Programs on the USCF member list

[sje]

The United States Chess Federation supports a member search function on its web site:

http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrLst.php

Enter "compx" in the search field and out pops a list of nearly all programs that have been registered with the USCF.

For some reason, more than half of the 71 programs located are listed as non members. No programs are current members as all have expired memberships.

MacHack VI isn't listed as the USCF program registration system wasn't available until sometime in the early 1980s (if I recall correctly).

[sje]

Code: Select all

11169627 (NJ) Non-Member  2193    Unr   COMPX, BELLE 
12187860 (IL) Non-Member  2064    Unr   COMPX, BEE BEE 
12248450 (FL) Non-Member  1602    Unr   COMPX, SFINKS 
12431789 (NJ) Non-Member  1897    Unr   COMPX, B10 
12431790 (IL) Non-Member  2029    Unr   COMPX, NUCHESS 
12432968 (CA) Non-Member  1779    Unr   COMPX, MYCHESS II 
12433164 (AL) Non-Member  1784    Unr   COMPX, SUPERSTAR 
12442056 (AL) Non-Member  1944    Unr   COMPX, TURBO STAR 
12442413 (CA) Non-Member  1640    Unr   COMPX, SPOC 3.0 
12452143 (CA) Non-Member    *     Unr   COMPX, CHESS D 
12454641 (PA) Non-Member  2401    Unr   COMPX, HITECH 
12455144 (NM) Non-Member  2328    Unr   COMPX, LACHEX 
12455148 (NJ) Non-Member  1599    Unr   COMPX, B11 
12455156 (AL) Non-Member  2038    Unr   COMPX, TURBO KASPAROV 
12455157 (AL) Non-Member  1914    Unr   COMPX, TURBO 640 
12463699 (AL) Non-Member  2176    Unr   COMPX, TURBO X 
12463701 (OR) Non-Member  1612    Unr   COMPX, XERXES 
12464097 (VA) Non-Member  1394    Unr   COMPX, REX 
12473070 (FL) Non-Member  2047    Unr   COMPX, CHESS CHALLENGER 
12473071 (FL) Non-Member  1991    Unr   COMPX, S1 
12473073 (FL) Non-Member  2120    Unr   COMPX, S3 
12473074 (FL) Non-Member  1951    Unr   COMPX, S4 
12473075 (FL) Non-Member  2055    Unr   COMPX, S5 
12473076 (FL) Non-Member  2162    Unr   COMPX, S6 
12473077 (FL) Non-Member  2045    Unr   COMPX, S7 
12473078 (FL) Non-Member  2107    Unr   COMPX, S8 
12474133 (CA) Non-Member  1781    Unr   COMPX, WAYCOOL 
12477220 (NY) Non-Member  1705    Unr   COMPX, MEGACHESS! X 
12490909 (IL) 2001-05-31  2313    Unr   COMPX, B P 
12490915 (VA) Non-Member  1827    Unr   COMPX, REX IV 
12490916 (CT) Non-Member  1599    Unr   COMPX, PSION 
12496773 (WA) Non-Member  1676    Unr   COMPX, TERMINATOR 2.0 
12511956 (AL) Non-Member  1982    Unr   COMPX, S 27X 
12511957 (AL) Non-Member  2138    Unr   COMPX, M 26X 
12516628 (PA) 1989-04-30  2491P   Unr   COMPX, CHIP TEST 
12516629 (NY) 1992-04-30  2514    Unr   COMPX, DEEP THOUGHT 
12516851 (MA) 1997-05-31  1848    Unr   COMPX, SPECTOR 
12517547 (CA) Non-Member  2147    Unr   COMPX, CRAY - BLITZ 
12520986 (CA) Non-Member  2222    Unr   COMPX, CHESSMATE !! 
12528485 (AL) 1992-06-30  2161    Unr   COMPX, S28X 
12528567 (PA) Non-Member  2129    Unr   COMPX, THE SNIPER 
12530025 (CO) 1992-09-30  1440    Unr   COMPX, ZARKOV 
12531358 (AL) Non-Member  2256    Unr   COMPX, M30X 
12532571 (AL) Non-Member  2065    Unr   COMPX, S29X 
12540899 (AL) 1990-07-31  2101    Unr   COMPX, SUPER E 
12541697 (FL) Non-Member  2116    Unr   COMPX, RX2 
12543307 (FL) 1993-07-31  2235    Unr   COMPX, RX21 
12544018 (AL) Non-Member  2222    Unr   COMPX, DKS-KL 
12547804 (AL) 1991-10-31  2227    Unr   COMPX, SUPER EXPERT 
12556160 (CO) 1995-03-31  2275    Unr   COMPX, ZK25 
12557303 (AL) 1992-04-30  2050    Unr   COMPX, 86 
12559002 (NY) 1992-06-30  1456P   Unr   COMPX II, SLIG 
12561117 (CA) Non-Member  1624P   Unr   COMPX, BLZX 
12561322 (WA) 1992-10-31    *     Unr   COMPX, ZIGGURAT 
12561572 (AL) 1992-09-30  1948    Unr   COMPX, TESTNX 
12563195 (MA) 2000-06-30  1805    Unr   COMPX, EVALUATOR 
12580988 (AL) 1995-02-28  2090P   Unr   COMPX, NOVAG H 
12580989 (AL) 1993-10-31  1970P   Unr   COMPX, NOVAG M 
12581892 (CA) 1999-10-31  2331P   Unr   COMPX, M CHESS 
12584027 (WA) 1993-11-30   Unr    Unr   COMPX, TERMINATOR 
12591181 (AL) 1994-04-30  1914P   Unr   COMPX, SH8 
12595184 (AL) 1994-04-30  2253P   Unr   COMPX, R25 
12625473 (AL) 1995-07-31  2093P   Unr   COMPX, WCHESS 
12626398 (MD) Non-Member  2100   2136P  COMPX, FIDELITY MACH 3 
12629182 (AL) 1995-10-31  1881P   Unr   COMPX, NOVAG DIAMOND 
12632425 (CA) 1999-02-28   Unr    Unr   COMPX, GAZEBO CHESS-WINDOWS 
12643909 (CA) 1996-03-31  2531P   Unr   COMPX, KASPAROV'S GAMBIT X 
12674074 (NC) Non-Member    *     Unr   COMPX, NOVAG SAPPHIRE 
12699736 (AL) Non-Member  2330P   Unr   COMPX, CRAFTY 
12746313 (MA) Non-Member   Unr   1622P  COMPX, CHESSMASTER 5000 
12859169 (CA) Non-Member    *     Unr   COMPX, CHESSMASTER 7000 

