Chinese Chess Research Articles

Special Issue on Advances in Computer Chinese Chess

Special Issue on Advances in Computer Chinese Chess

Application And Challenges of Alphazero Algorithm in Chinese Chess

In the field of artificial intelligence, AlphaZero has achieved significant success in games like Go and Shogi. However, its application in Chinese Chess remains relatively unexplored. This study aims to unveil the potential and limitations of AlphaZero in Chinese Chess and explore strategies for optimizing its performance. In this paper, we begin by reviewing the fundamental principles and algorithmic structure of AlphaZero, emphasizing its deep reinforcement learning and self-play characteristics. Subsequently, we delve into the specific application of AlphaZero in Chinese Chess, encompassing aspects such as chess rule representation, training procedures, position evaluation, and strategy prediction. By analyzing successful instances of AlphaZero in Chinese Chess, we showcase its potential in the domain of board games. Furthermore, this paper elucidates the challenges that AlphaZero encounters in the context of Chinese Chess, including issues related to computational complexity and position representation. We particularly underscore the potential cost escalation due to high computational resource requirements and the risk of data loss or excessive time consumption associated with extended computation periods. IN conclusion, this research provides valuable insights into the application of AlphaZero in the realm of Chinese Chess and offers recommendations for future research directions to further expand its utility in this domain.

Chinese chess competition strategy analysis based on the zero-sum game

As a desktop game with a long history, Chinese chess has been widely circulated. In recent years, Chinese chess championships have become increasingly popular. During the competition, in addition to the individual abilities of the participants, the use of different strategies in the competition also become another major factor affecting the outcome of the competition. Based on the fixed ability values of the contestants, this research focuses on discussing the selection of strategies. This paper will adopt points-based match rules in common competitions and quantify the player's ability values for making a data analysis about nine different strategies. Due to the use of a point system in the competition, this research could use zero-sum game for analysis. According to zero-sum game and Nash equilibrium, the payoff matrix could be obtained. Furthermore, a precise linear program model is built. After the calculation, this research presents a result about which strategies should be used in the competition and provide an analytical explanation.

Winning strategies of (i, j) multimove games on Thai, Japanese, and Chinese chess games

Winning strategies of (i, j) multimove games on Thai, Japanese, and Chinese chess games

Exploring Intuitive Visuo-Tactile Interaction Design for Culture Education: A Chinese-Chess-Based Case Study

Gamified and immersive educational interventions have proven to be powerful motivators to encourage participation in unattractive activities, and human–computer interaction (HCI) is crucial for the successful development of such educational interventions. However, existing interaction methods suffer from either visuo-tactile inconsistency or unfriendly interaction methods, resulting in an unenjoyable user experience. Hence, in this article, the visuo-tactile interaction design based on Norman’s design principles (visibility, feedback, constraint, consistency, affordance, and mapping) and spatial augmented reality (SAR) for intuitive cultural education is proposed for the first time, and an application for Chinese chess, SARChess, is implemented as a case study. Players interact with tangible chess pieces rather than through a digital interface, and the visual output and tangible input are integrated seamlessly to achieve high-level visuo-tactile consistency. Furthermore, a mixed investigation method based on pretest–posttest design, subjective questionnaires, and theme-based interviews was designed and performed to evaluate the user experience, learning performance, and player motivation of SARChess from both objective and subjective perspectives. The results show that SARChess has a significantly better user experience, learning performance, and player motivation than conventional chess and mouse-interaction-based chess, and the unique gameplay and visual cues in SARChess make it more engaging to participants. Additionally, this study finds and summarizes some design implications for applying design principles to traditional cultural education applications.

