Learn How To Beat Chess Computers

By Author: Alex Rabinovich
Total Articles: 4
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This article goal is to assist you winning a bit more often against chess computers. A few things that really help are to be able to understand how they work and think, be able to predict what sorts of things they might not spot and to understand what parts of the game a computer is better than humans at playing.

Since Deep Blue victory over Gary Kasparov it has become apparent to all that computers are very good at playing chess. But, fortunately, they still have weaknesses, so with a little preparation the results of playing against chess machine can be improved. A chess computer assesses who is ahead in a slightly different way to how many human players would. The piece values are the same, but not all humans would consider some of the other factors that a computer does.

How Chess Computers Play

Computers use evaluation functions to determine as accurately as possible the likely outcome of the game from that position, however it doesn't need to take account of a great deal of tactical information, as hopefully the tactics in the position are taken care of in the variations themselves.

Strategies ...
... for Beating Chess Computers

Breaking rules of Thumb - The chess computers evaluation function is basically a list of 'rules of thumb' and when you give it a position where these rules aren't valid it will still blindly follow them (unless it can see the consequences).

Opening choices against a master Tactician - When faced with a master tactician one should try to avoid open positions, where simplistic strategies of centralization and tactical awareness predominate. Openings that tend to lead to 'quiet' positions are to be preferred against computers. For example, in positions with a closed center and a build of wing attack behind a pawn advance, in most cases modern computer programs seek counter play with a pawn advance on the opposite wing, but they are outplayed as they don't recognize patterns for opening files, and make lacklustre moves.

Bookish Opponent - As we have said modern computer chess programs have extensive opening books, but often primitive understanding of a position, so one strategy that has been used successfully is to deviate from book early. Many of the Grand masters do not use this strategy - perhaps they have the advantage of being familiar with all the latest analysis - possibly even more up to date than the machines - but for the less strong players, this is a useful strategy and probably will give the club player good practice at thinking through opening plans.

Win the Endgame - Look for non-standard Endgames, in which chess computers can be mislead by the pre-defined evaluation of position.

Play Great Chess - Always a good strategy in chess and can make up for not following any of the above advices

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About the author

Alex Rabinovich is an International Chess Master and a Software and Management Engineer. He has been a World Champion for High Schools in 1996 and has also got a 3rd place in Europe under 18 in 1996. He is a coach of Junior Israeli Olympic team.