Independent Computer Chess Discussion Forum
https://open-chess.org/
I mean I would think that Chessbase would want to keep the customers happy after all. 
So I guess it's okay!
Congratulations Jeremy, your post I believe seems to have made a difference, at least if what Ted is reporting is true!!Jeremy Bernstein wrote:These are the PlayChess Machine Room rules:
So, Harvey Williamson, why don't you allow participation of Ippolit, Robbolito, Houdini engines in the PlayChess Machine Room?Compulsory rules:
1. Chatting on a chess server has the same legal status as any verbal or written communication between individuals. Insults have legal consequences, in particular, severe insults and incitement may result in criminal prosecution. Every player can be unambiguously identified through his IP address which is stored by the server. Apart from legal consequences, insults of any kind will be punished by complete bans without further notice, the duration of which is subject to the severe ness of the offence.
2. Here, like everywhere else, it is forbidden to trade commercial programs or engines or to use traded or bootlegged software or engines. Contraventions will be punished, at least by a complete permanent banning of all access accounts and other legal action may be taken against the offender as deemed appropriate. Excluded are, of course, freeware or shareware programs as well as the Nalimov Tablebases which are not subject to any copyright.
3. Boosting an Elo rating by losing intentionally (padding) is forbidden, regardless whether the loss occurs against your own access accounts, friends or relatives. As soon as such boosting is noticed by a ChessBase employee, all accounts of the involved players will be immediately banned. If in doubt, please play friendly games which are not Elo rated.
4. Manipulating your own system (e.g. lag) is unfair and leads to banning. Please schedule lengthy uploads or downloads to a time other than when you are playing.
Here's a new place, custom-created to discuss this issue. So, let's discuss. You are certainly aware that Houdini has an author, which would rule it out of the ad hoc rule expressed above (I use the term ad hoc, since it's not a rule published in the official rules, therefore one might assume that it's your rule -- feel free to discuss that, too).Harvey Williamson wrote:Engines with unknown authors have never been allowed so that deals with most of them. As for he rest of your question here is not the place to discuss it.
Jeremy
I don't believe for a second that I had anything to do with it. Most likely CEGT deserves the praise.kingliveson wrote:Congratulations Jeremy, your post I believe seems to have made a difference, at least if what Ted is reporting is true!!
Jeremy Bernstein wrote:The PlayChess Forum is gone from hiarcs.net. Looks like there may have been a parting of ways. Harvey wrote somewhere (note to legal, this is a paraphrase): "as long as I'm sysop, [the clones] won't be allowed on PlayChess," or something similar -- I can't find the quote right now. Anyway, looks like famous last words.
I don't enjoy the prospect of anyone losing their "jobs", and I hope that whatever occurred was amicable.
Jeremy