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| 1 November, 2009 - A Proposed Heuristic For a Computer Chess Program |
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What if we applied Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt's Theory of Constraints and Thinking Process to a computer
chess program?
Theory of Constraints is a thinking process that requires people to make logical decisions based on
the current environment using key barometers... the barometer must correctly model the system and reflect the constrained
activities of the organization.[D. Smith, The Measurement Nightmare, p.77]
The common theme running through all TOC applications is constraint management. Because constraints
are what keep an enterprise from reaching its goal, global optimization of enterprises has to address constraints. [John Ricketts,
Reaching the Goal, p.63]
Constraints can be considered as pieces of partial information. Constraints describe properties of unknown
objects and relationships between them... Constraints allow for a finite representation and efficient processing of possibly
infinite relations. [Fruhwirth, Abdennadher, Essentials of Constraint Programming, p.1]
We might also consider the concept of Resilience and construct positions that are full of capacity to respond
to the unexpected:
p.3"Consider Pat Lagadec's vivid words: 'The ability to deal with a crisis situation is largely dependent
on the structures that have been developed before chaos arrives. The event can in some way be considered as an abrupt and
brutal audit: at a moment's notice, everything that was left unprepared becomes a complex problem, and every weakness comes
rushing to the forefront.' [Preventing Chaos in a Crisis, p.54, Patrick Lagadec, Jocelyn Phelps, 1993]" Weik, Sutcliffe, Managing
the Unexpected
p.8"Small events have large consequences. Small discrepancies give off small clues that are hard to spot but
easy to treat if they are spotted. When clues become much more visible, they are that much harder to treat. Managing the unexpected
often means that people have to make strong responses to weak signals, something that is counterintuitive and not very 'heroic.'
Normally, we make weak responses to weak signals and strong responses to strong signals... systems that mismanage the unexpected
tend to ignore small failures, accept simple diagnoses, take frontline operations for granted, neglect capabilities for resilience,
and defer to authorities rather than experts." Weik, Sutcliffe, Managing the Unexpected
Wikipedia article on Theory of Constraints
Read more about the Theory of Constraints
Read more about Resilience
Read more about Systems Thinking
Additional Quotations
This interesting idea for an evaluation function for a computer chess program is worth reading if you enjoy looking
at new ideas in the field of computer chess. We use the future mobility of the chess pieces and the ability of the lower-value
enemy pieces to restrict mobility to better estimate positional pressure and focus our search efforts.
This paper can be considered to be an extension of the ideas of Dan Heisman, M. Botvinnik, Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Judea
Pearl, Rina Dichter, Aron Katsenelinboigen, Norman Garmezy and others.
Abstract:
How might we create an evaluation function for a computer chess program that plays a stronger positional game
of chess? A new heuristic for estimating the positional pressure produced by chess pieces is proposed. The identification
and management of stressors and the construction of resilient positions allow effective cut-offs for less-promising game continuations
due to the presence of adaptive capacity. We calculate and maintain a database of potential mobility for each chess piece
3 moves into the future, for each position we evaluate in our search tree. We determine the restrictions placed on the future
mobility of the pieces based on the attack paths of the lower-valued enemy pieces. Initial results are presented.
keywords: complexity, chess, game theory, constraints, heuristics, planning, measurement, diagnostic test,
resilience
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