🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <6ac0fa$q64@src-news.pa.dec.com>, Tim Mann <mann@src.dec.com> wrote:
>In article <6abukk$ro8@dworkin.interact.net.au>,
>Tim Benham <timben@interact.net.au> wrote:
>>One thing that did make a difference is the broken results keeping by
>>xboard 3.6.2.
>
>The bug you hit here has been known about almost since 3.6.2's
>release, but I haven't had time to release a new xboard and WinBoard.
>There is an easy workaround for it within Crafty, which I believe will
>be in Crafty 14.5.  That could have been done long ago, but there was
>a failure in communication from me to Bob.
>
>>However, I made a disturbing discovery which may invalidate even this
>>result: gnuchessx may lose on time and crafty does not claim! is this
>>a known problem in crafty or xboard?
>
>I don't think any of us consider it to be Crafty's (or GNU Chess's)
>job to keep time and call its opponent's flag, so it's not a problem
>in Crafty.
 
From the Laws of Chess (FIDE):

#6.8. A flag is considered to have fallen when the arbiter observes the
#     fact or when a valid claim to that effect has been made by either
#     player.

If xboard is an arbiter, then it may stop the game. Otherwise it is up
to the winner to claim. 

This may seem to be nitpicking, but it is of practical importance when
trying to judge the relative strength of chess programs by running
matches which aren't under continuous human observation.

>
>xboard does not call flags and end the game in local human
>vs. computer or computer vs. computer play.  That seemed pointless to
>me, especially because GNU Chess has a poor time management algorithm
>that causes it to usually run out of time at move 38 or 39 of a
>40-move time control period.  xboard notes that the flag is down but
>lets the game continue.  You could probably easily modify it to call
>the flag and end the game if desired.

The fact that GNU Chess has problems with time management is the
responsibilty of the authors' of that program, it is no reason for
anyone else to break their software to accomodate it.

Thank you for taking the time to respond.


-- 
		  People who like this sort of thing
       	      will find this the sort of thing they like.
Tim J.Benham					timben@interact.net.au