Jerome Gambit: Silicon Sense of Humor

                                 

Looking at my database of games by the online computer program Boris-Trapsky (playing at lichess.org) I wondered, did the last two of its games that we looked at (see "Jerome Gambit: Silicon Miniature (Parts 1 & 2") show "contempt" for the human opponent, at least in the choice of openings?

I checked, and I have used the idea of "contempt" by compters in the past, but in a different way. In "Contempt?!"

If two chess players are equally matched and have fought hard in a game against each other, a draw might be a reasonable outcome.

If opponents in a game differ greatly in their strengths, the weaker player might be quite satisfied to split the point, while the stronger player might be unwilling to do so, except as a last resort.

Chess-playing programs have to take this into account: given that most of their opponents will be weaker than them, how ready should they be to accept a draw? It would be the height of absurdity if a human could open a game, for example, with 1.e4 and an offer of a draw – and the computer, seeing itself as worse off (even slightly, Black's fate) would agree to cease hostilities...

Programming a level of resistance to accepting draws is called setting its "contempt" level. Set it high enough, and the computer will play on, down a Rook or a Queen. That's contempt!

Nice comment about chess-playing programs resisting drawing against lower-rated players, but not quite what I was looking for.

Maybe, though, the program can be accused of having a sense of humor, starting a game this year with 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.Bxf7+ Kxf7 4.Qf3+ Qf6 5.b4 - and winning in 35 moves!