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Subject: Re: POLL QUESTION

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 15:15:19 01/30/99

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On January 30, 1999 at 11:38:49, Kim Hvarre wrote:

>On January 30, 1999 at 01:09:40, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>
>>
>>>Hmmm... and once You have Deep Thought it'll be just like the successors; Deep
>>>Blue, Deeper Blue and what ever. Once You have decided what to "hardwire" on
>>>Your dedicated chips, it's done and over?!;))
>>>
>>>This discussion has been running from time to time various places. The point
>>>isn't about the actual formalism transforming one idear (PC-sw) to another
>>>DB-hw), it's - as mentioned - the likelyhood of doing the "chessstuff" better
>>>than the DB-team, and it is rather big looking at the thin outcome of all that
>>>cabinets of hardware and speed! (In contradition to results from the better
>>>sw-developers).
>>>
>>
>>I don't want to get into a protracted argument.  But the 'better software
>>developers' are _already_ working on the deep blue project.  _that_ is too
>>often overlooked.  They aren't just 'hardware designers' by a long shot.
>
>Evident - before they make the microcode (?), they have to code.
>

No microcode in DB-2 at all...  but it was certainly done with a 'silicon
compiler' so in a sense, there is some sort of 'program', but not in the form
you might think about normally...


>>
>>>>
>>>>there is _no_ C compiler for the DB hardware.  the chips are vlsi circuits
>>>>and not something  that is 'programmable'...
>>>
>>>Right - there are just given as is ...
>>>
>>>>
>>>>exactly the opposite.  you take out what you can't afford computationally,
>>>>to keep your tactical speed at an acceptable level.  DB has _no_ such problem
>>>>and gives up _nothing_ they want to do, they just designed it into the hardware
>>>>where the cost was _zero_...  (speed cost).
>>>
>>>Se above. If they really is able to implement infinite amonts of
>>>"chessknowledge" in hardware, then they ought to, which they obvious did not. A
>>>bit like racing MC's - you can build a superior (regarding speed/moment(um)) MC
>>>and you will still loose to the ones, that are more rigid, stable, better
>>>designed, etc., etc.
>>
>>"obviously they did not" yet no other program has beaten any GM in a 40/2hr
>>time control match?  No other program has beaten a 'super-GM' in a 40/2hr
>>match?  And the DB guys aren't very good and didn't have 'very much chess
>>knowledge'.  We've discussed some interesting data that many don't like but
>>which is public knowledge about DB vs a couple of micro programs where DB was
>>handicapped _severely_ and still blew the micros out completely...  So DB is
>>doing _something_ right..
>
>Did not search very much, but found this one at 40/2:
>[Event "?"]
>[Site "?"]
>[Date "????.??.??"]
>[Round "?"]
>[White"REBEL 8.0/P90"]
>[Black"GM Ralf Akesson"]
>[Result "1-0"]
>[ECO"B43"]
>[ECO "B43"]
>
>1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be3 b5 7. Bd3 Nf6
>8. O-O Bb7 9. a4 b4 10. Na2 Nxe4 11. Nxb4 d5 12. c3 Nd7 13. Bxe4 dxe4 14.
>Qg4 h5 15. Qe2 Ne5 16. Rfd1 Qa5 17. Nb3 Qc7 18. Bf4 Be7 19. Nxa6 Bxa6 20.
>Qxe4 Qc6 21. Qxe5 f6 22. Qc7 Bb7 23. Qxc6+ Bxc6 24. a5 e5 25. Be3 Kf7 26.
>Nc5 f5 27. f3 h4 28. a6 h3 29. Nd7 Ke6 30. a7 Bb7 31. Nb6 Rag8 32. Rd7
>Bc6 33. Rc7 Kd6 34. a8=Q Bxa8 35. Raa7 Bf6 36. Nc4# 1-0

I have done that with crafty.  But notice I said _match_ and not single
game?  That makes a difference.  Also matters _where_ the game is played.
IE was it just for fun, like many of the old Cray Blitz games were played?
or was it a _serious_ game with something at stake to make the GM play?




>
>Well, Ralf Akesson isn't a superGM (2510), then again it's not very long time
>ago I heard the argument; "have never beaten a GM only IMs", so ...
>The blewout of micros still remains to be proven. Till now it's just claims and
>rumours.
>Turn it around - give e.g. _one_ of the "teams" behind Rebel, MCPro, Hiarcs,
>Tiger,... 5-10 years, $Xmillion and unlimited resources of hardware and
>hardwareknowledge to play with and then wonder if they would have "stopped" with
>a DB. Still I think not.

You simply don't understand.  The DB team was every bit as good as any other
'team' in existance... and DB is the result of that team + time + money. Maybe
Ed or others _could_ have done something (none that I know of are hardware
designers which means it would be _very_ doubtful they'd have a chance). But
at best, _they_ would have come up with 'deep blue'.  Doubtful it would have
been something "more"...




>
>>>
>>>So the poll-question is rather sensefull, perhaps with a little refrasing as
>>>e.g.: "if the DB-team have had access to the brilliance of the best
>>>sw-programmers of today, do You then think, they would have come up with a
>>>better result?"
>>>
>>>Yes, is my humble bet.
>>>
>>
>>The DB guys are _far_ sharper than you give 'em credit for.  They developed
>>_many_ of the ideas the commercial programs use (ie singular extensions, and
>>so forth came _from_ the DB guys and ended up in chess genius, _not_ the other
>>way around.  Ditto for PVS.  And other ideas...  To make a statement like the
>>above is _really_ an insult to a bunch of guys that are at least as good as
>>_anybody_ in the world with respect to computer chess, and they are probably
>>a lot better than anyone else...  At least they have a performance record no
>>one else has produced to date...
>
>Not my intention to be rude. The DB-team _did_ accomplish something unique.
>Obvious with a lot of bright idears, etc., but see above. If NASA just ends up
>with a firecracker, one have all the rights to be a little disappointed;)
>Same thing with the DB-team - they were bound to come up with something strong.
>The pollqustion was regarding of "we" think it's strong enough in view of the
>time and money (conditions) spent.
>
>kim

In my expert opinion, the answer is 'yes'.  What they produced is remarkable,
it is stronger than anything else around. Not even close, in fact.  Could I do
as well, given 10,000 times more computing speed?  Eventually, probably.
Better? very doubtful, because _they_ have worked hard too...



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