🚀 go-pugleaf

In rec.games.chess.computer Tim Benham <timben@dworkin.interact.net.au> wrote:
:  
: 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.

I've modified 14.6 to end games on time overruns by the opponent.  However,
it will *really* make crafty crush gnu from my experience, becuase it is
common to see it barely overstep the time limit in *every* game that goes
to the first time control.  Strictly by the laws of chess this is ok for
Crafty to do, but when measuring playing skill, at least against gnu, it
runs the risk of greatly distorting the match outcome...


-- 
Robert Hyatt                    Computer and Information Sciences
hyatt@cis.uab.edu               University of Alabama at Birmingham
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