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Subject: Re: Unwanted consequences / side effects

Author: Ed Schröder

Date: 02:39:55 04/17/01

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On April 17, 2001 at 05:13:51, Rajen Gupta wrote:

>On April 17, 2001 at 05:02:25, Ed Schröder wrote:
>
>>On April 16, 2001 at 19:53:23, Peter McKenzie wrote:
>>
>>>Its not that the programs can't play their best when the author is not present,
>>>the point is that if the author is present we can be SURE that the program is
>>>operating conditions which are optimal for it.
>>>
>>>If the program is operated by a 3rd party, then it is still possible that the
>>>program is operating under optimal conditions BUT we have a number of issues:
>>>
>>>1) The 3rd party is unlikely to be as careful as the author.  The author has
>>>invested many years in his program, and therefore has much greater motivation
>>>for making sure that everything is set up 100% right.  All those little things
>>>like selecting the right book, turning pondering on, configuring for the right
>>>number of CPUs, setting the right hash sizes, making sure that no other
>>>processes are stealing CPU, making sure tablebases are installed correctly etc
>>>etc.
>>>
>>>Of course a 3rd party will probably get these things right, but if you had to
>>>bet your life on it I think you'd rather have the program author doing it.
>>>
>>>2) The author will be much more capable of diagnosing any problems than a 3rd
>>>party.  Problems?  What problems you say.  Well, lets think about hardware
>>>problems for a start.  Memory can fail from time to time, and of course hard
>>>drives can fail too.  And how about the CPU?  Remember when Ed Shroeder managed
>>>to demonstrate that his Kryotech chip was faulty in one of the Rebel matches?
>>>
>>>These things are somewhat rare, although they are more common on the sort of
>>>state of art hardware that is likely to be in use.  In any case, the author is
>>>likely to spot the problem (and recommend a course of action) before anyone
>>>else.
>>>
>>>3) Fairness: of course the 3rd party should be impartial, but how can we be sure
>>>of this?  I don't personally know the people involved in the Kramnik
>>>qualification match, although I assume they are probably fair and unbiased.
>>>However I would have alot more faith in a competition being fair if the authors
>>>were present because I know they are going to make sure that they are getting a
>>>fair deal.
>>>
>>>Its like the old saying goes: 'Justice must not only be done, it must be seen to
>>>be done'.
>>>
>>>That about sums it up really.
>>>
>>>Regards,
>>>Peter McKenzie
>>
>>
>>All good points Peter and of course a lot of people will agree with you.
>>
>>There is something else I would like to mention, an aspect that has not been
>>discussed yet.
>>
>>There is an important chess event planned, very good. If the Braingames
>>company would have said, "world champion vs world champion" than everything
>>is okay with me, it is their show and their money.
>>
>>But the Braingame company said: no, we want the best program to play Kramnik
>>and furthermore we hire a few experts to make that decision (Enrique/Bertil).
>>
>>So far so good.
>>
>>Then the 2 experts pick 4 programs based on THEIR OPINION.
>>
>>Right or wrong?
>>
>>Well, CCC is full of it. Lots of divided opinions.
>>
>>There are a few bad side effects I would like mention concerning this
>>giant discussion:
>>
>>1) Whatever program in the end is chosen, it will not have a full public
>>support.
>>
>>2) There is a small risk that the big division in opinions may lead that
>>Braingames may decide to cancel the whole event as positive attention is
>>certainly one of the financial aspects of Braingames to have this event
>>and they certainly can not have bad publicity.
>>
>>This is in NOBODY's interest as I am pretty sure EVERYBODY here in CCC and
>>elsewhere wants to have this match whatever candidate in the end is chosen.
>>
>>Therefore it would be wise this whole play-off thing should be reconsidered
>>in such a way it has full public support, or at least a significant majority.
>>
>>Ed
>
>Hi ed: no method of testing is perfect but i dont see whats wrong with proposed
>methd of selection.3 top of the range multi cpu progs(one a world champion,
>another which has proved itself recently against a batch of A list grandmasters
>and a third which has also proved itself repeatedly against top level humans and
>heads the current SSDF list.)these will play a lrge series of matches gainst
>each other to determine the challenger to kramnik. the people selected to do the
>selection themselves are highly experienced as well as being known for their
>personal integrity. i think we should encourage rather than try to ddestroy,
>becuse as you rightly pointed out the sponsorrs might withdra any ttime!
>
>rajen


"world champion vs world champion", it will have a big public support, don't you
think?

The planned "play-off" thing is just too debatable, CCC is entirely divided
and for good reasons.

My suggestions:

1) Invite more programs, invite 3-4 GM's, play x human-comp games. Afterall
the Braingames event is a human-comp event and not a comp-comp one, no?
Authors are fully responsible.

2) Invite more programs and play a manual comp-comp tournament, authors are
fully responsible.

I definitely prefer option 1 which IMO comes as closest to the truth playing
Kramnik.

I think both options will have a big public support.

Ed




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