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Subject: Re: Unfair play by chessbase and tiger at auto232 player

Author: Vincent Diepeveen

Date: 05:14:15 03/27/01

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On March 27, 2001 at 00:06:53, Ed Schröder wrote:

Let's try again Ed.

If you design a window with a checkbox which by default is
unmarked mentionning in a very very small font
  "kill me if this checkbox is unchecked".

Then majority of users will click Ok and risk getting
killed a second later. Actually they take the risk without
wanting.

People always just click 'ok'. They don't read what is on the
screen. Only a small group of hackers like you and me and some other
CCC readers are reading the screen very carefully.

>On March 26, 2001 at 21:39:57, Vincent Diepeveen wrote:
>
>>On March 26, 2001 at 17:10:56, Ed Schröder wrote:
>>
>>>On March 26, 2001 at 13:56:06, Vincent Diepeveen wrote:
>>>
>>>>Hello People,
>>>>
>>>>Why design a protocol for auto232 player?
>>>>
>>>>That is the basic question.
>>>>
>>>>My interpretation is that this protocol needs to
>>>>be followed to play games at the auto232 player then.
>>>>
>>>>The protocol as designed by Chrilly and Stefan is
>>>>having a number of commands.
>>>>
>>>>The most important is that one is called 'slave' and the
>>>>other is 'master'. Now being master says shit about whether
>>>>you play better chess, but it says something about what
>>>>your function is within the protocol.
>>>>
>>>>If you are master, then your function is to start the game
>>>>and afterwards ship your opponent the command to save the game.
>>>>
>>>>Let's first discuss the chesspartner interface which is used for
>>>>Gambit Tiger. Gambit Tiger is giving very little problems on the
>>>>auto232 player, let's start mentionning that. It doesn't have
>>>>big demands to play a game. It's happy very soon. No need to
>>>>have a machine with zillions of megabytes of RAM, no need to
>>>>have 7.5 GB of EGTBs on the harddisk before it start playing.
>>>>
>>>>It plays no problems there.
>>>>
>>>>however, WHY does it have an UNMARKED checkbox by default
>>>>to let the other guy save the game when Tiger is Master.
>>>>
>>>>This means the opponent is by default NOT ALLOWED to save the
>>>>game.
>>>>
>>>>This is very unfair behaviour.
>>>>
>>>>It's like playing a grandmaster for the first time, then
>>>>ship the grandmaster to a clinic. They operate him and he has
>>>>lost all memories about the game!
>>>>
>>>>Of course you can avoid this by difficult programming. So saving
>>>>the game during the game already. Learning during the game etcetera.
>>>>
>>>>BUT WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PROTOCOL THEN?
>>>>
>>>>In my opinion it is UNFAIR to by default leave this checkbox unmarked.
>>>>
>>>>In the default settings it must be marked!
>>>
>>>
>>>It is no problem to set the option "marked" as default. I will forward
>>>the topic to Lex. Maybe he has his reasons, I don't know.
>>
>>Thanks, that's what i wanted to hear!
>>
>>>One plausible reason is that people don't have an interest at all to
>>>have the games saved twice. Of course you as a programmer want to have
>>>the games saved in your own format.
>
>
>Hi Vincent,
>
>>People WANT it saved twice,
>
>No.
>
>Not the majority.
>
>Ask the SSDF if they use the "save opponent game" box. I am pretty sure
>they do not do that.
>
>You are a programmer Vincent not a consumer and therefore you have other
>wishes and demands.
>
>
>
>>because of interpretation problem.
>>If you are the only one who is allowed to save it, and we know
>>for example Rebel-DOS autoplayer arbitrated based upon +5 things,
>>then confusion can happen about what the result it.
>
>All described in the manual.
>
>Secondly you can turn it off in case you dislike it.
>
>The system is there because I am not interested in double games, clearly
>won/lost positions, clear draw positions that are continued for 60-100
>needless moves. The system is responsible that it will speed-up auto232
>matches with 200-300%.
>
>If you dislike it, turn it off.
>
>
>
>>The result shown by the auto232 players is usually not the objective
