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Subject: Re: Shredder wins in Graz after controversy

Author: Amir Ban

Date: 02:35:56 12/14/03

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On December 14, 2003 at 04:10:02, Sandro Necchi wrote:

>On December 13, 2003 at 17:49:47, Amir Ban wrote:
>
>>On December 13, 2003 at 07:32:04, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>
>>>On December 13, 2003 at 05:24:46, Uri Blass wrote:
>>>
>>>>On December 13, 2003 at 03:32:01, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On December 12, 2003 at 16:59:17, Anthony Cozzie wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>>My point is:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>1. Since the programs now are much stronger than 20 years ago, why not change
>>>>>>>the rule about resigning and let them resing when they are down -10?
>>>>>>>2. It is true that a bug may help the program which is lost, but which are the
>>>>>>>chances today? Is it correct to say 1 every 1000? If this is true, why not
>>>>>>>concentrate to improve their play on the first part of the game rather then
>>>>>>>hoping to be extremely lucky in the endgame?
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>>first of all thank for the friendly discussion. I undestand your point of view
>>>>>and I do respect it as I do with everybody points of view.
>>>>>Still I do not agree with you...see below.
>>>>>
>>>>>>The point is, even if the eval is -10, I am under no obligation to resign.
>>>>>
>>>>>Correct.
>>>>>I am asking to change the rule to force a program to resign when the score goes
>>>>>down to -10 (a mean more or less a queen and 2 rooks down, to summarize).
>>>>
>>>>The problem is that with the new rule programmers have no problem to change
>>>>their evaluation and never show a score of more than -9.999 pawns against
>>>>themselves even in case of mate.
>>>
>>>Ok, this should be verified with a secret position before the tournament start.
>>>If a programmer is found as cheating, than unless he can demostrate it is due to
>>>a bug for that specific position it will be disqualified.
>>>
>>>>
>>>>It is easy to do it for me by dividing all scores by 10 so 99.99 that is mate in
>>>>one today becomes 9.999
>>>>
>>>>The only way to implement it correctly is if an external program does the
>>>>evaluation.
>>>
>>>Maybe. Mine is a proposal. Maybe there is a better idea to handle this.
>
>Hi,
>>>
>>
>>In WCCC 2001 Shredder lost a game to Junior where it was showing +6 at some
>>point.
>
>I know it very well.
>
>>
>>The rule at WCCC is that the TD must allow resignation or agreed draws. E.g. the
>>draw Junior-Fritz was already agreed several moves back, but the TD wanted to
>>see the rooks off before giving consent. I think that Jonny was not allowed to
>>resign, and rightly so. In the critical phase of the game black had mate threats
>>of its own, and with the sort of bugs Shredder was suffering, even a loss was
>>not inconceivable.
>>
>>It was noted by several after that game that given that operators are not
>>allowed to resign or draw when they want to, it's ridiculous to allow them to
>>lose deliberately.
>
>Amir that is all close and past now.
>I am making proposals for the next tournament to make thinks more clear to
>everybody. I think that what turned out did show that things were not fully
>clear as there were too many different opinions. I do not agree with your
>opinion, but I respect it.
>
>My proposal is:
>
>1. Let's change the rule (when the tournaments have live games; when there are
>people looking them other than those in the hall) to force all programs to
>resign when they are at -10 or lower.
>2. Since the chances that these games turned our to be a draw or change the
>outcome are nearly 0, let's avoid showing parts of games which are not played in
>human tournaments and not interested from a chess point of view. I think -10 is
>a good value to avoid maybe 1 game out of 1000 to change the outcome.
>
>Of course without cheating...
>
>P.N. The bug in Shredder has been fixed since several days, so my proposal has
>nothing to do with Shredder.
>
>The reason of the proposal is that people watching these games are continuosly
>saying why program x is not resigning and switching to other games as that part
>of the game is not important at all.
>

I agree with this part. The problem however is the reverse: the programs are
just too damn smart for ordinary people. They will say -8 based on a deep
continuation and resign, leaving many viewers mystified. Homework for you boys
and girls: why did program X resign ? How many can see the mate in
Shredder-Jonny ? Or, viewing the position and seeing that black has mate-in-one
threats, even conclude that white is winning ? The first report I got after the
reptition was from a kibitzer who said excitedly: "Shredder is now losing",
which turned out to be a gross exaggeration. The TD's are mindful of this and
want to see games played until the t's are crossed and i's dotted.

Amir


>This is just a proposal.
>If you programmers do not agree, then forget it.
>
>P.N. I like the way your program play. I find it fun!
>
>>Amir
>
>Sandro



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