Members of the team working on HiTech included Berliner, Murray Campbell, Carl Ebeling, Gordon Goetsch, Andy Palay, and Larry Slomer.
[3] It was designed by Carl Ebeling, a student, from 1986 to 1988, under professor Hans Berliner at Carnegie Mellon University.
[4] Members of the team working on HiTech included Berliner, Murray Campbell, Carl Ebeling, Gordon Goetsch, Andy Palay, and Larry Slomer.
"[5] The computer used an algorithm developed by Berliner to narrow the choices when selecting a move, called B*, or B-star.
The algorithm would evaluate decision trees and assign nodes with an "optimistic" or "pessimistic" score, with the aim of finding a path that was sufficient to solve the problem, rather than perfect.
[2] The team combined a Sun computer equipped with a custom processor called "the searcher" by Berlin.
It runs three programs: a user interface, a task controller, and an "oracle," with the latter consisting of a large catalogue of chess openings and variations.
The searcher component contains a microprocessor and a number of hardware modules to perform tasks such as generating and evaluating moves.
"[8] In November 1985, the Associated Press reported that over five months of play, it had earned the rank of master and achieved the highest rating ever given a chess machine.
The main computer remained at Pittsburgh, while a contraption TIME called "an ungainly-looking brute," would be operated by Berliner and Carl Ebeling at the tournament.
[15] Hitech won the four-game match, the first a draw and the last three wins, marking the first time a grandmaster was beaten by a chess program.