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Subject: Re: Why Did Junior Underperform So Badly In Bilbao?

Author: Graham Laight

Date: 06:36:13 10/13/04

Go up one level in this thread


On October 13, 2004 at 09:09:05, Peter Skinner wrote:

>On October 13, 2004 at 07:51:42, Graham Laight wrote:
>
>>I refer you to http://www.talkchess.com/forums/1/message.html?391364 , and I
>>would be interested to read your comments!
>
>One tournament would hardly be a basis to determine the strength of a human or a
>computer.

This is a good point. However - the results I'm getting back from the simulator
(linked above) are seriously at odds with some assumptions that some members in
this thread seem to hold:

1. That the computers at Bilbao had a roughly equal chance of winning. If you
create a high probability of winning (in order to justify Hydra and Fritz's
results), then you end up with a startlingly low probability of Junior getting
the low score that it did - EVEN WITH ONLY 4 GAMES.

2. Joachim used a 50% probability of winning in his post to get acceptable
probabilities for the 3 different outcomes (3.5/4 x 2 and 1.5/4). However - this
is at odds with what Dr Hyatt wrote - which is that when contemplating computer
chess strength, I should "think lower"
(http://www.talkchess.com/forums/1/message.html?391290)

IMO, in terms of what members have been writing in this thread, these are VERY
SIGNIFICANT points.

-g

>In such case the biggest factor is luck, or lack there of. That is why rating
>lists are based on large number of games, vs a pool of players.
>
>In the human pools there are so many factors to consider. Fatigue, stress,
>dehydration are some of the factors.
>
>Take tennis for instance. The #1 women's player in the world just announced that
>she is cutting her season short due to fatigue. The same can happen in just one
>tournament. A player could be fatigued due to schedule, flight arrangements, or
>the hooker he purchased the night before keeping him up all night. :)
>
>There are just to many unknown factors that one simply can not base a strength
>assessment on just one tourament.
>
>I use a "season" of results to determine what programs I will be purchasing,
>namely the IPCCC, WCCC, ICCT, and the SSDF list results to determine strength.
>If one program were to win 3/4 events it is likely that such program is the
>strongest. Especially when looking at the results it beat the #2 and #3
>competitors on a regular basis.
>
>Peter



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