Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-29 Thread Don Dailey
On Fri, 2006-12-29 at 15:28 +0100, Łukasz Lew wrote:
 The handicaps are set up in a way that white passes between Black's
 moves.
 Ie. he gives one point to the black N-1 times.

This isn't elegant.   The stones work out nicely as you say,  but after
a
pass move the opponent has a right to pass and end the game.   So to 
implement this correctly we have to employ ugly inconsistencies in
the rules - exceptions.   We impose pass moves at the start but also
forbid pass moves (otherwise black always wins by passing after white
passes.)

I agree however that it does accomplish several interesting objectives.
Personally, I'm not married to unification of rules,  Japanese and
Chinese
are different rules and nothing will change that.

I'm actually leaning back towards John Tromps suggestion and going with
straight Tromp Taylor rules except for the suicide rule.   The only
reason
I oppose the suicide rule is that it makes it possible to extend the 
games to ridiculous lengths - it's merely a practical consideration.
And
I say practical because there are bots that will do it as a matter of
course.

With Tromp Taylor rules, the system would work like this:

  1.  Standard TT playing rules - except suicide is illegal.
 
  2.  Handicap - the weaker player is black and gets to place
  N stones.   Period.That is all there is to it.  The
  game is scored exactly the same as it is now.  

The only consideration for scoring the end of the game,  is
knowing what komi is.That's a necessary evil and the only
solution is to not have komi, but I'm not going to do that.

If we feel that compensation is due, for the handicap stones,
the server can add this to the komi transparently,  your program
doesn't need to worry about it. More than likely I would
send a different komi for each handicap stone, but that's a
detail your program doesn't need to know about since komi is
sent at the start of the game.

I believe this is the lesser of all the evils.  I wanted fixed
handicap,  but this seems more compatible somehow with Chinese
rules.The weaker programs will not benefit much from the
handicap, which I don't like but it's their own fault!   I suggest
the weaker programs are pre-set to place the initial stones
in logical places.

The only other little detail is how to start the games.  There
are 2 reasonable possibilities:

  1. Use the gtp place_free_handicap command.

 The server asks the program to return a list of stones
 to start the handicap game.

  2. Just send the appropriate genmove and play commands.


I'm leaning towards option 2, because it WILL NOT REQUIRE
a single modification to your program if it already plays
on CGOS.  

UNLESS,  your program is incapable of playing or generating
2 moves in a row for the same color.   If it doesn't,  then
you have a faulty GTP implementation and should fix it anyway.

MY program just fills in the gaps with pass moves but you are 
free to handle it any way you choose that works for you.

If your program is taking black you would get someting 
like this from the GTP channel:

  clear_board
  komi 0.5
  boardsize 19
  genmove black
  genmove black
  genmove black
  
for a 3 stone handicap game.  The opponent would get the
corresponding  consecutive play commands.

I know this won't make everyone happy - but I believe it is
more in the spirit of a simple logical rule-set and is what
drew me to Tromp/Taylor rules in the first place.   Might as
well stick close to it.

We can call this rule-set CGOS - which is exactly tromp/taylor
without suicide.

- Don


















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RE: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-29 Thread House, Jason J.
From what I know about rulesets, I actually prefer AGA.  I believe it
was designed to have the same result for both area and territory
scoring.  It has the pass costs one point rule.  There's something
special about if white passes first because then the number of stones
places on the board are not equal.  It also has an (N-1) compensation
for handicap which seems more correct to me.  Of course, the (N-1) only
applies when doing area scoring; when doing territory scoring, it just
works out.

-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lukasz Lew
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 9:28 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; computer-go
Subject: Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

I did some research and I would like to change my vote.

My criterion for perfect rules are elegance, simplicity and 
consistency.
As You know I want unification of area and territory scoring.
So here is my proposal.

The unification needs that *pass* costs one point.
And this is only modification needed.

Agitation:

You can think about pass as playing the stone not on the board 
but directly
to the opponent's captured stones.

