GAME NEWS:
Chess fans rechoice; your computer world champion has just lost its crown.
The computer engine Rybka, created by Vasik Rajlich, has been banned from competition and stripped of its four previous world champion crowns. The International Computer Games Association has determined that Rajlich stole programming code from other designers chess programs in creating his engine.
Rajlich has also been ordered to return all prize money won by his engine's wins. The only confirmed prize money claimed via championships sits at $1,593 for the 2010 win; it's unclear how much was won for 2007, 2008, and 2009.
Rajlich is a master chess level player and refused to take part in the investigation into the program's code.
Other sources note that Rybka has other, non-world champion wins with large sums of prize money won and that it is unclear whether or not the decision to strip the program of titles and reclaim prize money will affect other events. In particular, Rybka won a 2007 match with a prize payout of $15,930 after defeating Jaan Ehlvest.
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