[computer-go] New engine? From a Chess programmer perspective.

[Robert Jasiek]

Don Dailey wrote:
> Just a few years ago it was widely held that computers will not reach
> Dan level "in my lifetime" even in 9x9 Go.    When it happened in 9x9
> go,  it was not accepted - the day it happened passed us by and nobody
> noticed it.     It's probably still not common knowledge and it will
> take time for it to be generally believed.

What is the basis of the claim that a program has reached a certain 
human rank level?

There should be systematic tests. Let it play against many humans. Let 
it enter human tournaments. Use a meaningful evaluation context.

For some such evaluation, let me refer to a useful handicap system for 
9x9, which has been used in some European 9x9 "Championships": For the 
first 10 rank differences (0, 1,.., 9) decrease the komi from 6.5 for an 
even game by 1 point per extra rank. (Komi can become negative.) - OC, I 
  prefer to see even games. OTOH, until the program rank is well known, 
it may be suitable to let a simgle human (the more humans the better) 
play until the handicap becomes stable.

-- 
robert jasiek