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Subject: Re: If you could take the best parts from each Chess program.........

Author: Robert Hyatt

Date: 06:17:23 12/10/99

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On December 10, 1999 at 07:38:22, blass uri wrote:

>On December 09, 1999 at 11:40:17, Chris Carson wrote:
>
>>GUI-Winboard
>>Engine-Crafty
>>Opening Book-Dann Corbit's
>>Chess DB program-Extract
>>Latest GM games-TWIC (The week in Chess)
>>
>>And I wish it would all be free!
>>And I want all the source!
>>
>>Oh, it is and I have it!  :)
>>
>>I guess I am very happy with what I have!  :)
>
>I do not think that crafty is the best in everything.
>There are positions when crafty is best but there are positions when other
>programs are better.
>
>I am not so happy with the fact that crafty is free because it makes it hard for
>people to make money from chess programs.
>
>It was better if it was not free and people could get the source code or the
>program only by paying money.
>
>Uri


Two points:

(1) I doubt if Crafty is "best" in _any_ aspect.  It is getting _very_ dangerous
in endgames, as GM comments mention all the time.

(2) I didn't release the thing for free, just to make it hard to make a living
at computer chess programming.  I did it to _stimulate_ computer chess program
development.  It has worked.  I won't begin to claim all the credit for what
has happened, but we have a _bunch_ of freeware programs now.  With everyone
sharing ideas, discussing problems, and _making progress_.  5 years ago we had
a virtual vacuum.  Yes the amateur programs are getting stronger.  I am sure
that some of the discussions are going to influence commercial programs (if they
don't do something about some particular types of endgames they are going to
have _serious_ problems with a couple of amateur programs I can name).  Etc...



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