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Subject: Re: Usage of general.ctg book+CB learner by ChessMaster in SSDF testing

Author: Mike S.

Date: 21:03:05 10/30/03

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On October 30, 2003 at 22:21:39, Christophe Theron wrote:

>(...)

>Instead of giving CM9000 TWO unfair advantages it should:
>* either not be tested at all

Would you call it FAIR when a major competitor of yours wouldn't be tested at
all??

>* or be tested without opening (and without book learning of course)

Would you call it FAIR to test a major competitor without opening book when
others can use books??

Are you demanding to replace something what you call unfair advantages, by
unfair DISADVANTAGES? Is this your serious opinion? You demand that a competitor
of yours should either not be tested at all, or without book? Excuse me, but if
this is really your opinion, I'm disappointed. Then, I would have to believe
that your opinion is influenced too much by your personal interest.

The conditions SSDF uses reflect *typical King 3.23 usage* among computer
chessfans. It doesn't matter so much, which book is used. The general.ctg is
neiter the strongest nor the newest book. I can imagine that is unpleasant to
have to expect, that another engine joins the competition for SSDF rankings, but
that shouldn't affect your opinion about fair testing as long as you want to try
to be fair.

@Sarah, testing King defaults makes no sense! I'm surprised that somebody
experienced in computerchess like Chessfun would really prefer to test King with
CM defaults, when you must know that several custom settings are more than 100
elo stronger. Nobody who knows the least about King uses the CM defaults, since
CM8000. I think you know the Utzinger tournaments and results, the Grailmaster
CM personalities ratings, etc.

At what age children learn already, that almost *any rule has it's exceptions*.
So please people, especially the regulars & experts, be a bit more realistic
when discussing this. The SSDF decision is ok! An important strong engine will
join the list (finally, and a bit late), tested in a reasonable setup. I would
have recommended to generate a medium size "neutral" book from a good game
collection for King in Fritz, but I guess it isn't so much difference from the
general.ctg which SSDF has used before in similar cases (AFAIK Crafty and
others).

Btw. in a recent test Fritz 8 vs. Shredder 7.04, more than 250 games each,
Shredder 7.04 *without book* scored only ~1% less against Frit+Fritz book, than
with it's own book! So there's really no need to panic no matter which book an
engine uses. Books are overrated (said i.e. Shay Bushinsky too).

http://www.miko42.de/DasDuell/duellindex.html

When general.ctg was used by SSDF for some somewhat weaker freeware engine
tests, I don't remember any "nervouseness" about it :-))

This is really much too obvious...

Regards,
Mike Scheidl



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