Dennis M Ritchie, RIP

[Don]

I was born in 1948 and am now 63. Berliner would be 82 if my math is correct. I never asked Greenblatt about his age, and had always assumed he was significantly older than me. Not just 4 years.

I guess that Ken Thompson is getting up there as well, and Larry Atkin and David Slate are no spring chickens either. On the east side of the Atlantic, perhaps Mikhail Donskoy is the grand old man still on this side of the grave.

For my modest little self, I'm probably among the last to have started in computer chess while still in the days of punch cards and paper tape.

And how old are you? I am 55 and was born in 1956, but due to a progressive disease I probably will not be around more than a few more years.

[sje]

For my modest little self, I'm probably among the last to have started in computer chess while still in the days of punch cards and paper tape.

And how old are you? I am 55 and was born in 1956, but due to a progressive disease I probably will not be around more than a few more years.

I'm a year younger, but I've got some medical issues, too. Yet my parents, both in their eighties, are still around and may very well outlive me.

Death can be a good thing in that it can sometimes motivate one into action when nothing else can.

[bob]

I was born in 1948 and am now 63. Berliner would be 82 if my math is correct. I never asked Greenblatt about his age, and had always assumed he was significantly older than me. Not just 4 years.

I guess that Ken Thompson is getting up there as well, and Larry Atkin and David Slate are no spring chickens either. On the east side of the Atlantic, perhaps Mikhail Donskoy is the grand old man still on this side of the grave.

For my modest little self, I'm probably among the last to have started in computer chess while still in the days of punch cards and paper tape.

We also have Tony Marsland and Monty Newborn, of course... In guessing, I'd put monty at 10 years older than me at a minimum. He finished his Ph.D. in the middle 60's, which would typically be at age 25 at the earliest, allowing 4 years or so to complete it... He and Tony were both here "from the beginnings" of the ACM event...

[bob]

I was born in 1948 and am now 63. Berliner would be 82 if my math is correct. I never asked Greenblatt about his age, and had always assumed he was significantly older than me. Not just 4 years.

I guess that Ken Thompson is getting up there as well, and Larry Atkin and David Slate are no spring chickens either. On the east side of the Atlantic, perhaps Mikhail Donskoy is the grand old man still on this side of the grave.

For my modest little self, I'm probably among the last to have started in computer chess while still in the days of punch cards and paper tape.

I had forgotten: Mikhail Donskoy passed back in January of 2009. RIP

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=5153

I'm thinking that article is wrong. I think the first WCCC was in 1974. He was also right about my age. I've not seen nor talked to him since the WCCC in 1977, which I think was the last event the group attended... Kaissa was not the best program. Slate/Atkin lost to Tree Frog in an unusual game, and didn't play Kaissa during the event. They played an exhibition game after the tournament that I believe was drawn.

[sje]

See: http://chessprogramming.wikispaces.com/People

[IanO]

I was born in 1948 and am now 63. Berliner would be 82 if my math is correct. I never asked Greenblatt about his age, and had always assumed he was significantly older than me. Not just 4 years.

I guess that Ken Thompson is getting up there as well, and Larry Atkin and David Slate are no spring chickens either. On the east side of the Atlantic, perhaps Mikhail Donskoy is the grand old man still on this side of the grave.

For my modest little self, I'm probably among the last to have started in computer chess while still in the days of punch cards and paper tape.

I had forgotten: Mikhail Donskoy passed back in January of 2009. RIP

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=5153

I'm thinking that article is wrong. I think the first WCCC was in 1974. He was also right about my age. I've not seen nor talked to him since the WCCC in 1977, which I think was the last event the group attended... Kaissa was not the best program. Slate/Atkin lost to Tree Frog in an unusual game, and didn't play Kaissa during the event. They played an exhibition game after the tournament that I believe was drawn.

It was Chaos on a Univac that you were thinking of (Chess beat Ribbit). Here is the key position, not a bad find for the computers of the day.