This is elegant both under area and territory scoring because:

a) On area scoring giving a stone to the opponent is 0 points 
as well as
playing in your own territory as well as
playing in opponent territory.

b) On territory scoring all 3 options
(opponents captured stones, yours, and opponents territories) 
cost one point.

The handicaps are set up in a way that white passes between 
Black's moves.
Ie. he gives one point to the black N-1 times.

Please think about it.

Łukasz

On 12/29/06, Don Dailey [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 To be honest, it seems very ugly to me but it seems to be what the
 majority
 like.

 Apparently KGS handles it this way,  the program just has to 
magically
 know what the compensation is.   But that's true of any 
handicap system,
 the program has to have the correct understanding.

 I think we had this discussion before, but there appears to be no
 concise way to state the rules with the myriads of variations they
 entail.

 - Don


 On Fri, 2006-12-29 at 01:57 +0100, John Tromp wrote:
 
 
  On 12/28/06, Don Dailey [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
   Just to be precise: KGS does option 2 if you 
select chinese
  rules, and
   it also does option 1 when you select AGA rules.
 
  And to be more precise,  here is how it might work:
 
Handicap

0- komi is 7.5 and either player plays black.
1- komi is 0.5 and weaker player plays black.
2- komi is 0.5, weaker player gets 
black, white gets
  2 points.
3- komi is 0.5 , weaker player gets black, white
  gets 3 points.
 
  At 2 handicap and beyond, the net effect is as if komi was
  increased by
  the number of stones handicap (but it won't be implemented
  that way.)
 
  Is this how everyone else understands it?
 
  That makes little sense to me. If you want to give white 
extra points
  at the end
  of the game, then put it in the komi. That's what it's for!
  So above, for 2hcap, komi will be 2.5, and for 3hcap, it will be
  3.5...
  Why introduce 2 different komi's that need to be added?
 
  -John
 
 
 
 

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Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-29 Thread John Tromp

On 12/29/06, Łukasz Lew [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:


I did some research and I would like to change my vote.

My criterion for perfect rules are elegance, simplicity and consistency.
As You know I want unification of area and territory scoring.
So here is my proposal.

The unification needs that *pass* costs one point.
And this is only modification needed.

The handicaps are set up in a way that white passes between Black's moves.
Ie. he gives one point to the black N-1 times.

Please think about it.



For reducing the value of handicap stones under area scoring,
white should *get* an extra point for each
additional handicap stone, not *lose* a point as you suggest.

-John
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Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-29 Thread dhillismail
  This seems clean and reasonable to me. (Or you could just as easily have 
the server do the adjustment and set Komi to 3.5; that would also be consistent 
with TT rules). If my bot sees 2 black moves in a row, it can figure out it's 
in a handicap game.
  A bigger question to me is, how large a handicap might be encountered. 
Will we see Mogo playing Random with 100 stone handicap, or will excessive 
mismatches be disallowed altogether?
 
Dave Hillis
 
 
-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
On Fri, 2006-

If your program is taking black you would get someting 
like this from the GTP channel:

  clear_board
  komi 0.5
  boardsize 19
  genmove black
  genmove black
  genmove black
  
for a 3 stone handicap game.  The opponent would get the
corresponding  consecutive play commands.

I know this won't make everyone happy - but I believe it is
more in the spirit of a simple logical rule-set and is what
drew me to Tromp/Taylor rules in the first place.   Might as
well stick close to it.

We can call this rule-set CGOS - which is exactly tromp/taylor
without suicide.

- Don


















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RE: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-29 Thread House, Jason J.
 

However, I will probably maintain the current scheduling 
algorithm which
will make the larger mismatches fairly rare though not impossible.
This
will be good because it means we will still prefer non-handicap games,
and
I'm guessing that the vast majority of games will not be be large
hendicap ones.   In other words, we won't schedule randomly 
just because
we can handicap to make it fair.


Actually, how will the scheduler and ratings get handled?  I saw a
proposal for treating bots receiving (or giving?) handicap as a
different entity.  I assume you'd do a two stage match-up...  One to
pick the pair of bots to play and then pick the handicap.

