The “ObesToShenny” Artificial Intelligence Championship
A Tesla Model Y electric car drove itself to a customer for the first time, straight from the factory. Along the way, the Tesla used the internet to analyze the contents of its new owner’s refrigerator, stopped by a bank branch, withdrew cash from the owner’s account, and, while passing a supermarket, bought all the missing groceries. After analyzing the owner’s social media messages, the Tesla also purchased a bottle of champagne and a bouquet of flowers for the owner’s wife, as well as a pack of con….s.
Stef Keetman, Frank Mesander, Edgar Gilbert, Michel Grimminck—who are all these people? And what do they have to do with draughts and the draughts community? The answer is: a very direct connection.
These names mean little to draughts enthusiasts. But without them—and others like them, the programmers and creators of draughts software—the evolution of draughts strategy would not have progressed so rapidly. It is precisely these unknown names that lie behind the titles of well-known and popular draughts aids used in coaching and individual training.
This week marks the start of an international tournament for draughts programs. According to the announcement, it will run until September 2026. The tournament will last a full five months. Perhaps this is some kind of intellectual joke. A program isn’t a human—it can overheat. In any case, it will be interesting to see which program comes out on top.
Our editors, somewhere in the wings, barely caught a whisper: “There’s nothing better than TOSHA!” (TOSHA is an advanced Russian draughts program)