Date: 31 Jan 2004 01:14:10
From: Wargamer Scott
Subject: Chess sends ADF back to school
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Greetings,
Found this interesting, if vague, story at this link:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1025472.htm
"Computer chess helps ADF develop war games
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is looking to the game of chess to
develop strategies for real life warfare.
Adelaide-based defence scientists have been analysing the impact of
different moves, tactics and tempos on the outcome of hundreds of
simultaneous computer chess and checkers games.
Greg Calbert from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation says the
information is then passed on to ADF commanders.
He says the chess strategies and theories are being integrated into
graphics-based computer war games.
"We're developing that artificial intelligence or the planning abilities of
the war games to make them more realistic and to include such things as
important social factors and subtle factors that the current war games don't
include," he said.
He says the chess analysis enables them to provide the ADF with better
advice for warfare.
"The combination of having deep planning, anticipating your opponent's
strategies, plus a tempo increase is quite devastating," he said.
"In fact, if you have those factors, you can beat an opponent that has a lot
more conventional force than yourself."
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Didn't I see this in WARGAMES, the movie? I think it was the WOPR that kept
asking "How about a nice game of chess?"
As usual, what was old is new again. Chess was originally developed to teach
basic strategy and tactics. Looks like that secret has been rediscovered
some 1300 years later by the ADF.
There is a fascinating discussion of the role chess has played in the
development of wargaming in the great book THE ART OF WARGAMING by Perla.
I also think this is another sign that chess is going more mainstream than
ever before. I blame the internet.
---Scott
"Chess, like war, has the power to drive men mad!"
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