Chinook Checkers Program

Chinook Checkers Program is the first computer program that won the world champion title in the competition against humans. In 1994 Chinook became the World Champion in checkers. Then champion Marion Tinsley resigned the match after six draws citing health reasons.

Chinook program was developed in University of Alberta around 1989 by Jonathan Schaeffer and others. In 1990 it won the right to play in the human World Championship by being the second to Tinsley.

First the American Checker Federation and English Draughts Association were against the participation of computer in human championship saying that human championship was for humans not computers. But later thay created new title Man-Machine World Championship and competition proceeded.

Chinook did not solve checkers completely, it just is able to play stronger than any human can.

Chinook program s Algorithm includes that library of opening moves, deep search algorithm, good move evaluation function and the end-game database having all positions with eight or fewer pieces.