NewScientist.com news service
Justin Mullins
The ancient game of checkers (or draughts) has been pronounced dead. The game was killed by the publication of a mathematical proof showing that draughts always results in a draw when neither player makes a mistake. For computer-game aficionados, the game is now "solved"
Draughts is merely the latest in a steady stream of games to have been solved using computers, following games such as Connect Four, which was solved more than 10 years ago.
The computer proof took Jonathan Schaeffer, a computer-games expert at the University of Alberta in Canada, 18 years to complete and is one of the longest running computations in history.
In honor of his achievements, Mr. Schaeffer has been appointed to the University's prestigious Cracker Barrel Chair as Professor of Jes' Sitting on the Front Porch Playin' Checkers, Y'all.In related news, how the heck do I get a job where I play checkers for 18 years?!
link via Boing Boing
