Here is what two electronical "seniors" thought about the winning probability of their youthful buddy.

Please be careful while interpreting the diagrams.
I suppose that "EQUAL" is ABOVE 50 %, maybe something about 55 %, at least.

_________________
The really most difficult Go problem ever: https://igohatsuyoron120.de/index.htm
Igo Hatsuyōron #120 (really solved by KataGo)

Demis Hassabis keep his promise to you

Congratulations AlphaGo!

Some quick thoughts after game 1 (I watched the game on and off so this is not a thorough impression):

1. Lee clearly seemed to underestimate AlphaGo when he went strait to fighting very early in the game.

2. AlphaGo's evaluation skills seemed even better than Lee. It felt like it didn't miss a single weakness in both of its own and Lee's position, and incorporated it into its strategy. For example, the well timed probe at j8 in the middle game was quite impressive in itself, and the follow up after that - allowing Lee to create a huge, near-territory like moyo in the lower left, while building a long but useless-looking (at least territory wise) wall in the right side - looked a bit unreasonable at first, but it opened up so many possibilities in the right side so was not that bad after all (in fact, it was there where it was able to gain the lead in the game).

Its use of aji was very good throughout the game - a hint of how much it regards the value of hidden potentials, which I think is a sign of extraordinarily strong intuition formed from a vast amount of experience. Lee's strategy of making the game complicated didn't work out for him - because AlphaGo's strength in chaotic fighting was just as good (if not better) as Lee's. Especially AlphaGo's move 102 seemed to shock many pros, including Lee.
It also seemed to play a lot of unexpected but surprisingly effective moves. So much for human creativity.

3. The Korean pros commenting seemed pretty clueless of how computers tend to play. For example, during the game AlphaGo made a couple of "mistakes" according to them - because it seemed to lose points locally - but in the end those "lost points" were quickly recovered somewhere else, or didn't matter in the end. Anyone who played computers a lot will know they tend to start 'losing points' once they think they're ahead - right until they win precisely by half-point. It gave the impression that AlphaGo is a lot better than pros in positional judgement.

4. I think Lee held out well overall, but (according to pros) a single mistake in the lower right corner was enough to lose the game. If that's all it takes to lose, then AlphaGo's strength is scary indeed. I expect a 5-0 victory for the bot.

Lee's comments after game 1:

Initial feelings after the game:
"I was so surprised because I didn't think I would lose. About the game, I messed up in the fuseki stage and wasn't able to recover throughout the game. I didn't imagine its play would be this perfect. Very surprised indeed."

About Deepmind Team:
"The Deepmind Team expressed their thanks for me playing the game, but I take my hats off to them for creating such an excellent program."

What surprised him the most:
"I was surprised by 2 things. First, its ability to play such smoothly in the opening stage, because I thought the A.I. will have a hard time when so many things are wide open. Second, just when I think it's difficult for both sides, it plays 'shaking moves (勝負手; gambling moves that try to turn the game around by making it chaotic when you think you're losing)'. Moves that humans normally don't play. It's a Go related thing so I can't explain clearly (He seems to be talking about AlphaGo's ability to play unexpected but sharp, 'gambling' type of moves. I think he particularly has move 102 in mind)."

About the following matches:
"It's true the result is a bit of shock. But I enjoyed the game very much, and really looking forward to the remaining games as well. I'm not sure what the outcome will be. Today I messed up to much in the opening. If I am more careful next time, it may go well for me."
"If AlphaGo wasn't able to play aforementioned 'shaking moves' I would have said I have a better chance to win, but since it apparently can, I'd say it's a 50:50." (I think he means he underestimated AlphaGo before the match, but now sees it at least as his equal.)

Source: http://sports.media.daum.net/sports/gen ... 9174608093
(in Korean)

(edited for wrong grammer)

Actually, going back to the 1990s, he told me he would be a "good soldier" for go. But who would have guessed this?

A little bit sad that this side story is hidden within only lifein19 it deserved to be in the news as well

Suits me if it is known to those who will understand the context.

