Chess Database Chess Database ExplorationExploration

Dan AlcantaraDan Alcantara

MotivationMotivation

Want way to easily browse through a Want way to easily browse through a hierarchically ordered database of hierarchically ordered database of chess gameschess games Find all games played by a particular Find all games played by a particular

person person Compare two different players and their Compare two different players and their

opening strategiesopening strategies

Data setData set Database of chess game Database of chess game

records from 2002 – 2007records from 2002 – 2007 Each record contains:Each record contains:

Exact sequence of Exact sequence of moves playedmoves played

Player namesPlayer names Player rankingsPlayer rankings Chess opening Chess opening

designationdesignation

[Event "Sparkassen Gp 1"][Event "Sparkassen Gp 1"][Site "Dortmund GER"][Site "Dortmund GER"][Date "2002.07.06"][Date "2002.07.06"][Round "1"][Round "1"][White "Topalov,V"][White "Topalov,V"][Black "Lutz,C"][Black "Lutz,C"][Result "1-0"][Result "1-0"][WhiteElo "2745"][WhiteElo "2745"][BlackElo "2650"][BlackElo "2650"][EventDate "2002.07.06"][EventDate "2002.07.06"][ECO "B48"][ECO "B48"]

1.1. e4 c5 e4 c5 2.2. Nf3 e6 Nf3 e6 3.3. d4 cxd4 d4 cxd4 4.4. Nxd4 Nc6 Nxd4 Nc6 5.5. Nc3 Qc7 Nc3 Qc7 6.6. Be3 a6 Be3 a6 7.7. Qd2 Nf6Qd2 Nf68.8. O-O-O Bb4 O-O-O Bb4 9.9. f3 Ne5 f3 Ne5 10.10. Nb3 b5 Nb3 b5 11.11. Kb1 Nc4 Kb1 Nc4 12.12. Bxc4 bxc4 Bxc4 bxc4 13.13. Nc1 Qb7 Nc1 Qb7 14.14. N1e2 Rb8 N1e2 Rb8 15.15. b3 O-O b3 O-O 16.16. Bf4 Ra8Bf4 Ra817.17. etc.etc.

Data setData set

Looking at all Looking at all games forms a big games forms a big treetree

e4

c5 e5

Nf3 …

…

Navigating the data setNavigating the data set

Current Current approaches either approaches either step through the step through the data set or present data set or present all of the games in all of the games in a simple listinga simple listing Hard to get an Hard to get an

overview of what overview of what each step causeseach step causes

Navigating the data setNavigating the data set Each node of the Each node of the

hyperbolic tree hyperbolic tree represents one represents one particular configuration particular configuration of the boardof the board

Each player action is Each player action is represented by a represented by a connection between connection between two nodestwo nodes

Gives rough idea of Gives rough idea of popularity and success popularity and success rate of particular actionrate of particular action

Navigating the data setNavigating the data set

Mousing over the Mousing over the nodes converts the nodes converts the chess notation into chess notation into an actual boardan actual board

Navigating the Navigating the tree darkens areas tree darkens areas which have been which have been previously visitedpreviously visited

Comparing playersComparing players

Comparing playersComparing players

Hyperbolic tree Hyperbolic tree not really suitable not really suitable for comparisonsfor comparisons Can focus on one or Can focus on one or

two players to see two players to see which pathways which pathways were takenwere taken

Colors blend where Colors blend where the pathways the pathways overlapoverlap

Comparing playersComparing players

The chess games The chess games form two treesform two trees Branch for every Branch for every

different player different player actionaction

Branch for different Branch for different “chess openings” “chess openings” (strategies)(strategies)

Comparing playersComparing players

Comparing playersComparing players

Comparing playersComparing players

FrameworkFramework

Tree structures were separated from Tree structures were separated from the visualization, so multiple types of the visualization, so multiple types of visualizations can be used on the visualizations can be used on the same data.same data.

Problem was that I couldn’t come up Problem was that I couldn’t come up with anything interesting with the with anything interesting with the given timeframe.given timeframe.