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Subject: Re: Computer Chess is pointless

Author: Bas Hamstra

Date: 15:01:54 01/09/02

Go up one level in this thread


On January 09, 2002 at 04:31:54, Uri Blass wrote:

>On January 08, 2002 at 18:54:20, Bas Hamstra wrote:
>
>>On January 07, 2002 at 14:52:49, Uri Blass wrote:
>>
>>>On January 07, 2002 at 14:42:35, Bas Hamstra wrote:
>>>
>>>>On January 07, 2002 at 12:06:24, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On January 07, 2002 at 11:44:44, Bas Hamstra wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On January 07, 2002 at 10:29:12, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On January 07, 2002 at 07:35:14, Bas Hamstra wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>On January 07, 2002 at 07:08:08, Vincent Diepeveen wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>On January 06, 2002 at 21:17:43, Bas Hamstra wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>...because the fastest hardware simply wins. You can invent all kind of
>>>>>>>>>>ingenious tricks, but it's nothing compared to faster hardware. On 2x faster
>>>>>>>>>>hardware Tao just crushed GT 3x in a row and won the latest 10 15/0 games at
>>>>>>>>>>FICS against strong opponents on slower hardware. Come on, the only fair way to
>>>>>>>>>>compete is on equal hardware. I don't want to buy a computer twice a year just
>>>>>>>>>>for CC tournaments, that's ridiculous. IMO the competition would be much more
>>>>>>>>>>satisfying on equal hardware. Factor 2 hardware difference means hard to win for
>>>>>>>>>>any program against a not too bad opponent. Anything above that makes the
>>>>>>>>>>chances *way* too small to be fair. Yet that is quite normal in tournaments and
>>>>>>>>>>you won't hear anyone about it. Program X played this AMAZING knight sac
>>>>>>>>>>againtst program Y!! Hardware differences seem to be simply ignored. And that's
>>>>>>>>>>crazy, in fact.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Bas.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Then why didn't Zugzwang win IPCC99. It is not a bad program at all.
>>>>>>>>>In tests it completely annihilated the commercial programs they tested
>>>>>>>>>against.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Zugzwang was at like 512 alpha processors and getting millions of nodes
>>>>>>>>>a second. I can't even remember how much, but zugzwang is already a slow
>>>>>>>>>program on a PC...
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>...it was using (making use of message passing and thereby losing many
>>>>>>>>>factors of speed but it is worth it) global hashtable and was having more
>>>>>>>>>Mhz and bigger hashtables than anyone else.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>This though the 17 ply searching Cilkchess at like 256 (or 500?)
>>>>>>>>>sun processors wasn't searching undeep either. Yet it lost chanceless from
>>>>>>>>>8 ply searching Lambchop.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>How do you explain that?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Yes, I expected this.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>a) The probability that the "best" program wins a tournament is far smaller then
>>>>>>>>you would expect. We once did some math and simulation, the shocking conclusion
>>>>>>>>was that the probability that the best program wins the tournament was only 50%
>>>>>>>>or something near that.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>b) CilkChess is a bad program. If you practically only do piece square then even
>>>>>>>>17 ply won't help you.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>The server or the SSDF gives better data (more) to draw conclusions from. Both
>>>>>>>>indicate that hardware is an enourmous factor.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Best regards,
>>>>>>>>Bas.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>The ssdf does not say that hardware is an enourmous factor
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Are you serious? When has there EVER been a program in the top-3 that was not on
>>>>>>the fastest chip?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>A1200 against K6-450 is more than2 times faster and
>>>>>>>Crafty on A1200 is not better than the best programs
>>>>>>
>>>>>>What does this prove other than that it is hard to overcome a factor 2? It
>>>>>>hardly occurs! Clearly a BIG factor...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>on K6-450.
>>>>>>>If your program is really better than GambitTiger
>>>>>>>when the hardware difference is only 2:1 then
>>>>>>>you may do it a commercial program.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>On 2 to 1 hardware advantage I fear not a single program. But that's easy to say
>>>>>>because that holds for everyone with a not too crappy program. Better at 2:1? I
>>>>>>don't know, it would certainly be an interesting experiment to test it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Bas.
>>>>>
>>>>>By your definition most of the programs
>>>>>are too crappy programs
>>>>>
>>>>>see http://home.hccnet.nl/leo.dijksman/index.html
>>>>>
>>>>>The programs in the second devision and lower devisions are
>>>>>most of the programs and I expect all of them to lose a match
>>>>>of 10 games against Tiger when the hardware difference is 2:1
>>>>>against Tiger.
>>>>>
>>>>>I expect even most of the programs in the first devision
>>>>>that includes Crafty to lose a match against Tiger
>>>>>in the same conditions.
>>>>>
>>>>>Uri
>>>>
>>>>I have seen the programs. Tell me why you expect that, maybe we can solve the
>>>>problem. Are you willing to take a bet? My money is on YACE bigtime. Let's say
>>>>8-2 for YACE if the books are about equal.
>>>>
>>>>Bas.
>>>>
>>>>Bas.
>>>
>>>
>>>8-2 for yace is not ralistic.
>>>
>>>Even if you take the same program against itself on
>>>2 times slower hardware you are not
>>>going to get an average result of 8-2
>>>
>>>7.5-2.5 is 200 elo difference and being 2 times faster
>>>gives only 70 elo advantage.
>>>
>>>Uri
>>>
>>>Note that yace is a strong program
>>
>>Well, sorry I picked a program from you list :-)
>>
>>And yes, a result 8-2 with one program playing itsself at 2:1 is quite possible,
>>why do you say that? The ELO formula is nice, but A will see everything that B
>>does, and MORE.
>>
>>Let's say we take the latest Fritz and play 100 5/0 games. Now, with the ELO
>>formula in the back of our heads, what do you predict?
>>
>>
>>Bas.
>
>I predict 59-41 for the twice faster hardware
>that means 72 elo difference.
>
>Uri

Note you are using a standard ratingdifference to predict a Blitz result.
Wouldn't you think 2x speed is more important at Blitz? Besides: I do not
believe the rating difference based on play against a "pool" of opponents can
reliably predict the outcome of a 2:1 selfplay match at *any* time control. I
haven't looked at SSDF for quite a while, but does the same version of Fritz
play itsself at SSDF at different hardware? If so it would be interesting to see
the scores...

Bas.









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