[computer-go] Silver Star 2006 anyone?

[Chrilly]

Dear Don,

 I won't mentioned
> names, but there was a prominent operator for many of the top programs
> who would force the computer to move when he liked what it was about to
> play.
I guess his name initials are J.L. I played my first computer-tournament 
game ever against Rebel operated by Jan. He "welcomed" me "Helo 
Mr.Waldheim". Waldheim was the infamous Austrian president of that time 
which was a Nazi member and could not remember later. I should have been 
upset, but instead I asked him if he has a valid visa for Maastricht. I knew 
that the people from Maastricht do not like their countryman from the north 
(Maastricht was practically occupied by the North in 1830). He answered: 
Typical stupid Waldheim-Austrian, I am of course here at home... There were 
some local spectators around and they told him that he is here not at all at 
home and introducing visas for guys like him sounds like a very interesting 
idea.
Jan clearly cheated in the opening in this game. He threw me out of the 
opening after the first move, knowing that Rebel is of course positional 
superior. This move was definetly not in Rebels book. But we become 
nevertheless very good friends. When his wife died, I went to the funeral 
from Austria. He did not speak with his relatives, but only with me. I was 
also on his funeral.

In the next game I played against a programm of Whittington. He cheated too. 
So the first 2 games in my carreer were against cheaters. But there were 
also relaxed and fair guys like J.de Koning.

All of this really made me sick and sad and is part of the reason I
> stopped liking computer chess competitions.
Me too. In Graz-2003 I operated GoAhead in the Olympiad because I could not 
stand anymore the aggressive atmosphere in the chess WC. I am really happy 
that Hydra Sheikh does not want to play at the WC. But e.g. the match 
against Shreddere in Abu-Dhabi was also from the athmosphere really a nice 
experience. We got some questions from German journalists. They expected the 
usual "war" and were completly confused when we wrote back together: Its 
very hot here, besides eating one can do nothing and because there is such a 
long breach between lunch and dinner we play a game that time passes by. 
Also the Adams match was in a very nice athmosphere. Adams never accused the 
Hydra time for anything, he simply admitted that Hydra is better. I would 
also like to have a match against Topalov. He is also a very handsome person 
and I have e.g. already stayed overnight in his (small) flat in Salamanca. 
Unfortunately the Sheikh is not interested in a match against him too.

I know so far that Computer-Go is from the programming point of few the next 
step to hell. If one considers game programming as an addiction, chess is 
kokain, Go is heroine. Are my impressions from Graz right? Is computer-Go at 
from the human factor better than Chess?

Suzie:
It plays till about move 150-200 okay. Not great, but about the level of 
GoAhead. But the endgame is then a complete desaster. I do not really know 
whats wrong.

Chrilly