Barend Swets

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Barend Swets [1] Barend Swets,

a Dutch engineer and early computer chess programmer, who already started computer chess programming in 1966. His knowledge based chess program Bs6676 was the first Dutch chess program [2] and subject of his thesis under Adriaan de Groot. Bs6676 played the ECCC 1976 [3], the WCCC 1977, the ACM 1978 and ACM 1979, the unofficial Dutch championship matches in 1979 and 1980 [4] and the First Dutch Computer Chess Championship in 1981. Barend Swets was the promoter and one of the founders of the ICCA, and started the ICCA Newsletter along with Ben Mittman in 1978.

Quotes

1997

By Robert Hyatt, 1997 [5]:

Problem is, no one else has stepped forward.  I was there when Barend Swets (Believe the spelling is correct) proposed forming this organization in [1977](WCCC_1977 "WCCC 1977") in Toronto.  I was one of many that stood up and said "yes, I'll join." However, others stood up and said I'll not only join, I'll help for nothing, and the [ICCA](ICCA "ICCA") was formed, and continues to work this way.  

2001

By Jaap van den Herik, 2001 [6] :

In 1977, the [ICCA](ICCA "ICCA") was founded during the [Second World Computer-Chess Championship](WCCC_1977 "WCCC 1977") in Toronto. The organisation was the brainchild of Barend Swets and many participants supported the idea, among them [Ken Thompson](Ken_Thompson "Ken Thompson") who then tied for 4th place amongst 16 participants with his program [BELLE](Belle "Belle"). 

2007

By Jaap van den Herik, 2007 [7]:

In 1978 [Ben Mittman](Ben_Mittman "Ben Mittman") and Barend Swets started the ICCA Newsletter. It was specialized on chess. Owing to the series of [Advances in Computer Chess Conferences](Conferences#AdvancesinComputerChess "Conferences"), which in 1999 changed to [Advances in Computer Games Conferences](Conferences#AdvancesinComputerGames "Conferences"), the ICCA Journal broadened its scope, too, and published articles on other games. This can be seen as a generalization. As a direct consequence, the Journal was renamed into [ICGA Journal](ICGA_Journal "ICGA Journal"). 

2010

By Jaap van den Herik, 2010 [8]:

Along with Barend Swets and [Peter van Diepen](Peter_van_Diepen "Peter van Diepen"), I was one of the followers of [Euwe](Max_Euwe "Max Euwe") and [De Groot](Adriaan_de_Groot "Adriaan de Groot"). Euwe had become extraordinary professor in 1964 Rotterdam and professor in Tilburg (data processing)... 

Publications

[9]

References

  1. Image from Barend Swets (1977). Computers in de opmars. Schakend Nederland 09-1977 (Dutch), pdf hosted by Hein Veldhuis
  2. Eerste Nederlands Kampioenschappen Computerschaken - BS'66'76, het eerste schaakprogramma (Dutch)
  3. Prehistorie van het Nederlandse Computerschaak (Dutch)
  4. Dutch Computer Chess Championships - Complete History of Rankings and Games by Theo van der Storm
  5. Does ICCA publish dissenting views?, post #18 by Robert Hyatt, January 22, 1997, rgcc
  6. Jaap van den Herik (2001). THE BELL CAPTAIN, ICGA Journal, Vol. 24, No. 2
  7. Jaap van den Herik (2007). Editorial of ICGA Journal Vol. 30, No. 1 - March 2007
  8. Max Euwe Centrum - Nieuwsbrief nummer 74 (pdf) (Dutch)
  9. Swets, B. (WorldCat Identities)

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