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Subject: Re: chessmaster is the best at tactics!

Author: Reynolds Takata

Date: 09:55:57 11/02/98

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>>
>>Weakens?  Chess master is a monster and the strongest combinatively.  I'm a
>>master(USCF 2249) and i own all of the top programs except tiger and mchess.  CM
>>has all other programs beat when it comes to the majority of combinations.  CM
>>is going to win the Komputer Kup tourney, on the Shep's Computer chess site it's
>>won more tournaments run there than any other program.  The only reason i think
>>it didn't do as well in the Mclane's tourney i believe is do to some sort of
>>hardware conflict there.  This because he kept reporting CM crashing, when i
>>have had CM a long time and never had a crash.  CM is in the same category as
>>far as strength is concerned as any of the top programs and stronger than the
>>majority.  The thing that is so good about chessmaster is that it's actually
>>trying to win, ALL the other programs will gladly concede to a draw if you want
>>one, but not chessmaster, it's motto is "OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!".  Many people want
>>to charge the programs with making positional mistakes, the master understands
>>that positional weaknesses are a necessary part of the game if you really want
>>to win. Chess is about give and take.  The trick is to be the first to make use
>>of the weaknesses and chessmaster seeks the initiative so hard it usually gets
>>there first.
>
>I'm not sure I can argue with you, as you give only subjective reasons.

Performances in tournaments are not subjective reasons.  Further me being a
master and having played almost all the top programs, is not a subjective reason
either.
>
>You love ChessMaster's playing style, well, ok.
>

Chessmasters style is fun yes.

>But if you take a look at the SSDF list
>(http://home3.swipnet.se/~w-36794/ssdf/nr000.htm), you will see that CM5000 is
>not in the top pack.
>

What you are overlooking, and i have posted here before is that chessmaster is a
slow program, and it performs better on faster hardware, on a P90 it is not
equal to other programs, CM needs at least a P233 to perform at it's best.
Sometimes something that is also a slight hindrance(about 20 elo) is not
chessmasters raw strength, but a non-optimized book.  CM with fantastic play
usually overcomes the probs of the book though.

>It has been tested on Pentium 90. If you take the other programs running on P90
>(of course I don't want to compare programs on unequal hardware), you'll see
>that there are 3 of them that are more than 50 elo points stronger.


>
>Even Hiarcs 4 and Rebel 7 (old programs) play better.

No they do not play better, especially Hiarcs!  I can draw that program a 100
times a day(no i'm not exagerating)  the best strategy is to simply attempt a
draw which i can get anytime i want, and hope that it makes a slip(I have a plus
score vs Hiarcs).  R8 and 9 are not as passive as Hiarcs but still a draw is
inevitable.  When i play these programs it's as if we are two best buddies in a
tournament who have to play each other.  These programs act like ok, "if you
don't try anything i wont try anything", BOOM a draw.  Themoment you try
something(attempt to win) though usually boom you're dead :).
>
>And the list of programs tested on P90 does not even include the latest versions
>of Fritz, Junior and Nimzo.
>
>So I would say that, yes, CM5000 is a good program, but, no, it is not the best.

No one ever said it was the best overall, but combinatively yes it is the best

>
>You may be impressed by the combinations it finds, but even in combinations
>there are better programs.

Not unless it's J5, Tiger or R10.

>
>And if you want a very agressive opponent, maybe you'll love Chess System Tal.
>
>

Agresiveness makes for more realistic chess, a common misconception is that
attempting to keep making progs play better and better positional chess(usually
meaning more defensive) makes their play more human like, but this is a
falsehood, because such a strategy just leads to the master almost ALWAYS(85% at
least GMs 100%) being able to obtain a draw.  The master only loses to comps if
he attempts to win instead of draw.





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