QMW uniform-platform computer chess tournament
Don Beal
tournament. The idea of this tournament was to provide the same
computer to each contestant so that the _programs_ were being compared,
rather than the progam+computer combination. Also, to make
machine tournaments easier to run, an autoplay mechanism was
specified and provided to entrants, so that the computers interacted
directly, instead of via human operators. There were 2 divisions -
(1) programs for PCs, and (2) programs written in C, as these seemed
to be the two largest world-wide platforms on which programs are
developed.
Gnuchess won the C-language division, and placed equal-second in the
PC division. This was somewhat surprising, as the C-language division,
although having only 5 entrants, did have the former world-computer-chess
championship contender Phoenix, and also, since Gnuchess is freely
available in source form, and assuming it is not the ultimate best
way to utilise processor time, one assumes that some programs will
have found ways to better it. However, with such a small number
of entrants, conclusions should not be drawn too hastily.
The winner of the PC division was M-Chess. Also, because Gnuchess
won the C-language division and participated in both divisions,
M-Chess can be considered to have become overall champion of the
whole event.
QMW UNIFORM-PLATFORM AUTOPLAY
COMPUTER-CHESS TOURNAMENT
1992
For this first such tournament, there were five entrants in each division.
C Language Division
Program: Author(s)
PHOENIX Jonathan Schaeffer, CANADA
PROCHESS Tom Pronk, HOLLAND
NOTCHESS Andy Walker, UK
ARES Frans van Gool & Erik Leenders, HOLLAND
GNU 3.1 Various, USA.
PC Division
Program: Author(s)
MCHESS Marty Hirsch, USA
NOW Mark Lefler, USA
SCHACH 3.0 Matthias Engelbach & Thomas Kreitmair, GERMANY & HOLLAND
PAWNDER Truman Collins, USA
GNU 3.1 Various, USA
The tournament was played as an all-play-all event with each program
playing two games (black and white) against each adversary.
C-DIVISION:
----------
\ White
\
\ PHOENIX PROCHESS ARES NOTCHESS GNU3.1
Black \
-------------------------------------------------------------|
|\ | | | | |
| \ |0.5-0.5 | 0 - 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 - 0 | 2.5
PHOENIX | \ | | | | |
| \ | | | | |
----------------------------------------------
| |\ | | | |
| 1 - 0 | \ | 0 - 1 | 0 - 1 | 1 - 0 | 2
PROCHESS | | \ | | | |
| | \ | | | |
----------------------------------------------
| | |\ | | |
| 1 - 0 | 1 - 0 | \ | 0 - 1 | 1 - 0 | 1
ARES | | | \ | | |
| | | \ | | |
----------------------------------------------
| | | |\ | |
| 1 - 0 | 1 - 0 | 1 - 0 | \ | 1 - 0 | 0
NOTCHESS | | | | \ | |
| | | | \ | |
----------------------------------------------
| | | | |\ |
| 0 - 1 |0.5-0.5 | 0 - 1 | 0 - 1 | \ | 3.5
GNU3.1 | | | | | \ |
| | | | | \ |
-------------------------------------------------------------|
3 3 1 0 4
score position
GNU3.1 7.5 1
PHOENIX 5.5 2
PROCHESS 5 3
ARES 2 4
NOTCHESS 0 5
PC-DIVISION:
-----------
\ White
\
\ MCHESS NOW PAWNDER SCHACH3.0 GNU3.1
Black \
-------------------------------------------------------------|
|\ | | | | |
| \ |0.5-0.5 | 0 - 1 | 0 - 1 | 0 - 1 | 3.5
MCHESS | \ | | | | |
| \ | | | | |
----------------------------------------------
| |\ | | | |
| 1 - 0 | \ | 0 - 1 | 0 - 1 | 0 - 1 | 3
NOW | | \ | | | |
| | \ | | | |
----------------------------------------------
| | |\ | | |
| 1 - 0 | 1 - 0 | \ | 1 - 0 | 1 - 0 | 0
PAWNDER | | | \ | | |
| | | \ | | |
----------------------------------------------
| | | |\ | |
| 1 - 0 |0.5-0.5 | 0 - 1 | \ | 1 - 0 | 1.5
SCHACH 3.0 | | | | \ | |
| | | | \ | |
----------------------------------------------
| | | | |\ |
| 1 - 0 | 0 - 1 | 0 - 1 | 0 - 1 | \ | 3
GNU3.1 | | | | | \ |
| | | | | \ |
-------------------------------------------------------------|
4 2 0 1 2
score position
MCHESS 7.5 1
NOW 5 2
GNU3.1 5 2
SCHACH3.0 2.5 4
PAWNDER 0 5
Don Beal
Tournament Organiser