Frank Ross Anderson, (1928 - 1980)
was a Canadian computer expert, International Master of chess, and early chess programmer. He was a two-time Canadian Champion in 1953 and 1955, and represented Canada in the 1954, 1958, and 1964Chess Olympiads. In the late 50s, along with Bob Cody, he wrote a program for the IBM 605 computer to play pawn endings up to KPPKP, as demonstrated in 1959 at the University of Toronto.
The programmers devised a unique strategy that enabled their program to play these endings perfectly. Their first version could cope with more than 180,000 different positions, a figure that was increased in subsequent versions of the program. When the program was demonstrated at the Canadian Conference of Scientists it played against more than 50 different opponents, each of whom was allowed to choose his own starting position, given the small number of pawns. In each case the program played perfectly.
Unfortunately, the strategy that enabled these endings to be programmed successfully was never documented and the programmers no longer have any written record of it, nor are they able to remember it. In fact, Frank Anderson confessed to me recently that even at the time he could not explain why some of their strategies worked.
was a Canadian computer expert, International Master of chess, and early chess programmer. He was a two-time Canadian Champion in 1953 and 1955, and represented Canada in the 1954, 1958, and 1964 Chess Olympiads. In the late 50s, along with Bob Cody, he wrote a program for the IBM 605 computer to play pawn endings up to KPPKP, as demonstrated in 1959 at the University of Toronto.
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By David Levy [2]Unfortunately, the strategy that enabled these endings to be programmed successfully was never documented and the programmers no longer have any written record of it, nor are they able to remember it. In fact, Frank Anderson confessed to me recently that even at the time he could not explain why some of their strategies worked.
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