Author: David H. McClain
Date: 12:55:12 12/31/04
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>Hello Kurt, >While I find your results interesting and others with similiar results with >"Ponder off/no learning", I have to wonder if these test are worthwhile. The >problem is that pondering is part of the program. If you are trying to test >which is best at playing chess then cripling all programs is not necessarily >cripling them equally. What if some programs are better at predicting others >moves and therefore gain an advantage by pondering more accurately. The same >for learning/book learning. I'm getting suspicious that most of the >improvements in new programs is just some "book-up" tricks against certain >programs to gain quick Elo points. Disabling learning will allow these "tricks" >to work continiously while book learning/learning will eventually nullify them. >I don't know if you've seen my blitz database ratings but it seems the longer I >play them the closer they get in ratings. My ratings also closely immitate the >SSDF list by showing only a few points increase between the Chess Tigers and >Shredders. Junior programs are showing up in the same fashion lately. I >currently have Junior 9 trailing Junior 8 by 2 Elo points. I'm getting >suspicious that top programs are hitting a "wall" and showing no real >improvement in strength, only a change in the way they play. >Just food for thought. >Regards, >Jim Kurt, Jim, I have asked myself the same questions. Why not use a program to its utmost? I often see tournaments when specific programs cannot use their native opening books under specific GUIs. Since a good opening book may be the heart of any program, to me it's crippled by doing this. Kurt, this is not being critical of any of your tests, or those tests of Graham or Sedat or anyone else who posts here. I'm tickled to death to have these games. I'm simply wondering what these tests tell you when they are over. DHM
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