Human Defeats Rybka 4.5-3.5
For the first two games of the match, there was only the smallest of handicaps - Rybka played black in both games, instead of switching colors with Milov. Still, Rybka scored 1.5 out of 2 in these even games with the black pieces. Milov then scored 1.5/2 in the next phase of the match, where Rybka gave the classic "pawn and move" handicap - playing black and removing the pawn on f7 before the start of the game.
The second half of the match was played with odds of the exchange: Rybka played white without the a1 rook, while Milov was black without the b8 knight. Milov won one of the four games, while the rest ended in draws. The final score was narrowly in Milov's favor: 4.5-3.5.
What does this mean for the future of human-computer matches? We're likely to see many more where human grandmasters take small-to-moderate handicaps in order to keep things competitive, and humans will certainly have fair chances to win those matches, no matter how good the computers get. On the other hand, is it still possible for a human to challenge Rybka or another top computer program in an even match? Most would say it's doubtful that the humans can hang in there, but Milov thinks he'd have a chance against Rybka - provided he could have white every game and the financial incentives were large enough to make extensive preparation worthwhile. This might be an overly optimistic assessment, but I doubt we've seen the last of human-computer matches on even terms.
Let me know your thoughts: do you think we'll ever see a top human play a top computer to at least a draw in a match again?
Comments
Maybe - it might take a while but it might happen. Unless of course it’s Milov again.
If grandmasters cannot play a computer straight up, who can? At 2710, a grandmaster should be able to defeat the computer at least once during a fair match. If computers were limited just as humans are limited, then no Odds would be necessary. Limit the computation debth to the equivilence of a human and then see what happens.
If the computer can switch itself on, program itself to play the game to the level of a grandmaster, pay for its own electricity and maintenance, and still win, then I’d say computers have finally reached human achievements in the game, otherwise, they’re merely a source of human amusement, nothing more.
I love to play. I wear my Life Alert and I can play all day!
I was thinking that the Yankees could devise a pitching machine that hurls 150 mph sliders, to random corners of the plate. It would have a hard time fielding bunts…so maybe they could increase the speed to 200 mph to take care of that flaw.