[d]rq2k2r/3n1ppp/p2bpnb1/8/Np1N4/1B3PP1/PP2Q2P/R1BR2K1 w kq -

(I'm grateful to the ICGA for archiving all these historical tournaments. I found the game here: http://www.grappa.univ-lille3.fr/icga/t ... t.php?id=7 .)

[bob]

I was born in 1948 and am now 63. Berliner would be 82 if my math is correct. I never asked Greenblatt about his age, and had always assumed he was significantly older than me. Not just 4 years.

I guess that Ken Thompson is getting up there as well, and Larry Atkin and David Slate are no spring chickens either. On the east side of the Atlantic, perhaps Mikhail Donskoy is the grand old man still on this side of the grave.

For my modest little self, I'm probably among the last to have started in computer chess while still in the days of punch cards and paper tape.

I had forgotten: Mikhail Donskoy passed back in January of 2009. RIP

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=5153

I'm thinking that article is wrong. I think the first WCCC was in 1974. He was also right about my age. I've not seen nor talked to him since the WCCC in 1977, which I think was the last event the group attended... Kaissa was not the best program. Slate/Atkin lost to Tree Frog in an unusual game, and didn't play Kaissa during the event. They played an exhibition game after the tournament that I believe was drawn.

It was Chaos on a Univac that you were thinking of (Chess beat Ribbit). Here is the key position, not a bad find for the computers of the day.

[d]rq2k2r/3n1ppp/p2bpnb1/8/Np1N4/1B3PP1/PP2Q2P/R1BR2K1 w kq -

(I'm grateful to the ICGA for archiving all these historical tournaments. I found the game here: http://www.grappa.univ-lille3.fr/icga/t ... t.php?id=7 .)

You are obviously correct. There is a memory stuck in my head where "tree frog" (the new name) beat chess x.x. Maybe it was at an ACM event the next year...

That Ne6 sac game became famous. The last version of that program, "NuChess" participated in a fredkin match along with Belle, Cray Blitz and Duchess, held at CMU, against 4 players that were rated "expert" (USCF 2000-2199). One of the humans played that SAME opening against Nuchess and won. Another human in the next round played the SAME opening and won again. Slate removed that book line.

I'm going to track down the "ribbit/tree frog" case, just to clear up the details mentally...

[Don]

I was born in 1948 and am now 63. Berliner would be 82 if my math is correct. I never asked Greenblatt about his age, and had always assumed he was significantly older than me. Not just 4 years.

I guess that Ken Thompson is getting up there as well, and Larry Atkin and David Slate are no spring chickens either. On the east side of the Atlantic, perhaps Mikhail Donskoy is the grand old man still on this side of the grave.

For my modest little self, I'm probably among the last to have started in computer chess while still in the days of punch cards and paper tape.

I had forgotten: Mikhail Donskoy passed back in January of 2009. RIP

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=5153

I'm thinking that article is wrong. I think the first WCCC was in 1974. He was also right about my age. I've not seen nor talked to him since the WCCC in 1977, which I think was the last event the group attended... Kaissa was not the best program. Slate/Atkin lost to Tree Frog in an unusual game, and didn't play Kaissa during the event. They played an exhibition game after the tournament that I believe was drawn.

It was Chaos on a Univac that you were thinking of (Chess beat Ribbit). Here is the key position, not a bad find for the computers of the day.

[d]rq2k2r/3n1ppp/p2bpnb1/8/Np1N4/1B3PP1/PP2Q2P/R1BR2K1 w kq -

(I'm grateful to the ICGA for archiving all these historical tournaments. I found the game here: http://www.grappa.univ-lille3.fr/icga/t ... t.php?id=7 .)

This really shows how far programs have come. Komodo does not register even 1/10 of a second before finding the move, but back in the 70's I doubt many computers would find it at all.

[bob]

I was born in 1948 and am now 63. Berliner would be 82 if my math is correct. I never asked Greenblatt about his age, and had always assumed he was significantly older than me. Not just 4 years.

I guess that Ken Thompson is getting up there as well, and Larry Atkin and David Slate are no spring chickens either. On the east side of the Atlantic, perhaps Mikhail Donskoy is the grand old man still on this side of the grave.

