Computer Chess Club Archives


Search

Terms

Messages

Subject: Re: Latest millenium news?

Author: Sandro Necchi

Date: 22:18:07 04/19/01

Go up one level in this thread


On April 19, 2001 at 18:02:23, Christophe Theron wrote:

>On April 19, 2001 at 13:52:05, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>
>>On April 19, 2001 at 09:46:43, Christophe Theron wrote:
>>
>>>On April 18, 2001 at 02:02:34, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>>
>>>>On April 17, 2001 at 16:06:21, Christophe Theron wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On April 17, 2001 at 13:51:20, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On April 17, 2001 at 13:42:31, Christophe Theron wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On April 17, 2001 at 13:19:19, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>We are the World Champion until the ICCA new tournament will be held and another
>>>>>>>>program win the title.
>>>>>>>>If we do not recognize such a title and event there is no reason to make such
>>>>>>>>event anymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Sandro Necchi
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>The event is recognized for what it is: a nice event with a lot of randomness in
>>>>>>>the result, but which is fine because it is the only opportunity for programmers
>>>>>>>and computer chess businessmen to meet each other.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I do not agre.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I personally enjoyed a lot participating in person to the WMCCC 1997 (Paris) and
>>>>>>>the WCCC 1999 (Paderborn). I have nice memories of everybody, and for me that
>>>>>>>was a dream come true.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>But you should not assume people are so stupid that they do not understand the
>>>>>>>low reliability of such events.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>That's your opinion!
>>>>>>A World champion title is a title!
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Right, but it is interesting to know what is the exact value of this title by
>>>>>understanding how you get it.
>>>>
>>>>The same is true for Kramnik. I do not believe he is the strongest chess player,
>>>>but he is the world champion having defeated Kasparov.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>If the event was so reliable, why would the SSDF results be so interesting for
>>>>>>>everybody? Why would testers play home tournaments?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>That's their choice.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>What you are doing here is trying to disinform people about the reliability of
>>>>>>>chess events.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I am not trying to disinform anyone. I did not say that winning such event
>>>>>>automatically means that the program is the strongest.
>>>>>>I say that it becomes the World Champion!
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>We are making progress here, Sandro.
>>>>
>>>>I never told something different.
>>>>>
>>>>>I guess our disagreement is smaller than I thought.
>>>>>
>>>>>We can agree that the program that owns the World Champion title is not
>>>>>automatically the strongest.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>So it is possible to have:
>>>>>* on one hand the "World Champion"
>>>>>* and on the other hand the "Strongest Program"
>>>>>
>>>>>And I still do not understand why the "World Champion" has to be picked in
>>>>>priority.
>>>>
>>>>Because it owns the World Champion title as Kramnik does.
>>>>>
>>>>>It may be that most people want to see the strongest program competing. I'm sure
>>>>>you can understand that.
>>>>
>>>>I can understand this, but I do not agree.
>>>>If you will win the next WCCC I will say, Chess Tiger MUST play because it is
>>>>the World Champion.
>>>>This is my believe.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>But it won't work. People are more and more aware that a high
>>>>>>>number of games is necessary to evaluate the relative strength of chess
>>>>>>>programs, and that a 7 or 9 or even 11 rounds event means close to nothing.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Look, I am involved in computer chess before you did, so I know this better than
>>>>>>you.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>That's a weak point, Sandro. I don't care for how long you've been into this. I
>>>>>just care about facts and good points.
>>>>
>>>>I am telling facts. You are changing my words.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I just want to point out that "I am involved in computer chess before you did"
>>>brings nothing here.
>>>
>>>It could also be that you are simply wrong with this statement. Do you know when
>>>I started chess programming?
>>
>>OK, tell me and let's find out.
>
>
>
>I started in 1979. I was 14.

