Rybka to play in Leiden?

[Harvey Williamson]

I will resign my CSVN membership.

Gerd

I hear that Richard Pijl today resigned also from the CSVN.

[Gerd Isenberg]

Hi Gerd,

Sorry to hear you leave the CSVN. One remark: I am not a CSVN boardmember. I am the editor.

Hans van der Zijden.

Hello Hans,
I feel sorry about that too. You are listed at one of the six members of the board contact information
http://www.csvn.nl/index.php?option=com ... 35&lang=en

So who exactly decited about the Rybka issue concerning CSVN tournaments, Cock alone? For me this was the final point in a row of CSVN decisions to leave now. Other issues I am not conform with the CSVN was the Junior-Harvey case, and the policy of the CSVN to keep quiet about it, as well life time ban of Vincent.

Best Regards,
Gerd

[mclane]

it would have been better if the dutch computerchess association would have banned rybka too.

[Steve B]

Well it's their party(tournament) and they can cry if they want to(make whatever rules they want to bar certain programs while allowing others)

isn't there a fairly long list of distinguished engine authors that will not participate in the Leiden tournaments even before this turn around of theirs?
Hiarcs and Junior i know of already..now Baron..any others?
anyone have a complete up-to-date list ?
will they be able to use pirated copies of these engines anyway and enter them in the tournament and operate them ?
(which they seem to be comfortable doing in on-line events from what i know)

Curious Regards
Steve

[Hans van der Zijden]

Hi Gerd,

Sorry to hear you leave the CSVN. One remark: I am not a CSVN boardmember. I am the editor.

Hans van der Zijden.

Hello Hans,
I feel sorry about that too. You are listed at one of the six members of the board contact information
http://www.csvn.nl/index.php?option=com ... 35&lang=en

So who exactly decited about the Rybka issue concerning CSVN tournaments, Cock alone? For me this was the final point in a row of CSVN decisions to leave now. Other issues I am not conform with the CSVN was the Junior-Harvey case, and the policy of the CSVN to keep quiet about it, as well life time ban of Vincent.

Best Regards,
Gerd

I am on that list because people need to be able to contact me for matters concerning our magazine. I am not involved in any board decisions. Which is good, because as an editor I try to stay as impartial as possible.

They do CC me in their e-mails however. That's is why I know that is was not Cock's decision alone. Don't want to tell too much about the road that led to their decision.

Best regards, Hans.

[Adam Hair]

http://www.computerschaak.nl/index.php? ... 28&lang=en

In this bit from the article Graham linked to, who is the third person? Is it Soren Riis, and does he post on the Rybka forum as SR?

[Harvey Williamson]

http://www.computerschaak.nl/index.php? ... 28&lang=en

In this bit from the article Graham linked to, who is the third person? Is it Soren Riis, and does he post on the Rybka forum as SR?

yes he is a moderator on the Rybka forum,

[Terry McCracken]

http://www.computerschaak.nl/index.php? ... 28&lang=en

It should never play again. Soon it may be over for Vas.

Unless it goes to court i don't think it is over for Vas.

It is going to court. Vas is in deep.....

[Adam Hair]

Thank you, Harvey.

[marcelk]

Well it's their party(tournament) and they can cry if they want to(make whatever rules they want to bar certain programs while allowing others)

isn't there a fairly long list of distinguished engine authors that will not participate in the Leiden tournaments even before this turn around of theirs?
Hiarcs and Junior i know of already..now Baron..any others?
anyone have a complete up-to-date list ?
will they be able to use pirated copies of these engines anyway and enter them in the tournament and operate them ?
(which they seem to be comfortable doing in on-line events from what i know)

Curious Regards
Steve

I have mailed them this morning that I won't enter CSVN tournaments anymore. I have played 5 or 6 times from 1993 to 2011 with 3 completely rewritten engines (or 4 depending on how you count), but now their board has gone completely banana-republic and they have lost my respect for their integrity.

In the current composition that board can not continue their function but that is something for the members to resolve. I wasn't a member anymore since the years I happened to work abroad. Actually last year was I seriously considering to rejoin and become active, but at that exact time the pirating of Junior by their chairman became evident, so I decided to wait a bit, not expecting their unprecedented abysmal handling of it in the aftermath. My moderate regret is that I don't have the privilege of canceling my membership now.

Live goes on. Let the dishonest programmers have it their way with their stolen wares and if the chess players are content with that so be it. For me it is time to focus more on my long-term engine plans (esp. autonomous knowledge synthesis) that works so well in my current engine but that is also quite easy to decouple from chess if needed. (But I will continue to use chess as main problem domain as long as there are honorable tournaments to go to.)

PS: Note that I'm not claiming to be among "distinguished engine authors" of course, far from that.