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Subject: Re: A New Misunderstanding: What is Playing Chess vs Computers?

Author: Zheng Zhixian

Date: 18:13:41 09/05/05

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On September 05, 2005 at 19:15:10, Rolf Tueschen wrote:

>On September 05, 2005 at 18:08:45, Zheng Zhixian wrote:
>
>>If all you like to do is to play against computer opponents, a normal chess
>>forum or site might be more suitable for you I think.
>
>
>I already read something the like from Thorsten. Your advice is wrong. Playing
>against computers as a human is NOT human chess=normal chess. It's
>computerchess.

Though I don't necessarily agree, that's not the point. It's clear that the vast
majority of people here are interested in something else, and trying to moan and
groan about it is futile.

The point is even if computerchess includes human versus computer, computer
versus computer is clearly vastly more popular here and that is definitely
computer chess.  To protest against it, for example by making a thread mocking
subject lines is like trying to turn back the tide.



 The impostering that computerchess is ONLY engine vs engine chess
>is imagination but not reality. Engine vs engine chess is sort of testing and
>has no real value for a human who wants to play computers.

Why do ordinary people want to play computers? Is it really different from the
reasons they want to play chess in general? If not, what makes it computer
chess?

I would say that one of the main goals of computer chess is to measure and
define the strength of chess programs. Yet another is to spot weaknesses in
chess programs and improve them.

If your main aim is to play chess just for the joy of playing chess  or for
general improvement (no anticomputer chess), I don't really see how it can be
considered computer chess.

I think discussing new features to help peoples benefit from using chess
software might possibly fall into the area of computer chess. Altough, I think
this is perhaps secondary to the main purpose of improvement of one's chess
ability - a topic also typically discussed in none-computer chess circles.


As I said testing
>isn't even providing you with significant results because you dont have the time
>to test a certain version of a prog because then the next version is already
>coming.

I disagree. There is nothing stopping you from continuing to test the old
version. And given that computer versus computer is a time honored way used by
chess programers to find out if an engine has improved, clearly your statement
is not absolute law.






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