# Polygames: Improved Zero Learning

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.09832 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2001.09832/

## Key facts

- Cited by 11 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 27 Jan 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 11 of 11)

- [Scaling Scaling Laws with Board Games](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.03113/) (2021)
- [MiniZero: Comparative Analysis of AlphaZero and MuZero on Go, Othello, and Atari Games](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.11305/) (2023)
- [Deep Learning for General Game Playing with Ludii and Polygames](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.09562/) (2021)
- [Transfer of Fully Convolutional Policy-Value Networks Between Games and Game Variants](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.12375/) (2021)
- [Batch Monte Carlo Tree Search](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.04278/) (2021)
- [Improving Model and Search for Computer Go](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.03467/) (2021)
- [Spatial State-Action Features for General Games](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.06401/) (2022)
- [AlphaZero-Inspired Game Learning: Faster Training by Using MCTS Only at Test Time](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.13307/) (2022)
- [Impartial Games: A Challenge for Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.12787/) (2022)
- [Vision Transformers for Computer Go](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.12675/) (2023)
- [Learning to Play Stochastic Two-player Perfect-Information Games without Knowledge](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.04318/) (2023)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Since DeepMind's AlphaZero, Zero learning quickly became the state-of-the-art method for many board games. It can be improved using a fully convolutional structure (no fully connected layer). Using such an architecture plus global pooling, we can create bots independent of the board size. The training can be made more robust by keeping track of the best checkpoints during the training and by training against them. Using these features, we release Polygames, our framework for Zero learning, with its library of games and its checkpoints. We won against strong humans at the game of Hex in 19x19, which was often said to be untractable for zero learning; and in Havannah. We also won several first places at the TAAI competitions.