Some notes from the CSNV awarded prize winner

[Gerd Isenberg]

http://www.csvn.nl

Rules 2007 CSVN Programmer's Award

The CSVN will award a prize of
€ 200,-
to the programmer, present during the tournament, whose program performs best in the Open Dutch Computer-Chess Championship 2007 compared to its prior (best) rating.

Rules

8) If a participant does not have any Chess engine to his name that is listed in one of the rating lists, he will be assigned a base rating of 1900.
...

Despite this years performance was likely the worst of all 7 DOCCs IsiChess played, at least far from best in 2001, I won the price money !?
Since IsiChess as a private engine is in no rating lists - it's initial base-rating was defined by paragraph 8.

I appreciate the honorable intention of the anonymous sponsor to support CSVN and to encourage new programmers to participate. While the CSVN-officials felt committed to implement the "exact" rules provided by the sponsor, I feel definintion and/or interpretation of the rules contradicted the intentions. The mentioned paragraph should only be applied to newcomers, but not to long term private engines.

Rather than being ashamed of grabbing the money - I promise to support the social event of the next ICT 2008 by € 200,-

Thanks,
Gerd

[hgm]

Gerd, you are being much too hard on yourself!

It says nowhere that the prize is intended for new programmers. If it was, then the rules would not have had to be so complicated. It could just have said: "the prize goes to the new program that finishes highest".

The rules were clearly set up in such a way that everyone would have a chance to win, providerd he was the actual programmer, and he was present during the tournament to operate his program. In this year's official member meeting there was a lot of discussion about the future of tournaments like this, and the opinion prevailed that they would be doomed if the number of programmers that attended the tournament in person would keep dwindling, as it has over the years. The prize seemed a (in my opinion nice attempt) to stimulate programmers to come in person, so that they could learn from each other. Exerienced Chess programmers just as much as novices.

You always attend the tournaments in Leiden, and you are an invaluable source of knowledge to the computer-Chess community, always ready to share what you know. Of course I would have liked to win the prize myself, and most likely it was an oversight of the organizers that some quite strong programs did not occur in the rating list (in particular Diep and IsiChess). But I really can not think of anyone who deserves the prize more than you do!

[Gerd Isenberg]

It says nowhere that the prize is intended for new programmers.

No, but the base rating of 1900. XiniX for instance was rated 2400+ based on a few months beeing in Leo's list some years ago. IsiChess played a lot of "official" OTB tournaments in recent years - DOCC, ICT, IPC and ICGA-tournaments. Best result was 4th in 2001 DOCC (7/11) behind Chess Tiger, Rebel and Fritz. It should be possible to guess a fair rating based on known opponents. IsiChess even had a commercial DOS-predecessor which was able to play auto232 matches.

[Harvey Williamson]

I promise to support the social event of the next ICT 2008 by € 200,-

Hi Gerd,

This is very generous of you but Amir, Cock and I managed to spend 100 euros each on Sunday night in the Michelin starred Restaurant in Leiden. Some of it on food the rest on Wine and Calvados!

You have supported this tournament for many years and deserve your prize.

see you next time,

Harvey

[mclane]

you have no UCI engine so you get no rating.

but instead 200 bucks.



now all UCI programmers stop supporting this format. in only stops them from making money.

[Gerd Isenberg]

Hi Gerd,

This is very generous of you but Amir, Cock and I managed to spend 100 euros each on Sunday night in the Michelin starred Restaurant in Leiden. Some of it on food the rest on Wine and Calvados!

You have supported this tournament for many years and deserve your prize.

see you next time,

Harvey

Hi Harvey,

The Haagse Schouw near the playing hall, where we sometimes held social events in recent years on saturday night was a bit less expensive
The other option I can imagine is to make it a jackpot for the next ICT, but with slight modification on the rules.

Cheers,
Gerd

[Tony]

It says nowhere that the prize is intended for new programmers.

No, but the base rating of 1900. XiniX for instance was rated 2400+ based on a few months beeing in Leo's list some years ago. IsiChess played a lot of "official" OTB tournaments in recent years - DOCC, ICT, IPC and ICGA-tournaments. Best result was 4th in 2001 DOCC (7/11) behind Chess Tiger, Rebel and Fritz. It should be possible to guess a fair rating based on known opponents. IsiChess even had a commercial DOS-predecessor which was able to play auto232 matches.

Yes .Gerd,

that could have been done. AND you would have accepted it. It wasn't done however, so accept you won it and enjoy the prize money.

Returning the money for next year with modified rules is a nice thought, but don't feel obliged to do it.

Thinking about it, you shouldn't do it. It wouldn't be nice for the original sponsor.

Cheers and congrats,

Tony