Chess Engines: a "Deep" history

The history of chess engines, or computer programs designed to play chess, dates back to the 1950s when computers were first developed. However, it wasn't until the 1990s when chess engines truly began to make a significant impact on the world of chess. One of the most famous moments in the history of chess engines occurred in 1997 when IBM's Deep Blue defeated world champion Garry Kasparov in a highly publicized match. This was a major milestone for artificial intelligence and demonstrated the incredible progress that had been made in the field of chess engines.

Since the Kasparov match, chess engines have continued to evolve and improve, with many becoming powerful enough to compete with the best human players in the world. Today, chess engines are used by chess players at all levels, from beginners to grandmasters, to analyze and improve their games.

One of the main reasons for the rapid development of chess engines is the increase in computational power and the development of sophisticated algorithms that allow computers to analyze and evaluate chess positions more accurately. This has led to the creation of engines that can analyze millions of positions per second, making them formidable opponents for even the best human players. In addition to their use in chess, chess engines have also been used in other areas such as education and research. They have been used to study and analyze chess games to better understand the strategies and tactics used by the best players in the world, and to develop new approaches to the game.

Overview

AlphaZero's rise

AlphaZero is a revolutionary artificial intelligence developed by DeepMind, a subsidiary of Google. It is known for its impressive ability to learn and master complex board games, including chess, by playing against itself and learning from its mistakes. In 2017, AlphaZero made headlines when it defeated the world's best chess engine, Stockfish, in a 100-game match, winning 28 games and drawing the rest. This was a major achievement, as chess engines had previously been considered much stronger than any AI at the game.

The success of AlphaZero in the chess world has been nothing short of impressive. In addition to its victory over Stockfish, it has also defeated other top-ranked chess engines such as Leela Chess Zero and Houdini. It has also won numerous matches against human players, including grandmasters, further demonstrating its formidable strength and ability to adapt to different styles of play. One of the reasons for AlphaZero's success in chess is its unique approach to the game. Unlike traditional chess engines, which rely on pre-programmed rules and algorithms, AlphaZero uses a neural network and reinforcement learning to analyze and evaluate positions and make decisions based on the potential outcomes of its moves. This allows it to think and play more like a human, and to adapt to new situations and opponents.AlphaZero's success in chess has also had a significant impact on the world of AI and board game research. Its unique ability to learn and adapt has led to numerous applications in other fields, such as protein folding and drug discovery. It has also inspired the development of other AI programs that use similar approaches to learn and master other games and tasks.