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Subject: Re: Why Shredder is not playing...

Author: Mogens Larsen

Date: 14:28:03 04/18/01

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On April 18, 2001 at 16:24:14, Mike S. wrote:

>Until now, I had the impression that you are a person who writes reasonable, and
>sometimes quite humorous IIRC, messages.
>
>Did you now call Deep Junior a "wildcard entry"? What is this based upon?

That is pretty simple to explain. From the engines invited, four in all, only
Deep Blue and Shredder have any legitimate claim to a match against Kramnik,
barring a comprehensive qualification round only, due to their name and title
respectively. And since there isn't going to be a thorough qualification
tournament, and the state of Deep Blue, the choice is obvious. It must be
Shredder.

Arranging an inane qualification tournament (BGN World Championship), which
doesn't qualify as either SMP championship or as decider of strongest possible
program (BGN requirements), by using conspicuous conditions, doesn't legitimize
the participation of Junior and Fritz in any way.

This means that the obvious choice of Shredder makes Junior and Fritz comparable
to wildcard entries given the circumstances. They benefit from a ridiculous
arrangement. Scolding Millennium for saying no and claiming that there were
significant changes made through negotiations is an insult IMO. They had nothing
to lose by agreeing, while Shredder had to win yet another title to qualify.
That's not how it works.

>I can imagine that you wouldn't call Deep Shredder a wildcard entry - me
>neither. But who has played so far, and won, an event of a comparable size and
>importance to that Braingames aim for? *Deep Blue* only did this when it beat
>Kasparov.

No, of course not. Shredder is qualified as ICCA World Champion.

>People should start to realise the dimension of what is planned here.

People do. BGN have managed to arrange an alternative to the current World
Championship without credibility, called the BGN World Computer Champion (or
something similar, I can't remember). No open qualification needed. Everything
based on secret invitations. Support that if you wish, I don't.

>Keeping the conditions in mind which were told to us, Deep Junior fully deserves
>to participate in this qualifying. Who doubts this? It isn't an act of grace to
>invite it, this happened in view of it's rank among chess programs, it's
>strength and of the successes it already has had against human masters,
>obviously. It doesn't depend on a "wildcard".

Given the circumstances, ie. no "real" qualification tournament, it did need the
wild card. No title, no right.

Regards,
Mogens



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