Where every move is an algorithm
Chess and Computation
A fascinating journey through the intersection of chess and computer science. From ancient problems to AlphaZero.
“This book aims to introduce the reader to the fascinating world of computation through its relationship with chess.
”
Knight's Tour
Chess problems
N-Queens Problem
Chess problems
Book contents
Five chapters exploring chess from different computational angles.
Chess problems
The N-Queens problem, the Knight's Tour, and King's marches. Backtracking algorithms, graphs, and dynamic programming.
Artificial intelligence
Markov chains, game trees, heuristics, Minimax algorithm, alpha-beta pruning, and board representation.
Deep reinforcement learning
Neural networks, convolution, backpropagation, and how AlphaZero revolutionised chess with Monte Carlo tree search.
State of the art
Stockfish's response with NNUE and how Maia seeks to mimic human decision-making in chess.
Standards
FEN, PGN formats and the UCI protocol that enable communication between chess programs.
Get your copy
Available as a free digital download or in physical edition on Amazon.