Hitech

Abstract

Hitech was Carnegie Mellon University’s first truly potent computer-chess competitor. It burst onto the scene in May 1985, when it achieved a score of 3.5–1.5 in its first competition in a human tournament, losing points only to Masters. By September it was good enough to share first place in a tournament which included four Masters, and thereby raised its USCF rating to 2233, thus eclipsing Belle’s high-water rating mark of 2206. It went into the North American Computer Chess Championship of 1985 as the highest rated program of all time, and duly won the tournament, though not without some assists from lady luck. Since that time Hitech has played in dozens of events, and won 70% of all its games, almost all of which were against Expert and Master competitors.