I worry a bit about the weaker programs never playing a stronger
program without any handicap and possibly never benefiting from defeats
of stronger programs.
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RE: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-29 Thread House, Jason J.
 

My plan was to simply use the same scheduling algorithm I currently
use.  I would take the weaker base player and see if handicap
versions of himself more closely matches the ELO rating needed to
give an even game.

I assume the same method of an updated engine connecting with a new
login still applies?



Another way is that when a player is first created, several handicap
versions spring into existence and I treat them all the same.   
They are all just unrated entities.   It this case the scheduling
algorithm would have to change - since 2 handicap players cannot
play the same game.  But then it's possible to have serious 
mismatches, which the handicap system is supposed to try to solve.

That sounds like a bot can not play itself.  There's also the issue
that a bot can only have on opponent per connection to CGOS.  A raw
engine and an engine with handicap, for example, can't have games going
on simultaneously.  When treating the handicap versions as completely
separate entities, that seems like the biggest problem to me.  (That's
also what led me to thinking of a two stage match-up routine)
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Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-29 Thread Weston Markham

Okay.  Don's later post does indicate that he intends to compensate
for the stones.  So, in the interest of being 100% clear:  is this
compensation included in the komi value that is sent to the client?

Weston

On 12/29/06, Weston Markham [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

Am I correct in inferring that this is also what
Don Dailey has in mind, but with no compensation for the handicap
stones?

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RE: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-29 Thread Don Dailey
I'm considering this proposal to rate handicaps separately, still
haven't decided but it's appealing.

My plan was to simply use the same scheduling algorithm I currently
use.  I would take the weaker base player and see if handicap
versions of himself more closely matches the ELO rating needed to
give an even game.

Until handicap versions are established of each player, I would
have to make some initial assumptions about the strength of the
handicap entities.   One possibility is to wait for a player to
get established before creating the handicap entities.   Once
they are established, I estimate a rating for the handicap 
versions and give them pretty high initial K factors.   

Another way is that when a player is first created, several handicap
versions spring into existence and I treat them all the same.   
They are all just unrated entities.   It this case the scheduling
algorithm would have to change - since 2 handicap players cannot
play the same game.  But then it's possible to have serious 
mismatches, which the handicap system is supposed to try to solve.



- Don




On Fri, 2006-12-29 at 14:19 -0500, House, Jason J. wrote:
  
 However, I will probably maintain the current scheduling 
 algorithm which
 will make the larger mismatches fairly rare though not impossible.
 This
 will be good because it means we will still prefer non-handicap games,
 and
 I'm guessing that the vast majority of games will not be be large
 hendicap ones.   In other words, we won't schedule randomly 
 just because
 we can handicap to make it fair.
 
 
 Actually, how will the scheduler and ratings get handled?  I saw a
 proposal for treating bots receiving (or giving?) handicap as a
 different entity.  I assume you'd do a two stage match-up...  One to
 pick the pair of bots to play and then pick the handicap.
 
 I worry a bit about the weaker programs never playing a stronger
 program without any handicap and possibly never benefiting from defeats
 of stronger programs.

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Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-29 Thread Don Dailey
I agree with you.   Weston's post convinced me that the program should
know
in advance what the handicap is to be and thus sending consecutive
genmove
commands is not really correct technically speaking.

I don't like implied compensation, but apparently it is popular and KGS
does it.   However,  CGOS won't be doing it.  

I am really torn about this,  but in the end I don't want to implement
something I consider slightly broken just because another server does
it.

I think currently this falls under the category that you need to tell
your program (via a command line parameter or config file) what the 
rules of compensation are.   The rules for CGOS will be that komi
by itself tells you everything you need to know about compensation.

- Don


On Fri, 2006-12-29 at 14:27 -0600, Nick Apperson wrote:
 using gen_move to place handicap stones seems unreasonable to me when
 there is a command intended for that purpose.  The point of GTP is to
 make it easy to implement the protocol.  Anything that either breaks
 programs that are written to the specification (as in using gen_move
 instead of free_place_handicap) or makes GTP more complicated works.
 Implicit handicaps are rediculous.  Send it as the komi.  The
 following steps will always make it clear to any bot that implements
 GTP correctly what they should do: 

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Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-28 Thread Rémi Coulom

Don Dailey wrote:

I'll take a final poll - speak now or forever hold your peace!

