2011 JAIST Cup Game Algorithm Competitions

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Brief

An annual game-algorithm competition is going to held by Ikeda laboratory (Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, School of Information Science.) In recent years, AI for games has been remarkably improved. The performance is beyond a professional in Shogi, and faces to top amateurs in Go. These improvements have been supported by national and world wide competitions of game algorithms. We also would like to contribute to explore the possibility of game AI, by holding JAIST cup as a place for researchers and developers to appeal and to interact. We are earnestly await your participation.

• General:
  • Date: 2011 March 8 (Tue), 9 (Wed)
  • Place: JAIST Tokyo satellite campus, Shingawa Inter City, building A 19th floor, Minato-ku Minami 2-15-1 (Map)
  • Participation: Fee free. Send us your intension in the following format via e-mail to jaistcup2011@jaist.ac.jp.

    Your Name:
    Competition to participate:
    Program/Human name to participate:
    

• Competitions:
  • 13x13 Go algorithm competition rule tournament game server, client, (source, binary)
  • 9x9 Go Turing-test competition rule tournament game server, client, (source, binary)
  • Poje (Synchronized Puyopuyo) algorithm competition rule tournament framework for developers
• Equipments:
  • Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b/g)
  • LAN (1 G Bits/sec best-efforts)
  • Power (100 Volts 50 Hz 3-halls consent)
  • Alternative operation is available for foreigners. Please send your program until March 3rd.
  • We do not recommend any hotels. Please manage by yourself.
• Prize:
  • 1 to 3 in each competitions are commended.
  • In the 9x9 Go Turing-test, both three programs and three human players are commended.
  • No prize money.
• Contact:
  • 2011 JAIST Cup steering committee. Mail to:jaistcup2011@jaist.ac.jp

Details of competitions

13x13 Go algorithm competition

It was a milestone that a computer won against a professional player in 9x9 Go, but in 19x19, it needs more time to achieve the same exploits. Recently, attention has been focused on 13x13 Go because that it requires the high level strategies of 19x19. As there has been no big events on 13x13 Go in Japan, we would like to foster the momentum through the high level match in this event including human experts.

Rule

• 13x13, 7.5 Komi, Chinese rule, super Ko, 30 minutes for both players.
• The empires treat any accidents finally.

Tournament

• Swiss style tournament (Round robin or knockout style is used for few participants)
• Please make sure that your program can communicate on GTP (Go Text Protocol).
• Please avoid your program delaying the timing of resign, in case the opponent is human.
• We will prepare GUI clients for human players.

9x9 Go Turing-test competition

The performance of computer Go in 9x9 nearly reaches the level of professional players. Considering the development of game software, not only Go, for armature players, the next requirements of strength are entertainment, coaching skill, etc. In this competition, programs compete not on the strength but on its humanity.

Rule

• 9x9, 7.5 Komi, Chinese rule, super Ko, 10 sec/ply

Tournament

• Both human players and programs play a game in a condition that the opponent is in dark.
• All moves are sent to the opponent in 10 seconds. i.e., time does not give any hints for the judging below.
• After each match, a human player judge whether the opponent is a program or human in 5 levels {A, B, C, D, E}. A: the opponent must be a program. E: the opponent must be a human player.
  • The competition result ignores scores obtained from computer/human players who are below 30% in the winning count ranking of computers or in one of humans.
  • Score for human: If the opponent is a computer, then he received {+2,+1,0,-1,-3}, otherwise {-3,-1,0,+1,+2}. Winner is who has the highest average.
  • Score for computers: A program is given a score of {0,1,2,4,6} according to the opponent judge. Winner is which has the highest average.
• Please make sure that your program can communicate on GTP. Be careful to the time control: The total time is not limited.
• Please avoid your program delaying the timing of resign, in case the opponent is human.
• We will prepare GUI clients for human players.
• Moves to test the opponent is not forbidden, but basically please play games to win and to enjoy, considering the purpose of the competition.
• How high score do you think is obtained by the winner program? Could you forecast?

Poje (Synchronized Puyopuyo) algorithm competition

Puyopuyo, originally released from Compile in the 1990s and sold by Sega today, is recognize as a representative drop game surpassing Tetris, and produces many super players. This competition is on Poje, which is a strategic oriented variant of Puyopuyo without the characteristic of real time playing. A computer plays against other computers or human players. (The publication of Poje is permitted under the agreement with Sega Corporation that "No profits, No reuse of sound nor images. Avoiding the confusing to the original Puyopuyo")

Rule

Poje is recomposed version of Puyopuyo aiming that: Without the real time characteristics, player can think deeply in a state. With less randomness for the deal or the jams, the game is more strategic than the original.

• A field consists from 7x11 squares (columns x rows). Each player has a field. If owned field is filled up by balls completely, the player lose a game.
  • A player is given a set of two balls (pair), and can rotate it or move it to left or right. Three pairs are always can be seen.
  • Game is played synchronously. Both player play at the same timing.
  • The same pairs are sent to players until one player eliminate balls.
  • Ball colors in a pair is decided randomly. If a color not appeared three times continuously, the color is surely included in the next pair.
• 4 colors are used for balls. Connected balls more than 4 is eliminated.
• C continuous eliminations (C-chain) require C turns and the player cannot operate in the period.
• A chain generates jams and sends them to the opponent field.
  • The number of jams by C-chain is 3C(C-1). If more than 4 balls are eliminated in the stage c in the chain, c(n-4) jams are added as bonus.
  • If both player send jams to each other, only the difference is sent (counterbalance).
  • Jams are dropped from left to right, and next jams will follow the last.
  • After the start of an opponent's C-chain, you can operate C+1 times.
  • Jams are not eliminated in the same way as other balls. A jam is eliminated if a neighbor ball is eliminated.

Tournament

• 10 sec/ply (not decided yet)
• Please make sure that your program can communicate on PTP (Poje Text Protocol).
• We will prepare a frame work written in C#, and recommend to develop your program on it.
• Swiss style tournament (Round robin is used for few participants)

Link

• GTP (Go Text Protocol) http://www.lysator.liu.se/~gunnar/gtp/

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