Author: Terry McCracken
Date: 17:55:13 11/30/03
Go up one level in this thread
On November 30, 2003 at 17:40:09, Mike Byrne wrote: >On November 30, 2003 at 11:13:45, Terry McCracken wrote: > >>On November 30, 2003 at 01:50:19, Jim Bodkins wrote: >> >>>On November 29, 2003 at 22:48:42, Roger D Davis wrote: >>> >>>>I have to wonder how the latest screw up should be interpreted in the total >>>>history of the tournament. One perspective is that the Law of Karma is finally >>>>kicking in. In this scenario, the tournament committee handled the List affair >>>>awkwardly by being too rigid and authoritarian in their interpretation of the >>>>rules. Ironically, they essentially quote the charter on the Chessbase site to >>>>excuse themselves for having to disqualify List. Even when there were dissenting >>>>opinions on this board, with some of the programmers themselves saying that they >>>>wouldn't reveal their own source, that circumstantial evidence wasn't enough for >>>>the committee to act upon, etc., there was no subsequent clarification of the >>>>circumstances of the disqualification. The rules are the rules, as they say (and >>>>said). >>>> >>>>But...the List decision being BS, and there being balance and fairness in the >>>>Universe, the Law of Karma kicked in as a means of showing us exactly how >>>>hypocritical the tournament is: The rules are the rules when it's convenient to >>>>excuse the behavior of the committee, but are open to interpretation in another >>>>circumstance where they should apply. The effect of the Law of Karma is seen in >>>>the consequences of this behavior, which is to undermine, if not invalidate, the >>>>meaning of the IGCA world championship title. >>>> >>>>The Law of Karma interpretation has a lot to recommend it, because it proposes >>>>that even if tournament committees act hypocritically and unfairly, at some >>>>level there is justice in the universe, and that if fairness is flaunted, then >>>>while the Universe may not be able to correct the result, it will at least >>>>render the result completely absurd and meaningless. By this reasoning, the >>>>latest snafu is actually required in order for Karmic balance to be achieved. >>>> >>>>Unfortunately, the Law of Karma interpretation also supposes the operation of >>>>unseen forces, and cannot be called the most parsimonious interpretation. Maybe >>>>fairness, unlike matter and energy, is not conserved. Maybe there are only >>>>events that happen, and while it's possible to chronicle them and note strange >>>>coincidences, these coincidences are just nothing more than statistical >>>>aberrations, with meaning imposed upon them. >>>> >>>>By this explanation, the latest snafu with Shredder is simply history repeating >>>>itself. The causality at work is not the causality of Karma, but the causality >>>>of stupidity, the fact that if you screw up once in a critical situation (e.g., >>>>with List), you're likely to screw up again, no matter how much egg you already >>>>have on your face. >>>> >>>>For the tournament committee, the problem is that the Shredder snafu puts the >>>>List issue in a completely different light, because it shows us how incompetent >>>>the committee really is. At it's maximum, it means that the List issue becomes >>>>more significant, because the issues involved must be reevaluated in the context >>>>of the committee's latest faux pas. >>>> >>>>Take your pick. >>>> >>>>Roger >>> >>>I would use the word comeuppance. I expect ICGA to be shadowed by this for some >>>time. (Which is a shame for the sake of the developers. It will follow them as >>>well). And I couldnt agree more regarding the committees imcompetance. It >>>appears to me that either the committee needs an overhaul or there needs to be a >>>new committee. This is the committee that sanctions Twixt as well I believe. >>>Heady company. Sorry for the sarcasm, but why precisely doesnt computer chess >>>have a chess governing body in this area. For that matter, why isnt computer >>>chess governed by FIDE. >>> >>>I'm sure they did their best and meant well. I believe that a better job could >>>have been done, whether by ICGA or some other organization. I believe that needs >>>to happen. >>> >>>I dont know why FIDE doesnt sanction these computer tournaments, even though >>>they do sanction 'events'. >>> >>>http://www.fide.com/calendar/fidecalendar.phtml?view=8 >> >>FIDE What a Joke! >> >>Still slamming the ICGA I see, well Jim, the draw was never claimed and if it >>were to be claimed, it has to be claimed _before_ the side to move, actually >>moves their its piece. >> >>Kh7 was played, so too late so sad too bad. Check the Rules!! >>Do you actually play chess? Just wondering. >=============================================== > >This post is unacceptable. It is not acceptable to insult other members. >Please refrain from making posts like this and consider this a warning. > >Thank you. Then delete it.
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