Should we:

  1.  Give white N-1 stones at end of game.  (where N = handicap)
  2.  Give white N stones at end of game.  (N = handicap)
  3.  Give white N stones except handicap 1 case.
  4.  Not worry about giving white anything but the appropriate
  handicap stones.

Option 4 seems a lot cleaner and is WYSIWYG at end of game along
with komi of course.

  
I vote for 2 because that is what KGS does, and that is how I have 
implemented handicap in my program.


It has already been said already, but I insist: what we need is a GTP 
command to tell the program what are the rules of the game. I would be 
glad to implement such a command, and would not care about the 
compensation method, then.


Rémi
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Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-28 Thread Urban Hafner

-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-
Hash: SHA1


On Dec 28, 2006, at 10:28 , Rémi Coulom wrote:


Don Dailey wrote:

I'll take a final poll - speak now or forever hold your peace!

Should we:

  1.  Give white N-1 stones at end of game.  (where N = handicap)
  2.  Give white N stones at end of game.  (N = handicap)
  3.  Give white N stones except handicap 1 case.
  4.  Not worry about giving white anything but the appropriate
  handicap stones.

Option 4 seems a lot cleaner and is WYSIWYG at end of game along
with komi of course.


I vote for 2 because that is what KGS does, and that is how I have  
implemented handicap in my program.


I'd vote for 2, too. Because that's the way (apparently) KGS does it  
so it seems like a good idea not to have two different ways to handle  
things out there.


Urban
- --
http://bettong.net - Urban's Blog


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Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-28 Thread Jacques Basaldúa

Markus Enzenberger wrote:

would it make sense to treat players with handicap 
as completely different players? For example, GNU 
Go giving one handicap stone would be a different 
player and get a rating independent of GNU Go in 
an even game?


I like that !! It would give very valuable information.

Don Dailey wrote:

Actually,  1 program would have at most 10 entries 
if I allow up to 9 handicap stones.


I don't think its necessary. Two entries would be 
enough: handicap and even. Or maybe three, at most: 
given handicap, taken handicap and even.


E.g. xxBot, xxBotH+, xxBotH-

Jacques.

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Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-28 Thread steve uurtamo
sorry, i just realized how out of context that was.

in response to X is 50kyu, Y is 300kyu, etc.

30kyu is a good bottom end.  the bottom has to be 
somewhere, and 30kyu humans are easily beaten by
most anything stronger than random play.  more than
39 levels is asking quite a bit of the ranking
system, given that handicap stones are expected to
act somewhat linearally for small differences between 
ranks.

the reality is that 30kyu is often just a way to refer

to someone who has only minutes before learned the 
rules.  nobody is expected to stay at 30kyu for more 
than, say, 2 or 3 games.

a random player that doesn't fill its own eyes is a 
great 30kyu player in my mind.

if ELO suppression is needed, a fixed anchor near
the high end could always be estimated from a
public-domain program that plays at, say, KGS.

s.

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Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-28 Thread nando

On 12/28/06, Urban Hafner [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
(...)

 Should we:

   1.  Give white N-1 stones at end of game.  (where N = handicap)
   2.  Give white N stones at end of game.  (N = handicap)
   3.  Give white N stones except handicap 1 case.
   4.  Not worry about giving white anything but the appropriate
   handicap stones.

 I vote for 2 because that is what KGS does, and that is how I have
 implemented handicap in my program.

I'd vote for 2, too. Because that's the way (apparently) KGS does it
so it seems like a good idea not to have two different ways to handle
things out there.


Just to be precise: KGS does option 2 if you select chinese rules, and
it also does option 1 when you select AGA rules.

-- nando
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RE: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-28 Thread Don Dailey
There are 3 gtp commands for handling this:

  fixed_handicap
  place_free_handicap
  set_free_handicap

You are arguing that fixed_handicap, even though it's quite
explicit, is the wrong one to use in this situation?

set_free_handicap would also work - the server just specifies
the points and tells both engines.

