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Subject: Re: Ruffian 0.76 is still playing incredible strong!

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 11:21:23 09/19/02

Go up one level in this thread


On September 19, 2002 at 11:41:35, Uri Blass wrote:

>On September 19, 2002 at 11:24:49, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On September 19, 2002 at 08:58:52, Uri Blass wrote:
>>
>>>On September 19, 2002 at 07:57:36, pavel wrote:
>>>
>>>>On September 19, 2002 at 07:47:46, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On September 19, 2002 at 07:35:06, pavel wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On September 19, 2002 at 06:01:57, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On September 19, 2002 at 05:59:07, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>On September 19, 2002 at 05:19:07, Jouni Uski wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> 1: Ruffian 0.76    20.0 / 24
>>>>>>>>> 2: Gandalf 5.1     15.5 / 24
>>>>>>>>> 3: WBNimzo 2000b   15.0 / 24
>>>>>>>>> 4: Yace 0.99.56    14.5 / 24
>>>>>>>>> 5: Pharaon 2.62    13.5 / 25
>>>>>>>>> 6: Zarkov 4.5y     12.5 / 25
>>>>>>>>> 7: LambChop 10.88  12.0 / 24
>>>>>>>>> 8: Pepito 1.55     10.0 / 24
>>>>>>>>> 9: Quark 1.76      10.0 / 24
>>>>>>>>>10: Shredder 3.0    10.0 / 24
>>>>>>>>>11: Comet B.48-2    10.0 / 24
>>>>>>>>>12: Gromit 3.8.2     9.5 / 24
>>>>>>>>>13: Nejmet 3.06      8.5 / 24
>>>>>>>>>14: Patzer 3.61      8.0 / 24
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>And still the only thing I know about program is the author: Per-Ola
>>>>>>>>>Valfridsson!
>>>>>>>>>Google search gives him 1774 rating - so his about mine level. But his program
>>>>>>>>>seems to play around 2800?!?!?!?!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Jouni
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>The rating of the author is totally unimportant.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I have some questions:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>1)How much time did the author work on his program?
>>>>>>>>2)What did he read to help him to develop his program?
>>>>>>>>What are the free source codes that he looked at and how much of them did he
>>>>>>>>understand?
>>>>>>>>3)Did the author claimed that he is going to do the program freeware?
>>>>>>>>I read this claim but not from the author but only from other people.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I doubt if to believe it and I will also have the same doubts if someone tells
>>>>>>>>me that one of Fritz,Tiger or Junior are going to be freeware espacially when
>>>>>>>>the teller is not the author of one of these programs.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Uri
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Note that if Ruffian0.76 is going to be freeware only in 2010 then the claim
>>>>>>>that it is going to be freeware is misleading.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>My understanding was that the claim was that ruffian is going to be freeware in
>>>>>>>the near future and my interpertation is 2002.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Uri
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Ruffian will come with the next update of Arena with the installation and
>>>>>>without the installation, as a winboard engine.
>>>>>>Just like programs like AnMon and SoS comes with the Arena Installation package.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>The programmer himself said he will release it very soon, from what I
>>>>>>understand, he wants to port it under other OS too.
>>>>>
>>>>>Saying that he is going to release it is not saying that it is going to be
>>>>>freeware.
>>>>
>>>>He will (most likely) release the next version for free, thus it will be
>>>>freeware.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>When will Ruffian come out?
>>>>>>The same time next update of Arena will.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>cheers,
>>>>>>pavs
>>>>>
>>>>>Maybe the next version of Arena is going to be commercial program and in this
>>>>>case all the programs that come only with Arena are going to be commercial.
>>>>>
>>>>>Uri
>>>>
>>>>AFAIK Arena will never be commercial.
>>>>Just like Scid will never be commercial.
>>>>
>>>>This is my understanding based on the few e-mail exchange I had with him.
>>>>
>>>>Unless there is a Winboard Edition III, which is completely a differant story.
>>>>
>>>>I have the impression you don't want Ruffian to be a freeware, if so, why?
>>>>;)
>>>>
>>>>cheers,
>>>>pavs
>>>
>>>I prefer to see it as commercial program.
>>>If it becomes freeware then it is possible that part of the programmers are
>>>going to stop working on their program.
>>>
>>>I think that it increases the chances that we will never see a new Gandalf or a
>>>new Hiarcs because if they are not better than a free program they cannot earn
>>>enough money from it so they may give up programming.
>>>
>>>I think that doing programs that are too strong freeware is not productive for
>>>computer chess.
>>>
>>>The users of chess programs are not poor people and they can buy it.
>>>If the author can earn significant money from ruffian then it is better if he
>>>sells it.
>>>
>>>I guess that he can sell few thousands of copies  as a winboard program with
>>>price of 50$ even without a special interface.
>>>
>>>Uri
>>
>>
>>The only thing that concerns me is that anytime a brand new and unheard-of
>>engine pops up, it is cause for concern _and_ suspicion.  It might be perfectly
>>legitimate, who knows.  But remember "voyager", "le petite", "bionic impact",
>>"gunda" and others?
>>
>>Jumping way up to near the front of the pack is not easy.  Doing it without
>>ever having been to a public event is even more unlikely.
>>
>>It would be interesting to examine the executable if anyone has a copy, to
>>avoid the suspicions before they start to grow...
>
>Yes
>
>The difference is that these crafty clones were not clearly stronger than crafty
>when it seems based on the results that ruffian is clearly stronger than all the
>free programs.
>
>If people who have a copy compare the executable they should also compare it
>with the executable of the commercial programs.
>
>Uri


Le Petite had a pretty good time of beating Crafty.  We later found out it
was due to a better book, mainly.  So wins and losses don't really count as much
as the actual moves played in the game...  or an examination of the executable.



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