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a computer scientist, physicist, chess player, at times professional computer chess programmer, and along with Barbara Szabo conducting a computer programming services company, located in [|San Antonio, New Mexico]. In the 80s they were active in computer chess business and research, Szabo Software located in [|Borrego Springs, California], distributed their commercial chess program TechMate for the Atari ST. Alex Szabo holds a M.Sc. in physics, 1980, and a M.Sc. in CS, 1984, both from [|University of British Columbia], [|Vancouver], [|British Columbia], [|Canada].
 * Alexander (Alex) Szabo**,

=Tech 3= In his 1984 thesis //Computer-Chess Tactics and Strategy//, Alex Szabo elaborates on tactics and strategy exemplified by his thesis chess program Tech 3. In the spirit of the original Tech program by James Gillogly, he claims that knowledge is best applied at the top of the search tree as positional presort rather than at the leaf nodes using complex evaluation.

Tech3's performance on [|Reinfeld's] Win at Chess (WAC) problem set is 274/300, which compares favourable with Belle's, considering machine power. He developed a technology curve as a tool for measuring the effectiveness of knowledge encoding, and found in this respect Nuchess as the best chess program of that time.  =TechMate=
 * [[image:techmate.png link="http://www.video-games-museum.com/en/game/TechMate-Chess/54/3/18693" width="250" ]] ||~ || During the mid 80s, Alex Szabo developed TechMate for the Atari ST. It was derived from Tech 3 with the addition of a simple strategic component, a more profound evaluation function. TechMate was commercially market by Szabo Software.
 * TechMate Screen ||~ ||^ ||
 * TechMate Screen ||~ ||^ ||

=The Technology Curve= As published in their 1988 ICCA Journal paper, Alex and Barbara Szabo revisited the technology curve by playing 6882 games between copies of TechMate set at different time rates, with the conclusion that the advantage of improved technology rapidly decreases when machines and algorithms become more powerful. Ernst A. Heinz in his self-play memo on the experiment of the Szabos :  =WAC 230= code 3.b5+ Kxb5 4.Ba3 c3 5.Re2! Kc4 6.f4 Kxd4 7.f5 exf5 8.e6 Kd3 9.e7 Bd7 10.Kf3 d4 11.Rh2 Kc4 12.Rh8 b2 13.Rb8 d3       14.Bxb2 cxb2 15.Rxb2 a3 16.Rb7 Be8 17.Ra7 Kb3 18.Ke3 a2        19.Kxd3 Kb2 20.Rb7+ Kc1 21.Ra7 =]
 * [[image:http://webchess.freehostia.com/diag/chessdiag.php?fen=2b5/1r6/2kBp1p1/p2pP1P1/2pP4/1pP3K1/1R3P2/8%20b%20-%20-&size=large&coord=no&cap=no&stm=yes&fb=no&theme=classic&color1=E3CEAA&color2=635147&color3=000000]] ||~ || In a 2001 CCC forum post, Alex Szabo proposed several corrections on Win at Chess, in particular that in WAC 230, a position from Hans Kmoch vs [|Aron Nimzowitsch], [|Bad Niendorf], [|1927] , 50... Rb4 does not win :
 * 1) 230   [Rb4 does not win.  The main line is,  1... Rb4!? 2.cxb4 a4

Ra7, Rb6, Rb5, Rd7, Rf7, Rg7, Rh7, Bd7, Kd7, Kb6, Kb5, a4, and Rc7 are just as good as the book solution Rb4 -- they all hold the game. code

In August 2010, Dann Corbit posted an allegedly refutation of Szabo's refutation found by Stockfish 1.8.
 * 2b5/1r6/2kBp1p1/p2pP1P1/2pP4/1pP3K1/1R3P2/8 b - - ||~ ||^ ||
 * 2b5/1r6/2kBp1p1/p2pP1P1/2pP4/1pP3K1/1R3P2/8 b - - ||~ ||^ ||

=Selected Publications=
 * Alexander Szabo (**1980**). //The Co Distribution Around l=30°, b=0°//. M.Sc. Thesis, [|University of British Columbia], [|pdf]
 * Alexander Szabo (**1984**). //[|Computer-Chess Tactics and Strategy]//. M.Sc. Thesis, [|University of British Columbia], [|pdf]
 * Alexander Szabo, Barbara Szabo (**1988**). //The Technology Curve Revisited//. ICCA Journal Vol. 11, No. 1

=Forum Posts=
 * [|WAC Corrections] by Alex Szabo, CCC, April 12, 2001
 * [|WAC 230 and Alexander Szabo's refutation revisted] by Dann Corbit, CCC, August 01, 2005
 * [|WAC.230 revisited yet again] by Dann Corbit, CCC, July 11, 2009
 * [|Stockfish 1.8 demolishes WAC.230] by Dann Corbit, CCC, August 02, 2010

=External Links=
 * [|Alexander Szabo chess games - 365Chess.com]
 * [|Alexander Szabo of Alexander And Barbara A Szabo - San Antonio, NM 87832]

=References= =What links here?= include page="Alexander Szabo" component="backlinks" limit="40"
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