1rst INTERNATIONAL DRAUGHTS ENGINES TOURNAMENT

[Sidiki]

Hi all,

I planned to run a tournament, but i'am waiting for two updates.
Only When there will be release to me, il will sens the tournament mini with thé la test ENGINES liste.

This will just be a first one, because 3 programmer wrote me about major release that will come later.

So waiting the minots update list is:

Ares NNUE 1.53f of Joost
Damage 16.1 NNUE of Bert
Flits of Adri
GWD 7.077 of Gijsbert
Horizon of Boomstra
IDames of Ngandeu Boris
Kingsrow 1.63 of Ed
Maxius 2.02 of Jan
Mobydam of Harm
Scan 3.1 of Fabien
Truus of Stef

I had a problem with Sjende Blyn endgame database, perhaps the next time or if before the tournament date, all it's fine, it will participe.
So the TOURNAMENT will je runed soon you will je awarded at least 2 days before.

Hopefully before the end of this week, also depending of programmer time.

Friendly, Sidiki.

[Sidiki]

Read "minors update".

Friendly, Sidiki.

[Sidiki]

Hi all,

The final list of the tournament ENGINES is:

Ares NNUE 1.53e of Joost
Damage 16.1 NNUE of Bert
Flits of Adri
GWD 7.077 of Gijsbert
IDames of Ngandeu Boris
Kingsrow 1.63 of Ed
Maxius 2.02 of Jan
Mobydam of Harm
Scan 3.1 of Fabien
Truus of Stef

This tournament will be 5 min + 3.

Friendly, Sidiki.

[Sidiki]

Hi all,

Time to test the last updated engines, the tournament will start today.

I will send you the link soon

Programs selected :

Ares NNUE 1.54b - Joost Buijs - Netherlands
Damage 16.1 NNUE - Bert Tuyt - Netherlands
Dragon Pro 4.6.2- Michel Grimminck - Netherlands
Flits 3.1 - Adri Vermeulen - Netherlands
GWD 7.093 - Gijsbert Wiesenekker - Netherlands
Horizon 4.5 - Feike Boomstra- Netherlands
IDames 8 - Ngandeu Boris - Cameroun
Kingsrow 1.63 - Edgar Gilbert - United States of America
Maximus 2.02 - Jan Jaap van Horssen - Netherlands
Moby Dam 2019 May 19 - Harm Jetten - Netherlands
Scan 3.1 - Fabien Letouzey - France
Truus voor Windows 1.0 - Stef Keetman - Netherlands

Good luck to every programmer.

Programmers can update 3 times programs during the tournament.

Friendly, Sidiki

[Sidiki]

Hi all,

This's the link of the tournament.

https://results.fmjd.org/tournaments/2023/f_521/

Finally 10 min + 3.

Good luck to everybody.

Friendly, Sidiki.

[Joost Buijs]

Hi Sidiki,

Thank you for organizing this!

At first I could not understand the results because all the result tables looked different, I found that I have to clear the cache and the cookies of my browser (Firefox) each time before entering the fmjd.org/tournament website, otherwise it shows the old tables. Today I'll try with Chrome.

Can you give some information about the used hardware, 1 or 2 computers, processor type, and the amount of memory? It would also be nice to know the settings for each engine, number of threads, opening book, EGDB etc.

TIA.

[Sidiki]

Hi Joost,

Thanks for the interest. I will write about it soon.

Ronde 2 ended.


Friendly, Sidiki.

[Sidiki]

Hi all,

I will update the rules, no limit of update during the tournament.
Programs are as painting, the perfection is never reached, we have always, depending of the situation, to add or remove something.

The goal is to have the best and strong program, so the programmer that have more ideas will produce the best engine, and win.

Good luck to everybody, round 8 finished.

https://results.fmjd.org/tournaments/2023/f_521/

Have a fun.

Friendly, Sidiki

[BertTuyt]

Sidiki, thanks for organizing.
After 8 rounds, it is too early to draw final conclusions.
But it seems that now (more or less) we have 9 strong programs.
And the final outcome seems to be mainly determined by the results against Truus, Flits en Horizon.
But maybe we see some unexpected surprises.....

