1: Participation
1-1: Attending the competition
Each competitor should show up to the competition hall during the UEC Cup. This is because one of the purpose of the UEC Cup is to produce a free space for computer Go developers to meet together and exchange infromation. When it is impossible for a competitor to show up for some reason, the UEC Cup committee can allow him/her to send a delegated operator, who will act and operate computers instead of the competitor. A written format should be submitted for using a delegated operator in advance to the registeration, and the UEC Cup has the right to decide whether it is accepted or not.
1-2: Bringing computers
Each competitor should bring a computer, together with necessary accessories such as power cables to the competition hall. There is no limit on computer, unless it is too huge to be placed in the room, or consumes electricity too much for the usual AC power supply of Japan. (Each competitor must report how much AC power is needed at maximum.) For competitors who cannot bring in a computer on some reason, there are two ways to resolve it. See 1-3 and 1-4.
1-3: Using the UEC Cup Computers
For those who cannot bring a computer, the UEC Cup office prepares a limited number of computers running Linux, Windows XP or Windows Vista. A written format must be submitted to the conference committee to use these computers. Because the number of such computers is very limited, the committee has the right to decide who uses which computer, or when the number of computers is not sufficient, who cannot. The UEC Cup committee shall not owe any responsibility when the computers have any troubles in hardware nor software.
1-4: Using a Remote Host via the Internet
Another way to join the UEC Cup without bringing in a computer is to use the Internet connection for game information exchange. This is used when the computer of a competitor is so huge that he/she cannot bring it to the venue. Because of security purpose, we do not allow to play a game on the Internet. The Internet connection must only be used for communicating between a (possibly delegated) operator in the conference room and a remote computer. The operator then must use some GUI program to play a match. See 2-2 for using GUI program. Anyone who want to use a remote host must submit a written format to the UEC Cup committee at registration, and receive a permission for remote play.
2: Playing a Match
2-1 Playing through Network
Games are played over a TCP/IP network. A game managing server will be set up to manage the game. A programs should be able to play games over the network. For the protocols, see Protocols.
2-2 Playing by hand
If games over the network are impossible for a program, the competitor can manually input moves through the GUI program the UEC Cup office prepares. In this case, the following conditions will be applied. The operator must input a move designated by the program. If he/she input different moves, the competitor loses the game immediately. The time to input moves is also clocked.
4: Operating a computer
4-1 Deciding Operator
Each individual competitor must be an operator, unless he/she decides a delegated operator. Each team competitor must decide an operator from the team members, or a delegated operator. Only a (delegated) operator can operate a computer during a game.
4-2 Something Prohibited
An operator cannot revise or give an additional information to the computer program during a game. It is not permitted to communicate with remote computers other than the server the UEC Cup office prepares.
4-3 Volunteer Operators
The committee prepares a very limited number of volunteer operators for the case a competitor cannot operate computers on some reason. Any competitor who wants to use this service must apply for this with the reason at entry registration. Please understand that these operators might operates computers wrongly by accident, which result in a lost game. Even in that case, the UEC Cup office nor the operator cannot owe its responsibility.
5: Originality of Go program
Each competitor prepares a computer Go program which is original. In particular, each program making an entry must have originality in the game playing algorithm. The judgement of the originality is done by the UEC Cup director. More than one program may make entries to the competition by the same team, as long as each program has originality in the game playing algorithm. If a team wishes to have more than one program to enter the competetion, they must report the difference of the programs to the UEC Cup office. The organizer may ask for a copy of the programs in order to decide if there is any originality in each program. The the UEC Cup office may reject a program if it does not have originality.
