The New Chess Computer Book is a revised edition of The Chess Computer Book that contains more than 50 percent new material about chess-playing microcomputers. Since the first edition of the book was written there have been large numbers of machines launched, some of which the author has been able to test over a long period. Inevitably there are new chess-playing, microcomputers machines, and updated modules for older ones, coming out all the time, with launch dates for machines in different countries often being different, due to commercial considerations. However, an attempt has been made to discuss in detail every top-of-the-range machine available on the British market. The book begins with a brief survey of the origins of chess computing and the development of chess-playing machines. This is followed by separate chapters on topics such as the types of machines that play chess; modular chess computers; computer hardware and software; and developments in chess microcomputers in the latter half of 1984.

It now appears possible - even likely - that within a few decades and within certain specialized domains, the computer will be more intelligent than we ourselves. What was unimaginable a few years ago is happening today with alarming rapidity. A small piece of silicon, no larger than a thumbnail, can exhibit more "intelligence" than the best human brains. This book attempts to satisfy two different goals. It presents a comprehensive history of computer chess along with many rare examples of the play of early programs. These examples contain both amazing strokes of brilliance and inexplicable catastrophes; they will give the reader a dear perspective of the pioneer days of computer chess. In contrast, contemporary programs are capable of defeating International Grandmasters; the text contains several recent examples including a remarkable victory over former World Champion Anatoly Karpov. The remainder of the book is devoted to an explanation of how the various parts of a chess program are designed and how they function. Readers who have no knowledge of computers will gain insight into how they "think." Readers who own a personal computer and who want to write their own chess programs will find sufficient information in this book to enable them to make a good start.

Computers have permeated almost every facet of modern chess, yet few players know how to gain the maximum benefit from working with them. Computers function as playing partners, opening study tools, endgame 'oracles', tactics trainers, sources of information on opponents and searchable game databases. Kongsted provides practical advice on how to use computers in all these ways and more. He also takes a look at the history of the chess computer, and how its 'thinking' methods have developed since the early days. The book features an investigation of human vs. machine contests, including the recent Kasparov vs. Deep Junior and Kramnik vs. Deep Fritz matches, in which honours ended even.

Ten years of intensive effort on computer chess have produced notable progress. Although the background information and technical details that were written in 1975 for the first edition of this book are still valid in most essential points, hardware and software refinements have had a major impact on the effectiveness of these ideas. The current crop of chess machines are performing at unexpectedly high levels. The approach epitomized by the series of programs developed by David Slate and Larry Atkin at Northwestern in the middle 1970s (i. e. , a sophisticated search algorithm using very little chess knowledge) was expected to reach an asymptbtic level of performance no higher than that of a class A player (USCF rating between 1800 and 2000). This perspective was argued quite vigorously by Eliot Hearst in Chapter 8 of the first edition and was held at that time by many chess experts. Subsequent events have clearly demonstrated that the asymptotic performance level for this type of pro gram it at least as high as the master level (USCF rating between 2200 and 2400). Current discussions now focus upon whether the earlier reser vations were wrong in principle or simply underestimated the asymptote. If there is a real barrier which will prevent this type of program from attaining a world championship level of performance, it is not evident from the steady progress which has been observed during the last decade.

For many years I have been interested in computer chess and have collected almost every learned paper and article on the subject that I could find. My files are now quite large, and a considerable amount of time, effort and expense has been required to build up this collection. I have often thought how difficult it must be for many computer chess enthusiasts to acquire copies of articles that they see referenced in some other work. Unless one has access to a good reference library, the task is almost impossible. I therefore decided to try to make available, in one volume, as many as possible of the most interesting and important articles and papers ever written on the subject. Such a selection is naturally somewhat subjective, and I hope that I will not offend authors whose works have been excluded. In particular I have decided to exclude any material which has appeared in the Journal of the International Computer Chess Association (ICCA), or in its precursor, the ICCA Newsletter. The reason is simply that the ICCA itself is in the process of compiling a compendium containing the most important material published in those sources. For further information on ICCA membership and publications the reader is invited to contact: Professor H. 1. van den Herik, or Dr Jonathan Schaeffer University of Limburg, Computing Science Dcpaitment, Department of Computer Science University of Alberta, 6200 MD Maastricht Edmonton Netherlands Alberta, Canada T6G 2HI.

Advances in Computer Chess 3 focuses on the mechanics involved in playing chess on computer. This book features an extensive discussion of the game wherein it is played in a different setting. The selection, which is composed of 13 chapters, features the extensive contributions of researchers who continuously search for ways to improve playing chess on computer. This book starts with the discussion of the basic principles and concepts that can impose changes on how the game is played. A discussion is devoted to the Belle chess hardware. What is clearly pointed out in this section is the speed of the program relative to responses made while playing. A comparison is made between the performance of human and computer in playing chess. The complexity of various computer moves are then elaborated by highlighting how these moves can alter the pace as well as the result of the game. The development of a program that is aimed at solving problems on how chess is played is also noted. This book is a sure hit for those who are fond of playing chess in any playing field.

Master Qt’s Most Powerful APIs, Patterns, and Development Practices Qt has evolved into a remarkably powerful solution for cross-platform desktop, Web, and mobile development. However, even the most experienced Qt programmers only use a fraction of its capabilities. Moreover, practical information about Qt’s newest features has been scarce—until now. Advanced Qt Programming shows developers exactly how to take full advantage of Qt 4.5’s and Qt 4.6’s most valuable new APIs, application patterns, and development practices. Authored by Qt expert Mark Summerfield, this book concentrates on techniques that offer the most power and flexibility with the least added complexity. Summerfield focuses especially on model/view and graphics/view programming, hybrid desktop/Web applications, threading, and applications incorporating media and rich text. Throughout, he presents realistic, downloadable code examples, all tested on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux using Qt 4.6 (and most tested on Qt 4.5) and designed to anticipate future versions of Qt. The book Walks through using Qt with WebKit to create innovative hybrid desktop/Internet applications Shows how to use the Phonon framework to build powerful multimedia applications Presents state-of-the-art techniques for using model/view table and tree models, QStandardItemModels, delegates, and views, and for creating custom table and tree models, delegates, and views Explains how to write more effective threaded programs with the QtConcurrent module and with the QThread class Includes detailed coverage of creating rich text editors and documents Thoroughly covers graphics/view programming: architecture, windows, widgets, layouts, scenes, and more Introduces Qt 4.6’s powerful animation and state machine frameworks

One of the world’s top chess journalists in the world explores why, after 1,500 years of existence, chess has never been more relevant than now. Chess is not just one of the greatest games ever devised. It has inspired writers, painters, and filmmakers, and was a secret mover behind technical revolutions like artificial intelligence that are transforming society. In this fascinating pop culture history of the game and its impact, acclaimed Chess.com journalist Peter Doggers (also their news and events director), reveals how computers and the Internet have further strengthened the timeless magic of chess in the digital era, leading to a new peak in popularity and cultural relevance. Doggers explores chess as a cultural phenomenon from its earliest beginnings in ancient India to its biggest stars and most dramatic moments to the impact of the internet and AI. The book is illustrated with approximately 40 photographs and artworks.