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Subject: Re: Tieviekov protests and claims a win against Fritz

Author: Andrew Williams

Date: 02:52:22 05/16/00

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On May 16, 2000 at 05:39:36, Hans Gerber wrote:

>On May 16, 2000 at 05:16:57, Andrew Williams wrote:
>
>>On May 16, 2000 at 04:38:10, Hans Gerber wrote:
>>
>>>On May 16, 2000 at 02:51:37, Bruce Moreland wrote:
>>>
>>>(snip)
>>>
>>>>
>>>>I have no idea why chess players expect their opponent to resign when in a lost
>>>>position, if in order to achieve this won position they have left themselves so
>>>>little time that they can't actually win the game without the opponent's
>>>>cooperation.  It seems an awful lot to ask of one's opponent.  People should
>>>>understand that this kind of thing happens when you sit down to play with a
>>>>sudden-death time control, and plan accordingly.  If you don't plan well enough,
>>>>you deserve a less desirable outcome.
>>>>
>>>>bruce
>>>
>>>
>>>You "have no idea...". Let me help you. Your reasoning is completely off the
>>>mark.
>>>
>>>1. Tiviakov did _not_ claim victory when he was under time pressure in a won
>>>position.
>>>2. Tiviakov did _not_ claim draw when he was under time pressure in a won
>>>position.
>>>3. It was F. Morsch who dared to propose draw in the time pressure of the human
>>>player and in a completely lost position.
>>>4. F. Morsch behaved impolitely and without respect. Because you don't propose
>>>draw in lost positions (as operator of a machine).
>>>
>>>Your "I have no idea..." is typical for people who work on the machine's side.
>>>You are lacking of the necessary education in chess. Your machines might play
>>>like masters but you are not operating like masters. That is the problem. Your
>>>article demonstrated that you can't have a clue why a certain codex of behavior
>>>in chess does exist at all.
>>>
>>>I tried to explain this already in the discussion about DB team's psychowar
>>>against Kasparov -- the _insult_ there and here in case of F. Morsch lies in the
>>>lack of respect for the performance, for the existence itself of the human
>>>chessplayer. Operators or creators of a machine should dissapear behind their
>>>machine. They should _not_ take part as actors. Simply because they come from a
>>>different sphere. _They_ don't play chess but their machine does. The best
>>>solution would be if the machine would play completely on its own. A whole game.
>>>A whole match. A whole tournament. Operator should be someone who has no
>>>understanding for chess at all. However he should be educated in good manners...
>>>
>>>Baseline. It's an act of unbelievable misbehavior if the operator begins to
>>>gamble for a point in a lost position. It's a scandal if the people behind the
>>>project decide to grant some players a quick draw while they want to squeeze
>>>others.
>>
>>I'm interested in your answers to four questions:
>>
>>(1) Suppose the operator does "disappear behind" the machine. In the game
>>situation, suppose the machine didn't resign (a score of -2.something would
>>be very unusual for a resigning threshold). The game gets played out. What
>>would you have said if Tiviakov had lost on time?
>
>
>Your questions miss my point. So I will explain later. To your question here I
>would answer, that "behind the machine" means to me that such questions have
>been decided before and been published. So, a draw against Reindermann should
>not be possible. I would also agree that -2. would not be enough to resign.
>
>
>>
>>(2) Suppose I am playing you. You reach a probably winning position, but have
>>used a lot of time on the clock. I have more time left. Do you expect me to
>>resign?
>
>Of course not.
>
>
>>
>>(3) Same as (2), except I think you can't win and are in danger of losing on
>>time (it's a sudden-death time control). I offer you a draw. Am I being
>>discourteous?
>
>
>Of course not.
>
>>
>>(4) Now suppose that I am operating my program against you. My program has
>>achieved a probably winning position, but it is very short of time. You have
>>more time. Do you offer a draw or play on expecting my program to lose on
>>time?
>>
>
>
>Here you can see that you are missing the point. Suddenly you come with your
>program. But your question shows to me at least that it's obvious that we must
>find new rules the moment a program, a machine is there.
>
>In your example I am not sure what I would do. This depended on whether the
>machine could find solutions to win. If it were a typically difficult position
>for computers I would try to win otherwise I would be happy to draw. But
>honestly I wouldn't make a clown out of myself and propose a draw to you. If
>however you asked me I would agree to a draw. You see the difference.
>
>The insult in the Tiviakov case was that F. Morsch does that kind of acts at
>all. Granting Reindermann a draw. Denying Bosboom a quick draw. "Granting"
>Tiviakov a draw in a lost position of the machine. This "granting" in a lost
>position by the _operator_ that is the scandal.
>

I don't understand how this differs from your answer to my third question.
If a person does it it's *not* discourteous. If the operator of a computer
does it, it *is* discourteous? Are you suggesting that the machine should be
programmed to anticipate this sort of situation and offer the draw itself?
If not, what am I missing?

Andrew

>I wished I could explain that to you and people like B. Moreland. Then quickly
>new rules could be found. By all the exhibitional "matches" people in
>computerchess seem to have been negatively influenced relative to decent
>behavior. Because there the "presentation" of the creator was as important as
>the participation of the human chessmaster.
>




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