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<title>Update Information: February 1, 2011 - Spike 1.4</title>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Reply by Ron, Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 00:47:</em></p><p><p>Thanks, Gerhard!</p>
<p>I will change it.</p>
</p>]]></content:encoded>
<link>http://www.computer-chess.org/forum/index.php?id=1264</link>
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<pubDate>Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:47:20 +0000</pubDate>
<category>Updates</category>
<dc:creator>Ron</dc:creator>
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<title>Update Information: February 1, 2011 - Spike 1.4</title>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Reply by Gerhard, Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 05:19:</em></p><p><p>Hi Ron</p>
<p>sorry there is a little wrong</p>
<p>in engine-list is entry with old version number</p>
<p>2011/02/01 	Spike 	1.2 </p>
<p>best wishes<br />
Gerhard</p>
</p>]]></content:encoded>
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<pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 05:19:43 +0000</pubDate>
<category>Updates</category>
<dc:creator>Gerhard</dc:creator>
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<title>Update Information: February 1, 2011</title>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Posting by Ron, Wednesday, February 02, 2011, 03:17:</em></p><p><p><span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Engine Updates</strong></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">Arasan 12.3 (WB/UCI)</span></strong><br />
C++ source; mp; Win32/64, Linux<br />
-changes to move ordering in qsearch - formerly we used to call see() in the initial move sorting phase but now it is deferred until we are ready to use a move - this is how most programs do it<br />
- Linux version uses an ASM routine (if USE_ASM is defined) for bit extraction - this is much faster (on CPUs that support it)<br />
- small fix to pin detection<br />
- bug fixes in scoring: specifically in adjustMaterialScoreNoPawns, outpost scoring, potential passer scoring, passer piece block<br />
- reduce penalty for open files around king (was excessive)<br />
- qsearch futility prune margin increased back to 1 1/4 pawn; changes to LMR reduction depth and thresholds<br />
- endgame capture extension is made in more cases but is decreased to 1/2 ply extra depth<br />
- Several UCI protocol fixes<br />
<a href="http://www.arasanchess.org/">http://www.arasanchess.org/</a></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#555;">Jim Ablett Win/Linux builds</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color:#090;">CuckooChess 1.08 JA (UCI)</span></strong><br />
Java source; own GUI; uses Cuckoo hashing; JA build is for Win32 only<br />
<a href="http://jimablett.hostwebs.com/">http://jimablett.hostwebs.com/</a></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">Onno 1-2-70 (UCI)</span></strong><br />
Commercial; Win32/64, Linux64; mp <br />
- new Linux compile for registered owners<br />
<a href="http://www.onnochess.com/index.html">http://www.onnochess.com/index.html</a></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">Pawny 0.2.1 (UCI)</span></strong><br />
C source; Win32/64, Linux32/64<br />
&quot;I expect 25-30 ELO at best&quot;<br />
- root search revisited: applied LMR, check extension, Pawn Push extension and basically, the root node now looks almost identically to inner nodes<br />
- new psq tables for white pawns, black pawns, white endgame pawns and black endgame pawns<br />
- several optimization and code cleanups<br />
- PV displaying - if the principal variation from the triangular array is shorter than the depth passed, only then the pv is extracted from the transposition table<br />
- mate threat extension removed, instead mate_threat is used to restrict LMR and FP now<br />
- pawn hash table - Preventing the pawn pst value to enter in the table, since it's a dynamic value<br />
- mate in # displaying - corrected (STM perspective)<br />
<a href="http://pawny.netii.net/">http://pawny.netii.net/</a></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">Redqueen 0.9 (UCI)</span></strong><br />
C++ source; Win32, Linux64; uses pthreads library<br />
&quot;I think v0.9 is about 100 Elo stronger than v0.8. &quot;<br />
this is actually a re-release of a version briefly available on January 30, 2011<br />
- clean up code<br />
- fixed bugs<br />
- implemented Non-capturing checks at quiescence search<br />
- improved evaluation of passed pawns, rooks and knights<br />
- added candidate passer knowledge<br />
- bonus to rooks in open/half open files<br />
- added knight outposts<br />
- PST's values refined<br />
- improved LMR code/parameters<br />
- the PV is now retrieved from the transposition table (I was using before Bruce Moreland's method)<br />
- implemented singular extensions (+20 Elo worth perhaps)<br />
- storing static evaluation information in hash table<br />
- improved move ordering<br />
<a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/redqueenchess/files/">http://sourceforge.net/projects/redqueenchess/files/</a></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">Spike 1.4 (WB/UCI)</span></strong><br />
Win32; FRC; limit strength<br />
&quot;we expect a large increase in playing strength&quot;<br />
- the evaluation part was first simplified, some terms with at least doubtable value were thrown out<br />
- the passed pawn evaluation was rewritten; Beside the common passed pawn evaluation, Spike has now some special terms and values for passed pawns in rook endgames and pawn endgames<br />
- sort of an own material table; chances are good, that the values of this table are sometimes by far off<br />
- IIRC, a somewhat improved futility pruning<br />
- much more selectivity by the extensive usage of lmr<br />
- Spike has now a strength reduction feature; its not tested very extensively, so there are possibly some flaws<br />
- support of up to 12 cores; our own tests were only up to 6 cores, so we dont have any numbers regarding speedup above that<br />
- a new internal book with nearly 230.000 positions<br />
- countless bug fixes (some of these bugs were really serious)<br />
<a href="http://www.spikechess.de/index_en.html">http://www.spikechess.de/index_en.html</a><br />
<a href="http://spike.lazypics.de/index.html">http://spike.lazypics.de/index.html</a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Chess News</strong></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">ChessGUI 0.211 (WB/UCI)</span></strong><br />
