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Subject: Re: Shredder wins in Graz after controversy

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 20:30:10 12/14/03

Go up one level in this thread


On December 14, 2003 at 20:22:50, Omid David Tabibi wrote:

>On December 14, 2003 at 05:35:56, Amir Ban wrote:
>
>>On December 14, 2003 at 04:10:02, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>
>>>On December 13, 2003 at 17:49:47, Amir Ban wrote:
>>>
>>>>On December 13, 2003 at 07:32:04, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On December 13, 2003 at 05:24:46, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On December 13, 2003 at 03:32:01, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On December 12, 2003 at 16:59:17, Anthony Cozzie wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>My point is:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>1. Since the programs now are much stronger than 20 years ago, why not change
>>>>>>>>>the rule about resigning and let them resing when they are down -10?
>>>>>>>>>2. It is true that a bug may help the program which is lost, but which are the
>>>>>>>>>chances today? Is it correct to say 1 every 1000? If this is true, why not
>>>>>>>>>concentrate to improve their play on the first part of the game rather then
>>>>>>>>>hoping to be extremely lucky in the endgame?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Hi,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>first of all thank for the friendly discussion. I undestand your point of view
>>>>>>>and I do respect it as I do with everybody points of view.
>>>>>>>Still I do not agree with you...see below.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>The point is, even if the eval is -10, I am under no obligation to resign.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Correct.
>>>>>>>I am asking to change the rule to force a program to resign when the score goes
>>>>>>>down to -10 (a mean more or less a queen and 2 rooks down, to summarize).
>>>>>>
>>>>>>The problem is that with the new rule programmers have no problem to change
>>>>>>their evaluation and never show a score of more than -9.999 pawns against
>>>>>>themselves even in case of mate.
>>>>>
>>>>>Ok, this should be verified with a secret position before the tournament start.
>>>>>If a programmer is found as cheating, than unless he can demostrate it is due to
>>>>>a bug for that specific position it will be disqualified.
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>It is easy to do it for me by dividing all scores by 10 so 99.99 that is mate in
>>>>>>one today becomes 9.999
>>>>>>
>>>>>>The only way to implement it correctly is if an external program does the
>>>>>>evaluation.
>>>>>
>>>>>Maybe. Mine is a proposal. Maybe there is a better idea to handle this.
>>>
>>>Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>In WCCC 2001 Shredder lost a game to Junior where it was showing +6 at some
>>>>point.
>>>
>>>I know it very well.
>>>
>>>>
>>>>The rule at WCCC is that the TD must allow resignation or agreed draws. E.g. the
>>>>draw Junior-Fritz was already agreed several moves back, but the TD wanted to
>>>>see the rooks off before giving consent. I think that Jonny was not allowed to
>>>>resign, and rightly so. In the critical phase of the game black had mate threats
>>>>of its own, and with the sort of bugs Shredder was suffering, even a loss was
>>>>not inconceivable.
>>>>
>>>>It was noted by several after that game that given that operators are not
>>>>allowed to resign or draw when they want to, it's ridiculous to allow them to
>>>>lose deliberately.
>>>
>>>Amir that is all close and past now.
>>>I am making proposals for the next tournament to make thinks more clear to
>>>everybody. I think that what turned out did show that things were not fully
>>>clear as there were too many different opinions. I do not agree with your
>>>opinion, but I respect it.
>>>
>>>My proposal is:
>>>
>>>1. Let's change the rule (when the tournaments have live games; when there are
>>>people looking them other than those in the hall) to force all programs to
>>>resign when they are at -10 or lower.
>>>2. Since the chances that these games turned our to be a draw or change the
>>>outcome are nearly 0, let's avoid showing parts of games which are not played in
>>>human tournaments and not interested from a chess point of view. I think -10 is
>>>a good value to avoid maybe 1 game out of 1000 to change the outcome.
>>>
>>>Of course without cheating...
>>>
>>>P.N. The bug in Shredder has been fixed since several days, so my proposal has
>>>nothing to do with Shredder.
>>>
>>>The reason of the proposal is that people watching these games are continuosly
>>>saying why program x is not resigning and switching to other games as that part
>>>of the game is not important at all.
>>>
>>
>>I agree with this part. The problem however is the reverse: the programs are
>>just too damn smart for ordinary people. They will say -8 based on a deep
>>continuation and resign, leaving many viewers mystified. Homework for you boys
>>and girls: why did program X resign ? How many can see the mate in
>>Shredder-Jonny ? Or, viewing the position and seeing that black has mate-in-one
>>threats, even conclude that white is winning ? The first report I got after the
>>reptition was from a kibitzer who said excitedly: "Shredder is now losing",
>>which turned out to be a gross exaggeration. The TD's are mindful of this and
>>want to see games played until the t's are crossed and i's dotted.
>>
>
>A personal example:
>
>In the game ParSOS - Falcon, I resigned in the following position:
>
>[D]8/5k2/5n1P/1R6/6p1/4Kp2/8/8 w - - 0 86



That is a semi-reasonable position to resign in.  I get +9 in about
30 seconds and depth 16.  Depth=18 comes at 60 seconds and +10.5

However, it would be _much_ better for your program to resign than for
you to do it.   My preference is for the operator to be _passive_.  That's
what led to the debacle in Graz in the first place.





>
>It is very hard for a human to see why white is winning. Just as the game
>finished I logged in to PlayChess server. The result was still not appearing
>there, and I saw many people discussing about whether white or black is better
>in that position :)
>
>For the sake of observers of course I should have continued playing. But after 5
>hours (of a boring game), I was too tired to continue just for the sake of the
>observers (especially since 6 moves earlier my program blundered a move, losing
>the drawn game...).
>
>
>>Amir
>>
>>
>>>This is just a proposal.
>>>If you programmers do not agree, then forget it.
>>>
>>>P.N. I like the way your program play. I find it fun!
>>>
>>>>Amir
>>>
>>>Sandro



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