Author: Bob Durrett
Date: 20:00:25 10/20/02
Go up one level in this thread
On October 20, 2002 at 22:36:58, Laurence Chen wrote:
>On October 20, 2002 at 19:34:54, Bob Durrett wrote:
>
>>On October 20, 2002 at 19:23:38, Mark Young wrote:
>>
>>>On October 20, 2002 at 19:12:39, Bob Durrett wrote:
>>>
>>>>On October 20, 2002 at 18:33:25, José Carlos wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On October 20, 2002 at 18:16:38, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On October 20, 2002 at 17:55:55, Bob Durrett wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Why Fritz and Junior not among Top computers at ICC?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I just looked at "best computers" at the Internet Chess Club [ICC] and noted
>>>>>>>that the top blitz programs are NOT Fritz and Junior.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>{{Note: at ICC, "best" is a command.}}
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Why is that? Maybe Kramnik was playing against the wrong engine?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Bob D.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>ICC rating is a joke.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>People can maximize their rating by having a list of
>>>>>>players that they do not to play.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I think that it is better to ignore that rating because
>>>>>>it has no meaning.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Rating should be based on tournament when players have
>>>>>>no right not to play against special opponents.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Players who choose not to play against special
>>>>>>opponents should get no rating.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Another point is that the time control for blitz is not
>>>>>>constant time control and it can be 3 0 or 12 2.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I think that all games should be played at
>>>>>>the same time control to have rating with meaning.
>>>>>
>>>>> ICC rating is not totally meaningless. It depends on what you want to know. I
>>>>>mean, if I usually play the same time controls and a variety of opponents, I can
>>>>>test my program with two different books and see which one works better. In that
>>>>>case, ICC rating is useful _to me_.
>>>>> But I agree is doesn't always show which player is stronger because of the
>>>>>reasons you mentioned.
>>>>>
>>>>> José C.
>>>>
>>>>OK, so some manipulation is possible. People who used Fritz or Junior could do
>>>>the same thing!
>>>>
>>>>What strikes me is that Fritz and Junior seem to be missing entirely!
>>>>
>>>>Do you suppose somebody has talked the ICC management into boycotting Fritz and
>>>>Junior?
>>>>
>>>>Joke or not, I think it's very strange that Fritz and Junior cannot compete in
>>>>that arena. They could play by the same rules as the others, too!
>>>
>>>
>>>If you think that Ruffian, Yace, and Crafty are stronger then Deep Fritz and
>>>Deep Junior, I think you should stick with them. But don't ever play them
>>>against Deep Fritz yourself or your world will come crashing down.
>>
>>You suggest a computer versus computer match to see which program is best
>>against humans???????
>>
>>Truly, I would lose to all of them! : )
>>
>>But, to be serious, can you say why you feel that way? Are you basing this
>>solely on results of computer vs computer tournament results?
>>
>>Also, what about my point that the same rules apply to Fritz and Junior at ICC
>>as apply to the three you mentioned? [Assuming that Fritz/Junior owners are
>>allowed to compete.] Do people owning Fritz and Junior CHOSE not to compete,
>>and if so why would that be true?
>>
>>It is not at all clear to me that Fritz and Junior are the best programs against
>>humans. I don't know about the others, since I'm not strong enough to test them
>>anyway. But don't discount those programs which are not currently in the
>>limelight. One of them may, indeed, be the best in the world versus humans.
>>
>>Don't you agree, at least a little bit? Please?
>>
>>Bob D.
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>Bob D.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>It is better if you look at the ssdf rating list.
>>>>
>>>>I doubt that the SSDF ratings have anything at all to do with the rating of the
>>>>computers against humans. But the ICC computers ARE playing against humans.
>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Uri
>Your thinking has no merit. It is like saying that the fastest 100 meter dash
>would have no problem beaten a marathon runner in a 50 mile race. Or a 100
>meter dash champion would have no problem beating a 2 mile race dash champion.
>Just because an engine has a high rating in ICC in blitz or bullet does not
>necessary mean that it will perform well in regular slow tournament times, 40
>moves/2 hours.
>Not to mention also that ICC is a non-controlled environment, there are users or
>operators who will refuse to play against all opponents, they will do this to
>preserve they unrealistic rating. If one only plays against higher rated
>opponents, then its rating will only go up.
>Remember this: "The race does not go to the swiftest, nor the match to the
>strongest."
>Laurence
Well, you certainly got me on that quotation. I actually like it! Not sure
about how it supports your thesis, though. Anyway, it was a nice quote. : )
I took a course or two in statistics in my previous incarnation and was exposed
to the concept of "correlation." It would be foolhardy to suggest that there
was no correlation at all between the SSDF results and the strength of chess
engines against humans. One would reasonably expect, without proof [since that
would be hard to come by] that the top SSDF engines would do better against
humans than the worst performers in SSDF competitions would. That seems
reasonable.
But SSDF makes no pretense at all of rating the anti-human performance of chess
engines. Chess engine versus human matches and tournaments must be the
preferred route.
Since you pulled a quote on me, let me try one on you: "Beauty is in the eye of
the beholder." This is relevant since you said: "Your thinking has no merit."
Merit is like beauty. It is in the mind of the beholder. Another person might
see a lot of merit. Some people hate roses and others love them.
: ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : )
Bob D.
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