Can anyone beat XBoard chess?
 

It always wins. Im getting better, but not good enough.

I've tried numerous times, always failing even more quickly then I hope :) well, I'm not that good in chess anyway (just and just beat my cellphone's computer chess if I set it's level to be 'ape'...not too good, ay?) so I think it's just me.

Computers are pretty good in chess (they don't really know how to play it, just obey the rules) since they can calculate the moves forward, both your and it's own, but they have one big weakness (at least at the moment): they don't learn. So if you find out a way to trick the computer, you can trick it several times the same way since it probably just won't learn it's been fooled (DeepBlue won the chess match probably because it's code was fixed before the last game, to make it stop fooling around). So I think somebody might beat XBoard, but that somebody isn't going to be me.

I'll just stick with atom physics, it's soooo much easier.

possible but hard!
 

I am college student. My college chess champ has played 11 matches against it , he could beat it 4 times , it won for 7 times.
so got the point!

Chess?

Oh, you mean that little game on a board with white and black squares and shiny little ivory pieces shaped in different forms eh? :p

:D

Well, it's good to know I'm not alone then, now I don't feel so bad.

Hehehe... and I thought I was dumb as well.

No, xboard is a monster which I don't invoke these days.

I love chess, but like some of the others, it's frustrating to *always* lose. I don't mind losing some of the time, but in order to improve, you must also win a few times (otherwise you have no idea whether or not your strategies are actually any good or not)

In any case, is there a chess program that either a.) only plays at a beginner level, or b.) has a configurable skill level?

Chess hmm., i can play poker :D

I used to think I knew how to play chess till I ran into xboard. I thought I was cool and half intelligent setting up slackware after a 5 year absence, but xboard slapped it out of me.

I've never had luck with computer chess. Unfortunately part of the problem is the computer reaction time which makes it kind of intimidating. Another problem is that the pre-programmed sequences are so sophisticated that no layman can figure out what strategy can allow you to win easily.

A lot of strategy in a game like chess depends on the ability to pressurize the opponent into making mistakes at crucial times and as far as the computer goes, that ability is lacking on our side which makes it so much more of a challenge.

If international grandmasters struggle with computer chess programs (albeit a lot more complex than probably xboard) I can only surmise how an averagely talented chess player can hope to perform.

And as J.W. says, we kind of give up after successive losses as gamers...

I have not givin up yet. I have been getting closer to a win, starting with the kings pawn opening. But the xboard seems to adjust to strategies and quickly puts me on the defensive and ultimately, a losing track. This game has more moves than a stripper at the nudey bar.

I beat it all the time.

Then I wake up and go about my daily business.

I'm professional chess player I'm beating xboard chess without any serious problems 8)

__________________
Rollies | Poker bonus citicardsoffset mortgage

I mostly play on FICS (home site is down, but their server is still running).
Does XBoard still uses GNU Chess as default?
I find the Crafty engine more challenging(more variation).
I don't really understand its license though...

If you guys beat Xboard regularly without retracting moves then my RedHat is off to you. You must have years of experience. Yes, xboard is GNU chess. I use E-board to connect to FICS, which has it's own engine as well, but I always play xboard, too many people at FICS cheat. If I ever beat xboard, I might try out crafty, Im not real concerned about licensing tho.

@ J.W.

I use Jose Chess. I found it easier to install new
chess engines. I use other engines besides GNU and
crafty for that exact reason. They are not leveled
engienes, they just play like a 1700 rank.

--Quote--Will C-
I'm professional chess player I'm beating xboard chess
without any serious problems 8) -/Quote--

I think thats excatly whats needed to beat xboard, been
a Pro.

-W

Crafty is very crafty. Its the master of forks.

That would be interesting, have crafty play xboard and see who wins.

It would probably find some bizzare way to stalemate itself, but with all the pieces still on the board.

Got discouraged with chess because every place you look there are dozens of people who can kick your butt. Not so with checkers.

Too bad there isn't a good FOSS checkers (draughts) game. Much quicker and more "fun" for me than chess. Guess I'll have to buy a binary only. Hadn't thought about it in a long time until reading this thread, but I used to be a pretty darn good checkers player.

Id be willing to challenge someone who has crafty, I'll be xboard. Im not familiar with crafty, but I have confidence in xboard to hold it's own.

To make it clear, xboard is the front-end chess board for X which can use a variety of chess engines like crafty, gnuchess and so on.

Hehe hari how did you know i was gonna ask that? Some premonition eh.? ;)
Thanks for that explanation.

I'd still like to see the crafty engine play the gnuchess engine then. But thanx for making it clear that xboard is just the front end.