Intervention Study on Individual Self-esteem and Psychological Well-being with Chinese Chess Psychological Counseling Method

Intervention Study on Individual Self-esteem and Psychological Well-being with Chinese Chess Psychological Counseling Method

Intervention Study on Individual Self-esteem and Psychological Well-being with Chinese Chess Psychological Counseling Method

Intervention Study on Individual Self-esteem and Psychological Well-being with Chinese Chess Psychological Counseling Method

Design manual of chess and card table

This board table in the design process, the chessboard uses parallelogram mechanism to make the three-prism synchronous rotation scheme. Using this scheme to achieve three kinds of chessboard transformation (Go, Chinese chess, chess). In the foldable table leg part, a four-bar mechanism is adopted, and the static point in the four-bar mechanism is used to realize the expansion and stable support of the table. The stop mechanism is also used in the design of folding stool. This design is integrated, reducing the overall folding volume to 34% of the unfolding volume.

Tree Search Algorithms For Chinese Chess

Computer Games are an important aspect of Artificial Intelligence (AI) which has produced many representative algorithms of optimal strategies. Therefore, many AI researchers have applied game theory to various board games in an attempt to find the essence of games and grasp the core of AI behaviour. AlphaGo is a very famous and typical chess-playing program that uses Monte Carlo tree search (MCTS) to estimate the value of each node in the search tree and optimize the possible results. Chinese chess is one of the traditional chess versions with its typical strategy. However, due to its late start and high complexity, there are many more technical problems to be solved. In this paper, we recommend two commonly used search frameworks for Chinese chess: the minimax algorithm and the alpha-beta pruning algorithm. On this basis, to deal with the complex and changeable situation, the Chinese chess algorithm based on Monte Carlo tree search and appropriate neural network evaluation function is studied.

Training-Specific Changes in Regional Spontaneous Neural Activity Among Professional Chinese Chess Players.

BackgroundOur previous reports reflected some aspects of neuroplastic changes from long-term Chinese chess training but were mainly based on large-scale intrinsic connectivity. In contrast to functional connectivity among remote brain areas, synchronization of local intrinsic activity demonstrates functional connectivity among regional areas. Until now, local connectivity changes in professional Chinese chess players (PCCPs) have been reported only at specific hubs; whole-brain-based local connectivity and its relation to training profiles has not been revealed.ObjectivesTo investigate whole-brain local connectivity changes and their relation to training profiles in PCCPs.MethodsRegional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis of rs-fMRI data from 22 PCCPs versus 21 novices was performed to determine local connectivity changes and their relation to training profiles.ResultsCompared to novices, PCCPs showed increased regional spontaneous activity in the posterior lobe of the left cerebellum, the left temporal pole, the right amygdala, and the brainstem but decreased ReHo in the right precentral gyrus. From a whole-brain perspective, local activity in areas such as the posterior lobe of the right cerebellum and the caudate correlated with training profiles.ConclusionRegional homogeneity changes in PCCPs were consistent with the classical view of automaticity in motor control and learning. Related areas in the pattern indicated an enhanced capacity for emotion regulation, supporting cool and focused attention during gameplay. The possible participation of the basal ganglia-cerebellar-cerebral networks, as suggested by these correlation results, expands our present knowledge of the neural substrates of professional chess players. Meanwhile, ReHo change occurred in an area responsible for the pronunciation and reading of Chinese characters. Additionally, professional Chinese chess training was associated with change in a region that is affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Analysis of the Communication Method of National Traditional Sports Culture Based on Deep Learning

Like the Chinese nation, China's national traditional sports culture has a long history and is a treasure of Chinese national culture, reflecting the life, customs, wisdom, and pursuit of the people of all ethnic groups in China. The dissemination of national traditional sports culture is not only a necessary method for our country's cultural export but also a necessary means to maintain the diversity of world sports culture. However, there are still serious deficiencies in the dissemination of national traditional sports culture in our country, and some traditional national sports cultures are not even known to the public. Starting from the two communication methods of sports events and network communication, this paper studies the three mature national traditional sports cultures of martial arts (Wushu), Go, and Chinese chess and proposes a quantitative method for communication methods and communication effects. We further analyze the role of national traditional sports culture in cultural communication.

