Computer Chess Club Archives


Search

Terms

Messages

Subject: Re: ICGA and the webcasting of WCCC_2004

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 19:22:20 07/07/04

Go up one level in this thread


On July 07, 2004 at 22:04:41, Andrew Wagner wrote:

>On July 07, 2004 at 21:57:14, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>On July 07, 2004 at 19:27:13, GuyHaworth wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>There is clearly a lot of interest on this bulletin board in the ICGA WCCC 2004
>>>event in Israel.  It is clearly repaying us with some interesting games,
>>>incidents and a close contest.
>>>
>>>Like G-CP and others who would very much like to be there in person, I regret
>>>that I have not been able to attend, and have offered my apologies to Omid and
>>>colleagues who are doing a first class job with the organisation there.
>>>
>>>[ In my case, I would not have been able to attend anytime in the last 10 weeks
>>>if the event had been anywhere but my home town, but that's life. ]
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I am happy to receive suggestions for the requirements of an ICGA infrastructure
>>>to support ICGA events, and also happy to hear of good examples of such
>>>infrastructure, technologies involved, and expertise willing to be involved.
>>>
>>>I say this not only with my ICGA V-P hat on, but as a Univ lecturer happy to
>>>engage suitable CS students in suitable, interesting projects which are required
>>>to solve 'real problems' for 'real customers' by the authenticating body (the
>>>BCS) in the UK.  Email is more convenient for me than CCC but I don't wish to
>>>stifle discussion on CCC if that is preferred.
>>>
>>
>>
>>This is easy.
>>
>>1.  Set up a LAN at the tournament site, with a local machine running a FICS
>>server.
>>
>>2.  Require _all_ entrants to be FICS compatible, so that moves are
>>automatically sent between programs with no human intervention, pairing is done
>>electronically and games started automatically, clocks managed by the FICS
>>server, games recorded by the FICS server, tournament crosstable provided by the
>>tournament manager software on the same server, etc...
>>
>>3.  No exceptions allowed.  See note 2 above.
>>
>>
>
>For the record, I don't think there is any currently available version of the
>FICS software which is that sophisticated. Heck, even ICC doesn't start the
>games automatically. My guess would be that this entire server program would
>have to be written from scratch. No small project, but certainly worthwhile.
>

Have you played in an ICC tourney lately?  IE the "pear" manager does it _all_.
Does the pairings.  starts the games.  Collects the results.  Etc.


>>
>>>
>>>
>>>However, you will note that Chessbase are included in WCCC2004's sponsors, and
>>>are indeed webcasting the event with Boris' commentaries.  Chessbase offered to
>>>support the ICGA with their technology at Maastricht in 2002 and that offer was
>>>welcomed by the Association.  We are very grateful for Chessbase's continued
>>>interest in the ICGA WCCC and their commitment to webcasting.
>>>
>>
>>
>>Fine.  It is a proprietary interface, with a proprietary protocol.  Let 'em
>>webcast all they want, but do the main event in a publicly available protocol to
>>prevent one company from "taking over".  At ICC, we have had thousands of people
>>looking at games at one time, such as the Deep Blue vs Kasparov match.  ICGA
>>events can't even be seen publicly unless you only run windows and download a
>>(what is now free but might not always be since it is commercial) interface for
>>that proprietary protocol.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Finally, I thank Omid again for performing his many roles in parallel with
>>>exercising FALCON very creditably in the event.  He has the support of the ICGA
>>>personnel there.
>>>
>>>
>>>Guy Haworth
>>>VP, ICGA
>>
>>
>>
>>Fix the black hole.  Nothing is getting out in a timely manner except for
>>participants logging in to CCC as they have time.  That is almost criminal
>>behavior for the "International COMPUTER games association" to not make the
>>event available to a COMPUTER network...
>>
>>It just defies all logic.  IBM did it for the DB match, in a way that _anybody_
>>could watch, unix or not.  Why can't the ICGA do the same?  Why hasn't it _done_
>>it already.  It's not like this is a new and novel idea...



This page took 0 seconds to execute

Last modified: Thu, 15 Apr 21 08:11:13 -0700

Current Computer Chess Club Forums at Talkchess. This site by Sean Mintz.