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Subject: Re: 2 easy questions please

Author: Chris Hull

Date: 09:16:07 07/08/03

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On July 08, 2003 at 06:23:55, Geoff wrote:

>Hi
>
>...
>
>Q2
>Is there a method or utility program to determine the absolute rating strength
>of a chess program? After a quick peruse of the ELO rating system, it seems to
>have 2 drawbacks. Firstly, it is reminiscent of a Nuclear physics equation,
>secondly and more importantly it is a relative rating. I had a quick tinker with
>ELOSTAT, this removes the awkwardness of the calculation but the result was
>totally dependent on the quess I made for the start rating.
>

The problem with making a test suite or method or utility program to determine
the rating is that the programmers would program for the tests, kind of like
teaching to the test that would be done in school.You could have an engine that
does well on the tests but does not do so well in actual games.

The problem boils down to "how do you test openings, middlegames, endgames,
tactics, strategy, sacrifices, gambits, pins, forks, skewers, isolani, pawn
structure, pawn levers, rook batteries etc, in such a way as to reveal the true
strength of a chess programs."

Not an easy problem to solve.

Chris

>I am surprised no one seems to have written a utility to quesstimate a rating
>maybe from how a program performs using test suites. Ok, I know it will be a
>rough estimate at best, but at least it would be an absolute number.
>
>Or maybe someone has done this, any pointers ?
>
>      Regards Geoff



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