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Subject: Re: A Blast from the past - Feng Hsu

Author: Rolf Tueschen

Date: 11:04:03 04/18/05

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On April 18, 2005 at 12:13:42, Robert Hyatt wrote:

>I don't know why we keep re-hashing this.

Because Hsu six years ago and now Mike could hav implied that it were Kasparov
who lost a good possibility to make money. I tried to show that it was Hsu who
lost his future in 1997.


>But two key points.
>
>1.  The cheating claim is simply false.  Why?  Because _other_ programs have
>reproduced _every_ single move that Kasparov questioned.  And when I say _every_
>I do mean every, from avoiding Qxb6 and playing the Be4 move (shredder 8/9 will
>play this after a couple of minutes thinking or less) to other moves.


I know this, but since 1997 I pointed at the lack of validity if other progs
reproduced the moves AFTER the gamescores had been made public. You know better
than me, how easy things could be implemented. See the tricks with test
positions. Also - the cheat wasn't necessarily the play of moves no computer
couldn't have found but a) the circumstances how the crucial moves were played,
b) how the team reacted on Kasparov and c) the deconstruction of the machine
before anything could have ben checked (I don't claim that something could have
ben proven this way).


>
>2.  The log files have been public for years, yet he keeps saying they were
>never made available.  I have them on my laptop.  Others have them.  I presume
>they are still available on the IBM web site although I have not looked since I
>originally down-loaded them years ago...


This is all true but we do also know that Hsu et al didn't fulfill their promiss
to prove and answer everything in the aftermath. The best example is the
muteness of Joel Benjamin. You once told me that output as such wouldn't &
couldn't "prove" anything beyond reasonable doubts. So, the fact that
"something" is lying somwhere dosn't prove that much. We should better research
the team's reactions during the event. We come to my favorite point of the
psycho war. Which then leads forcedly to the invalidity of the match result. The
important point is always, that even the possible different interpretations you
could give (and you gave many in the past), that the burden of "proof" lies on
the science team and nobody else's shoulders. That's trivial for science.


>
>In addition, remember that Kasparov signed the contract to play, under the
>conditions that were actually used.  No one held a gun to his head.  In fact,
>all they did was hold money out and he bit.  And lost.  And then started a
>years-long series of complaints and excuses.  The old "a lack of planning on his
>part does not constitute an emergency on IBM's part" fits pretty well.  He had
>his eye on the money and let the details slide.  That's his problem, not IBM's
>or anyone else's.


Of course!!

But it would look better if such arguments didn't come from a scientist. It is
and always was beyond my mind why you always relied on such a factual &
suprficial description, Bob. Don't you see, that with that tale you could
justify even cheats of mafia-like gigantism. Nobody ever doubted that Hsu and
his team didn't make a splendid job of winning by all means. But critics like me
only had to point out that science proofs and experiments can never be based on
tricks and cheats. In special the out-manouvring of its own client!
<sigh>

You always replied that this never was about science. I can only ask you to go
figure the whole press and declarations before the event. It always was about
the playing strength of the machine and NOT about the possible tricks to psyche
out a human opponent through naked impolitness. But you can well claim that the
exclusion of impoliteness and other psycho tricks wasn't especially part of the
contract - and you were correct again! But is this the level we must discuss
this?

You ask why this has to be repeated all over the years? Because out of justice
and fairness towards Kasparov who sure isn't a faultless figure in chess but who
wasn't outplayed at all by a superior chess machine. Admit at least this,
because you never were famous for irrational claims about the alleged
sensational strength of chess automats. You won't deminor the success of Hsu and
other friends in the scene! But as a scientist you must obey to international
standards and not sports values in the USA alone. With all the necessary
excuses. Good evening to Birmingham.




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