
will attack you with its King! But will this be helping someone
learn the game?? CYRUS is a better recommendation, as it has a very
nice screen and take back, etc. Above level 3 is doesn't appear to
get much better, but despite it's weakness, it defends very well.
- jqtaylor -
Eric Wayne Sink
>That being said, I know for sure that Battle Chess was/is advertised as
>being specifically written to teach elemenatry school age children to play
>chess. They included animation sequences of pieces capturing one another
>because they thought that this would increase interest in the game for
>youngsters.
>I also remember reading that the low levels intentionally committed errors
>in order to give novices a chance to win, as they felt (probably correctly)
>that losing every game would be especially discouraging for children.
This is really depressing. I *knew* I wasn`t very good at chess, but I
felt a little better when I found a program which I could beat most of
the time on its lowest level.
First, in gnu.chess everyone is talking about how weak gnuchess is.
I've only beat it maybe twice.
Then I find out that the only program I consistenly beat is letting
me win.
My self esteem is shattered.
:-)
Eric
--
Eric W. Sink -- University of Illinois
si...@cs.uiuc.edu