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Subject: Re: Stephan Meyer Kahlen(sp? sorry) Why not play? Business POV please?

Author: Sandro Necchi

Date: 23:29:33 05/12/01

Go up one level in this thread


On May 12, 2001 at 14:21:08, Albert Silver wrote:

>On May 12, 2001 at 08:23:19, Larry Proffer wrote:
>
>>On May 12, 2001 at 07:38:04, Drazen Marovic wrote:
>>
>>>  Myself i'm pretty much just interested in chess matters.  Here though i must
>>>wonder why not play?  Because shredder is a commercial program in other words
>>>made at least somewhat for profit, and the potential earnings from playing,
>>>though i don't know,  I would expect would have made shredder a considerable
>>>more amount of money than it does just by being sold to the public, not to
>>>mention the free publicity.  From a "computer chess business" point of view(pov)
>>>what supports this decision?  I can't see how NOT playing can maximize revenue
>>>or future profits.
>>>
>>>D
>>
>>From a business point of view the Ossi action of withdrawal appears to be an act
>>of total insanity.
>
>I am somewhat perplexed. I seem to recall the long explanation as to why
>Shredder would not be participating, and noticed it was signed not by Ossi
>Weiner, but the program's author. This isn't to say thast Ossi had nothing to do
>with it (I cannot say), but I distinctly remember that much. It was Shredder's
>(and its author's) title that was spurned for example, and not Ossi's.
>
>>
>>1. He gives the event, in effect, to one of his greatest competitors.
>>
>>2. He throws away what we assume is the losers purse of $200,000.
>
>Oh? The conditions must have changed once again. Last I read, the loser's purse
>was zero.
>
>>
>>3. He throws away all the free publicity and the exposure of World Champion
>>Shredder to a massive public audience.
>
>Two things must be considered in spite of it all. I strongly believe that
>Shredder would have lost to Deep Fritz for example in a long comp-comp match.

Dear Albert,

I don't believe the same. In my testing we win against Deep Fritz quite
convincenly, so we should be able to beat a stronger version too.

>BUT, I also strongly believe that Shredder would have been a tougher opponent
>for Kramnik.

Here I agree with you.

Sandro

>That is my sincere opinion (and just an opinion, of course). Which
>brings back the much discussed point, though competely irrelevant now, that a
>comp-comp match, however long, will never shred so much as an inkling on who the
>most appropriate opponent for a human player is.
>
>If you understand and believe all this as well, then even from a business point
>of view it isn't crazy.
>
>The points believed being:
>
>1) Shredder would lose to DF as DF is the better comp-killer (of the two).
>2) Shredder would be the best opponent for Kramnik, but would never have a
>chance to show this.
>3) Losing to DF in a challenge supposed to show the best opponent for a human,
>when that proposition can never happen in these conditions (and I'm completely
>overlooking the whole WC issue on purpose here) makes it an all lose and no win
>situation.
>4) There isn't even a nice monetary bonus at the end, since I don't believe for
>an instant that any program has a chance to hold Kramink under the conditions as
>such. In fact he'd be out of the rather high inscription price for a bogus event
>(because of point 3).
>
>BTW, my memory of the prize distribution is that if the comp loses, then Kramnik
>walks home with $1M. If it draws, then the comp gets $200 G, and if it actually
>wins, then it gets $400 G. I don't think Kramnik will hand over $200 G. Would
>you?
>
>                                      Albert
>
>>
>>
>>If Ossi was running a public company like this he'ld be out on his ear. I
>>suppose with his own little company he can do what he wants, but, it still seems
>>bonkers.



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