ICGA Journal - Volume 34, issue 1 - Journals

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Table of Contents / Editorial

Article Type: Other

DOI: 10.3233/ICG-2011-34101

Citation: ICGA Journal, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 1-2, 2011

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Attack of the Clones

Authors: Levy, David

Article Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.3233/ICG-2011-34102

Citation: ICGA Journal, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 3-6, 2011

Price: EUR 27.50

Towards Optimal Play in Multi-Player Yahtzee1

Authors: Pawlewicz, Jakub

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Yahtzee is the most popular commercial dice game in the world. It can be played either by one or many players. In case of the single-player version, optimal computer strategies both for maximizing the expected average score and for maximizing the probability of beating a particular score are already known. However, when it comes to the multi-player version, those approaches are far too resource intensive and thus are not able to develop an optimal strategy given the current hardware. This article presents the first in-depth analysis of the multi-player version of Yahtzee. The proposed implementation of an optimal strategy …for the single-player version significantly speeds up the calculations. Resources necessary to memorize the optimal strategy for a two-player game are precisely estimated. It is shown that developing an optimal strategy for more than two players is not possible with the use of the current technology. For this case, a heuristic strategy is suggested. By means of experiments created especially for this purpose, it is proven that, in practice, this strategy is indistinguishable from the optimal one. An experimental analysis of the actual advantage of the optimal strategy over suboptimal opponents like humans has also been conducted. Our results show that (1) Yahtzee is “highly” a game of chance and (2) the advantage of the optimal strategy is insignificant. Show more

DOI: 10.3233/ICG-2011-34103

Citation: ICGA Journal, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 7-21, 2011

Price: EUR 27.50

Uniqueness in Chess Studies

Authors: Haworth, G.McC. | Bleicher, E. | van der Heijden, H.M.J.F.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Van der Heijden’s ENDGAME STUDY DATABASE IV, HhdbIV, is the definitive collection of 76,132 chess studies. In each one, White is to achieve the stipulated goal, win or draw: study solutions should be essentially unique with minor alternatives at most. In this second note on the mining of the database, we use the definitive Nalimov endgame tables to benchmark White’s moves in sub-7-man chess against this standard of uniqueness. Amongst goal-compatible mainline positions and goal-achieving moves, we identify the occurrence of absolutely unique moves and analyse the frequency and lengths of absolutely-unique-move sequences, AUMSs. We identify …the occurrence of equi-optimal moves and suboptimal moves and refer to a defined method for classifying their significance. Show more

DOI: 10.3233/ICG-2011-34104

Citation: ICGA Journal, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 22-24, 2011

Price: EUR 27.50

The Dangers of Random Playouts

Authors: Browne, Cameron

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This note presents a simple counterexample to dispel the illusion that increasing the number of random playouts necessarily implies better estimates for simulation-based move planners. Incorporating a tree structure into the search helps redress the problem.

DOI: 10.3233/ICG-2011-34105

Citation: ICGA Journal, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 25-26, 2011

Price: EUR 27.50

Managing Uncertainty in Stratego

Authors: Satz, Imer

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Stratego programming is still in its infancy. Although the best programs win occasionally against average human players, they have little chance against experts. One problem is that most Stratego programs have been modelled after perfect-information games such as chess. This note explains why Stratego is poorly suited for techniques developed for perfect-information games, and suggests a new direction based on information management that promises to produce superior results.

DOI: 10.3233/ICG-2011-34106

Citation: ICGA Journal, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 27-29, 2011

Price: EUR 27.50