Some of you may have heard about the pompously titled "Ultimate Computer Chess Challenge 2007." Paradoxically, it is between Fritz and Junior, chess engines that aren't even close to being the best according to the rating lists. There was no qualification match and the top engines were never even given a chance to participate. :o
Chessbase and the FIDE, as if by divine wisdom, decided to use Fritz and Junior (a win-win situation for Chessbase which sells both). The #1 chess engine by more than 75 ELO and compared to Fritz/Junior by more than 150 ELO was not even considered (http://www.husvankempen.de/nunn/40_4_Ratinglist/40_4_BestVersion/rangliste.html). Of course, many people were appalled.
As such, it is no surprise that Vasik Rajlich, the author of Rybka, offered a $100,000 prize fund (probably from his own pocket) so that his chess engine can just have a chance to be seen. Read more here: http://rybkachess.com/docs/ChallengeToFIDE.htm and show your support by telling others and e-mailing Chessbase about the news here: http://www.chessbase.com/contact/mail/feedback.aspx. If this isn't publicized it will go unnoticed. After which, the FIDE and Chessbase will continue with their sham while the top engine authors will be getting the finger despite their tireless efforts. This doesn't seem moral to me. >🙁 What do you think about this?
Talking about Euwe, I think he was one of the nicest chess players ever. Chess has been known to attract certain, for lack of a better word, "annoying people" (apparently I'm not allowed to post a stronger expletive, even though I think considering the context, a stronger expletive should fit perfectly). Paranoid people who knew only one thing well. But Euwe was special. I'm always reminded of this one story by Tim Krabbé, a Dutch writer and chess specialist.
"I remember a gloomy tournament in 1980, where Donner (53), Ligterink (30) and Van der Sterren (24) played for one place on the Dutch Olympiad team. I can still see Euwe at a demonstration board in the noisy lobby of the hotel where the last game was played, commenting for 5 or 6 spectators. Nobody seemed to have been assigned to pick up the pieces that dropped to the floor, but being Euwe, the 79-year old great man picked them up himself, without a word.
I don't remember which game that last one was, but the result was that Ligterink and Donner tied for first, and there still had to be some tie-break. Then word came that Donner had yielded the place to Ligterink. "When I can't bang their heads together anymore, it is time for me to go," he said. "
And most importantly this story: http://www.xs4all.nl/~timkr/chess2/diary_16.htm
It is item 312 on the page. Every time I think about chess and Euwe, this story comes to mind. Chess and more broadly speaking, the world, needs people with such an inherent kindness.
At any rate, that's what I think.
P.S.: For those interested, Tim Krabbé's chesssite is certainly worth the visit, at http://www.xs4all.nl/%7Etimkr/chess/chess.html
Many years ago my dad took me to watch a simul Euwe gave and I got to meet him. He was very impressive especially to a 13 year old beginner. He was polite enough to give me his autograph with the note "Good luck with chess interest. Sincerely, M. Euwe" I still value it today.