Canadian AI plays "perfect" game of checkers

A team of researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada claim to have "solved" the game of checkers, using a computer program named Chinook which has been playing matches against itself for the past 18 years. The program played 500 billion billion possible positions in the 5,000-year-old game, also known as draughts, before concluding that perfect play by both sides leads to a draw (a concept which grandmaster players have apparently hypothesized for years). One of the researchers said in a statement that he believes they have "Raised the bar... in terms of what can be achieved in computer technology and artificial intelligence." Next up, Chinook is to be renamed W.O.P.R., and then will begin playing a series of tic-tac-toe games against itself.

[Alex @ Jul 20th 2007 10:28AM]

Crap, what movie is that picture from? I remember seeing it.

[kcarr @ Jul 20th 2007 10:57AM]

war games great movie

[Tom Hellier @ Jul 20th 2007 11:05AM]

Sorry, these two have to be said.

Yeah, but does it play doom?

I for one welcome our checker-playing robot overlords.

[Mickey Jones @ Jul 20th 2007 11:50AM]

meh, HAL would have just killed them. Done.

[Jonathan Keim @ Jul 20th 2007 10:28AM]

""One of the researchers said in a statement that he believes they have "Raised the bar... in terms of what can be achieved in computer technology and artificial intelligence.""

Stop playing games and get to work on something productive :-)

[Alex @ Jul 20th 2007 10:45AM]

Hey, how do you think I feel knowing that this is what my tuition money is helping to pay for. Haha

[John Doe @ Jul 20th 2007 11:55AM]

and YOUR contribution to society is WHAT?

[alex @ Jul 20th 2007 10:29AM]

WarGames starring Mr. Sarah Jessica Parker.

[Andrew @ Jul 20th 2007 10:37AM]

That name is hilarious. Pardon my ignorance of Canadian ways but isn't that what a canadian would call a chinese-canadian? I guess renaming it to W.O.P.R is more P.C although instantly forgettable.

[EDomain @ Jul 20th 2007 10:40AM]

DUDE--- W.O.P.R. is not only memorable, it will come for you first (and everyone in a 200 mile radius around your home) when it launches a pre-emptive thermonuclear strike against you for calling it "instantly forgettable".

[Alex @ Jul 20th 2007 10:48AM]

Where did you hear that? A chinook is a warm wind that blows down from the rocky mountains and covers most of southern Alberta. How did you make the connection to it being slang?

[farfisa @ Jul 20th 2007 10:51AM]

A Chinook is a warm wind that sometimes occurs in winter out in Western Canada, but it was named after a group of Native Americans. I don't think the term was ever used to describe Chinese-Canadians....but I think what you're thinking is... er... well, take out the 'o's.

[Jamie @ Jul 20th 2007 12:28PM]

A Chinook is also a kind of military transport helicopter.

The things you learn playing Operation: Flashpoint...

[mikey81 @ Jul 21st 2007 10:10AM]

I have to come to Andrews defence - He was joking people! Chinise + canuck = chinook.
Get a grip on humour/irony/sarcasm before jumping in with your over earnest pedantic kneejerk reactions.

[BowserUSC @ Jul 21st 2007 8:25PM]

Should we get a grip on racism as well before jumping in? Or should we just forget that he's a bigot like you.

[EDomain @ Jul 20th 2007 10:38AM]

AWESOME!!!!! ROFLMAO:

"Next up, Chinook is to be renamed W.O.P.R., and then will begin playing a series of tic-tac-toe games against itself".

I loved Wargames as a kid. When I got my first computer, (A Commodore 64), I fired it up, saw the READY prompt and blinking cursor, and immediately typed in "JOSHUA"

[Mike @ Jul 20th 2007 10:54AM]

>I loved Wargames as a kid. When I got my first computer, (A Commodore 64), I fired it up, saw the READY prompt and blinking cursor, and immediately typed in "JOSHUA"

That should be:

JOSHUA,8,1

:)

[alexhrose71 @ Jul 20th 2007 11:17AM]

Ready.

JOSHUA.

?Syntax error

Ready.

[Grant @ Jul 20th 2007 10:44AM]

today... checkers.
tomorrow... THE WORLD!!!

[OneAboveAll @ Jul 20th 2007 10:45AM]

Now lets just tie all our Nukes and military to this Chinook and see what happens! Awesome.

[kevin @ Jul 20th 2007 10:56AM]

ah great movie "war games"

[EDomain @ Jul 20th 2007 10:56AM]

The winning move might be to leave your house once in awhile and not hang around on Engadget looking for ways to get women to sleep with you

[KR @ Jul 20th 2007 10:56AM]

I thought a Chinook was a salmon or bass or something...

[Matt @ Jul 20th 2007 11:05AM]

I thought it was a derogatory term for the Chinese

[Timothy Sottek @ Jul 20th 2007 10:59AM]

But then I wouldn't get to share my wealth of trivial iPhone knowledge...

[Alex @ Jul 20th 2007 11:17AM]

Idiot. Poutines are more prevelent in eastern Canada.

[Timothy Sottek @ Jul 20th 2007 11:22AM]

Way to be a fascist.

Also, poutine is already plural. idiot.

[Haxxy @ Jul 20th 2007 11:27AM]

Man, I can't wait for War Games 2...

Oh, and next up is Chess, I bet. They're going to be ruining these classic games one by one. =P

-Haxxy

[Gotcha @ Jul 20th 2007 11:47AM]

I am seriously Crying reading this.....OMG!!! the Burger King comment ROCKED!!

[Dahk @ Jul 20th 2007 11:29AM]

Mmmmm Poutine and a WOPR. Must go to Burger King now.

[Mr. Picklesworth @ Jul 20th 2007 11:51AM]

That is not "AI", it is an arbitrary algorithm. Sheesh.

AI implies "thought" in some way that is "free" and capable of learning new ways of doing everything that it does (learned behaviours overriding instinctive behaviours).

"AI" is Not looking up data in a huge database after performing some mathematical checkers moves. By this logic, Engadget's web site is an artificial intelligence because it looks up this blog entry (written by an intelligent life form) and displays it.

[Alex Padilla @ Jul 20th 2007 11:53AM]

Man, that movie was horrible. Good philosophical points, though, but bad spectacle.

[robhill45 @ Jul 20th 2007 11:56AM]

So, AI has given computers the ability to play with themselves... I tell ya, they're getting more like us every day...

[robhill45 @ Jul 20th 2007 11:57AM]

Yes, but it gave us lines like, "Hell, son, I'd piss on a spark plug if I thought it would help!"

Or something to that effect. That's what I took away from the experience.

[Judd @ Jul 20th 2007 12:26PM]

Later. Let's play Global Thermonuclear War.

[Dave @ Jul 20th 2007 1:21PM]

Your Canadian references are unfamiliar and confusing to me. The War Games references are, of course, universal!

[whatsdamattau @ Jul 20th 2007 5:01PM]

The movie you got right, WarGames, but the actress isn't right. She also starred in The Breakfast Club and Short Circuit ("no disassemble number 9. No disassemble Stephanie"). She was Ally Sheedy.

[nephersir7 @ Jul 23rd 2007 10:15AM]

Your War Games references are unfamiliar and confusing to me. The Canadian references are, of course, universal!