Big Boy
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Big Boy is a computer developed and funded by the engineering and electronics company IVO. Spanning multiple rooms, it is the first computer to demonstrate an ability to outclass top-rated V'shi players. Since its completion in 58 PC, Big Boy has played four five-round games of V'shi against high-ranked human players, winning three out of the four matches. This feat attracted nationwide attention, as V'shi had previously been considered a game too complex for a machine to play.
Matches
Big Boy was trained on a large dataset of V'shi matches played by top-level players, and the respective strategic values of the moves made therein. The computer would dictate its moves to an accompanying technician via a grid of flashing lights attached to its main computing module, and the technician would then make the move on the board.
| Opponent | Outcome | Final score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qhim T'roliq (Ranked 105th) | Win | 4-1 | Test round; T'roliq, one of the project's lead engineers, moved the pieces of both sides. Avg. decision time 21 minutes, 3 seconds. |
| Alin Qadinsa (Ranked 49th) | Win | 4-1 | Improvements made to Big Boy's decision making process. Avg. decision time 17 minutes, 56 seconds. |
| Satri Pioq (Ranked 3rd) | Win | 3-2 | More improvements made. Avg. decision time 13 minutes, 47 seconds. In a later interview, Pioq claimed he would have beaten the machine were it not for its "excessive" computing times. |
| Isa Ha'a (Ranked 1st) | Loss | 2-3 | Avg. decision time 11 minutes, 1 second. After losing the first two games, Ha'a claimed to have noticed an exploitable weakness in Big Boy's moves, supposedly corresponding to its computing time. A pseudo-random delay to the computing time of each move was implemented following the match. |
After her match against Big Boy, Ha'a referred to the computer as "an incredibly promising piece of technology." The nationally publicized success of Big Boy led to a rapid increase in the value of computer technology investments. Representatives of IVO have stated that a more advanced successor to Big Boy is in the process of development.