Check out Atomic Chess, our featured variant for November, 2024.

Enter Your Reply

The Comment You're Replying To
H. G. Muller wrote on Sun, Aug 19, 2018 09:39 AM UTC:

Actually equiping the Interactive Diagram with an AI is one of the (alas many) things on my to-do list. As configuring the diagram for the more common variants is rather straightforward (and a wizard exists to make that even simpler), this would be able to support a large fraction of the variants described here.

Furthermore, the input format for the diagram (currently piece names and their moves in Betza notation) could be easily extended to handle some of the more 'exotic' rules that are common (zoning of the board, limitations to what can capture what, special promotion rules). Currently the diagram can only implement such rules by allowing them to be specified by additional (optional) JavaScript routines on the web page that contains it, which is a bit cumbersome.

I am not sure challenging visitors on the home page by an AI in a random variant is a good idea, though. I do think it would be a good idea to have the possibility in articles that describe a variant to play the latter against an AI. The AI does not have to be strong; in fact it would do more harm than good if it was. It would most likely be used by people that just read the rules for the first time, and it would be rather discouraging for them if they get crushed without a chance. So I am aiming for something that does not entirely play like an idiot, but can be beaten by a beginner who puts in some effort.

A good example of what I am after is the Peace Chess article: this contains a diagram that acts as a simple computer opponent. Eventually I want all articles I authored to contain such a feature. As most of those already contain Interactive Diagrams, this should happen automatically once I equip the script for the Diagram with an AI. That would also bring to life the Diagrams I posted in the Comments section of many articles not authored by me.

For other variants it still would require configuring the Diagram, and putting it on the page, though. Like Fergus says, there is no way yet to compile the English description to a formal rules set on which the AI could act. It is unlikely there will ever be one: the English descriptions are too inhomogeneous for that.


Edit Form

Comment on the page Sign in to the Chess Variant Pages

Conduct Guidelines
This is a Chess variants website, not a general forum.
Please limit your comments to Chess variants or the operation of this site.
Keep this website a safe space for Chess variant hobbyists of all stripes.
Because we want people to feel comfortable here no matter what their political or religious beliefs might be, we ask you to avoid discussing politics, religion, or other controversial subjects here. No matter how passionately you feel about any of these subjects, just take it someplace else.
Avoid Inflammatory Comments
If you are feeling anger, keep it to yourself until you calm down. Avoid insulting, blaming, or attacking someone you are angry with. Focus criticisms on ideas rather than people, and understand that criticisms of your ideas are not personal attacks and do not justify an inflammatory response.
Quick Markdown Guide

By default, new comments may be entered as Markdown, simple markup syntax designed to be readable and not look like markup. Comments stored as Markdown will be converted to HTML by Parsedown before displaying them. This follows the Github Flavored Markdown Spec with support for Markdown Extra. For a good overview of Markdown in general, check out the Markdown Guide. Here is a quick comparison of some commonly used Markdown with the rendered result:

Top level header: <H1>

Block quote

Second paragraph in block quote

First Paragraph of response. Italics, bold, and bold italics.

Second Paragraph after blank line. Here is some HTML code mixed in with the Markdown, and here is the same <U>HTML code</U> enclosed by backticks.

Secondary Header: <H2>

  • Unordered list item
  • Second unordered list item
  • New unordered list
    • Nested list item

Third Level header <H3>

  1. An ordered list item.
  2. A second ordered list item with the same number.
  3. A third ordered list item.
Here is some preformatted text.
  This line begins with some indentation.
    This begins with even more indentation.
And this line has no indentation.

Alt text for a graphic image

A definition list
A list of terms, each with one or more definitions following it.
An HTML construct using the tags <DL>, <DT> and <DD>.
A term
Its definition after a colon.
A second definition.
A third definition.
Another term following a blank line
The definition of that term.