Author: Sandro Necchi
Date: 12:03:57 05/04/02
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On May 04, 2002 at 08:56:35, Mike Hood wrote: >On May 04, 2002 at 03:12:04, Sandro Necchi wrote: > ><--snip--> > >>If we woould allowed this the only result will be that the best opening books >>will not be sold anymore because they can be copied. > >Is there such a thing as the "best opening books"? I thought that the whole >point of creating an opening book is to tune it to the specific strengths and >weaknesses of the chess program it is being bundled with. ie "favour this >opening", "avoid that opening". Just to understand what we do (opening books authors) and that we do not only select available moves/games, I give you an example: In January 1995, I decided to in include the Sozin attach in M-Chess Pro. Opening book for the new 5.0 version which won the World title. So I started selecting the moves I wanted to add on white side and went to analyse the following variation: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cd4 4. Nd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Bb3 b5 8. 0-0 Be7 9. f4 Bb7 10. Be3 b4 11. e5 bc3 12. ef6 Bf6 13. bc3 0-0 14. Qd2 Qc7 15. Rad1 d5 (here R.J. Fisher states that black is a little better. ECO volume B 4th edition gives also 16. g4 Nd7 unclear page 594 note 71, but to me it is CLEAR advantage for black). So building an opening book from available database data one would not include such variation, but I did since I though I could improve it making changes as follows: 16. f5! (know as the Necchi attack which later became theory in M-Chess Pro. and Hiarcs books). Analysing this position all available chess program gave white lost, but for me they simply did not understand the position and so I was able to beat them all with this move! Then I added all played moves to my book and M-Chess Pro. 5.0 was killing all the competitors, also in combination of the new learning featured which was added starting from that version, playing this variation. This caused a big protest by the Rebel team, but now this is over. To me such a thing do not mean cheating, but creative work as this would make a chess program more similar to a human player since it would bring new moves/novelties instead of just playing what is already available on theory books.. Actually the evolution of this opening is equal game which is clearly an improvement over available “official theory”. Best following moves are: 16…e5 17. Ne2 Rfd8 18. Ng3 a5 19. a4 = (with great complications). One day I may will go back on this variation and look for improvements… So, now consider that in my book there are more than 150.000 variations and that they have all been selected checking them sometimes several times as theory develops every day, one can understand what a work has been done. This is totally different than just making a database from available games. I think Jeroen did something similar, but we are not the only ones. I could mention other people as well. Is it fair (acceptable) that all this can be copied (stoned) with a simple copy command like *.*, which does not require any chess knowledge and only a few minutes? Well, I am making openings book for chess programs since 1978. It is about 24 years and I have spend something like 1000 hours per year and the book is not finished as it is being improved all the time… I do not think I should add more. Who wants understand will understand. All this to be fair with Jeroen works which I do respect a lot. Sandro Necchi
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