Dietrich Prinz

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Dietrich G. Prinz, (March 29, 1903 - December 1989) was a German computer scientist and pioneer, who developed the first limited chess program in England 1951. The computer, a Ferranti Mark 1, was not powerful enough to play a full game but could find the best move if it was only two moves away from checkmate, known as the Mate-in-two problem.

Dietrich Prinz was educated at Berlin University, where his teachers included Planck and Einstein, and graduated with a Ph.D. in Philosophy. As Jewish scientist, Prinz escaped Nazi-Germany in 1938 and settled in England. In collaboration with the University of Manchester, Prinz worked as a research scientist at Ferranti Ltd in 1947, and became involved in the firm's work with the Manchester Mark series of computers. His interest in computer chess was likely influenced by his colleague Alan Turing, and like Michie, Strachey, and others, by an important article published in 1950 by Donald Davies, A Theory of Chess and Noughts and Crosses.

=Photos= Germany, 1951, Nimrod versus Ludwig Erhard, Prinz and Adenauer watching

=See also=
 * Ferranti Mark 1
 * History of Computer Chess
 * Mate-in-two

=Selected Publications= =External Links=
 * Dietrich Prinz (1944). Contributions to the Theory of Automatic Controllers and Followers. Journal of Scientific Instruments
 * Dietrich Prinz (1951). Introduction to Programming on the Manchester Electronic Digital Computer.
 * Dietrich Prinz (1952). Robot Chess. Research, Vol. 6, reprinted 1988 in Computer Chess Compendium
 * Dietrich Prinz (1953). The Use of General Computers for Solving Logical Problems, in Bertram Vivian Bowden (editor), Faster Than Thought, a symposium on digital computing machines
 * Alex Bell (1972). Games Playing with Computers. Allen & Unwin, ISBN-13: 978-0080212227
 * Chess programs: Prinz from Alex Bell (1972). Games Playing with Computers. Allen & Unwin, ISBN-13: 978-0080212227
 * Dietrich Prinz from History of Computer Chess, The Computer History Museum
 * History of Computer Chess and Programmer Dietrich Prinz by Mary Bellis, About.com
 * Early AI Programs from AlanTuring.net by B. Jack Copeland
 * "Brilliant and barking mad": an interview with expat scientist Dr Jon Prinz, telegraph.co.uk, June 21, 2010
 * 2012 The Alan Turing Year - TCAC Germany Subcommittee

=References=

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