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I
watched this whole game - 90% (or more) on ICC. Quite a few impressions,
and most were very positive. So here goes:
#
1.) The new Hiarcs(X)
program is very, very, very strong. (I have two versions of the older
Hiarcs program.) It is MUCH improved ... and is vastly better tactically
than the previous versions were. To draw a four-game match against # 8
player in the world is an incredible feat. My only afterthought
is: IS THIS A PREVIEW OF THE STATE OF THINGS TO COME? I.e.,
will the best players consider it a moral victory when they can hold the
machine to a draw??? (And not lose?)
#
2.) Most of the games appeared to be genuine struggles, no
real quick or easy draws. And I heard nothing but positive things about
Bareev's conduct during this match. He is both an incredibly strong
player ... and a real gentleman.
#
3.) Many facets where this program had been {previously}
GROSSLY weak - TACTICS!,
positional understanding, and the endgame - have all been corrected. The
computer's play was nearly flawless. While slightly worse a few times, it
never appeared in serious trouble ... or on the brink of losing. Bareev
played openings that were designed to avoid the brunt of the computers
book, and even this did not cause the computer program undue problems
... it almost always had a VERY reasonable position. Its play in the
opening was quite good.
#
4.) While playing very strong and nearly flawless chess, I got
the impression that Bareev was playing as much as not to lose, as in
trying to win. For example in this last game, the move 38.b5!? almost
guarantees the draw. I thought a slow build-up, and then a King march to
the center was indicated. (But - of course - this might not have
been possible. Perhaps Bareev considered this but - after lengthy
thought - decided that it was simply too risky. He did use a lot of time
for this battle.)
#
5.) This match was/is very much in the shadow of the Kasparov
- Deep Junior event. Yet the interest seems good and the media response
was favorable.
***
Overall,
I would say this match has been good for chess. (A shame Bareev could not
have managed to score at least one win, but this was an extremely tough
opponent. HIARCS
bent a few times ... but never really broke.)
- LM A.J. Goldsby I.
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Hiarcs
and Bareev draw all four games
02.02.2003
The
"other" man
vs machine match between Hiarcs
and world class GM Evgeny Bareev ended in a 2:2 draw. In the last
game the English program was displaying a 0.80 advantage. “It
was amazing that Bareev found a way out of the complicated
position", said Mark Uniacke, the author of Hiarcs. The games
are to be found on the official
website.
(From
the ChessBase web site.) |
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