For my modest little self, I'm probably among the last to have started in computer chess while still in the days of punch cards and paper tape.

I had forgotten: Mikhail Donskoy passed back in January of 2009. RIP

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=5153

I'm thinking that article is wrong. I think the first WCCC was in 1974. He was also right about my age. I've not seen nor talked to him since the WCCC in 1977, which I think was the last event the group attended... Kaissa was not the best program. Slate/Atkin lost to Tree Frog in an unusual game, and didn't play Kaissa during the event. They played an exhibition game after the tournament that I believe was drawn.

It was Chaos on a Univac that you were thinking of (Chess beat Ribbit). Here is the key position, not a bad find for the computers of the day.

[d]rq2k2r/3n1ppp/p2bpnb1/8/Np1N4/1B3PP1/PP2Q2P/R1BR2K1 w kq -

(I'm grateful to the ICGA for archiving all these historical tournaments. I found the game here: http://www.grappa.univ-lille3.fr/icga/t ... t.php?id=7 .)

This really shows how far programs have come. Komodo does not register even 1/10 of a second before finding the move, but back in the 70's I doubt many computers would find it at all.

I think David annotated that game at some point. Turns out chess 4.x was EXPECTING Nxe6. It just didn't realize how strong it would be with all the pins completely tying black up. I think I have the analysis Slate sent to me, in a paper file at my office somewhere. I have a lot of random stuff, including complete logs printed by Belle for some games it played at an ACM event, etc...

I think a similar position came up when David played chess 4.x around 1978 or so as the first real challenge to his 10 year bet. I'll have to dig that one up as well... The old programs were not THAT weak... They often played really good moves, just not seeing all the way to the "end" like we often do today...

[Don]

I was born in 1948 and am now 63. Berliner would be 82 if my math is correct. I never asked Greenblatt about his age, and had always assumed he was significantly older than me. Not just 4 years.

I guess that Ken Thompson is getting up there as well, and Larry Atkin and David Slate are no spring chickens either. On the east side of the Atlantic, perhaps Mikhail Donskoy is the grand old man still on this side of the grave.

For my modest little self, I'm probably among the last to have started in computer chess while still in the days of punch cards and paper tape.

I had forgotten: Mikhail Donskoy passed back in January of 2009. RIP

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=5153

I'm thinking that article is wrong. I think the first WCCC was in 1974. He was also right about my age. I've not seen nor talked to him since the WCCC in 1977, which I think was the last event the group attended... Kaissa was not the best program. Slate/Atkin lost to Tree Frog in an unusual game, and didn't play Kaissa during the event. They played an exhibition game after the tournament that I believe was drawn.

It was Chaos on a Univac that you were thinking of (Chess beat Ribbit). Here is the key position, not a bad find for the computers of the day.

[d]rq2k2r/3n1ppp/p2bpnb1/8/Np1N4/1B3PP1/PP2Q2P/R1BR2K1 w kq -

(I'm grateful to the ICGA for archiving all these historical tournaments. I found the game here: http://www.grappa.univ-lille3.fr/icga/t ... t.php?id=7 .)

This really shows how far programs have come. Komodo does not register even 1/10 of a second before finding the move, but back in the 70's I doubt many computers would find it at all.

I think David annotated that game at some point. Turns out chess 4.x was EXPECTING Nxe6. It just didn't realize how strong it would be with all the pins completely tying black up. I think I have the analysis Slate sent to me, in a paper file at my office somewhere. I have a lot of random stuff, including complete logs printed by Belle for some games it played at an ACM event, etc...

I think a similar position came up when David played chess 4.x around 1978 or so as the first real challenge to his 10 year bet. I'll have to dig that one up as well... The old programs were not THAT weak... They often played really good moves, just not seeing all the way to the "end" like we often do today...

You do not have to see very deep to outplay most humans. Super Constellation managed to get a 2012 USCF rating. Although it's often dispute as to whether it's really that strong, it's still playing reasonable chess to get that kind of performance rating for 24 games. I cannot remember how deep it searched but I think it was only about 5 or 6 ply in tournament time.