So, let's cherish Lifein19.

2nd game;

AlphaGo defeated Lee Sedol by resign.

AlphaGo vs Lee Sedol 2:0

I guess this marks a new era. Well I suppose that officially happens Friday, but the writing is on the wall.

"Game over, man!"

_________________
- Brady
Want to see videos of low-dan mistakes and what to learn from them? Brady's Blunders

For game #2:

Here is what two electronical "seniors" thought about the winning probability of their youthful buddy.

Please be careful while interpreting the diagrams.
I suppose that "EQUAL" is ABOVE 50 %, maybe something about 55 %, at least.

_________________
The really most difficult Go problem ever: https://igohatsuyoron120.de/index.htm
Igo Hatsuyōron #120 (really solved by KataGo)

Before the match, I suggested that Lee must play for long-term, global interaction. Instead, Lee focuses on the contrary while Alphago opts for long-term and global interaction. I expected top human players being able to surpass Alphago there but Lee seems to be the wrong opponent for the task of beating Alphago. We do not need the top human players but, among those with deep LD reading, players very strong at positional judgement of the dynamic aspects incl. center influence and attacking potential. Back to the 60s and 70s of Japanese top professional play! Lee misjudges aji, influence, potential etc. With his focus on reading and a mostly territorial judgement, he continues to lose. Alphago is a holistic player but Lee is not.

Apparently Lee said at the post-game press conference “As I was playing today’s game, I kind of felt that things would get difficult after the mid-game, reaching closer to the end-game. So I feel that for the next game I would have to focus quite hard on the beginning part of the game.”

On a related note hasn't Lee also said in the past that the opening is the weakest part of his game? That might just mean he likes to fight though..

Please don't try to judge Lee Sedol's go strength. Even the top professional's won't do that.

He has said that and they discussed that in the commentary during the stream. It's as you said, he believes his opening is weak because he likes to get into fights too early.

I am very sure that the evaluation of the skill level of any of AlphaGo's opponents must be done with extreme caution.

In my opinion, AlphaGo has a very "adaptive" style (if is has any).

Didn't Michael Redmond mention that AlphaGo did not let Lee Sedol do what he wanted to do ?
Replace "Lee Sedol" with any other name, and Michael's impression will remain true.

+ + + + +

Another evidence might be the also "highlighted" fact that there were no "grave" ko fights, neither in AlphaGo's games against Fan Hui, nor against Lee Sedol.

Let us assume for a moment that "complex ko fights" would be really one of AlphaGo's Achilles' heels (we have not seen any, so cannot be sure at all).

Would it be so unlikely that AlphaGo was aware of this "weakness" ?
And would want to avoid as much as possible to become forced into such a fight ?

_________________
The really most difficult Go problem ever: https://igohatsuyoron120.de/index.htm
Igo Hatsuyōron #120 (really solved by KataGo)

The next match is on Saturday, yes? I truly hope so because these 04h30 (Germany) starts (leaving time for tea-making and breakfast-finding) are quite tiring - a rest day would be nice.

EDIT: I truly hope that Lee comes back, after the break, and wins on Saturday and Sunday. I really want this match to stretch to five games - I haven't had this much fun on YouTube since YouTube was a Thing. Also, I can't help but feel that Google have had their victory and don't need the straight-sets win. They can leave some honour and mystique for the humans!

I agree. But it probably makes some sense to see "Korean go" as on trial here. AlphaGo is playing "new kid on the block", and the pre-match comment was rather dismissive of whether pros would have anything to learn from it. Recall the comments "doesn't know" this or that.

Even if Lee loses games 3 and 4 there will be 5 games. It's a 5 game match, not best of 5.

It has not been my intention to judge Lee's absolute go strength. Instead, I have commented on his strengths and weaknesses. (Everybody is doing so.) Among those few top professionals I have heard commenting on game 2, Lee Sedol is the only one, whose judgement on who has been ahead (at no time Lee) I consider correct. Judgement of the players' play in this match is at the core of what is happening.