Definition
Computer chess is the application of computational methods to chess play. Claude Shannon's 1950 paper laid out two approaches: Type A (brute-force search) and Type B (selective search with chess knowledge). Most engines from 1960 onward followed Type A — alpha-beta minimax over the game tree with a hand-crafted evaluation function. Modern engines combine deep search with learned evaluation.
Why it matters
How it works
Classical engines (Stockfish, Komodo) use alpha-beta minimax with deep search (often 20+ plies in middlegame), elaborate pruning (null-move, late-move reductions), and hand-crafted evaluation functions. AlphaZero-style engines use Monte Carlo tree search guided by a neural network that evaluates positions and suggests moves. Both approaches now exceed human grandmaster strength by hundreds of Elo points.