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Subject: Re: Ruffian - translation for non-germans, and response

Author: Rolf Tueschen

Date: 08:56:26 09/27/02

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On September 27, 2002 at 01:16:02, martin fierz wrote:

>On September 26, 2002 at 22:17:09, Eduard Nemeth wrote:
>
>...approximately this:
>
>"ruffian suddenly seems to get worse results than before, when compared to
>professional programs. ruffian is freeware, and perhaps the reason for the bad
>results is this: there are a couple of professional programmerss, and they want
>to sell their software. what would happen if a freeware program was suddenly
>just as good? the new results are not so good any more and ruffian is now listed
>behind all professional engines".
>
>eduard, i apologize if my translation is not very good! it's also very loose,
>but i think it's what you meant to say.
>
>i think your interpretation (ruffian is as good/better than the pro's but people
>post wrong results here to keep pros alive) is very speculative to say the least
>- first of all, you would need a lot of testers who are deliberately posting
>wrong results. i can't believe that. second, i think there is a simpler
>explanation: if there were X beta-testers of ruffian, some of them would get
>above average results, and some below average. who do you think is more likely
>to post his results here? i guess we just saw a selection of good ruffian
>results here due to "tester bias": if it got a great result, it was more likely
>to be published here. now that everybody is testing it, bad results come in
>too...
>
>aloha
>  martin


I can only agree. Eduard is now changing sides again from at first seeking for
the basic model for Ruffian and now he's in its defense against a dark
conspiracy by the established interests.

Of course, Ruffian could still be some, say Dark Thought clone. The idea that
someone came out of nowhere and could all on his own, without book cooker, make
a program stronger than Fritz, this is impossible. But above that possibility
there are many reasons why Ruffian could be a new program by some people who
have understood all of the actual computer chess techno.

If Thorsten alone could already make Rebel many points stronger then a team
should be capable to do such things. Understood that they got a basic motor they
could work on. From the time aspects I see no lonely single programmer who could
possibly do that. Even less probable if he had not the present of a good motor.
So why shouldn't that be possible? I think it is.

But the whole secrecy in the past weeks is a bit strange. Some people seem to be
interested in the proof that a totally new prog could be better than the
commercially established progs. But up to now I agree with you, the proof is not
there. But it could succeed. But also that was not the question. The point was
if one single programmer could come up with engine, book and all only on his
own. Improbable was the verdict here. And that has not been rejected since.

Rolf Tueschen



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