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'''[[Main Page|Home]] * [[People]] * Brian Sheppard'''
'''Brian Sheppard''',<br/>
an American mathematician, computer scientist and computer games programmer,
including the games of chess, [[Othello]], and most notably [[Scrabble]],
where he is author of the commercial program [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maven_%28Scrabble%29 Maven]
<ref>[http://www.funkitron.com/HowToPlay/Pages/AboutMaven.htm Brian Sheppard talks about Maven]</ref>.
Maven applies various [[Search|search algorithms]] for various game stages,
a probability-weighted search, [[Monte-Carlo Tree Search]] and [[B*]] for the endgame analysis.
Brian Sheppard holds a BA in mathematics from [[Harvard University]] in 1984, and a Ph.D. from [[Maastricht University]] under supervision of [[Jaap van den Herik]] and [[Jonathan Schaeffer]] in 2002 <ref>[[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2002'''). ''Towards Perfect Play of Scrabble''. Ph.D. thesis, [[Maastricht University]]</ref>.
His Ph.D. thesis ''Towards Perfect Play of Scrabble'' received the [[ChessBase]] [[ChessBase#BestPublicationAward|Best-Publication Award]].
Brian Sheppard started writing his first chess program in 1986, which has taken him 9 years and 3 complete [[Move Generation|move generators]] to make a chess engine with championship-caliber speed <ref>[[Brian Sheppard]] ('''1996'''). ''A Professional Programmer''. [[Computer Chess Reports]], Vol. 5, No. 3+4, pp. 117</ref>.
More recently, he contributes to the [[Stockfish]] project <ref>[https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/blob/master/AUTHORS https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/blob/master/AUTHORS]</ref>.
=Selected Publications=
==1996==
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''1996'''). ''Deep Blue vs. Kasparov - Betting on the Human''. [[Computer Chess Reports]], Vol. 5, No. 3+4, pp. 41
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''1996'''). ''A Professional Programmer''. [[Computer Chess Reports]], Vol. 5, No. 3+4, pp. 117
==2000 ...==
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2002'''). ''[https://cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl/en/publications/towards-perfect-play-of-scrabble Towards Perfect Play of Scrabble]''. Ph.D. thesis, [[Maastricht University]]
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2002'''). ''[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0004370201001667 World-championship-caliber Scrabble]''. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_Intelligence_%28journal%29 Artificial Intelligence], Vol. 134, No. 1-2
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2002'''). ''An Overview of Computer Play of Scrabble''. Invited Lecture, [[7th Computer Olympiad#Workshop|7th Computer Olympiad Workshop]]
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2003'''). ''Endgame Play in Scrabble''. [[ICGA Journal#26_3|ICGA Journal, Vol. 26, No. 3]]
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2004'''). ''[https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/11674399_1 Efficient Control of Selective Simulations]''. [[CG 2004]]
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2004'''). ''Efficient Control of Selective Simulations''. [[ICGA Journal#27_2|ICGA Journal, Vol. 27, No. 2]] <ref>slightly revised version of the [[CG 2004]] paper</ref>
=Forum Posts=
==1995 ...==
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec.games.chess.computer/ZF9E-EEC5FA/M_wEpE10URkJ Re: MVV/LVA vs SEE move ordering - more test results] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], August 27, 1995 » [[MVV-LVA|MVV/LVA]], [[Static Exchange Evaluation|SEE]]
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec.games.chess.computer/0yNRLqY8frA/fkAuIzzhJ-UJ Re: Horizon Effects in modern chess programs?] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], September 10, 1995 » [[Horizon Effect]]
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec.games.chess.computer/jlFU_HW-qSY/PKU4pVCCAxEJ Re: Unusual killer heuristic behavior] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], September 13, 1995 » [[Killer Heuristic]]
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec.games.chess.misc/31wHdojBM2g/KqmzrzOEEBkJ Re: Deep Blue's forehand] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcm]], February 26, 1996 » [[Deep Blue]]
==2010 ...==
* [http://computer-go.org/pipermail/computer-go/2012-January/004429.html Re: win rate bias and CLOP] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [http://computer-go.org/pipermail/computer-go/ Computer-go Archives], January 03, 2012 » [[CLOP]]
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/fishcooking/ybc88CHDx-U/vkNg7j16AQAJ Proposal to clarify improving/inCheck/last-in-check] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Stockfish#Fishtest|Fishtest]],
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/fishcooking/oaJQEM4wck0/sRx5TmwTCQAJ Re: Discussion for optimizing methodology] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Stockfish#Fishtest|Fishtest]], October 23, 2018
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/fishcooking/KfF4xn2V5gY/po_a3EkLBAAJ Re: Perceptron] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Stockfish#Fishtest|Fishtest]], March 02, 2019 » [[Late Move Reductions|LMR]]
=External Links=
* [https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansheppard/ Brian Sheppard | LinkedIn]
* [http://www.funkitron.com/HowToPlay/Pages/AboutMaven.htm Brian Sheppard talks about Maven]
=References=
<references />
'''[[People|Up one level]]'''
[[Category:Chess Programmer|Sheppard]]
[[Category:Othello Programmer|Letouzey]]
[[Category:Scrabble Programmer|Sheppard]]
'''Brian Sheppard''',<br/>
an American mathematician, computer scientist and computer games programmer,
including the games of chess, [[Othello]], and most notably [[Scrabble]],
where he is author of the commercial program [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maven_%28Scrabble%29 Maven]
<ref>[http://www.funkitron.com/HowToPlay/Pages/AboutMaven.htm Brian Sheppard talks about Maven]</ref>.