>>results. If however both sides agree that a match ended in a certain
>>score, then there are little things that need to get checked.
>
>You will have to go through all the games manually anyway as in no
>autoplayer platform you can fully rely on the match score given by
>the computer.
>
>
>
>>A double saving of the games is therefore a cool thing!
>
>For a programmer yes :)
>
>I think that most auto232 lovers do not use the option much.
>
>
>
>
>>>But then chess programmers are not in the majority concerning the volume
>>>of end-users who only care about a wellknown format such as having the
>>>games in PGN.
>>
>>I'm concerned in fair competition.
>
>I know!
>
>And so do I.
>
>
>
>>>So I think you are in the minority here, buy hey the option is there
>>>and that is the main important thing.
>>
>>I think i'm in the majority Ed. Fair competition. Just letting one side
>>save the games is asking for unfair competition. Interpretation of the
>>facts rather.
>
>I don't think it is fair to say that. The option is there, and before you
>start using software better have a good look what the software is offering
>you and don't label something as unfair competition because you have not
>watched the options of the autoplayer software carefully. The option you
>were looking for is right before your eyes on the (auto232) screen.
>
>
>
>>apart from that, the one who was hit hardest in past by not saving
>>games was... ...rebel.
>
>You have worked yourself with the provided NONAME driver of the auto232
>package. You should be an expert concerning its quirks.
>
>
>>Weird that Lex applied the same thing which i found so unfair that it
>>happened to you!
>
>Sure, life is one big conspiracy :)
>
>Ed
>
>
>
>
>>>>The same applies to chessbase products but even worse.
>>>>
>>>>First it is very worried about having the right openings book to
>>>>auto232 play. Secondly it wanted more hashtables and at least a
>>>>machine with 128mb RAM. Further it wants all EGTBs installed on harddisk.
>>>>
>>>>Only after all those criteria are met, then finally fritz wants to
>>>>auto232 play.
>>>>
>>>>The first box you see then it already has by DEFAULT UNMARKED a markbox
>>>>which will ship a 'save game' command to the opponent after the game.
>>>>
>>>>This is pretty unfair!
>>>>
>>>>So it wants itself the BEST POSSIBLE conditions, like at least 128mb RAM,
>>>>a lot of EGTB installed. Hundreds of megabytes of harddisk for a big
>>>>openingsbook etcetera. All those criteria it wants in order to not even
>>>>by default give the opponent a 'save game' command after the game,
>>>>DESPITE THAT THIS IS THE PROTOCOL!
>>>>
>>>>Now people can legally complain that their protocol looks like Chrilly/Stefans
>>>>protocol, but that it is not the same, and that the only differences
>>>>are that by default chessbase ships some extra commands in order to
>>>>recognize whether on the other side is also a chessbase program and that
>>>>the other thing is to by default leave the 'save game' for the opponent
>>>>is unmarked.
>>>>
>>>>all legal crap. JUST GIVE THE SAVE GAME COMMAND by default.
>>>>
>>>>That chessbase wants their own main product to win the auto232 matches
>>>>somehow by shipping commands to other chessbase interfaces to get certain
>>>>things done, that is completely their own responsibility and decision.
>>>>Quite logical decision actually. I would want Fritz to win too if it was
>>>>my main product. I'm not here to speak for how chessbase must run their
>>>>company. That is their own business.
>>>>
>>>>But i'm here for those who want a fair match between non-chessbase products
>>>>and a chessbase product, as well as chesspartner-tiger,
>>>>which in future also is going to lose from Fritz as i understood.
>>>>
>>>>I understand that programs not learning are greatly influenced by
>>>>this default unmark trick.
>>>>
>>>>You can produce your own PGNs and only those can get interpreted, whereas
>>>>opponent is NOT allowed to show as slave the pgn, except if that
>>>>programmer works around this.
>>>>
>>>>Much easier as everyone doing a hell of a lot of effort is simply to
>>>>give everyone that 'save game' command.



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