Alan Turing's 1950 Chess Computer Program

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fourthirty
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Alan Turing's 1950 Chess Computer Program

Post by fourthirty »

Nice short article on History.com about Alan Turing's Chess Computer Program written in 1950. Unfortunately, Turing had to demonstrate the algorithm’s capabilities manually without using a computer, as he was unable to get it successfully implemented on an actual computer.

There is also a video of Garry Kasparov playing against the "Turbochamp" engine.

http://www.history.com/news/in-1950-ala ... igured-a-i
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paulwise3
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Post by paulwise3 »

Hi Greg,

Thanx for the link! I wished they published his programming code. We could save it as the very first chess program ever.

Best regards,
Paul
2024 Special thread: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12741
2024 Special results and standings: https://schaakcomputers.nl/paul_w/Tourn ... 25_06.html
If I am mistaken, it must be caused by a horizon effect...
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Peter Grayson
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Post by Peter Grayson »

paulwise3 wrote:Hi Greg,

Thanx for the link! I wished they published his programming code. We could save it as the very first chess program ever.

Best regards,
Paul
Chessbase published and offered for download their version of the Turing engine back in 2006. It worked and may be of some use for youngsters learning to play chess but its understanding was very basic!

PeterG

[Event "Turing vs Fritz 5.32"]
[Site "DEVO3"]
[Date "2017.09.07"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Turing"]
[Black "Fritz 5.32"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A00"]
[WhiteElo "1320"]
[BlackElo "2400"]
[Annotator "4.40;0.00"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[TimeControl "40/300:40/300:40/300"]

{Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q9550 @ 2.83GHz 2833 MHz W=4.8 plies; 0kN/s
B=9.9 plies; 3,228kN/s} 1. e3 {[%eval 440,6] [%emt 0:00:05] Both last book move
} e5 {[%eval 0,13] [%emt 0:00:07]} 2. Nc3 {[%eval 300,6] [%emt 0:00:15] (d4)}
Nf6 {[%eval -9,12] [%emt 0:00:08] (Nc6)} 3. Nh3 {[%eval 180,5] [%emt 0:00:04]
(d4)} Bb4 {[%eval -28,11] [%emt 0:00:05] (Nc6)} 4. Qf3 {[%eval 190,5] [%emt 0:
00:05] (d4)} d6 {[%eval -31,11] [%emt 0:00:10] (Nc6)} 5. Bb5+ {[%eval 190,4]
[%emt 0:00:04] (Ne4)} c6 {[%eval -59,12] [%emt 0:00:08] (Nbd7)} 6. Bd3 {[%eval
90,4] [%emt 0:00:04]} d5 {[%eval -59,11] [%emt 0:00:08] (Nbd7)} 7. Qg3 {[%eval
-30,4] [%emt 0:00:10]} Qe7 {[%eval -53,11] [%emt 0:00:18] (Bxc3)} 8. a3 {
[%eval 80,4] [%emt 0:00:09] (e4)} Bd6 {[%eval -56,11] [%emt 0:00:07] (Bxh3)} 9.
O-O {[%eval 280,4] [%emt 0:00:10] (e4)} e4 {[%eval -288,12] [%emt 0:00:09]
(Bg4)} 10. Qxg7 {[%eval -50,4] [%emt 0:00:16] (f4)} Rg8 {[%eval -359,11] [%emt
0:00:02]} 11. Nxd5 {[%eval -140,4] [%emt 0:00:12] (Qh6)} Rxg7 {[%eval -744,12]
[%emt 0:00:02]} 12. Nxe7 {[%eval -50,4] [%emt 0:00:02]} Bxh3 {[%eval -731,13]
[%emt 0:00:02] (Kxe7)} 13. Nc8 {[%eval -20,4] [%emt 0:00:04] (Bxe4)} Rxg2+ {
[%eval -797,11] [%emt 0:00:03] (Bxc8)} 14. Kh1 {[%eval 1060,7] [%emt 0:00:09]}
Rxh2+ {[%eval -800,12] [%emt 0:00:00]} 15. Kg1 {[%eval 980,7] [%emt 0:00:05]}
Bc7 {[%eval -813,12] [%emt 0:00:00] (Bxc8)} 16. Bc4 {[%eval -50,5] [%emt 0:00:
06] (Be2)} Nbd7 {[%eval -891,9] [%emt 0:00:02] (Bxf1)} 17. Nd6+ {[%eval 400,5]
[%emt 0:00:06]} Bxd6 {[%eval -32751,9] [%emt 0:00:01]} 18. b3 {[%eval 180,5]
[%emt 0:00:06] (Be2)} Ke7 {[%eval -32755,6] [%emt 0:00:00] (Bxf1)} 19. f4 {
[%eval 230,5] [%emt 0:00:08] (Bxf7)} Rg2+ {[%eval -32759,4] [%emt 0:00:00]
(exf3)} 20. Kh1 {[%eval -32761,6] [%emt 0:00:49]} Nh5 {[%eval -32761,3] [%emt
0:00:00]} 21. Rf3 {[%eval -32763,4] [%emt 0:00:13]} exf3 {[%eval -32763,2]
[%emt 0:00:00]} 22. Bb2 {[%eval -32765,4] [%emt 0:00:05] (Bxf7)} Ng3# {[%eval
-32765,1] [%emt 0:00:00]} 0-1

[Event "Turing vs Fritz 5.32"]
[Site "DEVO3"]
[Date "2017.09.07"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Fritz 5.32"]
[Black "Turing"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C02"]
[WhiteElo "2400"]
[BlackElo "1320"]
[Annotator "0.09;-4.40"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[TimeControl "40/300:40/300:40/300"]

{Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q9550 @ 2.83GHz 2833 MHz W=10.8 plies; 3,
022kN/s B=4.9 plies; 0kN/s} 1. e4 {[%eval 9,13] [%emt 0:00:06] Both last book
move} e6 {[%eval -440,6] [%emt 0:00:11]} 2. d4 {[%eval 3,12] [%emt 0:00:17]
(e5)} Nc6 {[%eval -220,5] [%emt 0:00:06] (d5)} 3. Nf3 {[%eval 25,12] [%emt 0:
00:08] (d5)} d5 {[%eval -210,5] [%emt 0:00:09]} 4. e5 {[%eval 28,13] [%emt 0:
00:00] (exd5)} h5 {[%eval -180,5] [%emt 0:00:09] (Nge7)} 5. c3 {[%eval 56,13]
[%emt 0:00:07] (Ng5)} a5 {[%eval -110,5] [%emt 0:00:11] (Be7)} 6. Bb5 {[%eval
66,13] [%emt 0:00:18] (c4)} Bd7 {[%eval -250,5] [%emt 0:00:08] (Be7)} 7. Bd3 {
[%eval 59,12] [%emt 0:00:06] (Ba4)} a4 {[%eval -60,4] [%emt 0:00:04] (Be7)} 8.
Ng5 {[%eval 72,12] [%emt 0:00:06] (c4)} h4 {[%eval -50,4] [%emt 0:00:07] (g6)}
9. Nh7 {[%eval 103,11] [%emt 0:00:05]} Nh6 {[%eval -60,4] [%emt 0:00:05] (h3)}
10. Bxh6 {[%eval 219,12] [%emt 0:00:03] (Nxf8)} gxh6 {[%eval -40,4] [%emt 0:00:
08]} 11. Nf6+ {[%eval 256,13] [%emt 0:00:00] (Nxf8)} Ke7 {[%eval -570,6] [%emt
0:00:13]} 12. Qg4 {[%eval 209,13] [%emt 0:00:00] (Bc2)} h3 {[%eval -20,4]
[%emt 0:00:05] (Nb8)} 13. gxh3 {[%eval 216,12] [%emt 0:00:07]} Qb8 {[%eval -90,
4] [%emt 0:00:00] (Nb8)} 14. Qh4 {[%eval 288,13] [%emt 0:00:12]} Bg7 {[%eval
-230,5] [%emt 0:00:00] (Kd8)} 15. Rg1 {[%eval 628,9] [%emt 0:00:01] (Nh5+)} Bf8
{[%eval 230,4] [%emt 0:00:04] (Qd8)} 16. Nh5+ {[%eval 675,11] [%emt 0:00:02]
(Nxd5+)} Ke8 {[%eval -1200,6] [%emt 0:00:08]} 17. Qf6 {[%eval 766,13] [%emt 0:
00:00]} Nb4 {[%eval -20,4] [%emt 0:00:04] (Qd8)} 18. cxb4 {[%eval 950,9] [%emt
0:00:02]} Bxb4+ {[%eval -210,6] [%emt 0:00:15] (Qd8)} 19. Nc3 {[%eval 1275,11]
[%emt 0:00:10]} Qa7 {[%eval -40,5] [%emt 0:00:00]} 20. Ng7+ {[%eval 32758,4]
[%emt 0:00:00] (Qxh8+)} Kf8 {[%eval 32760,7] [%emt 0:00:09]} 21. Bg6 {[%eval
32760,3] [%emt 0:00:00]} Bxc3+ {[%eval -60,4] [%emt 0:00:18]} 22. bxc3 {[%eval
32762,3] [%emt 0:00:00]} Be8 {[%eval 32764,4] [%emt 0:00:05]} 23. Nxe6+ {
[%eval 32764,1] [%emt 0:00:00]} Kg8 {[%eval 32766,6] [%emt 0:00:07]} 24. Bf5# {
[%eval 32766,1] [%emt 0:00:00]} 1-0
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BenRedic
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Post by BenRedic »

Peter Grayson wrote:Chessbase published and offered for download their version of the Turing engine back in 2006.
Unfortunately, they have later pulled it. But it can still be found using archive.org

http://web.archive.org/web/200702080829 ... at=Engines
Thank you for an interesting game.
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Bryan Whitby
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Location: England

Post by Bryan Whitby »

There is an iPad version with details found here.
http://dbrg.com/TuringsMachine.html

Unfortunately I could not get it to replicate Peter's game moves.

Regards
Bryan
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Peter Grayson
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Location: South Wales, UK

Post by Peter Grayson »

Chessmaster Ireland wrote:There is an iPad version with details found here.
http://dbrg.com/TuringsMachine.html

Unfortunately I could not get it to replicate Peter's game moves.

Regards
Bryan
Chessbase people had exactly the same problem when trying to reproduce moves from earlier references. Just picked up on this article here that may be of some interest ...

http://en.chessbase.com/post/reconstruc ... er-machine

Peter
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BenRedic
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Location: Norway

Post by BenRedic »

Peter Grayson wrote: Chessbase people had exactly the same problem when trying to reproduce moves from earlier references. Just picked up on this article here that may be of some interest ...

http://en.chessbase.com/post/reconstruc ... er-machine

Peter
Well, maybe this also has something to do with it:
'All about chess and computers' by Levy and Newborn (1982) wrote:For the sake of simplicitv Turing approximated the square roots to one place of decimals.
This could certainly account for some differences in evaluations, unless the Chessbase guys actively rounded these operations in the exact same way that Turing himself did. I see no mention of this in the Chessbase article.
Thank you for an interesting game.
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