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Subject: Re: Shredder wins in Graz after controversy -- rebuttal

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 17:21:44 12/24/03

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On December 24, 2003 at 15:29:38, Uri Blass wrote:

>On December 24, 2003 at 10:49:31, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On December 24, 2003 at 07:55:49, Amir Ban wrote:
>>
>>>On December 23, 2003 at 23:50:27, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>
>>>>On December 23, 2003 at 23:12:28, Mike S. wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On December 23, 2003 at 11:46:52, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>(...)
>>>>>
>>>>>>In the WCCC event, (1) and (2) are all that is needed.  Because (2) had been
>>>>>>done dozens of times in previous rounds when programs claimed a draw, using
>>>>>>the _same_ GUI, and those draw claims were upheld.  You can _not_ then go to
>>>>>>a later game in the same event and rule 180 degrees out of phase with your
>>>>>>previous ruling, just to justify a stupid mistake that was made.  Yet this
>>>>>>happened.  They accept all draw claims up to this point, then claim that this
>>>>>>claim was not made correctly, and then they penalize the _program_ for the
>>>>>>operator's mistake, when rules 5 and 6 explicitly spell out the duties of
>>>>>>the operator and the remedy when the operator fouls up.
>>>>>
>>>>>You are aware that the operator/programmer did *not* make a draw claim? He asked
>>>>>if it's ok to *continue,* after the GUI's repetition info (and after he had made
>>>>>the move).
>>>>
>>>>Yes.  And that is the problem I have been pointing out.  The chess program
>>>>said "three fold repetition detected."  The operator has no choice but to
>>>>relay that to the opponent and TD, and end the game.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>I share your opinion that it would better, when operators can, and should,
>>>>>remain passive,
>>>>
>>>>I don't understand the above "when operators can and should ..."  By
>>>>the rules that is _always_.  They _never_ get to make any actual decision
>>>>about the game.  They only relay what the program says.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>especially when decisions of that type have to be met (claim a
>>>>>repetition draw or not), but when currently it's not the exact, clear & written
>>>>>rule (?) that operators have to remain completely passive, but when they can
>>>>>decide if to claim or if to continue, then I think it was ok to allow the game
>>>>>to continue, in that case. - Although - I know - it actually wasn't allowed to
>>>>>continue in that sense, but a draw claim was refuted the operator did not want
>>>>>to claim :-) but in effect it's the same (more or less).
>>>>
>>>>I don't see where you get the impression that an operator can decide if to claim
>>>>or continue.  That is simply _not_ allowed.  That is why the TD always announces
>>>>that draws and resignations _must_ be passed through the TD first, so that the
>>>>operator can't get into the loop and influence the outcome.  The TD simply
>>>>doesn't allow it.  Or at least not until the blunder in Graz he didn't.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>(It's impossible to put that whole matter into one single sentence :-)) so all
>>>>>discussions about it were quite hopeless from the beginning.)
>>>>>
>>>>>I know that actually there was a misunderstanding about the claim, IOW there was
>>>>>none and the TD thought at first Zwanzger wants to claim it. I have already
>>>>>critizised that (too), because in the last round of a Championship, in a game
>>>>>where one of the leaders participated, and in a situation decisive for the
>>>>>title, such misunderstandings are hardly tolerable. These are 3 factors which
>>>>>require the highest precision each. - But OTOH, I think the decision itself was
>>>>>ok after all.
>>>>
>>>>How can it be OK when the operator _has_ to do what the program instructs,
>>>>and then once he did not, the rule says that the game has to be backed up to
>>>>the point where the operator did not follow the program's instruction, and
>>>>resumed with the corrected move.  It seems perfectly black and white to
>>>>me...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>IMO it would not have been ok to decide like that, when Zwanzger had really
>>>>>wanted to claim the draw, just because he had made the move already. That could
>>>>>have been tolerated then, and drawn. But in that case, I guess SMK could have
>>>>>protested against of course, when FIDE rule 9.2 is in power... At least that's
>>>>>my view so far. You know much more about these things.
>>>>
>>>>FIDE rules don't apply in that context.  Because the _computer_ is not making
>>>>the moves.  IE what if a blind player is playing a game, and tells his proxy
>>>>"play Nge2" but the proxy plays "Nce2" instead?  The move is wrong, and it
>>>>is fixed.  Why would anyone even think about penalizing the blind player for
>>>>his proxy's mistake?  Blind chess rules cover this.  The computer tells the
>>>>operator what to do.  Most operators know how to properly claim a draw, and
>>>>they do it correctly since that is the operator's responsibility, to implement
>>>>the computer's instructions correctly on the board, including the clock, which
>>>>no computer program says "hit the button after making the move" because we
>>>>all know that the operator knows that detail.
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>Btw. did you know that Zwanzger, during that same game earlier, had asked the TD
>>>>>if he was allowed to resign (when he had a very bad position already), but was
>>>>>asked to continue, according to his report at the CSS Forum?
>>>>
>>>>Yes, and that has happened to me and it is perfectly normal.  The operator
>>>>can request that the TD allow him to resign when it appears truly hopeless,
>>>>but the TD _always_ says "play on until the actual board position shows
>>>>that you are dead lost."  Many programs _never_ resign, which is perfectly
>>>>OK.  Rules don't require it.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>http://f23.parsimony.net/forum50826/messages/84889.htm
>>>>>(german)
>>>>>
>>>>>This was a mix of several bad circumstances to the worst moment, so inavoidably
>>>>>some sh** happened :-))
>>>>>
>>>>>Regards,
>>>>>Mike Scheidl
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Yes, but it would have been nice had it been fixed, which _could_ have been
>>>>accomplished.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>P.S. Under such circumstances, it would not have been perfectly satisfying, when
>>>>>Fritz would have been tournament winner later, either. AFAIK Shredder had
>>>>>already announced mate (!) in the Jonny game, before the repetion bug occured.
>>>>
>>>>Would you like some prior examples of this happening?  I can cite dozens of
>>>>games that were won but lost due to a bug.  For example, perhaps the most
>>>>famous was the deep thought vs Fritz game in Hong Kong.  DT got disconnected
>>>>and when things were restarted, it had to move quickly and made a gross blunder
>>>>that lost the game.  It was recorded as a loss, when it most likely would have
>>>>been a simple win had the disconnect not happened.  Was that fair?  Yes.  Was
>>>>it the best thing that could have happened for the event?  Nope.  But it _did_
>>>>follow the rules, and no one complained at all.  This is a similar case.
>>>>
>>>
>>>Let's not confuse between bugs and pretexts.
>>>
>>>DB was trying to avoid a quick loss when it failed, not to win. If it hadn't
>>>failed on the c4 move, it may well have failed on the next move.
>>
>>I don't believe so, that position has been analyzed by many people, using
>>GM help and computers.  But bad luck happens, and it _does_ change the outcome
>>in many cases.
>
>Both sides had practical chances to win in that position based on comp-comp
>games and the point is that nobody claimed that deep blue prototype had a
>winning position before c4 so your words( "it most likely would have been a
>simple win") are misleading.

Not exactly.  In almost every "equal" position, they managed to win, because
of their speed.

>
>If you assume that deep blue prototype was clearly better than Fritz3 then you
>can believe that it could be a win for deep blue prototype without the crash
>but I think that it is better not to discuss about the question if deep blue
>prototype was significantly better than Fritz3 when there is no way to test it.
>
>Uri


Actually there is a good bit of data about the deep thought machine.  For
example, the last ACM event in Cape May New Jersey...

It was _very_ strong..



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