Author: Bas Hamstra
Date: 12:10:49 01/21/02
Go up one level in this thread
On January 21, 2002 at 04:55:02, Uri Blass wrote: >On January 21, 2002 at 04:07:11, Tony Werten wrote: > >>On January 21, 2002 at 03:51:42, Uri Blass wrote: >> >>>On January 21, 2002 at 02:32:18, Tony Werten wrote: >>> >>>>On January 20, 2002 at 14:40:08, Uri Blass wrote: >>>> >>>>>On January 20, 2002 at 12:25:29, Russell Reagan wrote: >>>>> >>>>>>On January 20, 2002 at 09:56:43, Gian-Carlo Pascutto wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>>On January 20, 2002 at 09:28:51, Bas Hamstra wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>>A dutch saying. I "converted" a colleague that has become a friend at work, I'm >>>>>>>>not entirely sure that this is a noble thing. He is pretty smart and has a broad >>>>>>>>interest. So we talked a few times about the insides of a chess program. He >>>>>>>>became interested and I explained alphabeta. The next day he had alphabeta >>>>>>>>completely figured out in a spreadsheet, and understood it. Two weeks later, he >>>>>>>>has a working winboard engine... Boy HE goes fast. In May (if there is a Leiden >>>>>>>>tournament again) he will show up with "Shark". His main target is to crush Tao >>>>>>>>:-) At first I smiled, and said that is was quite possible in a couple of years. >>>>>>>>But lately I am beginning to get the feeling that it might be sooner :-) Have >>>>>>>>you ever seen someone pick it up SO quickly...? >>>>>>> >>>>>>>IIRC Bruce started on Ferret in 1994 and had (from his own comments) an engine >>>>>>>that could have been commerical by the end of 1995. I think that's certainly >>>>>>>a remarkable archievement, especially considering that seven years ago there >>>>>>>was much less information and examples available. >>>>>> >>>>>>Bruce works for Microsoft. He doesn't count. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>I do not understand what is the importance of the question where someone works >>>>>for the discussion. >>>> >>>>Certain workenvironments give acces to a lot of experienced programmers. >>>>Although it's not a sure it helps, it doesn't hurt either. >>>> >>>>Tony >>> >>>I believe that there are 2 important things to be good in chess programming. >>> >>>1)having talent for programming that means the ability to do fast a well defined >>>algorithm with no stupid bugs that you need to work hours to discover. >>> >>>2)having talent for math that can help you to be better in finding >>>a better algorithm and to be better in guessing if an idea is wrong or right >>>based on previous experience. >>> >>>The number of people who have special talent for both 1 and 2 is small but I >>>believe that someone with special talent for 1 and 2 can do a top program in >>>every game in a few weeks. >> >>I disagree. You forgot 3) Having new ideas. Not everything is published, so you >>need a feel of what is happening in your program and then find ways to do that >>best. 1 and 2 will only give you a decent program. >> >>Tony > >I think that having new ideas is included in 2 >people who have a special talent for math need to have new ideas in order to >discover new things. I think (and those are the most seldom) people with a special talent for writing top programs very fast can do it. But seriously NONE can start from zero an write a top program in a few weeks, you must be kidding... As far as I know SMK has the absolute world record, doing it within a couple of months (almost a year or so I believe). If I am not mistaken he started from zero. There is a lot more info available than 20 years ago of course, including complete example sources. Still pretty amazing. Bas.
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