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

Author: Graham Laight

Date: 02:35:34 04/19/01

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On April 18, 2001 at 11:43:01, Amir Ban wrote:

>On April 18, 2001 at 06:11:04, Stefan Meyer-Kahlen wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>A lot of discussion is going on about the planned Kramnik machine match and I
>>think it is necessary to give you my point of view about the whole issue. I
>>refused to play in this event for various reasons which I will sum up below:
>>
>>·	The final version of the program playing against Kramnik must be made
>>available to Kramnik end of July already. This makes an match with equal chances
>>impossible as it will be very easy for Mr. Kramnik to prepare and win a match
>>against any program under this circumstances. I would even say that it is
>>possible for human players of my strength to win a match against any program
>>with this conditions.
>>
>>·	For a computer to play the match against Kramnik he must win a qualifier
>>against some other chess programs. This qualification tournament will be called
>>the BGN computer world chess championships and the winner will be called the BGN
>>computer chess world champion. I see no reasons to have another computer chess
>>world championship and another computer chess world champion besides the ICCA
>>tournaments and the ICCA champion so I will not play there.
>>
>>·	The first time I have heard about this qualification tournament was two weeks
>>before the scheduled start of this event.
>>
>>·	The event will be played with the autoplayer and without any representative of
>>the programs on site.
>>
>>·	The starting fee for each program will be $5000.
>>
>>·	The prize fund in the human machine match will be divided quite uneven in the
>>case that Kramnik or the computer will win. In this respect the whole issue
>>seems to me like an event only for Kramnik and the organizers to make big money,
>>not to play a real match against a computer.
>>
>>·	There are many more points like a clause that all the micro Deeps can be
>>kicked out anytime when IBM decides to join or severe restrictions in the
>>marketing of this event, but I think those given above should be sufficient to
>>understand my point of view.
>>
>>So I have various reasons not to join this thing, each of those being enough not
>>to join. I hope that all the speculations, wild guesses and accusations
>>concerning my withdrawal will end, particularly of those guys who even haven’t
>>seen the contract, including one of my colleagues here.
>>
>>Stefan Meyer-Kahlen, author of Shredder.
>
>We all got the same draft agreement at the same time, and more or less saw the
>same problems in the terms (I think I saw some you missed), but, instead of
>sending an angry "I'm out!" letter like Ossi Weiner, we negotiated. We talked to
>the organizers. We told them what we cannot accept, and they told us their
>constraints, and we reached terms that we can live with. They address your
>objections, which as I said were similar to ours, and I think the revised terms
>were even posted here by Bertil.
>
>When two sides want something to happen and are prepared to discuss, things have
>a way of working out. Heading for the nearest exit always leaves you out.
>
>Amir

If you negotiated the new conditions BEFORE Stefan Meyer-Kahlen walked, then
you're absolutely right.

If you negotiated the new conditions AFTER Stefan Meyer-Kahlen walked, then I
suspect that his walking assisted your negotion significantly.

-g



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