Dominick
Oct 19th 2008, 08:59 PM
Chess is a complex and very variable game, but nevertheless, with the exponentially growing calculation speed of modern computers, we have more or less come to the point where a top of the shelf computer, with an excellent chess engine, i.e. the program that plays chess, can beat any human, including the World Champion.
Humans are not in the habit of accepting defeat, and certainly not from machines. So a guy called Omar Syed set out to design a game that would be just as challenging and interesting to humans, but would be a much bigger challenge to computers, thus giving the edge back to the humans in this field.
The game, called Arimaa, has a board almost identical to that of chess, with pieces similar to chess, but the rules are significantly different, though still easy to learn and also intuitive. It is still in its infancy so there are as of yet few 'definitive' strategies established, unlike in chess. A rookie may still make a name for him- or herself at the the many championships at this stage.
You can play the game, learn more about its origin, sign up for championships, and defeat a whole range of computer bots at www.arimaa.com.
Note : There's also more technical information for those interested in game theory.
Humans are not in the habit of accepting defeat, and certainly not from machines. So a guy called Omar Syed set out to design a game that would be just as challenging and interesting to humans, but would be a much bigger challenge to computers, thus giving the edge back to the humans in this field.
The game, called Arimaa, has a board almost identical to that of chess, with pieces similar to chess, but the rules are significantly different, though still easy to learn and also intuitive. It is still in its infancy so there are as of yet few 'definitive' strategies established, unlike in chess. A rookie may still make a name for him- or herself at the the many championships at this stage.
You can play the game, learn more about its origin, sign up for championships, and defeat a whole range of computer bots at www.arimaa.com.
Note : There's also more technical information for those interested in game theory.