chess GUI / tournament manager by Matthias Gemuh; there is a separate download for a portable version<br />
- ChessGUI is now resizable<br />
<a href="http://biglion.110mb.com/">http://biglion.110mb.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://w2410tmq9.homepage.t-online.de/">http://w2410tmq9.homepage.t-online.de/</a></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">Olivier Deville's PGN collection</span></strong><br />
also a Polyglot book based on the 42,335 PGN games<br />
&quot;Games from 2001 to 2011&quot;<br />
- minimum Elo = 2530<br />
- only long time control games<br />
- no annotations<br />
- no computer games<br />
- no games under 20 moves<br />
<a href="http://www.open-aurec.com/chesswar/download.html">http://www.open-aurec.com/chesswar/download.html</a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:large;"><strong><span style="color:#090;">WinBoard 4.5.0</span></strong></span><br />
available as source code only<br />
<a href="http://savannah.gnu.org/forum/forum.php?forum_id=6705">http://savannah.gnu.org/forum/forum.php?forum_id=6705</a> (announcement)<br />
Mac build:<br />
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/file/e478xdr6i348f61/Xboard%204.5.0-macintel.zip">http://www.mediafire.com/file/e478xdr6i348f61/Xboard%204.5.0-macintel.zip</a> (direct link)</p>
<p><span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Down/Problem Chess Websites</strong></span> <img src="images/smilies/frown.png" alt=":-(" /></p>
<p>Aldebaran homepage down for 44 days (no response in 60 seconds)<br />
Amyan homepage down for 2 days (no response in 60 seconds)<br />
Fianchetto homepage down for 21 days (configuration error)<br />
Frenzee homepage down for 166 days (webpage taken down until new engine release)<br />
Genesis homepage down for 19 days<br />
Smash homepage down today (no response in 60 seconds)<br />
Sorgenkind homepage down for 32 days (no response in 60 seconds)<br />
Usurper homepage down for 30 days</p>
<p><span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Wiki Changes</strong></span><br />
Nothing new today <img src="images/smilies/frown.png" alt=":-(" /></p>
<p><span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Bonus Notifications</strong></span> (recent releases of free stuff)</p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#f00;">Warnings:</span></strong><br />
<span style="color:#f00;"><br />
- do not install unwanted toolbars, etc.<br />
- alpha releases have new features; crashes and bugs are to be expected<br />
- beta releases have new features; they may contain bugs or crash<br />
- release candidate software may contain minor bugs; crashes are rare</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">BurnAware 3.1.2</span></strong><br />
CD/DVD/Blu-ray disc-burning software<br />
<a href="http://www.burnaware.com/burnaware_free.html">http://www.burnaware.com/burnaware_free.html</a> (info)<br />
<a href="http://www.burnaware.com/downloads.html">http://www.burnaware.com/downloads.html</a> (download)</p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">Defraggler 2.02</span></strong><br />
free file/directory/drive defragmenter with scheduling &amp; many options<br />
<a href="http://www.piriform.com/defraggler">http://www.piriform.com/defraggler</a><br />
<a href="http://www.piriform.com/blog/2011/2/1/defraggler-v202">http://www.piriform.com/blog/2011/2/1/defraggler-v202</a> (announcement)</p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">Miranda IM 0.9.16</span></strong><br />
open source instant messaging program<br />
<a href="http://www.miranda-im.org/">http://www.miranda-im.org/</a></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">PostgreSQL 9.0.3</span></strong><br />
open source SQL database for high performance and high availability applications<br />
<a href="http://www.postgresql.org/">http://www.postgresql.org/</a> (homepage)<br />
<a href="http://www.postgresql.org/about/news.1289">http://www.postgresql.org/about/news.1289</a> (news)<br />
<a href="http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.0/static/release-9-0-3.html">http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.0/static/release-9-0-3.html</a> (changes)</p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">RJ TextEd 7.10</span></strong><br />
free programmer's text editor; unicode, spell-checking, code-completion, remote editing, etc<br />
<a href="http://www.rj-texted.se/index.htm">http://www.rj-texted.se/index.htm</a> (homepage)<br />
<a href="http://www.rj-texted.se/download.htm">http://www.rj-texted.se/download.htm</a> (download page)</p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">µTorrent 2.2 (build 24402)</span></strong><br />
open source BitTorrent client<br />
<a href="http://www.utorrent.com/">http://www.utorrent.com/</a> (homepage)<br />
<a href="http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=86666">http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=86666</a> (2.2 forum thread)</p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#090;">VLC 1.1.7</span></strong><br />
open source, cross-platform multimedia player (audio/video)<br />
<a href="http://www.videolan.org/">http://www.videolan.org/</a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:large;"><strong>Meaning of Colors</strong></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#f00;">Red = New or Warning</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color:#090;">Green = Updated</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color:#555;">Gray = Info Only</span></strong></p>
<p>Engine List: <a href="http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:chess_engine_list">http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:chess_engine_list</a><br />
Chess News: <a href="http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:chess_news_list">http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:chess_news_list</a></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#555;">NOTE: If you want me to track a website for you, please email me and I will add it.</span></strong></p>
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<link>http://www.computer-chess.org/forum/index.php?id=1234</link>
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<pubDate>Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:17:57 +0000</pubDate>
<category>Updates</category>
<dc:creator>Ron</dc:creator>
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