[computer-go] Shogi programs beat top amateurs

[Hideki Kato]

Today, at the 18th World Computer Shogi Championship, top two 
programs won against top amateur palyers in exihibition.
http://www.computer-shogi.org/index_e.html

The result of the tournament is here.
http://www.computer-shogi.org/wcsc18/index_e.html

You can replay the exhibition games here (in Japanese).
http://homepage.mac.com/junichi_takada/wcsc18/exhibition.html

The amateur players, Yukio Kato and Toru Shimizugami are current title 
holders and stroger than weaker professionals.

CSA stands for Computer Shogi Association (in Japan).  Shogi is a 
Chess like board game and is very popular in Japan but not in the 
world :(.  The search space is about 10^220 in Shogi where it's 10^300 
in 19x19 Go and 10^120 in Chess.

BTW, YSS, the champ of last year and the fourth today, is developed by
Hiroshi Yamashita, well known author of Aya.

-Hideki
--
gg at nue.ci.i.u-tokyo.ac.jp (Kato)