Shredder will automatically participate but not Naum .......

[pichy]

Naum is the second strongest chess960 program, but it will have to earn a place in the Livingston Chess960 World Championship at Mainz.

- 1st prize: 300 Euro + a place in the Livingston Chess960 Computer World Championship + Hotel and breakfast at Mainz
- 2nd prize: 200 Euro + a place the in Livingston Chess960 Computer World Championship + Hotel and breakfast at Mainz

Note that the first and second prizes in both sections will only be paid on arrival at the tournament in Mainz. Moreover, the two prizewinners of the computer section must be represented by the programmer of the engine during the tournament in Mainz.

[Gian-Carlo Pascutto]

This is fair. First (Rybka) and second (Shredder) from last year are placed automatically, rest has to earn its place. Naum finished in last place last year, so it did not automatically qualify again. Sjeng finished 3rd and also has to go through the qualifiers again.

Using public rating lists to seed such a tournament would be even more error prone. You will penalize programs that dont publish new versions regularly, and private engines wouldn't be even allowed at all. That can't be the idea.

[Eric van Reem]

The human Chess960 qualifier on ICC was a big success with about 1000 players. Tonight the final will be played with formidable players like Nakamura, Dreev and Grishuk.

In the computer Chess960 tournament in Mainz all programs will play on the same hardware, provided by the sponsor. We will most probably get Intel quad cores, but I have no details yet.

Having two finalists from last year and two internet qualifiers fits very well in the Chess Classic Mainz concept in which we have four players in the main evening events.

This concept could also be used in future ICGA computer world championships, e.g.: take the best four programs of the 2009 world championship and four internet qualifiers in the world championship. Then, you play the preliminaries in a double round robin with relatively fast time controls (rapid) in 2 days (seven games per day) and a four game "grand finale" between the top 2 on day 3. You would have a short tournament, tension until the last day, relatively low costs for the programmers and a lot of top games.

Cheers, Eric

[naum]

Actually I consider having to qualify a good thing. Don't forget that you get 300 euros if you win, which pays for the trip to Mainz. Rybka and Shredder won't get any money (at least I think so).
I probably won't go to Mainz this year (still not 100% sure on that), but want to invite everyone to participate in the qualifying tournament. If you qualify, you definitely won't be sorry. I had fantastic time last year in Mainz. You don't have a chance very often to go have a breakfast and see Anand and his wife at the table beside you, or to dine at the club reserved only for super GMs (and 4 programmers) and listen to the Vlastimil Hort commentary while sitting at the table with Kasimjanov, Vas and Stefan. The only problem is that programmers may be banned from the club this year thanks to Vas who depleted their weekly food supply in one night
Not to mention that Eric was kind enough to extend my stay (and pay for the expensive hotel) for 3 additional days, because I wanted to watch all human competitions.

[IWB]

Hello

This concept could also be used in future ICGA computer world championships, e.g.: take the best four programs of the 2009 world championship and four internet qualifiers in the world championship. Then, you play the preliminaries in a double round robin with relatively fast time controls (rapid) in 2 days (seven games per day) and a four game "grand finale" between the top 2 on day 3. You would have a short tournament, tension until the last day, relatively low costs for the programmers and a lot of top games.

Cheers, Eric

... is the first one for a long time I realy agree with! I like the idea of having some seeded and some qualifiers, even if the length of the life tourney in Erics proposal is too short in my opinion.

Basicly I would support this idea! Anyone to give this to the ICGA?

Bye
Ingo

[Engin]

2. Livingston Chess960 Computer Chess Championchip on year 2001 was the last one tournament with over 20 participats, i am included, that was very fun for me, then 2002 decrease the participants to only 4 programms, why i don't know.

it where better it will be more participants again then only 4 , that a little bit boring and not interesting. everybody knows the best engines are is like rybka,shredder,naum, sjeng. the other interesting is wich engines are coming then.

The top 20 of chess960 engines are interesting !

Ok, the tournament on ICC is also interesting, but this is only to qualify for to participate in Mainz, but not only 2 parcitpants that not enough.

i would like to play with Tornado again in Mainz but i cant, becaus of this rules only 4 best are can play there, thats a little pity.

And give no chance for other engines who want like to play in Mainz too, meaning just newcomer chess960 engines.

bad rules that made from mainz organization.

why not two computer chess960 tournaments or big one like 1st and 2nd again?

[Gian-Carlo Pascutto]

2. Livingston Chess960 Computer Chess Championchip on year 2001 was the last one tournament with over 20 participats, i am included, that was very fun for me, then 2002 decrease the participants to only 4 programms, why i don't know.

[...]

bad rules that made from mainz organization.

why not two computer chess960 tournaments or big one like 1st and 2nd again?

Very simple: financial restrictions.

[Harvey Williamson]

Perhaps if financial help was only given to non commercial engines the tournament could be open to more in Mainz.

It will be interesting if they stick to the 4 engine format to see what happens if Shredder does not get to the final 2 this year. My understanding is that shredder has a deal with the sponsors so that it gets an automatic invite. I guess they will find a reason to invite the winner + Shredder but not the losing finalist.