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Subject: Re: Knee jerk reaction!

Author: Sune Fischer

Date: 12:28:32 09/12/04

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On September 12, 2004 at 13:58:58, Sandro Necchi wrote:

>>I don't understand why this is such a big deal, a chess package consists of
>>several things like GUI/eyecandy, database/books, engine, server account etc.
>
>Yes, a chess package in reality is the program:
>
>the engine is checked by the team working on the book and the lines are selected
>to suit that program.
>Then test games are made.
>At that point there are talks between the programmer team and the opening book
>team and they study COMMON things to make further improvements; I mean how to
>improve what is not played well enough related to the selected lines.
>This means also that some lines/defences are avoided as not suiting the program
>style.
>
>At the end the program will be a package of opening book, chess engine and
>endgame database.
>
>To replace one of them may cause a weakening of the program.
>
>Like there are no players that can play very well every opening/defence, the
>same is true with chess programs.
>
>So, everybody can make any test they want, but the tests are pratically
>meaningless because of above.

Hi Sandro

I disagree that it would be meaningless.

You're right of course that removing a book that has been worked on for years
and is perhaps optimized for an engine, will no doubt weaken the book + engine
package.

However that is also the whole point of it all, to see how much strength comes
from the special book and how much from the engine.

I think we're just looking at it from two different perspectives, your angle is
that the engine and book must be used as a team going into tournaments.

My angle is that most of the time they are used for analysis by serious chess
players, and it is with this in mind they should be tested.

One way to make this test is to create a broad variaty of opening, middle and
endgame positions and then let the engines play both sides of the board against
eachother.

I think someone suggested having an analysis Elo and a tournament Elo.
Doesn't sound like a bad idea at all actually :)

>To make it more clear:
>
>If you take the Ferrari engine in a Mercedes car, with tyres taken from BMW, you
>do not get a very good car unless these are modified to be combined all
>together.
>The same is true for a chess program (which is a package as you said).

Imagine if the Ferrari engine had twice the power of the standard Mercedes
engine and the BMW tyres had twice the grip of the normal Mercedes tyres, then
it might not be a bad combination after all :)

>>I expect a program do the best it can, even in objectively lost situations.
>>There is honour in fighting for a draw as well :)
>
>The program does only what it is designed for and will fight until the
>end...unluckily they do not get VERY VERY UPSET when they are forced to play a
>line they do not like at all by the owner, but maybe in future we will have such
>option available full of bad words too...
>
>Wouldn't that be nice?:-)

Rise of the machines? Let me think about that.. ;)

-S.



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