Author: Bruce Moreland
Date: 16:56:05 07/12/98
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On July 12, 1998 at 17:01:59, Robert Hyatt wrote: >Someone didn't think very clearly. The reason the WCCC (and ACM) events >have been held partially on weekends was to make it easier for big-iron >computer chess programs to enter. We never had any problem with time on >saturday/sunday, but monday-friday was always a real problem, because that's >when these computers are heavily used. > >The WCCC does *not* need 32 entries. It should be limited to 16 at most, >and that's not hard to do. There is no need in making it "open to everyone" >because that only drives up the number of rounds. with 16 programs, 4 rounds >will get a clear 1st place (ignoring draws) while 5 rounds gets a clear 1-4 >places (again ignoring draws). The micro-based programs will not have a >problem, but there's not a lot of chance in getting top-of-the-line big >iron for 5 days, 9 rounds, which means rounds in *prime-time* during the >day. I think there needs to be a balance here, between those big iron guys who get limited support from their sponsors, and people who have more or less unlimited access to machines. I think you were bothered last time because they raised the number of rounds from four to five, for the same reasons you expressed in this post. I understand that it is hard to get time on these machines. And I understand that these machines are very strong entries. But everyone's time is valuable. It is not a very productive use of (for instance) my time to fly Europe or Asia for five games. The desire for more games has been expressed at every WMCCC that I have gone to, and it was also expressed at the '95 WCCC, if I recall. With 16 entrants I probably still get to go, but it is close. Consider for a moment how many commercial entries there are that have won some form of world title in recent years. If I barely get to go, consider for a moment who doesn't. I think that four rounds is *way* unbalanced. Five is still pretty bad. I think there might come a time when the big-iron entrants need to either get better sponsorship, or determine that it is impossible to get sufficient sponsorship in the post-DB era, and admit that that game is over. bruce
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