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Thesis (Master)--İzmir Institute of Technology, İzmir, 2005. / Keywords: Chess, logging visual activities. Includes bibliographical references (leaves. 46-47).

Inaug.-diss.--Heidelberg.

In recent years, computer games have become a common form of entertainment. Fast advancement in computer technology and internet speed have helped entertainment software developers to create graphical games that keep a variety of players’ interest. The emergence of artificial intelligence systems has evolved computer gaming technology in new and profound ways. Artificial intelligence provides the illusion of intelligence in the behavior of NPCs (Non-Playable-Characters). NPCs are able to use the increased CPU, GPU, RAM, Storage and other bandwidth related capabilities, resulting in very difficult game play for the end user. In many cases, computer abilities must be toned down in order to give the human player a competitive chance in the game. This improves the human player’s perception of fair game play and allows for continued interest in playing. A proper adaptive learning mechanism is required to further this human player’s motivation. During this project, past achievements of adaptive learning on computer chess game play are reviewed and adaptive learning mechanisms in computer chess game play is proposed. Adaptive learning is used to adapt the game’s difficulty level to the players’ skill levels. This adaptation is done using the player’s game history and current performance. The adaptive chess game is implemented through the open source chess game engine Beowulf, which is freely available for download on the internet.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

The Exchange is a fiction novel Xavier "Savvy" Kowalski, one of the most promising American chess prodigies and rumored up-and-comer for the international fame as a potential challenger for the world chess crown. After he loses the junior world chess championship in Venice, Italy, he retires to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he hopes to start his life over. Savvy's father and the chess world at large conspire against him and he finds himself returning to competitive chess again after three years away. He assembles a new team to train him for a return to the world championship, and he also falls in love with a young prodigy he met during his retirement. Together they travel the United States and Europe as Savvy attempts to win back his reputation as America's premier chess player while encountering various rivals, including his own father. The story culminates with Savvy's final championship game, and with his dad.

This thesis presents a system called RETRO, which has the capability of solving a number of retrograde-analysis chess problems of varying degrees of difficulty. Retrograde-analysis problems are exercises in deductive reasoning, entirely different from conventional 'mate-in-n-moves' chess problems, their nature being such that any type of question, together with perhaps an assortment of associated initial conditions, may be presented to the solver, whilst their solution lies in asking pertinent questions at each step of the deduction process. The aim has been to investigate the extent to which the deduction of past events may direct attention to these questions, a key concept being that of a 'Significant Event' (SE), which is an event of significance that must have occurred at some time in the history of the game. An SE is akin to a frame, the usual slots being replaced by the questions that the SE prompts, to which the answers may either provide a solution to the original problem or point to another SE, together with its association questions. It is shown that a small number of SEs possess widespread application. RETRO maintains an explicit knowledge base of rules, grouped according to function, which are used both by the SEs and the system. This knowledge base is designed for easy amendment. RETRO also maintains an explanation facility, which provides an account of its deductions, including a listing of rules utilised. A number of examples are presented which demonstrate the effectiveness of the SE approach. There is also a discussion as to how the concept may be expanded, and its possible limitations.

Creating an artificial intelligence that can play games such as chess against humans has become a popular subject of research with it’s roots in the 1950’s. Over the following 70 years, strategies and algorithms evolved to the point where the average computer using the state of the art chess AI easily beats the best humans players. This was not always the case, as it took until 1997 for the then current reigning world champion Garry Kasparov to lose to the chess engine Deep Blue. In this thesis a survey over the different techniques developed and refined over time in chess AI along with their strengths and weaknesses are presented. Finally, an implementation of a chess engine built for the purpose of this thesis project will be presented.

This diploma thesis compiles available sources regarding the historical development of chess in Jičín area, and compares it with Czech lands (in different historical eras). At the beginning there is an explanation of chess terms that are necessary for further understanding. In the main body of the thesis there is chronological description of history, which starts with the origins of chess in our region and formation of first sport organizations, as well as regional clubs, and ends with the setting of contemporary competitions and achievements of the club. In the conclusion there is stated information about chess personalities from the Jičín region and significant simultaneous games. Techniques used for the thesis compilation were: the method of historical research, content analysis of information resources and interviews. KEYWORDS sport, chess, sports history, chess clubs, sports clubs, chess players, Jičín, Jičínsko