中国象棋对提升小学生数学思维能力的探索与实践

中国象棋对提升小学生数学思维能力的探索与实践

Cortical thickness and functional connectivity changes in Chinese chess experts

BackgroundRepeated practice to acquire expertise could result in the structural and functional changes in relevant brain circuits as a result of long-term potentiation, neurogenesis, glial genesis, and remodeling.PurposeThe goal of this study is to use surface-based morphology (SBM) to study cortical thickness differences in Chinese chess experts and novices, and to use regions of cortical thickness differences as seeds to guide a resting state connectivity analysis of the same population.MethodsA raw public dataset from Huaxi MR Research Center consisting of 29 Chinese chess experts and 29 novices was used in this study, with both T1-weighted and resting state functional MRI. Surface based morphometry was performed on the T1 images with the Freesurfur pipeline, with a vertex significance threshold of p<0.05 and a cluster false discovery rate of α < 0.05. Regions with significant differences were used in a seed-based comparison of resting state functional connectivity carried out with Statistical Parameter Mapping (SPM) and the Connectivity Toolbox (CONN). Regions of connectivity differences within groups were computed with a voxel significance threshold of p<0.05 and a cluster false discovery rate of α < 0.01.ResultsTen regions of the cortex of Chinese chess experts were found to be thinner than chess novices, including regions involved in visual processing, attention, working and episodic memory, and mental imagery, as well as several regions in the prefrontal cortex. There were no regions where experts’ cortices were thicker than novices. Three of the thinner regions exhibited increased functional connectivity to distant brain regions in chess experts.ConclusionsBrain regions that are structurally affected by chess training are associated with processes that would likely have a high utility in chess expertise. Using a hierarchical control model, we hypothesize that the functional changes linked with some of these structural changes are related to the professionally trained chess players’ ability to perceive and use contextual information, visuospatial perception, and outcome prediction in the domain of chess, all contributing to their exceptional performance.

Acoustic demands and influencing factors in facilities for the elderly

The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics of the elderly individuals’ acoustic demands and the effects of six influencing factors, categorized into the following three types: activity type, objective environment (number of people in a room, sound pressure level), and demographic factors (age, sex, and occupation type). In addition, we sought to identify relationships between sound preference and acoustic demands. The study was based on a semi-structured interview survey and objective measurements recorded in six facilities for the elderly in China. The results suggested that almost half of the interviewees chose not to add or abate any sound. For the remaining participants, the addition of mainly soothing music to the environment was required, indicating a considerable preference for it over natural sounds, stimulating music, and other sounds. Activity type was an important factor influencing acoustic demands, in that playing ball games and sitting still tended to engender demands for the addition of sounds, while people who were playing or watching Chinese chess did not wish to hear any sounds including soothing music. An analysis of the number of people in a room showed that if that number reached 12, demands for the abatement of sounds increased sharply, particularly for the sound of people talking. In addition, sound pressure level, age, sex, and occupation type (mental or physical work) influenced the demand for acoustic abatement, which involved the abatement of the sound of people talking or other noises and ‘no need to abate’. Natural sounds were seldom required during most activities, with the exception of chatting and sitting still, which is inconsistent with the extent to which people enjoy such sounds. However, there was a significant positive correlation between the elderly individuals’ preference for the overall acoustic environment and their demands for the addition of natural sounds. Furthermore, women were more likely to demand the addition of natural sounds, relative to men.

Reduced Thalamus Volume and Enhanced Thalamus and Fronto-Parietal Network Integration in the Chess Experts.

The ability of chess experts depends to a large extent on spatial visual processing, attention, and working memory, all of which are thought to be mediated by the thalamus. This study explored whether continued practice and rehearsal over a long period of time results in structural changes in the thalamic region. We found smaller gray matter volume regions in the thalami of expert Chinese chess players in comparison with novice players. We then used these regions as seeds for resting-state functional connectivity analysis and observed significantly strengthened integration between the thalamus and fronto-parietal network in expert Chinese chess players. This strengthened integration that includes a group of brain regions showing an increase in activation to external stimulation, particularly during tasks relying on working memory and attention. Our findings demonstrate structural changes in the thalamus caused by a wide range of engagement in chess problem solving, and that this strengthened functional integration with widely distributed circuitry better supports high-level cognitive control of behavior.

