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Subject: Re: NO general bug that Junior 5 opp. donĀ“t save games!!!

Author: Mark Young

Date: 10:08:04 11/17/98

Go up one level in this thread


On November 17, 1998 at 12:41:14, Albert Silver wrote:

>On November 17, 1998 at 08:11:45, Mark Young wrote:
>
>>On November 17, 1998 at 07:07:55, Albert Silver wrote:
>>
>>>On November 17, 1998 at 05:05:05, Mark Young wrote:
>>>
>>>>On November 16, 1998 at 22:02:29, Christophe Theron wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On November 16, 1998 at 20:22:03, Mark Young wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On November 16, 1998 at 18:32:16, Christophe Theron wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On November 16, 1998 at 17:46:32, Mark Young wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>(snip)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Thorsten did not say Junior (Amir) is cheating.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>You need to go back and read what Thorsten wrote, because it is clear to me that
>>>>>>what he is saying.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Here is what Thorsten has said. BTW this was a reply to one of your post, so you
>>>>>should already know:
>>>>>
>>>>>-----------(Begining of Thorsten Czub quote)
>>>>>
>>>>>amir is not doing the GUI. don't you get this ?
>>>>>amir has only send his engine to chessBase. he does not know what they do with
>>>>>it.
>>>>>where am i saying amir cheats ?
>>>>>it is the engine X in the user-interface. if the user-interface is buggy, ANY
>>>>>engine would make problems.
>>>>>
>>>>>how do you want to construct now that i call amir a cheater ?
>>>>>imo you only want to make trouble here. you mix things. you claim things
>>>>>i have never said and would never say, because i don't think it is amir who has
>>>>>done that.
>>>>>this was all done long before amir.
>>>>>
>>>>>-----------(end of quote)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>>And because Junior 5's autoplayer has
>>>>>>>>a bug this proves that Fritz 5 is doing the something and proves that Fritz 5
>>>>>>>>also cheated.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>F5 autoplayer has been reported to have the same kind of bug several months ago.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Really, and now we know the that report was wrong, Ed checked it out and found
>>>>>>no problems with it.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>To my knowledge, Ed did not test the autoplayer, because he never had it.
>>>>>
>>>>>Ed has been told that Rebel has sometimes been prevented from saving its games.
>>>>>
>>>>>He tried to figure out if this could have hurt Rebel's learning feature.
>>>>>
>>>>>He thinks that it has not hurt Rebel's learning algorithm.
>>>>>
>>>>>That's all. I hope Ed can confirm this. If I am wrong, I have to be corrected.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>That is: somebody has found that sometimes F5 opponent was unable to save its
>>>>>>>game. This "somebody" was not Thorsten.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I can only go by what Ed reported. He is the only expert I know that has seen
>>>>>>it.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>I don't think he has seen the bug himself. Once again I hope he will confirm.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Known facts
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>1. Junior 5 has a bug in the autoplayer.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>2. Fritz 5 and Junior 5 have different autoplayers.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>3. SSDF is not having this problem with the Junior 5 autoplayer.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>4. Ed said that the Fritz 5 autoplayer was "clean"
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I guess you are going to have a message from Ed for this, because he did not say
>>>>>>>that.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I think that what I read. And I read it was "clean" But if I am wrong Ed can
>>>>>>correct me. I want the facts to be correct.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Once again I hope Ed replies to this.
>>>>>
>>>>>In between, may I quote one of Amir's post:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>-------------(Begining of quote)
>>>>>
>>>>>It's not yet clear what this J5 autoplayer problem is, and whether we are
>>>>>dealing with a single problem or several unrelated ones, but I don't understand
>>>>>what this has with saving the opponent's game. In the past, ChessBase
>>>>>acknowledged a problem in the F5 autoplayer's saving of opponent's game, but at
>>>>>least apparently this is working ok in the J5 autoplayer.
>>>>>
>>>>>-------------(End of quote)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>I know Amir is not talking for ChessBase, but he is in close relation with them.
>>>>>So we have at least another confirmation that there has been "a problem in the
>>>>>F5 autoplayer's saving of opponent's game" (Amir's words).
>>>>>
>>>>>Of course, ChessBase people are free to correct this if they want. If they don't
>>>>>know CCC, maybe somebody can tell them we are talking about them here...
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>(snip)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>>2. How can anyone draw the conclusion that since Junior 5's autoplayer has
>>>>>>>>somekind of problem on some computers, this shows that Fritz 5's autoplayer was
>>>>>>>>doing the same thing?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Nobody needs to make this conclusion.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>The problem with Fritz5 was reported several months ago by somebody else that
>>>>>>>has tested the Fritz5 autoplayer.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>But by reading your sentence suddenly I realize that both autoplayers come from
>>>>>>>the same company. Thanks for the idea. :)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I can see you are as loose with the facts as Thorsten,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Did I say anything that is wrong ?
