World Computer Chess Championship WCCC

  

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Thibault de Vassal    (2007-06-18)
World Computer Chess Championship (WCCC)

Is this World Computer Chess Championship still worth something without programs such as Hiarcs, Junior & Fritz ?

This way, only 3 or 4 games are decisive and undoubtly - or I should say randomly - Rybka will win ahead of Zappa and Shredder. At least Rybka will obtain the "last major" title to pretend to be the very best chess engine.

WCCC 2007 - http://www.grappa.univ-lille3.fr/icga/news.php


Wayne Lowrance    (2007-06-18 03:53:01)
World Computer Chess Championship (wccc)

Thibault, I dont care for your notion here. It is WCCC and should not be downgraded because ChessBase and program authors of Hiarcs, junior & fritz did not enter. Those programs have the big rep';s, but in actuality you should check out all of the rating sites. Zappa ranks Higher that those three programs for example. There is a thing called GridChess, which is very strong, beat shreddar. Oh I dunno, I could go on. Mostly I object to chesbase direct or indirect control of the chess engine tournaments. And to make things worse you and others posts nonsense as this. My two cents my friend. Wayne


Wayne Lowrance    (2007-06-18 04:04:57)
World Computer Chess Championship (wccc)

Rybka does not need to pretend to be the best. Matey it is the best, period. Wayne


Thibault de Vassal    (2007-06-18 05:32:40)
WCCC

Hi Wayne.

I mean, WCCC is a tournament like any other (no federations or whatever...), it is a big event and program authors come to play, that's great. But the format with so few interesting games can't provide accurate results :/

I agree that Deep Fritz & Junior are not the strongest chess engines today, but they are a good test for other ones and a way to improve the results of a tournament. IMO a World Computer Chess Champion should be ie. the SSDF 1st ranked program, which is continuous tournament with many games played, or maybe the games played at SSDF should be organized like a continuous swiss tournament.


Dirk Ghysens    (2007-06-18 06:11:14)
Top programs

According to the CCRL rating list, the top programs today are: 1 Rybka 2 Zap!Chess 3 Hiarcs 4 Naum 5 Loop 6 Deep Shredder Fritz (7th) and Junior (8th) are so weak, that they cannot play a significant role in a world championship. The latest version of Rybka (2.3.2) can be estimated at more than 200 Elo points above Deep Fritz and Deep Junior. The SSDF rating list is unreliable IMO, as they are using antiquated hardware, and several of the best programs are missing.


Thibault de Vassal    (2007-06-18 06:26:11)
WCCC

Computerchess rating lists are very different from human's ones. Fritz & Junior are not so weak (ok, maybe Junior is :)) .. At least they can beat Loop and Naum. Anyway I meant that more strong programs should play at the WCCC, the results can't be significant this year because too few interesting games will be played (and there was a bug in some Rybka game). At last I agree about CCRL, it is more trustable than SSDF rating list.


Thibault de Vassal    (2007-06-18 15:23:11)
Rybka is world champion !

Rybka is the new World Computer Chess Champion, with the score of 10 out of 11. Congratulations to Vasik Rajlich and Rybka team !

http://www.grappa.univ-lille3.fr/icga/news_item.php?id=25


Alexander Shalamanov    (2007-06-18 16:06:48)
Is Rybka any good?

I thought Shredder or Zap!Chess were the likely favorites. Well, the result that Rybka has achieved is very, very impressive!


Thibault de Vassal    (2007-06-18 16:50:43)
Rybka vs. Chessbase

Hello Alexander.

Rybka tops all computer chess rating lists for 18 months already, and by about 100 points ! ... It is the best playing program, maybe (I'm not sure yet) the best analysis tool for correspondence chess.


Thibault de Vassal    (2007-06-18 22:09:02)
Shredder is world champion... too !

It seems Shredder won the blitz tournament (few games also) ahead of Rybka !

http://www.grappa.univ-lille3.fr/icga/tournament.php?id=177


Well, why not :)


Thibault de Vassal    (2007-06-20 03:38:27)
Chessbase

Chessbase made a full report on the 15th ICGA WCCC and Rybka's victory, despite half their leading programs did not even participate.

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3936

Congratulations to them, that's fair play :)


Albert Popov    (2007-06-20 12:40:06)
We are in need of a good challenge!

I don't think Rybka could win in the same overwhelming manner, if Deep Junior the Horrible took part in the tournament. Why, it might be a well-thought move on the Junior team's part. Aren't we in for another Rybka - Junior thrilling match challenge soon? I would bet on Junior in that chess brain war as Junior's long-standing loyal customer.


Garvin Gray    (2007-06-20 13:54:40)
equal equipment

If given equal equipment, I would back Rybka.


Thibault de Vassal    (2007-06-20 15:03:22)
Rybka vs. Deep Junior

We'll have to wait & see :) .. I would be surprised if Junior beats Rybka in a 6-games match or so. In my opinion Junior is the old generation already, playing psychology while Rybka simply plays good chess. But let's wait the next versions, Junior most probably has an excellent software basis to make a very strong engine.


Alexander Shalamanov    (2007-06-20 16:44:27)
Junior my love!

He reminds me in style of the wonderful chess game knights of the past: Bronstein, Tal, Kasparov and the present: Shirov, Morozevich. Are brilliance of tactics and sacrificial chess more precious than cool and pitiless tecnique skills? Wait and see!


Albert H. Alberts    (2007-06-25 14:36:49)
World Computer Chess Championship (WCCC)

All: JUNIOR has won over Fritz in Elista.RYBKA wins Olympiade Amsterdam. It got me thinking: instead of being an 'engine-to-engine contest can it be that the whole thing is a book-to-book contest? The program that has the best opening book with novelties will come out on top, invariant from the engine. Is that why RYBKA is so good? IM V.Rajlich? The future WC will be the program with the best book. The future WC tournament chess will be the one who knows this book. Maybe they will be one and the same person? Great news for the sport I think. Greetings Albert H. Alberts,Amsterdam www.howtofoolfritz.com


Thibault de Vassal    (2007-06-25 15:17:50)
Rybka's book

Sure the secret of Rybka is not its/her opening book ! .. But that's very important matter anyway.


Alexander Shalamanov    (2007-06-26 11:26:12)
Books or technique?

It's as simple as that: Rybka just outplayed her opponents in middlegames. Books have something to do, of course, but not that much. She just plays better in opening to middlegame and middlegame to ending phases. Oh, Junior, you are still better! And mind you, I'm not betraying while saying that. Amicus (mihi) Plato, sed magis amica veritas! (Plato is my friend but the truth is more precious!)