It doesn't matter which we use but I would use the one I thought
would avoid the most confusion.

Which command does KGS use? 

- Don



On Thu, 2006-12-28 at 15:56 -0500, House, Jason J. wrote:
  And your programs must be set up to just understand this if it
  matters.
  ...
  it will know where to put the
  stones initially,
 
 I disagree with this portion.  One of the handicap options has the
 server explicitly tell the client where to put the handicap stones.
 For the sanity of everyone, the server should just tell the bots where
 to put the stones.  If you meant that the engine should accept and
 understand that command, then I agree.

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RE: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-28 Thread House, Jason J.
 

There are 3 gtp commands for handling this:

  fixed_handicap
  place_free_handicap
  set_free_handicap

You are arguing that fixed_handicap, even though it's quite
explicit, is the wrong one to use in this situation?

set_free_handicap would also work - the server just specifies
the points and tells both engines.

It doesn't matter which we use but I would use the one I thought
would avoid the most confusion.

Which command does KGS use? 

In my experimentation with bots on kgs, I think KGS uses
place_free_handicap and set_free_handicap.  I didn't even
realize/remember there was a fixed_handicap command.
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Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-28 Thread John Tromp

On 12/28/06, Don Dailey [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:


 Just to be precise: KGS does option 2 if you select chinese rules, and
 it also does option 1 when you select AGA rules.

And to be more precise,  here is how it might work:

  Handicap
  
  0- komi is 7.5 and either player plays black.
  1- komi is 0.5 and weaker player plays black.
  2- komi is 0.5, weaker player gets black, white gets 2 points.
  3- komi is 0.5, weaker player gets black, white gets 3 points.

At 2 handicap and beyond, the net effect is as if komi was increased by
the number of stones handicap (but it won't be implemented that way.)

Is this how everyone else understands it?



That makes little sense to me. If you want to give white extra points at the
end
of the game, then put it in the komi. That's what it's for!
So above, for 2hcap, komi will be 2.5, and for 3hcap, it will be 3.5...
Why introduce 2 different komi's that need to be added?

-John
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Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-28 Thread Don Dailey
To be honest, it seems very ugly to me but it seems to be what the
majority
like.

Apparently KGS handles it this way,  the program just has to magically
know what the compensation is.   But that's true of any handicap system,
the program has to have the correct understanding.

I think we had this discussion before, but there appears to be no
concise way to state the rules with the myriads of variations they
entail.

- Don


On Fri, 2006-12-29 at 01:57 +0100, John Tromp wrote:
 
 
 On 12/28/06, Don Dailey [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
  Just to be precise: KGS does option 2 if you select chinese
 rules, and
  it also does option 1 when you select AGA rules.
 
 And to be more precise,  here is how it might work:
 
   Handicap
    
   0- komi is 7.5 and either player plays black.
   1- komi is 0.5 and weaker player plays black.
   2- komi is 0.5, weaker player gets black, white gets
 2 points.
   3- komi is 0.5 , weaker player gets black, white
 gets 3 points.
 
 At 2 handicap and beyond, the net effect is as if komi was
 increased by
 the number of stones handicap (but it won't be implemented
 that way.)
 
 Is this how everyone else understands it?
 
 That makes little sense to me. If you want to give white extra points
 at the end
 of the game, then put it in the komi. That's what it's for!
 So above, for 2hcap, komi will be 2.5, and for 3hcap, it will be
 3.5...
 Why introduce 2 different komi's that need to be added?
 
 -John
 
 
 
 

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[computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-27 Thread terry mcintyre
Here's John Tromp's reply: he does not specify compensation for handicap stones 
- but leaves wiggle room for the players to choose such komi as they wish. 
 
- Forwarded Message 
From: John Tromp [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: terry mcintyre [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2006 4:25:59 PM
Subject: Re: Compensation for handicap plays?

dear Terry,

On 12/22/06, terry mcintyre [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
I've been following the discussion on the Computer Go list, where the question 
of implementing handicaps on the CGOS server has arisen.