>>>>>
>>>>>Maybe you didn't know that F5 autoplayer had a problem ?
>>>>>
>>>>>Maybe you don't know both autoplayers come from the same company ?
>>>>>
>>>>>Where am I loose with the facts ?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>What a reckless statement
>>>>>>to make. By reading your sentence I suddenly realize that fair play and a honest
>>>>>>discussion about other programs means nothing to you. I guess for some it is
>>>>>>worth being dishonest, if they think it can give their arguement more sting.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>3. How does anyone draw the conclusion that because a piece of software has a
>>>>>>>>bug, this proves intent that it was no mistake, just because a bug exist.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>In the case of Junior, Amir's behaviour shows clearly that there is no
>>>>>>>intention.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Correct I agree.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>But there is a question because a previous secret autoplayer from the same
>>>>>>>company had a related strange behaviour.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>How do you know it has the same strange behaviour, when it is secret. You can
>>>>>>not base this conclusion on any kind of facts.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Once again, Amir said:
>>>>>
>>>>>-------------(Begining of quote)
>>>>>
>>>>>It's not yet clear what this J5 autoplayer problem is, and whether we are
>>>>>dealing with a single problem or several unrelated ones, but I don't understand
>>>>>what this has with saving the opponent's game. In the past, ChessBase
>>>>>acknowledged a problem in the F5 autoplayer's saving of opponent's game, but at
>>>>>least apparently this is working ok in the J5 autoplayer.
>>>>>
>>>>>-------------(End of quote)
>>>>>
>>>>>you are right, these are not facts.
>>>>>
>>>>>This is just what somebody (Amir in this case) says.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>When you don't want people to suspect you of doing something nasty, you just
>>>>>>>release a public autoplayer.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>And if you don't release a public autoplayer it gives people like Thorsten and I
>>>>>>guess you the right to make up anything you want about the company and the
>>>>>>autoplay. Because you did not like the fact that it was not public.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>For months I did not say anything about this secret autoplayer.
>>>>>
>>>>>I thought: these guys out there are making too much noise against ChessBase
>>>>>without giving evidence.
>>>>>
>>>>>So I can understand your point of view.
>>>>>
>>>>>I did not know that F5 had a problem with saving opponent's game.
>>>>>
>>>>>Now we know and we have a confirmation from at least 2 people (the guy that
>>>>>originally reported the F5 problem and Amir).
>>>>>
>>>>>Thorsten has experienced the problem when playing Tiger against Junior, and
>>>>>reported to me. Maybe it is not the same autoplayer, but this made me realize
>>>>>that it was possible.
>>>>>
>>>>>I did not know, or did not believe, that the opponent could change the
>>>>>autoplayer behaviour to the point that you could not even save your game!
>>>>>
>>>>>I am using the standard "NONAME" autoplayer. That means that on the computer
>>>>>running Tiger there is a small piece of software, written several years ago by
>>>>>C. Donninger, that takes care of communications with the opponent and sending
>>>>>keystrokes to Tiger.
>>>>>
>>>>>I thought that saving the game was done automatically by this piece of software
>>>>>when the game ends. The game ends with a timeout (no more move are played for a
>>>>>given amount of time), so the opponent has no control to avoid this.
>>>>>
>>>>>What I did not know is that the opponent sends the command to save the game to
>>>>>my own program. And that a bug in the opponent could prevent my own program to
>>>>>save the game, and to learn if my learning algorithm is done when I save the
>>>>>game!
>>>>>
>>>>>So an autoplayer is really a critical piece of software, and not releasing it
>>>>>publicly is a problem to me.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>I'm sorry I have I problem with those kind of ethics.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>I have an even bigger problem with the fact that the autoplayer is secret and
>>>>>that the SSDF trusted it enough to establish results on the strength of the
>>>>>chess programs.
>>>>>
>>>>>I have been a little bit late to come to this conclusion, but now I think it
>>>>>would be fair that previous results of Fritz5 are removed from the list, and
>>>>>that Fritz5 is rated with the new public autoplayer.
>>>>>
>>>>>I know it would require a lot of additional work from the SSDF guys, and I am
>>>>>sorry for them, but it would definitely clean them from all suspicion.
>>>>>
>>>>>Do you think it would be unfair ?
>>>>
>>>>Yes this is unfair, I have seen no proof that there is anything wrong with the
>>>>autoplayer. Just smear, because you guys did not like the fact that the
>>>>autoplayer was not public. No, this kind of tactic can not stand. If SSDF falls
>>>>to this kind of tactic, then SSDF is no longer independent.
>>>
>>>I don't know about that. I think they lost their independance the minute they
>>>allowed someone's program to dictate special conditions.
>>
>>For this statement to be correct, then SSDF was forced to test Fritz 5 by
>>Chessbase. I don't think the "special conditions" were out of bonds.
>
>I don't agree. Did Chessbase buy the RAM for SSDF's machines? I don't recall
>their announcing maximum memory up to 64 Mb for all programs until AFTER the
>whole autoplayer stink blew up. Even if Ed were to furnish special hardware that
>particularly favoured his program, would this suddenly be ok? This would be in
>the spirit of unbiased objective testing? Mind you, I'm not blaming Chessbase
>for this. They can put whatever conditions on the autoplayer they like, but SSDF
>was wrong to accomodate them.