The first opening book was proposed by me to Applied Concepts in 1978. I was 24.
Their reply was that they did not have enough memory available.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>>>>> I did not say the contrary.
>>>>>>I am not trying to convince anyone that you!
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>I understand your point of view. I'm not saying that you are 100% wrong, but you
>>>>>can also understand that people know that a World title does not mean the owner
>>>>>is the best out there, and people want to see the best pitted against Kramnik.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>In the tournaments organized by the ICCA, all you can do is say that there must
>>>>>>>be a stength difference between the bottom and the top of the final rankings.
>>>>>>>But between, say, the 5 first programs it is impossible to say which is the
>>>>>>>best.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>if these tournaments means nothing then lets cancel them!
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>They do not mean much but I like them!
>>>>
>>>>OK, but then why to award a World title if it does not mean something?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>And you are asking this to me?
>>>
>>>That's a question I have no answer for. Actually I would really like to know.
>>>
>>>My guess is that organizing a lottery of this kind is good for marketing.
>>>
>>>Every year a different guy/company gets the title and can write "World Champion"
>>>on his box, and everybody is happy. After some years, everybody can claim "World
>>>Champion".
>>>
>>>And there is of course the fact that all the computer chess people can meet,
>>>talk, negociate with each other. That's invaluable, Internet communication
>>>cannot replace this.
>>
>>I do not think everybody agrees on this.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>>>>20 years ago these events were significant because there were significant
>>>>>>>differences in the strength of chess programs. That's why the "Chess" program
>>>>>>>was reliably leading, and that's also why Richard Lang's programs have been able
>>>>>>>to do the same in the eighties.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Nowadays the difference in playing strength is less obvious, and the reliability
>>>>>>>of the ICCA tournaments is close to nil.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>You are offending ICCA!
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Pff... I don't think they would pretend their tournaments have an absolute
>>>>>significance either.
>>>>>
>>>>>We all know that we participate to a big lottery when we enter a WCCC or WMCCC.
>>>>>Being so vocal just because you win a lottery, even if you have some merit
>>>>>because in order to win it you must be amongst the best, is just propaganda.
>>>>
>>>>Yes, but if you win the lottery again and again it cannot be only LUCK!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Right. I believe that Stefan is much better than me at preparing or setting up
>>>his program against specific opponents. That's something you can do only in
>>>tournaments where you participate in person.
>>
>>This would important also against human players if the would allow this. Don't
>>you think so?
>
>
>
>Yes.
>
>
>
>
>>You are criticizing the ICCA World Champion title because of the so few games.
>>Why you do not mention how Kramnik became World Champion?
>>Do you think that system is more reliable?
>
>
>
>No, but in human chess it is very often very hard to get more games.

Well, there are also the interzonals. Do you know?
>
>The key point is that human players get tired.

yes, they get tired to play and prefer to make more money with less games.
>
>So I understand why it is not possible to get more games in human chess, and we
>all have to live with this.

No this is just a by-pass not to make your statements weak.
>
>But this is irrelevant in computer chess, so I do not see why we should limit
>the number of games to the number which is usual in human chess.

Well, we have been doing this for 20 years or so I do not see why to change now.
>
>I also do not understand why we should mimic the same time controls. In
>comp-comp I think we should play faster games, and play more games.

No I do not agree as the quality would decrease.
>
>
>
>
>>Come on, you are interested to see your program play kramnik and I can
>>understand this.
>
>
>
>Thanks. It is true, and as a result I have been telling exactly what I think. I
>have probably said too much, but I am in peace with myself.

Yes, I understand and had no doubts on this matter. I am in peace with myself
too.

To me is fine even if Program Penny running on a 386 25 Mhz is called BGD World
Champion and play with kramnik.
I am not interested in matches that have no competitivess on both sides.
So I am not interested in this match anymore!

Sandro
>
>
>
>
>>Since we decited to stay out I have nothing against this, but don't tell me that
>>what I am saying is not right.
>>It is a matter of being coherent and not look only at one's interests.
>>Pls. admit this and you'll have all my support!
>
>
>
>I think I am extremely consistent with myself. You should dig out in the
>archives and find all the things I have posted since several years.
>
>My problem with short matches and tournament time controls and the rest is there
>since ages. It's not something I have made up specially for the present case.
>
>I'm not trying to say you are wrong. We have some points of disagreement, but if
>we tried to found out we could probably discover that we have even more points
>of agreement...
>
>
>
>
>    Christophe



This page took 0 seconds to execute

Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700

Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.