bob wrote:All I will say is that (a) Vas used to ask questions, look at other engines (hence the self-proclaimed fruit influence on his program among other things) and so forth. Then when he discovered something new, off he went. Compare that with the _wealth_ of computer chess papers describing everything from iterated deepening, to hash table implementations, to bitboards, to null-move, to singular extensions, to endgame databases, to you-name it. There is a big difference.
(b) I am completely unconcerned about the reverse-engineering that has been done. Seems like a fair way to "even the playing field" by forcing a secretive author to expose secrets he has desparately tried to hide by obfuscation of this PV, depth and node counter displays. I'm not going to lose any sleep over this at all. It isn't my concern...
ad a)
Of course I have to admit that as fact. From a science point, Bob, a paper like all the mentioned, is standing way above the practical performance of Vas. But there's the following objection: in the world of competition of chess or computerchess never those with the best papers were the most successful players. You will certainly show me the refutation for this claim. In other words Vas is the World's best who has understood and applicated what papers say.
Even you as professor who could follow all these papers and has done own research, you could NOT compete with Vas who's an International Chess Master but no scientist. Can you explain this apparent truth without having simply to admire Vasik's sensational performance from 2006 on? You cant!
ad b)
I respect your standpoint. It's only natural after you condoned everything the IBM team of Hsu has done to Kasparov. Vas is for you a sort of "nasty" (metaphorically meant, not literally) Kasparov collegue who knows too much about chess and who must therefore be mated by simply adapting appropriate computer programming tricks. Because what else could you do as a weak chessplayer?
Although as a scientist, Bob, you would give a better picture if you would resist and oppose any unfair and immoral activities against other people. And I can even show you where you live in a contradiction with your own practice. Because you are also secretive until the tournaments are over. Where is the difference to Vas?
So, if I would break into your house and steal the actual secrets, you would then condone my activity too as understandable and tolerable?? You believe still in the allowance of using unallowed means to oppose annoying and angrying incidents set by other people in special with genius talents?
You are allowed to use unfair and immoral reactions in such cases when you have no chance to win yourself?
Tell me that you are not *this* kind of guy!! And please admit that Vas isnt just claiming that he knows something about computerchess but that this is also true compared with what you had granted Kasparov.