WCCC China 2008

[chrisw]

The HIARCS forum has more recent games and results than the ICGA web site at the moment:

http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1753
http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1677

2.5 Rybka (+Baron, +Shredder, =Toga)
2.5 Junior (=Shredder, +Toga, +Jonny)
2.5 HIARCS (=Toga, +Jonny, +Falcon)
2.0 Sjeng (+Mobile, +Falcon)
1.5 Baron (+Mobile, =Shredder)
1.0 Toga (=HIARCS, =Rybka)
1.0 Shredder (=Junior, =Baron)
1.0 Jonny (+Sjeng)
1.0 Falcon (+Mobile)
0.0 Mobile

Are there really only 10 participants? May the WCCC R.I.P. then...

Well, I'll try again, one more time since 1997. You have a body called ICCA (international computer chess association) which claims to represent computer chess. Now it calls itself ICGA (G=games). every three years there's world Championship. Three months before this in the icca (icga) journal is an obscure piece (well there used to be whan I read it some years ago) calling for nominations for officer elections for icca (icga), if you don't get the nominations in three months before then the nomination is not valid. Did you know? Probably not. Did anyone nominate any 'officers' from here? Probably not. Which is the idea of course.

Then, at the WCC, there will be an 'election', there's only one choice probably for each position, because you all (a) didn't notice and (b) mostly all are not in China anyway. So these ten, probably disinterested programmers, will "elect" the same old faces (who was it this time, one wonders, anybody actually know?), probably the same as last time, same as the time before etc. etc. And, then, in three years time, you'll all be complaining again. Joke?

Facts are this, same as the fact in 1997, the icca, icga, whatever, absolutely no way represents computer chess. Why you all go along with it, I have no idea. Junk it and organise yourselves. Think of that $30,000 (at 1997 prices) fee for allowing the WCC to take place on some premises or other or sponsorship or whatever it is. What happens to the $30,000?

[Peter Berger]

Fact is, the WCCC is dead. This one might even be the final one IMHO.

I am very happy for some of the programmers I like present in China to have some very cool and sponsored holidays, fun competition included, but certainly no one can claim that the championship itself is of any relevance anymore.

And why the heck the ICGA has to sponsor season holidays for Joke, Jaap and Levy each and every year? Don't ask me, no clue.

They have their priorities right ( posted on September 22nd):

"On the rest day (October 2nd) there will be an excursion for which each participant is invited by the ICGA. The excursion will visit the Great Wall of China at Badaling, the National Bird's Nest Stadium and the Water Cube. That same evening there will be our annual dinner for participants which will be held at the Sky-line Resort."

This is what the event is about - and why should we blame them? It's just human.

Of course it might have been possible to care about internet connection, broadcast, organisation, media in preparation - but if you think about it: who wouldn't want to visit the Great Wall, virtually for free? Isn't this much more relevant anyway?

I'll cheer for Junior - I've always thought they were the last ones who really cared about the event - but it is futile. Whoever wins - who can *seriously* care about it?

[bob]

Fact is, the WCCC is dead. This one might even be the final one IMHO.

I am very happy for some of the programmers I like present in China to have some very cool and sponsored holidays, fun competition included, but certainly no one can claim that the championship itself is of any relevance anymore.

And why the heck the ICGA has to sponsor season holidays for Joke, Jaap and Levy each and every year? Don't ask me, no clue.

They have their priorities right ( posted on September 22nd):

"On the rest day (October 2nd) there will be an excursion for which each participant is invited by the ICGA. The excursion will visit the Great Wall of China at Badaling, the National Bird's Nest Stadium and the Water Cube. That same evening there will be our annual dinner for participants which will be held at the Sky-line Resort."

This is what the event is about - and why should we blame them? It's just human.

Of course it might have been possible to care about internet connection, broadcast, organisation, media in preparation - but if you think about it: who wouldn't want to visit the Great Wall, virtually for free? Isn't this much more relevant anyway?

I'll cheer for Junior - I've always thought they were the last ones who really cared about the event - but it is futile. Whoever wins - who can *seriously* care about it?

