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Subject: Re: With What Right Topalov is still Champion ----

Author: Tony Nichols

Date: 10:09:23 01/30/06

Go up one level in this thread


On January 30, 2006 at 12:16:36, Albert Silver wrote:

>On January 30, 2006 at 11:47:23, Tony Nichols wrote:
>
>>On January 30, 2006 at 10:01:41, Albert Silver wrote:
>>
>>>I guess it's not so important, But even to have an
>>>>operator making the moves for the program is against Fide rules.
>>>
>>>Where did you read this?
>>>
>>>                  Albert
>>>
>>>This brings up
>>>>an interesting subject that most people neglect. What should the rules be for
>>>>man vs machine events. Clearly the current rules are not adequate.
>>>>Regards
>>>>Tony
>>
>>Fide handbook,
>>
>>Article 1.1
>>
>>  "The game of chess is played between two opponents who move their pieces
>>alternately on a square board called a `chessboard`. The player with the white
>>pieces commences the game. A player is said to `have the move`, when his
>>opponent`s move has been made."
>>
>>Clearly this would make the operator the player and so...
>
>Why? I have seen handicapped people, and I don't mean blind, play with the help
>of someone making the physical moves for them, though they chose the moves. How
>would the computer be any different? The question is who decides on the moves,
>not who physically moves the pieces.
>


 Physically disabled people are the exception. Special rules are used in this
case.


>>Article 12.2
>>
>>   A. "During play the players are forbidden to make use of any notes, sources
>>of information, advice, or analyse on another chessboard."
>>
>>This would not allow him to consult the computer.
>
>You're forgetting that the player is the computer, not the operator. So the
>question would be whether the computer is consulting the operator, not the other
>way around.
>


 Well, According to the rules the players move the pieces. As far as the
computer consulting the operator, I assume that's a joke.

 I see your next post with the computer rules. This is what I'm talking about.
The fact that there are special rules for computers would indicate that the
normal rules are inadequate. So we should not consider computers as normal chess
players. Since we don't, I think that the rules that govern the human player
should also be changed. This opens a whole new can of worms.

 It seems that the supporters of the computers want every exception necessary in
 order to be able to play. However, These same people want the human player to
be bound by the same rules used for human vs human games. This does not seem
fair.

 The very definition of the chess playing entity is murky. Is it the engine?
Clearly this is what plays chess. If so, Why is it allowed to consult an opening
book and an endgame tablebase? I've heard some say that the program has to be
taken as a whole. GUI, engine, tablebases, opening book, and whatever else. Most
of this is the equivalent to outside information. See article 12.2 above. I
don't see any computer chess supporters claiming that engine X would perform as
well without opening books and endgame tablebases. Maybe, humans should be able
to consult their analysis, and endgame books?

 I hear many people claim that human vs computer chess is over. The computers
have demonstrated their superiority. I think it's time to change the rules to a
more level playing field.

Regards
Tony




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