what is the secret of rybka

[Michael Sherwin]

Searching on the web for Rybka information I found a Chinese page with fascinating information. Here is a translation:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... uage_tools

I really like advice 'like "eat like soldiers" and "horse-bottom line soldiers"!



Mark[/url]

I would suppose that the interest in programming western chess has lagged behind in China by several decades. This most likely has been caused by at least these three reasons:

1) Western chess is/was not as popular in China.
2) The modern fast PC has not been as widely available.
3) A lack of chess programming theory translated into Chinese.

It is clear by this paper that things are changing and I suspect that a flood of new chess programs will soon follow. One remarkable thing to me is, that this paper is the closest thing to a modern book (approach) that I have seen in a long time. I can imagine that the best book ever written on chess programming will soon be written in Chinese and I will not be able to read it. We have so many talented and knowledgeable chess program authors here in the west that could write a fantastic modern book on chess programming, but they don't. One good book about the workings of Crafty, Fruit/Toga, Glaurung and other noteworthy chess programs would be worth more than a 1,000 open source programs as an aid to understanding. So okay, a book of the required magnitude is not going to be written, because of monetary concernes--understandable. But, somewhere there should be at least one 'filthy-rich' person, that is interested enough that would be willing to commision such a project, for no other reason than for the advancement of chess programming knowledge. It is way, way overdue!

[mjlef]

Searching on the web for Rybka information I found a Chinese page with fascinating information. Here is a translation:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... uage_tools

I really like advice 'like "eat like soldiers" and "horse-bottom line soldiers"!



Mark[/url]

I would suppose that the interest in programming western chess has lagged behind in China by several decades. This most likely has been caused by at least these three reasons:

1) Western chess is/was not as popular in China.
2) The modern fast PC has not been as widely available.
3) A lack of chess programming theory translated into Chinese.

It is clear by this paper that things are changing and I suspect that a flood of new chess programs will soon follow. One remarkable thing to me is, that this paper is the closest thing to a modern book (approach) that I have seen in a long time. I can imagine that the best book ever written on chess programming will soon be written in Chinese and I will not be able to read it. We have so many talented and knowledgeable chess program authors here in the west that could write a fantastic modern book on chess programming, but they don't. One good book about the workings of Crafty, Fruit/Toga, Glaurung and other noteworthy chess programs would be worth more than a 1,000 open source programs as an aid to understanding. So okay, a book of the required magnitude is not going to be written, because of monetary concernes--understandable. But, somewhere there should be at least one 'filthy-rich' person, that is interested enough that would be willing to commision such a project, for no other reason than for the advancement of chess programming knowledge. It is way, way overdue!

I agree. Just recently I bought a used copy of the great book "Computer Chess II" by David E. Welsh and Boris Baczynskyj. I loved that old book. We need another David E. Welsh to write this!

Mark