Rybka Controversy Renewed

In June 2010 Vasik Rajlich, the author of the strongest commercial chess software program - Rybka, was sensationally accused of plagiarizing code from other programs, especially Fruit.

The International Computer Games Association (ICGA) stripped Rybka of all its World Championship titles and banned the engine from taking part in future events.

Vasik Rajlich denied the accusations and strongly disputed the methods used and conclusions drawn by the investigation.

Now the pot has been stirred once more by Rajlich's commercial partner, the German chess software powerhouse Chessbase.

Chessbase are currently publishing a detailed defence of Rajlich and Rybka at their website, written by Dr. Søren Riis, a computer scientist at Queen Mary University, London.

The Doctor states that "to convict and sentence a man due to his presumed ethical failings and then attempt to ruin him on a world stage you need a very high standard of evidence...I must emphatically reject the conclusion that the similarities between Rybka and Fruit are so overwhelming that Rajlich must have copied Fruit code. It is clear that Rybka is an original program by any reasonable standard".

Of course Chessbase have a strong commercial motivation to defend their popular software, so a report commissioned by them cannot be regarded as independent on this complicated and controversial matter.

If you have the time, stomach, and knowledge to read the detailed report, part 1 , part 2 , part 3, and part 4.