Author: Christophe Theron
Date: 11:12:44 05/01/01
Go up one level in this thread
On April 30, 2001 at 23:11:05, Chessfun wrote:
>On April 30, 2001 at 02:55:13, Christophe Theron wrote:
>
>>On April 29, 2001 at 23:58:58, Chessfun wrote:
>>
>>>On April 29, 2001 at 13:16:26, Christophe Theron wrote:
>>>
>>>>I said several times I had no plan to release a SMP version of Tiger. I did NOT
>>>>say I did not have one. I did NOT say I have never worked on SMP.
>>>>
>>>>I also said that I could change my mind if the market demands it. Last time I
>>>>said so was in a live interview on the CSS forum. Go to to this forum, go to the
>>>>page where the 16 hours interview has been reported, and you will find my words
>>>>about this.
>>>>
>>>>It was BTW before I heard about the Kramnik match.
>>>
>>>
>>>Christophe,
>>> Following is cut and pasted from the CSS Sprech-Stunde
>>>this was April 8.
>>>
>>>At this time it was known of the upcoming match-up with Kramnik.
>>>Not in detail but it was known.
>>
>>
>>
>>The amusing thing about this is that on April 8 Enrique told Ed about the SMP
>>requirement, but asked Ed to keep the information hidden to me.
>>
>>That's exactly what Ed did, because he had agreed to keep the information
>>secret.
>
>>So on April 8 I knew close to nothing about this.
>>
>>So you are right, I knew about it, but not in details. I did not know about the
>>SMP requirement.
>
>
>That was a question I asked you. It was already written and known that
>it would be SMP otherwise how would I have known it was 8 cpu's?
>See below.
>
>
>>We have asked Enrique why he asked Ed to keep the SMP information secret, even
>>for me, and he has not answered.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>If you had a SMP version why did you not answer this question in
>>>that manner?. Or assuming secrecy ;-) then contact BGN as suggested
>>>in a follow-up about having an SMP Tiger.
>>
>>
>>
>>I had no idea the deadline was so close. We had just learned about it, and I had
>>not even talked with Ed about it.
>>
>>I did not know about the SMP requirement. Actually I knew very little about this
>>match.
>
>
>At the time, I myself never knew very much, only what was posted here at CCC.
>The question I asked below, was directly relevant to the tournament being run
>to decide Kramniks challenger. As it was already known it would be an SMP
>capable program.
>
>
>>>Sarah Bird: Do you feel that either Tiger 14.0 or Gambit 2.0 running on say a TB
>>>1.5 Ghz, would compete better against the World Champion than Deep Fritz running
>>>on 8 processors.? Naturally assuming your answer is yes :-) then what benefit
>>>would there be to organizers who promote multiple cpu's in using either of your
>>>programs?
>>>
>>>CT: If it is about promoting multiple CPUs, then... Well in short I do not
>>>understand why Gambit Tiger has not even been considered as a potential
>>>candidate.
>
>>Once again the basic problem is that we have not been asked if we could enter
>>the match or not.
>>
>>It has been assumed that we could not enter the match, and that's all.
>
>
>It would seem a natural assumption.
>Even now I have seen nothing that makes me think that a Tiger SMP
>version actually exists. Has been tested and fully ready to play.
>
>All I have seen is we did some work on it a while back.
>To say we can produce one is different than we have one. I cannot see
>how it could be possible to delay the tournament while Rebel produce an
>SMP capable version.
>
>
>>The same applies for Nimzo, Hiarcs, Gandalf... Did Enrique ask them if they had
>>a SMP version that could compete?
>
>
>That statement by implication says Rebel do.
>Again IMO it makes no sense to ask ever program in say the top ten
>of the SSDF if they have a SMP version available to compete in a
>tournament for the right to play Kramnik. Would any say NO I think not.
>They would all attempt to produce such a thing within a few days ;-)
>
>
>>I know the answer because Enrique told me in email.
>>
>>HE DID NOT ASK THEM EITHER.
>
>As I said I see no reason he should ask them.
>
>>What other evidence do you need that the selection process has been arbitrary?
>
>The selection process, actually to me seems pretty natural.
>
>>>------------------
>>>Sarah Bird: Personally at this point why would Gambit be a candidate? It hasn't
>>>yet proved to be stronger than any of the main competition. The organizers
>>>whoever they are, if they are interested in promoting dual processors what is to
>>>be gained for them with a single cpu playing?
>>>
>>>CT: Playing videos with the other CPU? ;)
>>>------------------
>>
>>
>>
>>Please note that it was a joke...
>
>I knew it was a joke, but the point is simply either you have an SMP Tiger
>or you don't. There is no middle ground here for we can produce one, or
>we will have it in a few days or weeks, or we was working on one and it
>was kinda almost finished. Either it exists or not.
Where Deep Fritz and Deep Junior the commercial versions?
If not I should be allowed to enter a version that is not commercial, i.e. a
prototype.
I would have entered a prototype version of SMP Tiger if I had been given a
chance to.
>You never answered any of those questions as if one existed, and since I put
>the questions directly relevant to the Kramnik match and tournament it was
>clear that SMP was a requirement.
A SMP version of Tiger exists. Actually existed last year.
A friend of mine went on a long hollyday last year, and instead of leaving his
dual system unused at home, he lent it to me.
I developped a SMP version on top of Chess Tiger 12.2.
But as I already told several times SMP was not a priority for me. So once I had
SMP working, I disabled the code in Tiger's source code. I did not erase it of
course, I just deactivated the relevant parts of code.
Since then, Tiger has evolved on many points, including a different internal
move coding and a different hash table structure.
So now I cannot just reactivate the SMP code. It will not work directly. I need
to reactivate it and adapt it to what has changed in the latest Tiger engines.
It's not a lot of work. The principle of the SMP algorithm does not have to be
rewritten, it's just a matter of adapting the code.
I just asked for a little delay in order to do that and to double check that
everything was working.
You can have your doubts about this SMP version, but after all if I send a SMP
Tiger that crashes in Cadaques, I will be the one to look stupid, not the
organizers of the Kramnik match.
Completing the DF-DJ match has taken a full week, and that was the amount of
time I have asked for. It was possible to run the DF-DJ match, and then let the
winner play against SMP Tiger.
Some people have said that I have kept a "secret" around the SMP Tiger. That's
not really the spirit. I have no plan to commercialize the SMP Tiger in the near
future, so I was not trying to keep a secret in order to create a surprise.
Actually I am currently working on another project, which has a higher priority
for me, and this one can be called a secret. It will not be a secret anymore in
a few days. Actually I think a few people can already guess what I am working
on.
Christophe
This page took 0.02 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.