A match between Rybka and Junior ALMOST became a reality. But it is not meant to be as negotiation broke down. Here is the report by David Levy as published by Mig:
http://www.chessninja.com/download/rybka-junior-nomatch-levy.pdf
Comments?
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
That’s too bad 🙁
I prefere an “Rybka – Susan Polgar”
An interesting ‘first reveal’ of the problems of setting up a machine-machine match.
It is of course a match between the engine authors; people tend to forget that human element, which is the interesting bit.
Chess-engines can be remote but communications with them should be moderated by encryption under third-party control: not a big technical issue, but important if integrity is to be assured. Computer-computer chess has had its share of suspected, and maybe actual, cheating. I doubt if access to logs is that revealing.
I’d rather see straight commercial products used, and on comparable (but not necessarily identical) hardware.
Finally, it’s the RYBKA side that put up the money: they are entitled to define the rules, especially when they are reasonable.
Looks like Deep Junior/Chessbase is chicken!!I’m buying Rybka this year!!
Junior is AFRAID of Rybka and that’s no lie!
Well, as much as I would have liked to see such a match, it is not so tragic after all. Everyone can let the two engines play against each other (provided halfway-decent hardware is available) and see that Rybka is clearly superior…
That is exactly what Mexico should do. They should use commercial software on identical machines and run the match. Much more interesting and no problems with the authors. With commercial software and no prize fund and identical hardware that should be what can be purchases easily. Then the regular chess fans will be more interested.
Everyone knows Rybka is stronger. Junior wants to use a super huge mainframe to try to compete. But too much problems with trying to compete with superior hardware. That is not an appropriate contest anyway. Same hardware is what is needed. That shows who is better. also it should be commercially available software. That is what defines the software. not some different program locked up back at the office. We are interested only in the commercially available software on identical hardware. That is the only way to know which is the stronger engine.
I don’t see what good bringing the computers to the match site does. The problem can be solved as follows:
1) Each team runs their program on a remote computer running at their “headquarters” location.
2. The communications between the match site and each remote site is secured with a VPN (virtual private network), a standard computer security tool that lets you communicate private data securely over a public network. There are many types of VPN’s but one type is simply a box (made by Cisco and others) that you buy two of, and plug them at each end between your computer and your network. The VPN makes sure nobody can intercept the data between the two endpoints.
3. The Junior team would be allowed to have its own representative watching things at the Rybka headquarters location throughout the match, and vice versa.
4. The organizers would buy four VPN boxes. Two of these boxes would be installed at the match site, and one at each “headquarters”. Representatives from both teams would monitor all the installation at all three locations.
5. The computer installation at each headquarters would be in a locked room (the room could have a glass window so you could view the computer from outside) with no people allowed inside. The VPN endpoint would be inside the locked room.
Members of the opposing team could inspect the room and computer hardware to make sure that the only wires going into the room were the power cable and the VPN network connection, that there was no wifi or cellular phone or anything like that in the room, etc.
The opposing team could even be in charge of constructing the locked room, to make sure it was shielded from any type of radio emissions. The computer could even be powered by a generator supplied by the opposing team, so the opposing team could be sure that signals were not being sent over the power cables. (The opposing team would then be responsible for any power failure).
So, there would be no way for anyone to communicate moves to the computer from the outside, except from the other end of the VPN (at the match site). The hardware at the match site would of course be under constant observation by both teams.
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I think the above could be done with good security and at reasonable cost (a few thousand dollars of VPN gear and a few thousand of construction work, plus some generator rentals).
If someone reading this is in contact with David Levy, maybe they could give him the above suggestion. Even if it’s too late to revive this match, it might be useable for some future match.
Really though, I think I agree with the analysis saying the Junior team was simply afraid of Rybka.
So Rykba v Junior wont take place because of fears that the programs may be consulting a “Grandmaster”.
Perhaps they could even hide this Granmaster in the ceiling of the toilets.
Anyway its good news that this circus wont be taking place. Instead we can all concentrate on the real event in Mexico!