My advice: don't stop chess programming once you start!

[Ed Trice]

After a very long hiatus from developing a program from scratch, I decided to start with something simple. I wrote a 64-bit move generator for checkers, constructed a simple NegaMax() search with a hash table and simple side-to-move quiescence test, and I was surprised how quickly my brain was tied in knots when trying to trace through some of the recursion.

I've mostly ported or enhanced other programs (Cornell Checkers to World Championship Checkers, 1996: Crafty to Gothic Vortex, 2003) "recently," without having built anything from the ground up (The Sniper, Macintosh Pascal, 1985-1990) in over 30 years.

So my advice: Once you start, don't stop.

[CRoberson]

I agree. Never stop play, lest ye grow old.
If you don't believe me, just look at Bob.

[Michael Sherwin]

I stopped for quite a few years because my mom got Alzheimer's in 2007 and it took all my strength to take care of her. Then as a result I lost my health and nearly died. After a couple of more years I started to recover and tried to start working on my engine again and came out with a not improved version. I just did not have the strength yet to continue. Just for fun or something too do I tried from time to time to come up with something but nothing was better. But I have continued to recover and get back a lot of my strength so i've started working in earnest on my engine RomiChess again. My prerelease version is testing between 75 and 95 ELO better. The hardest part of my illness was reduced mental ability. It was extremely frustrating trying to make progress programming when I could not even think straight. And yes I have to relearn a lot of things.

[cdani]

I stopped for quite a few years because my mom got Alzheimer's in 2007 and it took all my strength to take care of her. Then as a result I lost my health and nearly died. After a couple of more years I started to recover and tried to start working on my engine again and came out with a not improved version. I just did not have the strength yet to continue. Just for fun or something too do I tried from time to time to come up with something but nothing was better. But I have continued to recover and get back a lot of my strength so i've started working in earnest on my engine RomiChess again. My prerelease version is testing between 75 and 95 ELO better. The hardest part of my illness was reduced mental ability. It was extremely frustrating trying to make progress programming when I could not even think straight. And yes I have to relearn a lot of things.

Without doubt the fact of carrying it out is already something very important and that can give general motivation, regardless of what it costs. I wish you the best in your project!!

[CheckersGuy]

After a very long hiatus from developing a program from scratch, I decided to start with something simple. I wrote a 64-bit move generator for checkers, constructed a simple NegaMax() search with a hash table and simple side-to-move quiescence test, and I was surprised how quickly my brain was tied in knots when trying to trace through some of the recursion.

I've mostly ported or enhanced other programs (Cornell Checkers to World Championship Checkers, 1996: Crafty to Gothic Vortex, 2003) "recently," without having built anything from the ground up (The Sniper, Macintosh Pascal, 1985-1990) in over 30 years.

So my advice: Once you start, don't stop.

True. However, that applies to every big project. When I stop working on a project it usually takes me quite some time to understand everything I have programmed and planned thus far. Maybe I should start commenting my code a littlemore

[duncan]

I stopped for quite a few years because my mom got Alzheimer's in 2007 and it took all my strength to take care of her. Then as a result I lost my health and nearly died.
..
The hardest part of my illness was reduced mental ability. It was extremely frustrating trying to make progress programming when I could not even think straight. And yes I have to relearn a lot of things.

you are an amazing son sacrificing amost everything for your mom.

may I ask if you could relive those years, would you do anything different.?

[jshriver]

So my advice: Once you start, don't stop.

I agree 100%, I think Robert Hyatt mentioned it once. Computer chess is like any hobby. Ups/downs, sometimes you go away but you always come back if it's in your heart

I've been in this since ~1996. Just this last "break" has lasted longer than expected.

I doubt I can seriously write anything even now, that compares to stockfish, fruit, or komodo.

But I know I have it in me to at least make something. So I keep in tune when I can though the past 1-2 (3?) years I've been eyeballing Go more, as well as Arimaa. But now that the arimaa challenge has been won, and Go starting to show serious cracks lol it's a great time to be in AI.

Still miss the older days. Really REALLY wish I could have finished Olympus and had a seat in whatever country was hosting the CCC. To sit among my hero's and play a game OTB. Still gives me shivers.

-Josh