Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ames!ucsd!ogicse!milton!forbis
From: forbis@milton.u.washington.edu (Gary Forbis)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Chess question
Message-ID: <18585@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 18 Mar 91 06:09:45 GMT
References: <1991Mar14.021924.26728@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <velasco.668928518@beowulf> <1991Mar18.045610.2977@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Lines: 14

In article <1991Mar18.045610.2977@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> cs225ju@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu) (Matt Pavlik ;) writes:
>The possible combinations are something like 10 ^ 120 for chess.

I wonder if a better figure could be obtained by looking at average number
of moves from usual positions within a game raised to the average number of
moves in a game.  It seem to me that by eliminating duplicate positions and
symetrical position the number of moves tested could be substantially reduced.
In fact, not every game must be considered but merely the ones whose positions
are forced mate for one side or the other or are unavoidably a draw.  Would
every position be encountered in the course of playing what were considered
optimal games using a database of positions encountered within such games
which are forced mate?

--gary forbis@u.washington.edu