Bert

[Sidiki]

Hi Bert,

Thanks, and that's right the weakers are Horizon, Truus and Flits.
And as you said, if one among the top 9 lose a game, it will definely give the first place to the engine that beaten it.
Thanks again for all, and good luck to everybody.

Friendly, Sidiki.

[Joost Buijs]

It is clear that 10x10 Draughts is a 'piece of cake' for current hardware/software. To avoid all these draws you could change the score somewhat, 2 points for a win, 0 points for a draw, and 1 point for a lost game, it takes a totally different strategy to win such a tournament, which in turn could make it more interesting to watch.

Another option could be to increase the board size to 12x12 or 14x14, this will keep the spirit of the game the same, but with much higher complexity.

[Sidiki]

Hi Joost,

What you wrote it's so interesting and must be adopt to a more exciting game spirit.

It's clear that top programs are too equal in term of strenght.

Also as you said, against weakers programs, take too much risk to win, can return against the stronger programs.

If there's also some way to "solve" the game win very deep opening book and large endgame database.

But this need more powerful computer and more time.

At this time i say a very great THANKS to all the programmers of this forum : Joost, Bert, Ed, Fabien, Gijsbert, Jelle, Taille, Harm, Jan-Jaap, Michel.

We permit to world draughts community to reach another level with your wonderful bains that created these stronger engines.

Thanks again for all.

Friendly, Sidiki.

[Joost Buijs]

International Draughts 10x10 is obviously a game that draws very easily, however this doesn't mean that the game is always a draw theoretically.

The only way to overcome this problem without changing the rules of the game is to use shorter thinking times, this would express the difference between various engines more clearly. Instead of letting the engines think 10 minutes for a game you could make it 1 minute for a game or even less, but that would mean tournaments have to be automated with very strict time control.

Personally I don't understand why computer Draughts tournaments are still played by hand, automating it would make it a lot easier and faster to play tournaments like this. Also the errors that often appear when operating an engine by hand will disappear when everything is automated. The problem of course is standardization, some very old engines can only be operated by hand, others use DXP, and a few use the "UCI clone" HUB.

Maybe the computer Draughts community is too small to justify spending effort in building something like TCEC for Draughts, but it would surely attract new people to this hobby, just my 2 cents.

[Sidiki]

Hi Joost,

You have right, draughts isn't theorically draughts.
I appologize everyone for the little standby, i was in travel with my wife for his new business.

Concerning dxp, all the engines used for the tournament not allow or dxp or dxp_client.

So certains games have to be played manually. Not all the games of course. But be sure that i will run 2 rounds today, perhaps 3.

Also, yes, i think also that to have an exciting tournament and see what program support pressure, the next tournament, that will be organized at the end of the next month, will be 1 minute + 3 / 90 moves.

News comers and will be introduce.

Sorry to all, for this late, and God bless everybody.

Friendly, Sidiki.

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

International Draughts 10x10 is obviously a game that draws very easily, however this doesn't mean that the game is always a draw theoretically.

The only way to overcome this problem without changing the rules of the game is to use shorter thinking times, this would express the difference between various engines more clearly. Instead of letting the engines think 10 minutes for a game you could make it 1 minute for a game or even less, but that would mean tournaments have to be automated with very strict time control.

Personally I don't understand why computer Draughts tournaments are still played by hand, automating it would make it a lot easier and faster to play tournaments like this. Also the errors that often appear when operating an engine by hand will disappear when everything is automated. The problem of course is standardization, some very old engines can only be operated by hand, others use DXP, and a few use the "UCI clone" HUB.

Maybe the computer Draughts community is too small to justify spending effort in building something like TCEC for Draughts, but it would surely attract new people to this hobby, just my 2 cents.

Unfortunately, it's not quite as you would like and think about draughts engines. It all depends on the programmer, his goal and intention to use the draughts program. They've posted about it on the forum before Jelle Wiersma and Jan Jaap van Horssen. Not everyone will make a program to play well for 1 minute or less. A lot of people have written a program or write, for example, for tournaments at the Olympics. And in the Olympics there is no 1 minute to play. As for the website, you can write it all and pay for a private server. But I don't know if it's worth it because very few programs support HUB (because many programmers are not interested in it).