Mr. Schaeffer wrote Chinook, the best computer checkers program in the world. Besting all other programs, he took on people. Enter Dr. Marion Tinsley, a math professor and lay preacher who had lost only three games and no tournaments in 45 years! Obsessed, a la Captain Ahab, at improving Chinook, Mr. Schaeffer worked for years, beating every other human, but he never beat Mr. Tinsley. When Mr. Tinsley died (unbeaten), Mr. Schaeffer quit too, never to reach his goal to be the best. Fun for both checkers and computer lovers.

The Dallas Morning News. All Rights Reserved.

University of Alberta

Computing Science