ICGA allows a SF clone in the WCCC, team Leela withdraws

I was truly amazed to see the list of participants of the WCCC this afternoon:

https://icga.org/?page_id=3957

Shashchess, a SF clone, allowed to participate? Really? Consequence: team Leela has withdrawn from the WCCC:

https://lczero.org/blog/2024/10/why-we-withdrew-from-wccc/

it is a shame..

Of course they will withdraw. No balls to play against SF itself, much less a SF based engine. Leela team know their chance to win the event are absolute zero.
But all they did was take the easy way out. They could have chosen to compete against SF Derivative. Compete and show which engine is the best one.

Damir Desevac wrote:

Of course they will withdraw. No balls to play against SF itself, much less a SF based engine. Leela team know their chance to win the event are absolute zero.
But all they did was take the easy way out. They could have chosen to compete against SF Derivative. Compete and show which engine is the best one.

What an utter nonsense.

Looks like they have fun.


Looks like the Raptor Team. In the background David Levy.