The Internet World Computer Chess Championship

[Jeroen]

Aha, from 'anything goes' you are back to the good old 'skip the best programs' format. Back to square one, nothing changed, just another tournament in which the number of participants is more important than the strength.

To call this a 'World Championship' is IMO a complete joke, I would skip that name for a tournament in which the top programs are not allowed to participate.

[kgburcham]

Rybka and Houdini will be allowed to participate if they choose to do so. This is a final decision that will also carry over to the CCT events. Being that I want to hold the strongest tournaments, with the highest amount of participants, this seems like the best decision I can make and draw a line in the sand.

Whew, you are difficult to keep up with in changing your mind Peter Skinner.
Your hate for Robert Houdart is real in your posts.
Your belief that Robert stole code is real from your posts.
Not sure how you justify changing your mind again from such strong opinions.
Now I am not sure what to believe, of course with your strong feelings this can change again.
I will be watching how all of this plays out.

[Peter Skinner]

Aha, from 'anything goes' you are back to the good old 'skip the best programs' format. Back to square one, nothing changed, just another tournament in which the number of participants is more important than the strength.

To call this a 'World Championship' is IMO a complete joke, I would skip that name for a tournament in which the top programs are not allowed to participate.

They are allowed to compete. I just posted a decision a few replies back.

Peter

[Peter Skinner]

Whew, you are difficult to keep up with in changing your mind Peter Skinner.
Your hate for Robert Houdart is real in your posts.
Your belief that Robert stole code is real from your posts.
Not sure how you justify changing your mind again from such strong opinions.
Now I am not sure what to believe, of course with your strong feelings this can change again.
I will be watching how all of this plays out.

Things will not be changing. As stated this decision will also carry over to the CCT events.

Being these are events I put together, it was wrong of me to put these important decisions to a public debate. I should have, and now have made the final decision.

Those that don't like it can boycott the event, and I am sure there will be plenty.

I've drawn my line in the sand. Let's see who is willing to join me on my side of it...

Peter

PS - I don't hate Robert Houdart. I just wish he would stop beating around the bush and just say he improved the Robbolitto code base instead of using terms like "original at the source code level". That doesn't mean squat.

[Norm Pollock]

Whew, you are difficult to keep up with in changing your mind Peter Skinner.
Your hate for Robert Houdart is real in your posts.
Your belief that Robert stole code is real from your posts.
Not sure how you justify changing your mind again from such strong opinions.
Now I am not sure what to believe, of course with your strong feelings this can change again.
I will be watching how all of this plays out.

Things will not be changing. As stated this decision will also carry over to the CCT events.

Being these are events I put together, it was wrong of me to put these important decisions to a public debate. I should have, and now have made the final decision.

Those that don't like it can boycott the event, and I am sure there will be plenty.

I've drawn my line in the sand. Let's see who is willing to join me on my side of it...

Peter

PS - I don't hate Robert Houdart. I just wish he would stop beating around the bush and just say he improved the Robbolitto code base instead of using terms like "original at the source code level". That doesn't mean squat.

Peter- Stick to this path. This is the way to go.

Robert- Please elaborate about what you mean with "original at the source code level." Clear up the fog.

[Richard Allbert]

I understood it to mean that the source code is original, the ideas used not.

I guess the ideas come from those engines thanked on the Houdini website.

Richard

[geots]

Last night I did some hard thinking about the state of Computer Chess and the direction if any, that I can help steer it towards.

Whether any of us like it, our sport has changed. With the release of the Ippolit code base, anyone can take bits or pieces and design a very strong chess program with a good deal of effort. I suppose it goes even further back than that with the release of the Fruit code. It was very clean and simple to read. People could take that code base and improve upon it, and create a very strong program as well, and we got to see just that.

I've never liked the thought of a life time ban from any sport, and I have said it many times that I believe Rybka 3+ to be Fruit free. Recently I have been catering to the few instead of the masses when trying to put together an event, and as a promoter/organizer, that is simply the wrong way to do things.

So I have made a decision for the upcoming IWCCC.

Rybka and Houdini will be allowed to participate if they choose to do so. This is a final decision that will also carry over to the CCT events. Being that I want to hold the strongest tournaments, with the highest amount of participants, this seems like the best decision I can make and draw a line in the sand.

There will be those that won't like it and will choose to boycott my events. Since I can't do anything to change their minds, I believe that 90% of this community would rather play than sit on the sidelines. If I'm wrong, then my tournaments will die, and I will go back to being a spectator of other events like today's ACCA (I'm operating Crafty for the ACCA this year).

This is a chance I am willing to take and believe it to be the correct course of action.

I will update the rules on the CCT website later today to reflect this decision and move forward with the event as planned.

Sincerely,

Peter

Pete, you know how I feel about you- I don't have to tell you that. You are the best friend around here I have ever had. I have always known you to stand up for what you believe in and think is fair, and hell with the consequences. I have no doubt you will do a good job- better than anyone else could or would.

But I never said it would be easy with all the grudges people still hold. But hey, if they want to ruin their own hobby- don't beat yourself up. Stand aside and let 'em go for it.


Always the best to you-

george

[hgm]

Now that you are breaking radically with past practice, you could consider to allow engines to be entered by other people than their author. As long as there is only a single copy of each engine, of course. Make it more a contest between engines as a contest between authors, as it were.

As it seems authors are not really interested in an event like this, and that it is mainly the users / fanboys that have been incessantly pushing for it, it only seems logical that they would also pay the entrance fee!

[kgburcham]

Now that you are breaking radically with past practice, you could consider to allow engines to be entered by other people than their author. As long as there is only a single copy of each engine, of course. Make it more a contest between engines as a contest between authors, as it were.

As it seems authors are not really interested in an event like this, and that it is mainly the users / fanboys that have been incessantly pushing for it, it only seems logical that they would also pay the entrance fee!

are we back to freestyle again?

[Peter Skinner]

Now that you are breaking radically with past practice, you could consider to allow engines to be entered by other people than their author. As long as there is only a single copy of each engine, of course. Make it more a contest between engines as a contest between authors, as it were.

As it seems authors are not really interested in an event like this, and that it is mainly the users / fanboys that have been incessantly pushing for it, it only seems logical that they would also pay the entrance fee!

I'm not quite sure authors aren't interested in such an event. Then again if they aren't I see no reason not to allow anyone to register a program as long as there is only one instance of each engine.

Hard to verify however that only one instance does exist...

Peter