JohnWoe wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 10:21 pm
Mayhem isn't actually on any rating list atm AFAIK
They can test whatever they want. I'm not blaming them at all.
Because I actually don't even care about rating lists.
I like that someone independent confirms progress. Like mr. Sylwy
As my Elo gains are too positive always.
Is Mayhem original or not? Just look at the source code. It's more original than 99% engines.
I didn't start from 2100 Elo Vice template. Or 1800 Elo TSCP. I started from 0 Elo and went to 2800 Elo. I gained +2800 Elo.
Not that there's anything wrong starting with templates.
But if I participate to the World Champs or smt w/ Mayhem I'll argue to ad nauseam on Mayhem's originality. Mayhem is still 99.9% of my work.
They'll better come up with good stuff. As I know Mayhem's code as I have typed every character.
Mayhem now has good classical evaluation as I copy-pasted Pesto too. It's 100% original w/o nnue
That is because Mayhem is not 99.9% unique, it is a Sapeli clone whose neural network file and whose book polyglot code is taken from Stockfish.
If you take the binaries I offer Mayhem is 100% unique. NNUE + PolyGlot just gives extra strength. Maybe some people actually find Mayhem useful.
Like I said I'm not cheating my way up on rating lists. As I'm not sitting on any rating list atm.
About the polyglot code. It was originally from Fruit. Fabien probably invented that format? Stockfish copied that. It's even claimed in the SF file. I took it from the SF tree and modified to modern C++. So Stockfish isn't the mother of all engines.
It's actually hard to pull stuff out of Stockfish as everything is always over coupled. You can't just copy-paste SF search to Crafty and call it a day.
About NNUE. Although I'm against reinventing the wheel. I might come up w/ smt more original. The problem is. I can't really take a -300 Elo hit.
flok wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 9:52 am
It was around 1996. I had a friend who was avid chess player. We both had an MSX homecomputer with ultrachess on it. Long story short: I got inspired by that and started developing a chess program. Unfortunately he died before my program got reasonably strong.
I started writing it on a compaq laptop (if I remember correctly) with an i386 processor and linux on it. Storage was floppy disks.
JohnWoe wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 11:46 pm
About NNUE. Although I'm against reinventing the wheel. I might come up w/ smt more original. The problem is. I can't really take a -300 Elo hit.
One doesn't divert interest from the giants by mirroring them. Take the hit for a chance to stand up stronger.
I've just had a weird thought about the aspect of chess programming that's less often talked about. Namely, writing an engine is like a lightweight version of raising a child It usually takes <8 months to get the first version that compiles, and <<18 years for the training to converge. Writing any small AI is a way to sublime the parental instinct for those who, for various reasons, wouldn't like to raise an extra kid after all the existing ones grow up. At least to me, as it turns out, It's less about chess per se and more about nurturing a primitive life form that's smarter than a pet in a specific domain.
Tony P. wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:37 am
I've just had a weird thought about the aspect of chess programming that's less often talked about. Namely, writing an engine is like a lightweight version of raising a child It usually takes <8 months to get the first version that compiles, and <<18 years for the training to converge. Writing any small AI is a way to sublime the parental instinct for those who, for various reasons, wouldn't like to raise an extra kid after all the existing ones grow up. At least to me, as it turns out, It's less about chess per se and more about nurturing a primitive life form that's smarter than a pet in a specific domain.
Thank you for a bravely honest and touching post - I genuinely appreciate it.
Also, having an intellectually challenging hobby like this will, without doubt, slow down the ageing of your brain.
Apologies for including negativity in a response to a post in which a man opened his heart, but a word of caution: loving things that don't love you back (by which I mean help you grow as a person, provide opportunities, provide income, make local friends, strengthen your family etc) risks missing opportunities that could arise if you dedicated the time and energy to other things.
Writing is the antidote to confusion.
It's not "how smart you are", it's "how are you smart".
Your brain doesn't work the way you want, so train it!
Tony P. wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:37 am
I've just had a weird thought about the aspect of chess programming that's less often talked about. Namely, writing an engine is like a lightweight version of raising a child It usually takes <8 months to get the first version that compiles, and <<18 years for the training to converge. Writing any small AI is a way to sublime the parental instinct for those who, for various reasons, wouldn't like to raise an extra kid after all the existing ones grow up. At least to me, as it turns out, It's less about chess per se and more about nurturing a primitive life form that's smarter than a pet in a specific domain.
While I cut my sons hair yesterday he watched Pokemon on Netflix. And I couldn't help thinking that writing a chess program is very much like training a Pokemon. Trainers help their Pokemon learn new tricks. They evolve through a series of stages that each provide a boost in strength and change in character. And apparently trainers all over the world let their Pokemon fight it out in arenas to determine who is the greatest Pokemon trainer of all.
Oh, and all the drama, all the yelling, the discussion whether the opponent trainers abided by the rules and competed fairly... that seemed oddly familiar, too!
Minimal Chess (simple, open source, C#) - Youtube & Github Leorik (competitive, in active development, C#) - Github & Lichess
lithander wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:41 am
And I couldn't help thinking that writing a chess program is very much like training a Pokemon.
If my girlfriend (who's been a Pokémon fan since childhood) gets wind of this, I'll never hear the end of it. That's it. I quit. Being compared to a Pokémon trainer. The last straw! I can't take it anymore. It's a step too far. Goodbye, cruel world....
... after I finish that Alpha 2 release, and integrate xBoard an better move sorting, and obviously I'll have to add some pruning...
BUT I"M STILL QUITTING!
What?
Hm.... ok... because you asked so politely, I'll finish the engine. Why not? I just need another 2200 Elo to be able to compete with Stockfish. No big deal. And then I'll quit.
