Authors lend me your ear - Why aren't you entering?

[CRoberson]

Recently, I had a discussion with somebody pertaining to the number
of participants in the ICGA WCCC event.

While I stated that money is the only issue that I didn't register for
WCCC 2008 (despite the financial assistance - the assistance is less
than the plane flight from here to Bejing), my colleague stated
that most don't enter because they know who is going to win.

I'd don't believe he is correct. Most everybody knew who the likely
winners of the last two WCRCC's would be but we had 40 and 36
entrants those years. Several authors told me that they knew their
engine had no chance at winning but they wouldn't miss the event
for other reasons.

So, I'd like the authors to vote and tell their reasons (pro and con)
for their participation levels. I am trying to get to the bottom of this
so that more may attend the ICGA events.

Please vote your reasons. If your reason isn't listed please post to this
thread. Remember, state your reasons not what others might think.

[Zach Wegner]

I voted for all of them.

Really though, the big ones are probably cost and time. For "other", Beijing isn't exactly the ideal vacation spot for me, being one of the most polluted cities in the world.

[Tord Romstad]

I voted "That many days is too time consuming" and "Other". I have limited time for computer chess tournaments, and for a number of reasons, the WCCC is less attractive to me than other tournaments:

• The time controls are way too slow for my taste. Computer chess games at 40 moves/2 hours would bore me.
• The WCCC seems to be widely regarded as more prestigious than other computer chess tournaments, and this gives rise to a fiercely competitive atmosphere of the type that I personally dislike intensely. According to the gossip I have heard during other computer chess tournaments, one of the regular WCCC participants is widely suspected to be cheating. I have no opinion as to whether these rumors are correct, but just the fact that some of the participants take themselves, their programs and the competition so seriously that the idea of someone trying to cheat is anything less than ridiculous makes me reluctant to participate.
• Related to the previous point: Preparing special book lines against individual opponents seems to be widespread practice. This seems unfathomably stupid to me: What can we possibly learn from a game where one program is outbooked?
• I am not very fond of the ICGA, because of their apparent ignorance and lack of interest in what is going on in computer chess (aside from their own tournaments).

My own preference is for tournaments played on real boards with real chess clocks, where non-programmer operators are not accepted, where the total duration is at most 4-5 days, where the time control is no slower than 60 minutes/game (preferably with a small increment, in order to avoid needless time losses), where there is no prize money, and where the atmosphere is friendly, relaxed, and not too competitive.

I have time for one or at most two computer chess tournaments per year. The last two years, my choice has been the IOPCCC (from which I have just returned earlier today), which satisfies most of my conditions above (I only miss a time increment), and also gives me a chance to meet and discuss with many chess programmers who don't usually post in English-language computer chess forums.

Tord

[pijl]

I didn't vote 'other' but the main reasons for me to not join in Beijing is the distance. I'm 2.06 meters tall which makes an economy class flight to any destination at more than 2 hours flying distance not very attractive.

The duration is another thing which increases two aspects: Costs and the number of days I can get away from work. I already participate in 3 OTB tournaments and participating in one WCCC consumes more of my days off than the other three together (even though I'm organising one of them which requires me to take 2 extra days off). A WCCC that is not nearby will consume even more days as lowcost travel and travelling at the most optimal times do not go together as well.

I also like a couple of things in the WCCC, which is why I still will try to attend when possible: These tournament attract most of the top programs and they will get there in the strongest configuration possible. And also, it seems that the WCCC succeeds in getting relatively more programmers on-site, which makes it more attractive for the other programmers to join as well.
Another this is the time control, and that is (unfortunately) linked to the duration of the event. Longer time controls give you more time to dig into the game while it is happening. IMHO anything less than 1 hour for a game is too short to follow it, discuss it and understand it (and get a beer when you're thirsty).

Not being able to win a medal is not one of my concerns. Nor is the fear of finishing last.

[hgm]

My best engine is about 600 Elo behind the top of the field. In addition, those engines typically play on hardware 10 times faster than mine. As long as that lasts, I will only gong to such an event if it is next doors (like last year).

It is not that I am afraid of finising last. Just that it is not really worth the effort. And going to Beijing from Amsterdam is a real effort in terms of money, discomfort, time, risk...

[jdart]

Probably I'm also "all of the above" or at least "most of the above"":

In the past I was working full time and couldn't really take a week off to fly around the world for a chess event. Now I'm semi-retired and that's not really an issue. But it's a long way to fly for me. And I can't sleep well on planes so I'm usually a wreck for a day or two after going through that many time zones.

Cost is somewhat an issue, but I could afford it.

I don't have portable hardware that's really suitable. My quad is in a full size tower case and would be hard to transport.

All that said I don't rule out travel to some such event in future. But I think internet chess is more practical for many people. I see for the Mainz Chess 960 event they are holding an Internet qualifier and the prizes include a ticket to Mainz. That's not a bad idea.

--Jon

[pijl]

I see for the Mainz Chess 960 event they are holding an Internet qualifier and the prizes include a ticket to Mainz. That's not a bad idea.

Not a ticket, but afaik hotel will be free + some prize money.
This year that goes to Naum and Deep Sjeng.

As far as the hardware is concerned: You might try to team up with a local operator that can provide the hardware if remote access to your computer at home is not a viable option.

Europe has quite a few interesting tournaments you could go to and meet fellow programmer's, like the tournaments in Leiden, Poland, Mainz, and the one I recently organised in Belgium. I would be very interested in meeting you in one of them.
Richard.

[CRoberson]

Seems 21 authors have voted and that is about the difference in
attendees to this years WCRCC and WCCC.

To summarize the results:

Code: Select all

       76% said the total cost was the issue for not attending WCCC.
       52% said WCCC is too time consuming (takes too many days).
       33% said the cost of travel is the big issue.
       33% said their programs performance is the issue.

This suggests that WCCC would have 25 to 30 participants if
they could reduce the cost and the time spent at the event.

The time spent their is partially a function of the number of rounds.
Typically, 2 rounds are held per day of the 11 round event.
This makes for a 6 day tournament plus the extra days needed:
setup, closing and so forth.

My first thoght is to take out two days by having 3 rounds per day
instead of two. That wil reduce the time as much as possible and
cut some of the cost. Add that to the financial assistance they are
doing this year and that could be a winning plan.

But, that takes away from much of the time spent talking with the
others over dinner and some sight seeing. The chatting with others
over dinner was a big deal for me in 2002. So, I am not sure the
time can be reduced with out cutting the number of rounds and/or the
time control.

This lead to cutting two rounds and having only two days at 3 rounds
per day, but that seems to packed also.

With it in the Eastern hemisphere all the time, the 10 most active
people in the Western hemisphere have even higher costs. That is
not an issue with sufficient sponsorship.

Looks like they are doing all they can or am I missing something?