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Subject: Re: WCCC participants

Author: Vincent Diepeveen

Date: 08:34:14 08/06/05

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On August 06, 2005 at 02:31:32, Gerd Isenberg wrote:

>On August 05, 2005 at 21:59:39, Madhavan wrote:
>
>>On August 05, 2005 at 14:05:20, Gerd Isenberg wrote:
>>
>>>The following programs will participate:
>>>
>>>- Jonny
>>>- Deep Sjeng
>>>- Zappa
>>>- Isichess
>>>- Crafty
>>>- Shredder
>>>- Diep
>>>- Junior
>>>- Fute_My
>>>- Fruit
>>>
>>>hmm... looks like a round robin instead of 11 round swiss.
>>>Seems i have to fight for the 9.rank ;-(
>>>
>>>Cheers,
>>>Gerd
>>
>>Excuse me,What is fute_my?I assume its fritz with new
>>nick?Quest==Fritz==Fute_my?
>
>Not fritz - but i really don't know.
>May be a program provided by the icelandic host - we will see.
>Reykjavik university has a strong computer science department, and
>Yngvi Björnnson is back from Alberta - but only a guess.

>>
>>Fritz,ChessTiger,ProDeo,Hydra,Spike and many other programs missing?
>
>Donninger told something in german CSS-forum that Hydra don't plays because as
>top favourite they only have to "lose". As mentioned by Frederic Friedel
>(chessbase) in a recent interview, fritz seems no longer in the mood to play
>other computers but humans. It's a pity.

>If you look at the participants of recent WCCCs (also former WMCCCs) in the last
>ten years or so, the number decreases from more than 30 to 10 now. We also have
>the Chess960 world championship in Mainz a few days before - so the
>WCCC-schedule was a bit late and unfortunate.

Italy (20 may - 4 june 2006) should have 30 participants again.

Many many will join there.

I had major problems reserving a hotel in Iceland and i still didn't get
confirmation and have to pay entire stay at checkin. Such things never
happened to me before.

I didn't arrive yet in Iceland even and already am in big problems.

The problem the ICGA has is that they only announce world champs after some sort
of paper contract has been signed. This signing usually doesn't happen 2 years
in advance.

However, find 1 other organisation that can get all strong programs in 1
event playing for a world title.

If Fritz would have just a shadow of chance to win the world title,
they would join.

Mainz you cannot compare. It has price money and a free hotel stay for
about everyone.

No way to compete against that.

However if sponsor gone, then chess960 will be gone of course.

I remember a few years ago we played all sorts of variations of chess.

fischer random chess (renamed to chess960 now) was just 1 variation and always
will keep like that. it has 1 big promotor in germany and that's it. promotor 1
day stops, then chess960 forgotten.

If they keep playing events each year with 10 prices starting with 1000 euro
first, then of course each year many engines will join.

If ICGA organizes a world champs 'rapid chess' with 20 money prices for first
till 20th and relative little difference in price money (so still 150 euro for
last), 7 rounds 25 10 so that every amateur guesses he makes a chance for some
money and a cheap hotel in germany (hotel prices in germany are like 1/4 of what
they are in iceland and they can handle huge number of people there in
germany, hotels aren't booked just like that), then you bet that 150
participants will be subscribing for computer chess world champs rapid.
Of course 100 of them will be fruit clones.

Germany is central in europe. Easy to go to from Netherlands. Easy to go to from
France. Easy to go to from Italy. Easy to go to from UAE, as temperatures in
germany in the summer are a lot more survivable than the 46C that they have in
UAE in summer.

Europe as a whole has far more fanatical chess engine programmers than USA has.

There is relative little strong US programmers who was active 10 years ago and
still is active now, basically i could only mention Hyatt in that respect.

Bruce Moreland seems retired regrettably. John Stanback, last time i heard
something from him is LONG ago, Hsu was there just for the money, and so on.

Let's hope current generation chessprogrammers from USA is around longer.

The real big problem in computerchess is motivation to keep improving engine
each year. Authors who haven't improved their engine, only come when some other
motivation is there. Like a world champs in their country, or real nearby,
or money prizes.

>For amateurs and pros even more there are huge expences to go to Reykjavik. And
>computer chess is not that important to the big audience today, to easily find
>sponsors.
>
>That was a bit different in the early days of computer chess - now we have
>internet and the ability to play tournaments online. And of course if some main
>contenders or their companies decide against participating at WCCC - that is not
>good for the general reputation of computer chess. The companies are afraid of
>the amateurs - they would best play their own commercial and elitist whatever
>world-championship events - commercial clown shows for an underaged audience.
>
>Anyway, the quality and strength of the field is still amazing, and i love to
>see Zappa and Fruit playing.
>
>Regards,
>Gerd



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