The thing is I hate to see it decay into oblivion. I was there in 1977 when Barend Swets badgered, cajoled, encouraged, etc the group of us to form an organization to promote computer chess. We organized it there in Toronto, and for years it did exactly what it was supposed to and computer chess prospered. But the ICCA never followed through with advancing technology. The ICCA should have organized a web site like CCC, that was something they could have done, and the membership fee could help support it along with the Journal. But they have sadly remained locked in the 1977 model, and it appears to me that the event is about to expire from natural causes. And I'll bet that once that happens, the Journal will soon follow. What will fill the void is unknown, if anything can do so...

Sad to see. But they have been resistant to change. They refused to follow the original charter of alternating WCCC events between orth America and Europe and even changed the charter wording to eliminate any reference to that as their way of "fixing" the problem.

Fortunately, we have the CCT and ACCA events to keep us busy... And CCC to give us a forum for discussing computer chess...

[IanO]

The HIARCS forum has more recent games and results than the ICGA web site at the moment:

http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1753
http://www.hiarcs.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1677

2.5 Rybka (+Baron, +Shredder, =Toga)
2.5 Junior (=Shredder, +Toga, +Jonny)
2.5 HIARCS (=Toga, +Jonny, +Falcon)
2.0 Sjeng (+Mobile, +Falcon)
1.5 Baron (+Mobile, =Shredder)
1.0 Toga (=HIARCS, =Rybka)
1.0 Shredder (=Junior, =Baron)
1.0 Jonny (+Sjeng)
1.0 Falcon (+Mobile)
0.0 Mobile

Are there really only 10 participants? May the WCCC R.I.P. then...

Diep and an Australian program dropped out at the last minute. De Koning is present in the other game tournaments, but declined to enter The King this year. (Who can blame him?)

Are there any contenders for the crown missing from that lineup? It is a shame Zappa is no longer maintained, and Fritz hasn't shown up for many years. On the other hand, it is refreshing to see HIARCS competing again.

The turnout of amateur programs is quite dependent on the venue. This year it is in Asia: chess is down, but Go and Xiangqi are way up. I'm sure we'll see attendance at the WCCC improve when it comes back to Europe next year and to Vancouver in 2010.

Ian

[TL]

Does anyone know the WCCC schedule. The grappa.univ link doesn't have accurate info. The hiarcs forums said the next round(4) is tomorrow at 8am. Does that mean it is going on now, because of the time difference? Is playchess covering the event? Any info would be appreciated.

TL

[Graham Banks]

Does anyone know the WCCC schedule. The grappa.univ link doesn't have accurate info. The hiarcs forums said the next round(4) is tomorrow at 8am. Does that mean it is going on now, because of the time difference? Is playchess covering the event? Any info would be appreciated.

TL

Seems to go while I'm asleep here in NZ, so probably another 8-10 hours away is my guess. Could well be wrong though.
Hopefully somebody can provide you with more accurate information.

Regards, Graham.

[TL]

It must be going on now. Hiarcs beat mobile. First result of round 4.

TL

[Graham Banks]

It must be going on now. Hiarcs beat mobile. First result of round 4.

TL

Then I was way out. Sorry.

[TL]

Then I was way out. Sorry.

No worries, looks like everything was skewed because of the withdrawal of 2 entrants. The schedule on the web site is correct if you don't include round 11. Round 5 is tomorrow then the blitz. No games thursday. 2 games friday and saturday. Here are the pairings.

Round 5
Toga v The baron
jonny v Shredder
falcon v rybka
mobile v junior
sjeng v hiarcs

Round 6
baron v hiarcs
junior v sjeng
rybka v mobile
shredder v falcon
toga v jonny

Round 7
jonny v baron
falcon v toga
mobile v shredder
sjeng v rybka
hiarcs v junior

Round 8
baron v junior
rybka v hiarcs
shredder v sjeng
toga v mobile
jonny v falcon

Round 9
falcon v the baron
mobile v jonny
sjeng v toga
hiarcs v shredder
junior v rybka

TL

[swami]

Fortunately, we have the CCT and ACCA events to keep us busy... And CCC to give us a forum for discussing computer chess...

I thought Peter Skinner said he has given up organizing the CCT's, Is somebody else taking it up?