[Retros] Fwd: [itaprob] computers

[andrew buchanan]

I think there is also a Black rook missing... 

French... 

from Bill Hartston's name...

heh ;-)

Andy

--- pastmaker at aol.com wrote:


> 

> 

> 

> I haven't played forward in a while, but in the Harston composition,

> should the unit on c6 be a Black Pawn rather than a bishop?

> 

> 

> 

> Tom Volet

> 

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Richard Stanley <rstan at math.mit.edu>

> To: mvalg at velucchi.it

> Cc: retros at janko.at

> Sent: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 9:58 pm

> Subject: Re: [Retros] Fwd: [itaprob] computers

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> > 

> > someone just wrote to me:

> >

> > > There are many chess problems

> > > that are totally impossible for computers, but human can solve

> those.

> > > Seeing beutiful things are not possible for computers, but human

> > > can realize those - by seeing brightness/light. You cannot make

> as

> > > complicated computer-program as your brains are.

> >

> > is it true ?

> 

> Good examples of such problems are "fortress problems."

> 

> W. Harston, New Scientist, 1999

> 

> {......kr}

> {.....b.p}

> {..b...pP}

> {rpPp.pP.}

> {pP.PpP..}

> {P...P...}

> {.K......}

> {........}

> 

> White to play and draw

> 

> A reasonably good chess player can solve this problem in a few

> seconds

> - just refuse to capture any Black pieces, and Black cannot break

> through. However, the computer program Deep Thought, at that time

> (1993) the world's best chess program, played 1.bxa5. This position

> is

> discussed by Jane Seymore and David Norwood on page 25 of New

> Scientist 139, #1889 (1993) in an article about the psychology and

> intellectual abilities of good chess players, and by Roger Penrose on

> page 104 of "The Large, the Small, and the Human Mind" in an essay

> about the relationship of the mind to the physical world. Tim Krabbe

> gives an example in item 223 of his "Open Chess Diary" of a fortress

> position that occurred in an actual game played in 1951 which the

> chess computer Shredder 7.04 had no difficulty analyzing.

> 

> Another fortress problem that requires a little foresight to set up

> is:

> 

> Anonymous, Zadachi i Etiudi, 1928

> 

> {...B....}

> {.r..p...}

> {r..p.p..}

> {bkp.P.p.}

> {.p.P.PPp}

> {p.P....P}

> {PP.K....}

> {...B....}

> 

> White to play and draw

> 

> I wonder how present-day computers would do on this problem.

> 

> Richard

> 

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