Author: Christophe Theron
Date: 15:35:22 05/02/01
Go up one level in this thread
On May 02, 2001 at 11:43:10, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>On May 02, 2001 at 02:32:27, Chessfun wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>>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.
>
>
>
>I'm willing to let a lot of hype slip by, but not _everything_. It seems you
>are saying you developed an SMP search over a weekend. I have too much
>experience with parallel search to believe that. I don't think I could even
>steal my SMP code and move it into something like gnuchess in a single weekend,
>and get it working reliably.
>
>Believe me, this is _not_ a weekend task. It is not a month task. It is really
>not a year task.
>
>I would not ever believe there is an SMP Rebel until there is a windows version
>of Rebel. DOS is _not_ capable of running on an SMP platform itself, much less
>managing threads in any way... I have a _really_ hard time believing that a
>robust SMP algorithm is a week-end project, unless I am a far worse programmer
>than I believe. And unless _everybody_ else that has done one is also pretty
>incompetent as well...
I have never said I have done it in a weekend.
After Chess Tiger 12.0 has been released I had the opportunity to consider
several options for the future. SMP was one of them, but not the only one.
A few months after the release of CT12, I have made major changes inside the
program. For example the move format, move generator and move make/unmake have
been rewritten. I had in mind the possibility to go SMP, but not only. The
changes were also designed to ease the project I'm currently working on.
The work to go SMP has been diluted on a long period of time, and it started
before I had actually access to a dual computer.
>>Actually I have seen to many of your ideas these past few months actually come
>>to pass to doubt either your word that one existed, or that you could have got
>>it working with the additional changes since 12.2 within a stated timeframe.
>>
>>It is a shame if one had existed that after April 8 at CSS the organizers were
>>not contacted immediately.
>>
>>
>>>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.
>>
>>That really don't sound right as that implies Tiger gets a bye into the final.
>>Naturally you could have run a tourney of 24 games then insert Tiger to play
>>both the Deeps.
>>
>
>I agree. The "last entry" has the best chance.
>
>
>
>
>>
>>>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.
>>
>>
>>No I understand what your saying. You have always said SMP wasn't something you
>>were in a rush to get done. But now what we actually have is a working 12.2 that
>>you say you could have got ready in 2 weeks. One week prior to the match between
>>the Deeps then it would be ready.
>>
>>With you previous statements on SMP what made you originally spend the time
>>implementing it in 12.2?
>>
>>>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.
>>
>>My guess. A Tiger for Palm !
>>
>>Sarah.
>
>
>I _really_ dislike this argument. "I am not telling anybody what I am doing,
>but I am certainly going to be pissed if they exclude me because they didn't
>ask, not that I would have told them anyway."
>
>I think the exclusion of Ferret is a _far_ more serious issue that seriously
>damages any credibility this "qualifier" might possibly have had...
It is indeed another reason, I agree.
Christophe
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