Author: Thorsten Czub
Date: 15:18:23 09/17/98
Go up one level in this thread
On September 17, 1998 at 16:52:30, Moritz Berger wrote: >Dear Thorsten, > >thanks for your interest, I appreciate your comments, but: You might not be >aware of the fact that I am no longer doing any beta testing for Chris >Whittington. Therefore, I use the only version that's available to the general >public. Don't you get it that chris has no idea with which version he is playing ? the version you refer was replaced by a version called: cstblack + cstwhite. here is the original read.me of this version, it says: This download is for owners of Chess System Tal CD only. The contents can be added to the CHESSTAL directory on your harddrive. Tests have revealed a more than usual discrepancy between CSTal playing white and CSTal playing black. We've created two versions with differing characteristics to try and overcome this problem. Testers for computer-computer games should certainly use these versions. If you are playing human versus Chess System Tal, there is no reason why you shouldn't just use only the CSTWHITE. It is more speculative than CSTBLACK; and probably, therefore, leads to more interesting games. Version number is c289_c Contents: README - This file CSTWHITE.EXE - Is the latest version (December 1997), has a few bug fixes - and improvements. Use this version for CSTal playing as - white. Or use it if you have created a special gambit - opening book. This is the better version if you can - manage to create a high proportion of wild opening - positions. CSTBLACK.EXE - This is a slightly less speculative (and therefore more - materialistic) version. We found that high speculative - values in the evaluation help if the program can find - the sorts of positions that tend to arise from wilder - openings. Since creating wilder openings is more difficult - with the black pieces (especially for cptr-cptr games), we - recommend using this version for computer-computer test - games where CSTal is playing the black pieces. USAGE: - To install either version: save the old CHESS.EXE for - safekeeping, and copy the two CST*.EXE versions into - your CHESSTAL directory. Rename the one you wish to - currently use as CHESS.EXE CHESS.STY - Is the recommended STYLE - You can either: rename it to NEW.STY, copy - it into the STYLES directory, and select it via the menu; - or, copy it directly into the DATAFILE directory where it - will become the default STYLE. DATAFILE.ZIP - Contains several test suites, including the new COVAX test - - Unzip it using PKUNZIP DATAFILE.ZIP; then copy the .POS - files into the DATAFILE directory PARIS97.PGN - All the games of the Paris World Championship in PGN format SCREEN INFO - On the F5 screen, inner eye, we've added two new informations, - htal, and ctal. These are a measure of king attack potential - for each side. ctal is the computers measure, and htal the - opponent's (human's). A higher value indicates greater king - attack possibilities. Good luck, Chris Whittington end of quote.... as you can see, it is again chris signing the paper. He is always signing anything. Because he is the boss. The workers do the job, and the boss signs it. This does not imply the boss knows better. only that he has to sign it. >On the oxford-softworks Website, I found the following statement: ><quote> >Chess System Tal was recently entered into the Paris Computer Chess >Championship. Here, it was placed an overall 10th out of 34 entrants due to “an >almighty bug”, as the author Chris Whittington described it, which affected the >program so much that it is incredible that it was able to play chess at all. Had >the bug been detected before the tournament, it is possible that Chess Tal would >have been overall winner. this is true. but chris does not believe the version YOU call PARIS version is the bug-fixed version. this is completely nonsense and is only existing in your mind. in no way does the text you quote above say: the paris version is the strong version. it only says if the bugs would have been not in the program in paris... nobody would know how strong cstal would have played. > Oxford Softworks is making the very latest version of the Chess program >available to existing users of the program from this website. If you already own >Chess System Tal (CD release), please follow this link to download the Paris >version (complete with bugs fixed!). ><endquote> right. but he does not know about which version. see: normal reaction of a boss when he does not know: a) don't tell the public that you don't know (than they see you are a boss who knows nothing !) b) give them any version, that satisfies them anyway. c) name the any-version like the wished version. this makes the customer confident. >Much as I respect your work as a beta tester, I respect the wish of the >program's author to have the strongest version (in his opinion!) tested. but the version that IS the strongest version was on the server of oxford softworks too, later. shall i test fritz4 instead of fritz5.03 only because i have downloaded fritz4 but not later versions of fritz ???? > I'm >sure that you will respect his personal choice also, after all, it might affect >his reputation in a negative way if the version you mentioned (which he removed >from his server for unknown reasons) doesn't perform well. It's his baby, so the pah - mistakes are normal. a mistake can never hurt you in any way. it only shows you are a human beeing. if you believe mistakes show that somebody has a lower reputation you are very much mistaken. A strong person will always say: this was wrong. >ultimate choice always should be his, no matter how much better you think your >judgement about versions could be. because he is the boss, he ? follow the leader ?! aha. typical prussian way. if the boss/leader says: go this way, all lemmings follow it until they are dead. bravo moritz. you show best german tugenden/virtues. A boss should have the right, like all human beeings, a) to be mistaken b) to be an asshole c) to be wrong. I have met many "bosses" in my life. most of them were a+b+c. because non of the leaders told them: ahem, boss - you are wrong... So - it would be the best moritz that you continue your testing of "paris" version. play 3000 games more. i will continue my tournament from now on with fritz5.01-patch version because this version was given by chessbase to be a bug-fix-version. >Also, you have sent me an executable file black.exe some time ago via email, but >failed to include the changed resource and style files, thereby only wasting my >telephone bill. ?!?! there is nothing to change if you have bought the cd-version. just copy it into the directory and play with it. As you HAVE cstblack, i see that you test the weaker version on purpose ! thanks for the showing of your intention. >Maybe if you send me the complete set of files that are >required, I can repeat the match after the last game. Nice verification of your >claims that black.exe plays better ... there is no special files needed. install chesstal from the cd. copy the cstblack into the dir. it should work. maybe you have to delete the chess.ini and the hardware.cfg files in the datafile dir, but that should be all. >I will continue the match, because for ordinary customers like myself only the >CD version with the patch from manufacturer applied is available. This makes >some sense to me. of course ordinary customers test the weaker version. ordinary customers always get what they deserve. >Moritz > > > >P.S.: One advantage of the Nunn test: you are of course invited to play the same >match with any CST version you like vs. the commercially available Hiarcs 6. >This would even seem prudent to verify if your new version really plays better.
This page took 0 seconds to execute
Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700
Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.