https://www.conftool.net/cg2013/index.php?page=browseSessions&presentations=show

David Levy

Yokohama, Japan, August 12-18, 2013

Dear ICGA member,

The ICGA is delighted to announce that we have signed a contract for our events for 2013. This includes the Computer Olympiad, the Computer Chess Championships, and the Conference on Computer Games.

In the Olympiad the most important games are Go, Shogi and Nonograms. As usual the Computer Chess Championships consist of the World Computer Chess Championship, the World Chess Software Championship, and the World Computer Chess Blitz Championship.

Our events will take place in Yokohama, Japan, at the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Complex, from August 12th-18th inclusive.

For information about the venue please visit: http://www.pacifico.co.jp/english/index.html

A provisional schedule of the events is attached.  Information about hotel options will be made available shortly.

We are able to offer limited travel support for participants who really need such support. Please see page 3 of the rules document for details.

We hope to see many of you in August in Yokohama.

Jaap van den Herik, David Levy, and Hiroyuki Iida

Provisional schedule

Call for papers

However, I am very pleased to report that for the 2013 ICGA events we have received serious expressions of interest from four (!!) cities, one of which has already reached the contract negotiation stage. All being well the 2013 events will take place commencing August 14th. The location and all other details will be announced as soon as contracts are confirmed and signed.

With best wishes,

David Levy
[ICGA President]

Owing to the financial crisis and the banking crisis, we inform you on the following two changes.

(1) Part of the ABN-AMRO Bank has been sold to the Deutsche Bank Nederland N.V. Therefore our banking account, and its IBAN code, and BIC code now reads as follows.
Account no. 450790878, Maastricht-Airport, the Netherlands.
IBAN code: NL02DEUT0450790878 BIC code: DEUTNL2N

(2) Payment via PayPal is no longer possible since the ICGA organisation does not meet the changed interpretation of the requirements by the PayPal organisation.

P.S. Payment by credit card (Visa/Mastercard) is still possible.

The International Computer Games Association (ICGA) has received a formal complaint from Fabien Letouzey, the programmer of FRUIT, regarding the program LOOP. In addition the ICGA has received sufficient prima facie evidence to warrant an investigation. The allegation is that LOOP, which has participated in the World Computer Chess Championship, uses code derived from FRUIT. FRUIT placed second at the 2005 World Computer Chess Championship in Reykjavik.

LOOP was developed by Dr Fritz Reul. The ICGA has attempted to contact Dr Reul in order to give him the opportunity of commenting on the allegation prior to the ICGA conducting a technical investigation into LOOP, but it appears to us that Dr Reul does not wish to be found. The email address that had previously been used by Dr Reul is no longer active, so on behalf of the ICGA I have sent him two emails via a friend of his who indicated that he would pass email on to Dr Reul, who did not respond to either of my emails.

The ICGA is now commencing an “in absentia” investigation into LOOP in order to examine the allegation about the use of code derived from FRUIT. If Dr Reul wishes to defend himself against these allegations the ICGA would be pleased to hear from him. He will then be invited to comment on any evidence that the ICGA might consider during the investigation process.

Allegations have also been made concerning the program THINKER, which will also be the subject of an ICGA investigation.

Dr Riis gave his article a title to suggest that a miscarriage of justice has taken place. The ICGA now responds with two rebuttal articles, one by myself (as President of the ICGA) concerning some of the legalistic points raised by Riis’s article, and a robust detailed and thorough technical rebuttal by Mark Watkins.

Everyone interested in the Rybka scandal should read both of these rebuttals and then decide for themselves who and what they believe – Dr Riisor the ICGA’s investigation report.

Dr David Levy President – ICGA

The four parts of the Riis article: http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7791, http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7807, http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7811, http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=7813

David Levy’s  Rebuttal: http://icga.uvt.nl/wp-uploads/2013/03/DL_Rebuttal_to_Riis_article.January7th2012.pdf

Mark Watkins Technical Rebuttal: http://icga.uvt.nl/wp-uploads/2013/03/Riis3_Mark.Watkins.for_.ICGA_.pdf