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Subject: Re: Knee jerk reaction!

Author: Vasik Rajlich

Date: 06:56:58 09/11/04

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On September 10, 2004 at 23:55:25, Robert Hyatt wrote:

>On September 10, 2004 at 22:55:30, enrico carrisco wrote:
>
>>On September 10, 2004 at 17:14:44, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>
>>>On September 10, 2004 at 15:56:45, Sandro Necchi wrote:
>>>
>>>>On September 09, 2004 at 10:50:49, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On September 08, 2004 at 19:12:56, Matthew White wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>On September 03, 2004 at 15:07:17, Graham Banks wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>On September 03, 2004 at 13:17:51, robert flesher wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>If you are going to waste your precious time and everyone else here then  please
>>>>>>>>indicate that you have given unfair advantages to certain engines.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I think people should read the setup details and maybe look through the whole
>>>>>>>range of games before going off half cocked!
>>>>>>>All engines are using the Fritz powerbook tournament settings. There is the odd
>>>>>>>strange opening due to the maximum variety setting used, but I think you'll find
>>>>>>>that this has equally affected all engines and that no particular engine has
>>>>>>>been disadvantaged.
>>>>>>>For the final of the tournament I intend to optimise the powerbook settings, so
>>>>>>>this should eliminate any unusual openings.
>>>>>>>Graham.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Would it be a more equitable test to have each pair of opponents play both sides
>>>>>>of each oddball opening?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>No...
>>>>
>>>>OK, I try to find an example to show you what you are stating. Again Bob is 100%
>>>>correct.
>>>>
>>>>Now as you know the F1 cars do not use the same tyres; mainly there are 2
>>>>company making them; let's call them X and Y.
>>>>Since everybody is asked to improve as much as possible the latest improvements
>>>>involve the tyres too.
>>>>
>>>>So if you state that ALL cars needs to use the same X tyres to eliminate
>>>>advantages, you are not doing that as you are favoring those who have been
>>>>working in cooperation with company X and penalizing those who have been
>>>>cooperating with company Y, so improving the cars with those tyres.
>>>>
>>>>In your case it is even more unfair as the car company could make changes to
>>>>reduce/eliminate the handicap, but you are chosing a chess program which is as
>>>>it is and will suffer from that.
>>>>
>>>>If you think that you know more than me in this field I give you some figures:
>>>>
>>>>1) I am testing/checking computer games since 1976
>>>>2) I think I have seen/checked something like 140.000 games (about 50% played by
>>>>computers)
>>>>3) I have tested/own something like 250 chess programs/chess boards (including
>>>>experimenthal versions too).
>>>>
>>>>So, I can state that Bob is correct without any doubts.
>>>>
>>>>Sandro
>>>
>>>
>>>I don't even understand how the topic keeps coming up over and over.  Games with
>>>ponder=off.  Games with odd books.  Games with random books.  Games with both
>>>sides forced into the same opening positions.  Games with no learning.  Games
>>>with learning reset between games.  And I don't see how any of that produces
>>>anything but excessive noise...
>>>
>>>But those of us that have done this a while understand the problem...
>>>
>>>Thanks...
>>
>>Well, let's not forget about John Nunn's positions.  Certainly, testing two
>>engines and forcing them into these positions as either color is a useful
>>benchmark.
>
>No it isn't.  Again, have you _ever_ seen a serious human tournament were
>players were forced to play a specific opening, regardless of whether GM
>consensus says the positions are equal or not?
>
>Of course not...
>
>And you can't expect the programs to be put in the same predicament either.  A
>program _might_ play all positions well.  It _might_ play some better.  I'd say
>the author has a feel for that and assists via reasonable book line preparation
>to avoid the positions where the program plays poorly, and vice-versa.  Najdorf
>lines come to mind as very dangerous and many avoid them completely for that
>reason...
>
>
>>
>>If not, then Hiarcs 9 was produced on about 50% excessive noise.  Maybe we can
>>turn it into an MP3 player... :P
>
>Hiarcs might do well in _any_ position.  But then I know human players that play
>any opening as well.  But not _all_ humans do that.  neither do all programs...
>
>
>>
>>
>>-elc.

You could say that each engine has a "tournament strength" and a "general
strength". The latter can be a good measurement of how useful the engine is as
an analysis tool, for example.

Vas



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