I agree, this was SSDF choice to make. And agree that chessbase should not be
blamed for this or smeared as a company that cheats.

 They should have just refused to pursue the matter
>until Chessbase changed the autoplayer or consulted every programmer whose
>program is listed in order to be truly fair.
>
>>
>> It's true, that
>>>increasing the RAM was then passed on to all other programs, but what of it.
>>>Suppose Ed put in a command that only allowed his program to be tested on an AMD
>>
>>Well if Ed buys them all AMD machines I'm sure they would be glad to test it
>>that way. But can Ed force SSDF to test this way, no. That is SSDF's call, and
>>no one elses
>>
>>
>>
>>>processor, a processor that Rebel is known to favour? Sure, you could then say
>>>that all programs will be allowed to run on AMD processors to equalize the
>>>score, but I think fairness went out the window in this story a long time ago.
>>
>>I would not mind if SSDF would test on AMD machines, because many programs other
>>then Rebel like AMD machines better, MHZ for MHZ.
>>
>>I would mind if Chessbase started to smear Rebel because the programs are on AMD
>>Machines, and they use this as an excuse for their poor showing.
>>
>>You have to understand the conditions of the testing, example we do not know if
>>Fritz 5 is best on P II 400 computes vs all the other programs.
>>
>>I'm finding Junior 5 better then Fritz 5 on faster computers, but I know the
>>results could be different on slower computers. So I am not upset that Junior 5
>>is not #1 on the SSDF list.
>>
>>P.S. I think Junior 5 will be #1 on the SSDF list in its next posting but it may
>>not be.
>>
>>
>>>
>>>Another thing, which has nothing to do with the above: did SSDF have any
>>>problems with saved games with F5? If they had none (they might have had some
>>>but assumed it was a glitch and not reported it), fine, but if they did then it
>>>should be further investigated for Amir said that when he was able to spot a bug
>>>it only happened when his program was lost. Not pointing fingers here as I don't
>>>think cheating was involved, but this would affect the results.
>>>
>>>>
>>>>And again you can not link the Fritz 5 autoplay and the Junior 5 autoplayer, We
>>>>only know about the Junior 5 autoplayer. And SSDF is having no problems with it.
>>>>
>>>>Even under you own logic that they are linked with the same bug, SSDF is not
>>>>have problems with the Junior 5 autoplayer, so under you logic SSDF should not
>>>>have had a problem with the Fritz 5 autoplayer.
>>>>
>>>>So get over it. The new programs are comming that will be better then fritz 5,
>>>>and they have public autoplayers.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>(snip)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>    Christophe



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