Author: Graham Laight
Date: 01:20:12 09/11/01
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from http://www.brainsinbahrain.com In Reply to Kasparovchess An article on the Club Kasparov website posed ten questions on the Brains in Bahrain match conditions. Here you can read the answers provided by BGN Match Director Raymond Keene, and Rules Comissioner Eric Schiller. 1. Is it true that Vladimir Kramnik and his team will receive (or have already received) a copy of the Deep Fritz program that he will play against in Bahrain? Yes, he has received a copy which was dispatched in the first week of August to his second, Grandmaster Miguel Illescas, in Barcelona. The final version will be shipped to him this week, in accordance with relevant agreements. 2. Is this exactly the version that Kramnik will face, or can ChessBase modify it before the match? If ChessBase must submit the final version, as rumour has it, what will be done about any errors discovered after the program is submitted? The program must respond to a suite of test positions proved by the Arbiter in a manner consistent with pre-match testing. Any discrepancies would have to be explained to the satisfaction of the Arbiter and Kramnik Team. 3. We heard that the program’s opening book can be modified. What percentage of the book is it possible to change in so little time? Brain Games have agreed with the world champion that the ChessBase team will be allowed to add no more than ten ply to the openings book between games.. In addition, it can change the weighting of lines so that another variation, which is already in the pre-match book, is chosen. But no new analysis (outside the 10 ply per game) can be added. That is an insignificant percentage. 4. What is to prevent Kramnik and all his GM assistants from finding literally hundreds of games in which Fritz can be beaten, and Kramnik repeating eight of these games in the match in Bahrain? Because the Fritz Team can choose a different line of play in each game, this might work once, but is hardly worth the effort and will offer no advantage in the other 7 games. 5. The eight-processor machine Deep Fritz will be running on in Bahrain is probably faster than anything Kramnik will train with, but can’t a slower machine imitate a faster one just by giving it more time to think on each move? Why assume that World Champion Kramnik is testing on outdated equipment? He can get hold of the same kind of machine Fritz will use, if he chooses to do so. On the other hand, he knows that this is just a matter of speed. Different machines should come up with the same move, but it may take much longer on a weaker machine. The Kramnik team just has to give the machine more time per move in testing. It isn’t for us to tell them how to optimize their preparation! Kramnik will win a MILLION DOLLARS if he succeeds. Investing in a little hardware hardly seems too high a price to pay. Even if he loses, his prize is very substantial. 6. Is it true that there are a number of amateur chess players, rated around 2100, who would be able to beat all top programs under similar conditions? Since the computer team can change opening weighting, it would require superhuman preparation. Not going to happen in the next few years! 7. Is ChessBase allowed to modify the openings or any program parameters between the games in order to avoid a repetition of games that Fritz has lost in previous rounds? Of course! But just the opening book, and it must choose another line that already exists in the opening book as delivered before the match, can’t add new lines. After each game 10 additional ply of analysis may be added. 8. Will ChessBase take a team of programmers to Bahrain if they are not allowed to do anything during the three weeks they are there? Of course the tech team is needed in case of some non-program related bug and in any case such teams are generally present in other individual competitions. Consider the comparable sport of race car driving. There are rules governing adjustments they can make to the cars, and the rules are enforced. It is the same here. Chessbase deserves the publicity it will reap, and will certainly want the programmers to be interviewed on major media. 9. Does ChessBase believe that Fritz has a ghost of a chance of winning, or even drawing, the match under the current conditions? The Match Director and Arbiter aren’t supposed to offer predictions. However, both are on record as expecting a very close contest. 10. Why did ChessBase agree to play a match under such conditions? Is ChessBase satisfied to take the worldwide publicity, even if the games are essentially pre-prepared by the opponent and their program is massacred? We believe we have made it clear that this scenario is impossible. It is as relevant as asking how we will act if a meteorite crashes onto the playing board. Any businessperson knows the value of worldwide media coverage and publicity not just for Fritz, but for the entire product line. Fritz is demonstrably the best program around. They have proven it time after time. Fritz’s performance will no doubt delight and impress chess fans whether it wins or loses. Let’s face it, you can’t buy a Vladimir Kramnik for under 50 pounds! Fritz has trounced professional players all over the world. Most use it for training. Regardless of the result of the match, Fritz will be shown to the buying public and we expect that all chess fans will want to run out and buy a copy, even if it loses to the World Champion. However, why do you think that Kramnik can defeat Fritz convincingly, when no other Grandmaster has? In any case, ChessBase are going to benefit greatly from the match, and deservedly so.
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