Deep Thought (chess computer)
Encyclopedia
Deep Thought was a computer
designed to play chess. Deep Thought was initially developed at Carnegie Mellon University
and later at IBM
. It was second in the line of chess
computers developed by Feng-hsiung Hsu
, starting with ChipTest
and culminating in Deep Blue. Deep Thought was easily defeated in both games of a two-game match with Garry Kasparov
in 1989 as well as in a correspondence
match with Michael Valvo
.
It was named after Deep Thought, a fictional computer in Douglas Adams
' series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
. The naming of chess computers has continued in this vein with Deep Blue, Deep Fritz, Deep Junior
, etc.
Deep Thought won the North American Computer Chess Championship
in 1988 and the World Computer Chess Championship
in the year 1989, and its rating
, according to the USCF
was 2551.
In 1994, Deep Thought 2 won the North American Computer Chess Championship
for the fifth time, with its rating estimated at around 2600. It was sponsored by IBM
. Some engineers who designed Deep Thought also worked in the design of Deep Thought 2. Its algorithms were quite simple evaluation functions, but it could examine half a billion chess positions per move in tournament games, which is sufficient to reach depth of 10 or 11 moves ahead in complex positions. Despite that, using the technique of singular extensions it could also follow lines of forced moves that reach even further, which is how it once found a checkmate
in 37 moves.
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
designed to play chess. Deep Thought was initially developed at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
and later at IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
. It was second in the line of chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
computers developed by Feng-hsiung Hsu
Feng-hsiung Hsu
Feng-hsiung Hsu is a computer scientist and the author of the book Behind Deep Blue: Building the Computer that Defeated the World Chess Champion...
, starting with ChipTest
ChipTest
ChipTest was a 1985 chess playing computer built by Feng-hsiung Hsu, Thomas Anantharaman and Murray Campbell at Carnegie Mellon University. It is the predecessor of Deep Thought which in turn evolved into Deep Blue....
and culminating in Deep Blue. Deep Thought was easily defeated in both games of a two-game match with Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
in 1989 as well as in a correspondence
Correspondence chess
Correspondence chess is chess played by various forms of long-distance correspondence, usually through a correspondence chess server, through email or by the postal system; less common methods which have been employed include fax and homing pigeon...
match with Michael Valvo
Michael Valvo
Michael Valvo was an International Master of chess.By 1962, he was one of the top blitz players in the United States. He won the 1963 U.S. Intercollegiate Championship....
.
It was named after Deep Thought, a fictional computer in Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
' series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
. The naming of chess computers has continued in this vein with Deep Blue, Deep Fritz, Deep Junior
Deep Junior
Junior is a computer chess program authored by the Israeli programmers Amir Ban and Shay Bushinsky. Grandmaster Boris Alterman assisted, in particular with the opening book...
, etc.
Deep Thought won the North American Computer Chess Championship
North American Computer Chess Championship
The North American Computer Chess Championship was a computer chess championship held from 1970 to 1994. It was organised by the Association for Computing Machinery and by Dr. Monty Newborn, Professor of Computer Science at McGill University. It was one of the first computer chess tournaments. The...
in 1988 and the World Computer Chess Championship
World Computer Chess Championship
World Computer Chess Championship is an annual event where computer chess engines compete against each other. The event is organized by the International Computer Games Association...
in the year 1989, and its rating
Elo rating system
The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in two-player games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-born American physics professor....
, according to the USCF
United States Chess Federation
The United States Chess Federation is a non-profit organization, the governing chess organization within the United States, and one of the federations of the FIDE. The USCF was founded in 1939 from the merger of two regional chess organizations, and grew gradually until 1972, when membership...
was 2551.
In 1994, Deep Thought 2 won the North American Computer Chess Championship
North American Computer Chess Championship
The North American Computer Chess Championship was a computer chess championship held from 1970 to 1994. It was organised by the Association for Computing Machinery and by Dr. Monty Newborn, Professor of Computer Science at McGill University. It was one of the first computer chess tournaments. The...
for the fifth time, with its rating estimated at around 2600. It was sponsored by IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
. Some engineers who designed Deep Thought also worked in the design of Deep Thought 2. Its algorithms were quite simple evaluation functions, but it could examine half a billion chess positions per move in tournament games, which is sufficient to reach depth of 10 or 11 moves ahead in complex positions. Despite that, using the technique of singular extensions it could also follow lines of forced moves that reach even further, which is how it once found a checkmate
Checkmate
Checkmate is a situation in chess in which one player's king is threatened with capture and there is no way to meet that threat. Or, simply put, the king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured...
in 37 moves.