Re: computer-go: Example of Good Core Rules of Play for CG

[Don Dailey <drd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

   Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 15:04:27 +0100
   From: Nick Wedd <nick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

   In message <200106251249.IAA25826@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Don Dailey
   <drd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes

   >I would certainly think that entry to any event would make you want to
   >understand the rules.  In fact, wouldn't  this be your responsibility?
   >Especially if it might cause you to lose?

   It would be my responsibility, yes.  This does not mean that everyone
   will perform it.

Unfortunately, I  understand where you are  coming from.  I was once a
tournament  director  too (but for  human  chess tournaments) and it's
suprising how often the most basic rules are ignored or misunderstood.


   >Do the Go programmers really need this MTV style of presentation where
   >everything is    pre-digested for them and    they probably won't even
   >remember that?

   Yes.  It's better than not providing it for them.


   Here is a story, which some of you will have heard before.

   Ing98, like all ING CG events, had rules which allowed suicide.  I
   tested all the entrants for their ability to handle a suicide move by
   their opponent.
      Half of the programs handled suicide correctly.
      Most of the rest refused to allow a suicide move.  One of them even
   displayed a polite message explaining that suicide is illegal.
      One played so badly that I was never able to try to make a suicide
   move against it.
      One allowed me to make a suicide move, but left my suicided stones on
   the board.  This allowed some interesting strategies, as the suicided
   stones were now almost invulnerable - it could not capture them by
   filling their last liberty, as they had no liberty.  (If you are
   interested in such things, you can work out how I could carelessly lose
   them through a snapback-like sequence.)

   Nick
   -- 
   Nick Wedd


Of course you could immediately disqualify them, but I'm sure that you
want to be as accomodating as possible.  But you could wait until such
events happen and then disqualify them on a per game basis.

What did you actually do?

Don