My reading of your Tromp-Taylor rules suggests that, when black has a handicap 
of n stones, no compensation is given to white.

In my rules a handicap of n stones only means that white passes her first
n-1 turns. It does not have any implications for komi, which can still be 
freely chosen.



Some other systems do compensate white.

http://www.britgo.org/rules/compare.html#comp discusses the topic.
 I must admit that I find the adjustment of komi as used in chinese and AGA 
rules

rather ugly and prefer the SST and New Zealand approach to simply make the
value of handicap stones a little larger.
 

regards,
-John








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Re: [computer-go] Fw: Compensation for handicap plays?

2006-12-27 Thread Aloril
On Wed, 2006-12-27 at 19:16 -0500, Don Dailey wrote:
 This is a mess.   I'll need to make a decision soon as I'm already 
 testing the 19x19 server - getting some baseline data so that I
 can then estimate the proper handicap assignments.   
 
 I don't know if this will be an issue for many programs,  but the
 Monte Carlo programs will have to figure it correctly or they will
 suffer.
 
 Personally,  I like the simple SST/New Zealand approach - no special
 compensation.   It's more of a WYSIWYG approach.
 
 Magnus suggests using compensation to make it more KGS compatible.
 
 But we are not trying to keep the handicap traditional, we are actually
 going to let the games and the results determine handicap and use
 ELO.   So there is no argument for keeping it Japanese compatible.
 
 I'll take a final poll - speak now or forever hold your peace!
 
 Should we:
 
   1.  Give white N-1 stones at end of game.  (where N = handicap)
   2.  Give white N stones at end of game.  (N = handicap)
   3.  Give white N stones except handicap 1 case.
   4.  Not worry about giving white anything but the appropriate
   handicap stones.
 
 Option 4 seems a lot cleaner and is WYSIWYG at end of game along
 witPlacing 2 handicap stones for playerW and playerB:


Options 1 and 2 using standard handicap gtp commands would subtly break
KGS compatibility which I think is bad idea. I vote against that.

I see 3 different options from coding bot viewpoint.
(named as 4a, 4b and 3)

Option 4a
-

Place handicap stones by genmove/play commands including pass move for
white. No extra handicap compensation.

Handicap 2 example:

playerB: genmove black

playerW: play black [result of above genmove]
playerW: play white PASS

playerB: play white PASS
playerB: genmove black

playerW: play black [result of above genmove]
playerW: genmove white

playerB: play white [result of above genmove]
playerB: genmove black

... continued as normally.

Good points:
Simple and possibly no changes in clients needed (including
cgosGtp.tcl).
Colors alternate as some clients might except them to do.

Bad point:
Breaks 2 passes ends game paradigm.
Example: black sees white passed and if I pass now game ends as win for
me and decides to pass too.

Option 4b
-

Place handicap stones by genmove/play commands but no pass moves for
white. No extra handicap compensation.

Handicap 2 example:

playerB: genmove black

playerW: play black [result of above genmove]

playerB: genmove black

playerW: play black [result of above genmove]
playerW: genmove white

playerB: play white [result of above genmove]
playerB: genmove black

... continued as normally.

Good point:
Simple and possibly no changes in clients needed (including
cgosGtp.tcl).
Keeps 2 passes ends game paradigm.

Bad point:
Some clients might assume consecutive moves alternate colors.

Option 3


Use gtp standard place_free_handicap and set_free_handicap when handicap
is 2 or bigger and use same handicap compensation as KGS uses under
chinese rules. I think its option 3 Give white N stones except handicap
1 case. 

Good point:
Standard way to place handicaps and client knows its handicap placement
and not normal genmove.

Bad points:
Needs support for those in clients and cgosGtp.tcl
Need to clearly define/state handicap compensation possibly outside gtp
protocol.
More complex.


My vote is for option 4b.
I think breaking alternate coloring of moves is less worse than breaking
2 passes ends game and its more simple than option 3.

-- 
Aloril [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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