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

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 20:29:24 12/24/03

Go up one level in this thread


On December 24, 2003 at 22:05:23, Uri Blass wrote:

>On December 24, 2003 at 20:21:44, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>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.
>
>Saying "it most likely would have been a
>simple win" suggest not winning because of being a better player but winning
>because of a winning position.
>

Think about this.  If Crafty gets into a near endgame position that is
pretty even, against something old like gnuchess, it will likely win,
because it simply plays better endings that gnuchess.  It doesn't need
a winning position, just an equal position where its search and endgame
knowledge will eventually find a way to win.

That was what I referred to with Deep Thought in 1995.  It was that
much better, that all it needed was a relatively equal position and its
way superior search would turn the game into a win.  It did it over and
over and over...



>
>>
>>>
>>>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..
>
>Data about games of previous years against programs is not a proof because
>commercial programs used weaker hardware in previous years and super computers
>often  had bugs because of lack of time to test.

We are talking about 1994.  And then Hong Kong in 1995.  there was no _huge_
commercial improvement in that short time-span, neither hardware nor software.
DT didn't have a lack of test time.  It was a dedicated machine that played
chess all day long.  Deep Blue was a different issue as it used an IBM
SP supercomputer as the base platform, and added chess hardware to it.  Deep
Thought just ran on a simple machine (sun workstation, later an IBM RS6000
workstation).




>
>Comparing based on games against humans is also a problem because humans had the
>disadvantage of not having the machine at home to prepare(Fritz3 with the same
>hardware did the IM norm in one tournament and I read that it did some draws
>against GM's when it had bigger problems against part of the weaker players who
>simply prepared better because they bought Fritz3 when the GM's did not prepare
>and trust their skill that was enough only for getting a draw).

I'm not talking about games vs humans.  I am talking about the annual ACM
event that was held every year through 1994.  DT played in them as did
many commercial programs...  DT won 'em all.


>
>I do not claim that deep blue prototype was not significantly better than
>Fritz3(p90).
>It is possible that it was significantly better but we have not enough data to
>prove it so discussion about it is pointless and I think that it is better to
>assume nothing about it.
>
>Uri


In the case of DT vs fritz(P90) I'm not assuming _anything_.  Any more than if
I said Crafty on the quad opteron would be way stronger than fritz (P90).  It
would not be a contest, and without playing the match I could predict the
outcome with near certainty, with no "assumptions" required..

That was my point above...



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