Maven applies various [[Search|search algorithms]] for various game stages,
a probability-weighted search, [[Monte-Carlo Tree Search]] and [[B*]] for the endgame analysis.
Brian Sheppard holds a BA in mathematics from [[Harvard University]] in 1984, and a Ph.D. from [[Maastricht University]] under supervision of [[Jaap van den Herik]] and [[Jonathan Schaeffer]] in 2002 <ref>[[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2002'''). ''Towards Perfect Play of Scrabble''. Ph.D. thesis, [[Maastricht University]]</ref>.
His Ph.D. thesis ''Towards Perfect Play of Scrabble'' received the [[ChessBase]] [[ChessBase#BestPublicationAward|Best-Publication Award]].
Brian Sheppard started writing his first chess program in 1986, which has taken him 9 years and 3 complete [[Move Generation|move generators]] to make a chess engine with championship-caliber speed <ref>[[Brian Sheppard]] ('''1996'''). ''A Professional Programmer''. [[Computer Chess Reports]], Vol. 5, No. 3+4, pp. 117</ref>.
More recently, he contributes to the [[Stockfish]] project <ref>[https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/blob/master/AUTHORS https://github.com/official-stockfish/Stockfish/blob/master/AUTHORS]</ref>.
=Selected Publications=
==1996==
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''1996'''). ''Deep Blue vs. Kasparov - Betting on the Human''. [[Computer Chess Reports]], Vol. 5, No. 3+4, pp. 41
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''1996'''). ''A Professional Programmer''. [[Computer Chess Reports]], Vol. 5, No. 3+4, pp. 117
==2000 ...==
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2002'''). ''[https://cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl/en/publications/towards-perfect-play-of-scrabble Towards Perfect Play of Scrabble]''. Ph.D. thesis, [[Maastricht University]]
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2002'''). ''[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0004370201001667 World-championship-caliber Scrabble]''. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_Intelligence_%28journal%29 Artificial Intelligence], Vol. 134, No. 1-2
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2002'''). ''An Overview of Computer Play of Scrabble''. Invited Lecture, [[7th Computer Olympiad#Workshop|7th Computer Olympiad Workshop]]
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2003'''). ''Endgame Play in Scrabble''. [[ICGA Journal#26_3|ICGA Journal, Vol. 26, No. 3]]
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2004'''). ''[https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/11674399_1 Efficient Control of Selective Simulations]''. [[CG 2004]]
* [[Brian Sheppard]] ('''2004'''). ''Efficient Control of Selective Simulations''. [[ICGA Journal#27_2|ICGA Journal, Vol. 27, No. 2]] <ref>slightly revised version of the [[CG 2004]] paper</ref>
=Forum Posts=
==1995 ...==
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec.games.chess.computer/ZF9E-EEC5FA/M_wEpE10URkJ Re: MVV/LVA vs SEE move ordering - more test results] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], August 27, 1995 » [[MVV-LVA|MVV/LVA]], [[Static Exchange Evaluation|SEE]]
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec.games.chess.computer/0yNRLqY8frA/fkAuIzzhJ-UJ Re: Horizon Effects in modern chess programs?] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], September 10, 1995 » [[Horizon Effect]]
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec.games.chess.computer/jlFU_HW-qSY/PKU4pVCCAxEJ Re: Unusual killer heuristic behavior] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], September 13, 1995 » [[Killer Heuristic]]
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rec.games.chess.misc/31wHdojBM2g/KqmzrzOEEBkJ Re: Deep Blue's forehand] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcm]], February 26, 1996 » [[Deep Blue]]
==2010 ...==
* [http://computer-go.org/pipermail/computer-go/2012-January/004429.html Re: win rate bias and CLOP] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [http://computer-go.org/pipermail/computer-go/ Computer-go Archives], January 03, 2012 » [[CLOP]]
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/fishcooking/ybc88CHDx-U/vkNg7j16AQAJ Proposal to clarify improving/inCheck/last-in-check] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Stockfish#Fishtest|Fishtest]],
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/fishcooking/oaJQEM4wck0/sRx5TmwTCQAJ Re: Discussion for optimizing methodology] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Stockfish#Fishtest|Fishtest]], October 23, 2018
* [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/fishcooking/KfF4xn2V5gY/po_a3EkLBAAJ Re: Perceptron] by [[Brian Sheppard]], [[Stockfish#Fishtest|Fishtest]], March 02, 2019 » [[Late Move Reductions|LMR]]
=External Links=
* [https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansheppard/ Brian Sheppard | LinkedIn]
* [http://www.funkitron.com/HowToPlay/Pages/AboutMaven.htm Brian Sheppard talks about Maven]
=References=
<references />
'''[[People|Up one level]]'''
[[Category:Chess Programmer|Sheppard]]
[[Category:Othello Programmer|Letouzey]]
[[Category:Scrabble Programmer|Sheppard]]
