the color i get in each game is not random • page 1/1 • Lichess Feedback • lichess.org

I'm not sure if this is intentional or not (likely a biproduct of the new color picking algorithm) but I find I get long streaks of games with white with hardly any with black, and then long streaks with black, etc.. is this intentional since it still means in general you get equal games with white and black, but still, standard 50/50 would be better. why would it not be like this?

mcgoves edited

#2

Streaks are unavoidable in truly random behavior. Indeed, eliminating streaks would eliminate the randomness. Most people's intuition expects the opposite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clustering_illusion

Streaks are unavoidable in truly random behavior. Indeed, eliminating streaks would eliminate the randomness. Most people's intuition expects the opposite. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clustering_illusion

nadjarostowa

#3

As I understand it, the algorithm tries to even out the colors, while still being "pretty random" for a single game.

You have a slight surplus on games with White at the moment, so it might be a bit more likely to get Black, but I didn't check with the current code.

Of course, when playing games against random opponents, this cannot be alternating for every player every game, as both may have had the same color before. And maybe even the games before. And you can easily extend this argument to an arbitrary number of games.

Even if you would make it a pure coin flip for a single player, chances for getting 5 times the same color would be around 3%. Given that you have a couple thousand games, you are likely to see that happen frequently. But we probably start to notice it even earlier, maybe on the third game or so - which will naturally happen extremely often.

As I understand it, the algorithm tries to even out the colors, while still being "pretty random" for a single game. You have a slight surplus on games with White at the moment, so it might be a bit more likely to get Black, but I didn't check with the current code. Of course, when playing games against random opponents, this cannot be alternating for every player every game, as both may have had the same color before. And maybe even the games before. And you can easily extend this argument to an arbitrary number of games. Even if you would make it a pure coin flip for a single player, chances for getting 5 times the same color would be around 3%. Given that you have a couple thousand games, you are likely to see that happen frequently. But we probably start to notice it even earlier, maybe on the third game or so - which will naturally happen extremely often.