[Carey]

12248450 (FL) Non-Member 1602 Unr COMPX, SFINKS

I never could get hold of Mr. Fink to see if he wanted to release the program into the public.

12431790 (IL) Non-Member 2029 Unr COMPX, NUCHESS

Mr. Slate doesn't seem interested in releasing any version of NuChess, but I'm hopeful that when / if a few more programs from then are released, he might reconsider.

12432968 (CA) Non-Member 1779 Unr COMPX, MYCHESS II

Never did get a reply from Mr. Kittenger about releasing MyChess.

12452143 (CA) Non-Member * Unr COMPX, CHESS D

I did email with him a few times about that program and an earlier 6800 based one, and he seemed somewhat willing, but I wasn't able to contact him after those initial emails.

12517547 (CA) Non-Member 2147 Unr COMPX, CRAY - BLITZ

We're working on it... But Mr. Hyatt definetly prefers to release a working version that people can actually play. Unfortunately he's having trouble finding the time and finding a suitable compiler to handle that style FORTRAN.

12530025 (CO) 1992-09-30 1440 Unr COMPX, ZARKOV

I wasn't able to get in touch with Mr. Stanback about releasing Zarkov.

[sje]

I should point out that one of the entries is mine: Spector, first registered in 1987 and a member for ten years. I suspect it played more OTB games than any non sponsored program. It's last game was in late 1995 if I recall correctly. I dropped its membership when there weren't many (or any) USCF events that would allow program entrants.

It's unfortunate that there aren't any real opportunities today for program participation in OTB tournaments with humans. It was fun while it lasted.

[bob]

Also some of those ratings have been "deflated" incorrectly. Every now and then USCF "deflates" all ratings (reduces them proportionally) to account for rating inflation over time. Yet many of those programs (belle, cray blitz, hitech, et al) have not played human chess in 20 years or so but their ratings have all been "deflated" even though they were not playing. Last official USCF rating I have for Cray Blitz was 2258.

They are "non-members" because they are not allowed to vote (via their author) on USCF policy decisions or elections. Th.ey are also not eligible to win titles or prizes at tournaments

[CRoberson]

I've discussed entering USCF tournaments with some local TD's. I tell them I know the rules about not winning the tournament and so forth. However, they don't allow it. They say the tournament is for humans.

From talking to several of them, they seem to beleive that the HW is so fast today that any program thrown together by anybody would be at GM level. They seem to beleive that anyone can produce a GM program easily. One told me that allowing my program in would open the flood gates and he would have a large number of GM programs entering.

Some have said that it is "just" brute force searching - there isn't any real position evaluation other than piece values. When I try to sway that opinion they talk to me like I am far from correct.

It seems that over simplified answers to the public have hurt.

The only way I know to get a rating is to have a USCF rated match with a person instead of entering a tournament.

[sje]

In the Old Days there was plenty of misinformation about program participation in USCF events and many tournament directors were afraid that if programs were allowed then anyone could enter a commercial program, not just the author. Players in general were equally misinformed.

The USCF along with its misguided Computer Rating Agency program has a lot of problems, and its relationships with commercial chess program and machine manufacturers along with associated advertiser revenue has a lot to due with this. I could write pages on the topic, but it's not worth it as the USCF has become essentially impervious to real reform.

[bob]

If that is supposedly from oldest to newest in terms of when they joined USCF, the list is wrong.

"blitz" was a member in 1974 or thereabouts, and played in USCF events every year after that. Cray Blitz was a member in 1980, which I think predates nuchess, and certainly predates hitech and chiptest/deep thought. Cray Blitz played in a USCF rated event in 1980. Chiptest didn't exist until 1986.

Not sure what that list really is, but perhaps the subject line is wrong???

[sje]

The list is in ascenidng order of USCF ID number. It may be the case that these weren't consistently assigned sequentially.

Also, the list is missing an earlier program of mine (Oracle) that was registered prior to Spector back around 1984. Due to hardware and logistics reasons, it never played in any events; maybe that's why it's not on the list.

[sje]

IThe only way I know to get a rating is to have a USCF rated match with a person instead of entering a tournament.

At a price. US$5 per match and US$0.50 per game were the numbers the last time I looked.

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How about the Europeans? Have there been many OTB tournaments that allowed program participation? Are there any today?