Development of a Chinese Chess Robotic System for the Elderly Using Convolutional Neural Networks

According to the data from Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) in 2018, it is estimated that 10 million new dementia patients will be added worldwide, and the global dementia population is estimated to be 50 million. Due to a decline in the birth rate and the development and great progress of medical technology, the proportion of elderly people has risen annually in Taiwan. In fact, Taiwan has become one of the fastest-growing aged countries in the world. Consequently, problems related to aging societies will emerge. Dementia is one of most prevailing aging-related diseases, with a great influence on daily life and a great economic burden. Dementia is not a single disease, but a combination of symptoms. There is currently no medicine that can cure dementia. Finding preventive measures for dementia has become a public concern. Older people should actively increase brain-protective factors and reduce risk factors in their lives to reduce the risk of dementia and even prevent the occurrence of dementia. Studies have shown that engaging in mental or creative activities that stimulate brain function has a relative risk reduction of nearly 50%. Elderly people should develop the habit of life-long learning to strengthen effective neural bonds between brain cells and preserve brain cognitive functions. Playing chess is one of the suggested activities. This paper aimed to develop a Chinese robotic chess system for the elderly. It mainly uses a camera to capture the contour of the Chinese chessman, recognizes the character and location of the chessman, and then transmits this information to the robotic arm, which will grab and place the chessman in the appropriate position on the chessboard. The camera image is transmitted to MATLAB for image recognition. The character of the chessman is recognized by convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Forward and inverse kinematics are used to manipulate the robotic arm. Even if the chessmen are arbitrarily placed, the experiment showed that their coordinates can be found through the camera as long as they are located within the working scope of the camera and the robotic arm. For black chessmen, no matter how many degrees they are rotated, they can be recognized correctly, while the red ones can be recognized 100% of the time within 90° of rotation and 98.7% with more than a 90° rotation.

Design and improvement of the pruning algorithm of the Chinese chess in the computer games

Computer games have always been considered to be the most challenging task in the field of artificial intelligence specially the Chinese chess as an example. The core technology of the computer games is the search. This work is studied to research an improved pruning strategy in order to achieve a deeper level search of the game tree in a limited time. On the basis of the traditional alpha–beta search algorithm, the worthless nodes are discarded to be never searched by introducing the deep iterative, history table and other auxiliary methods of pruning. The number of nodes searched is effectively reduced to make the pruning earlier to shorten the search time. At the same time, its search depth is higher than the original search algorithm. The advanced and modified algorithm is proved to be practical and applicative by experimentations and tests of computer games system provided in this study.

Huangxian Ju.

"In a spare hour, I often invite some friends to play poker or Chinese chess. My favorite motto is never to abandon and never to give up …" Find out more about Huangxian Ju in his Author Profile.

Xiangqi vs Chess—The Cultural Differences Reflected in Chinese and Western Games

Xiangqi (Chinese chess) and Chess (international chess) have much in common. However, because of the distinctions between China and the West in history, geography and cultural background, they also have many obvious differences in game rules. The purpose of this study was to explore these differences. In the beginning, the paper briefly introduces the two games. Then, by comparing Xiangqi and Chess, it looks into the differences in social structures between China and the West, the different thinking patterns of Chinese and westerners, and the geographic differences between China and the West. Through discussion on each aspect, the study finds that these differences reflect the characteristics of Chinese culture and western culture respectively.

Application of Q-Learning and RBF Network in Chinese Chess Game System

Machine game is one of the important directions of artificial intelligence research, and Chinese chess is a typical game process. This paper first introduces the game principle of Chinese chess. Then Q-learning method and evaluation function are added to train data through a large amount of self-learning. A chess game system based on Q-learning is designed and developed. The experimental results show that Chinese chess with Q-learning algorithm has the ability of evolutionary learning, which effectively improves the game level of Chinese chess.