Engine Updates

MadChess 1.2 (UCI)
C# source; requires .NET 3.5 or better; requires extra dlls (included)
- "I've managed to add another 100+ ELO to MadChess"
- implemented a check evasion move selector
- improved principal variation search algorithm
- improved efficiency of aspiration windows; window is increased in configurable steps instead of doubling
- decreased positional bonuses
- added bonuses for backward pawns, connected rooks (on file) and good attacks (attacks of greater value pieces)
- updated pawn endgame location values to encourage pawn pushes
- improved time management of classical time controls (x moves in y seconds)
- improved memory usage of position cache
- decreased allocations of move collection classes during search
- removed duplicate search code at root node. Consolidated into a single search method
- removed duplicate pawn promotion and en passant code. Consolidated into pawn class
- added debug code to detect move generation errors
http://www.madchess.net/post/MadChess-12-Released.aspx (announcement)
http://www.madchess.net/ (homepage)

Yacen (Yet Another Chess ENgine) pre-alpha2
new source-code-only engine by Christopher Thiele
C source; engine & protocol incomplete; under development
- discovered by Norbert Raimund Leisner
http://sourceforge.net/projects/yacen/

Chess News

Scid On The Go 1.41 for Android
Scid database browser ported to Android
http://code.google.com/p/scidonthego/

Down/Problem Chess Websites

Akkad homepage down for 81 days (not found)
Bestia homepage down for 19 days (a 110mb.com site)
Deep Saros homepage down for 81 days (not found)
GreKo homepage down today (a 110mb.com site)
Lyapko Utilities page down for 19 days (a 110mb.com site)

Warning: Inmi site has been hacked and is unsafe to visit
AVG antivirus: 'Exploit Blackhole Exploit Kit [type 2389]'
Kaspersky antivirus: 'object is infected'

Wiki Changes

Native Engine List
update by Norbert Raimund Leisner
- added brainless
- removed N Schach
- SparkChess: revised comment
http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:native_engine_list

PGN Reader/Viewer/Writer List
update by Norbert Raimund Leisner
- added PGN Viewer Oslo
http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:pgn_reader_viewer_writer_list

Bonus Notifications (recent releases of free stuff)

Warnings:
- do not install unwanted toolbars, etc.
- alpha releases have new features; crashes and bugs are to be expected
- beta releases have new features; they may contain bugs or crash
- release candidate software may contain minor bugs; crashes are rare

Puppy Linux "Precise 5.5"
Puppy is a popular (#10) and easy-to-learn, easy-to-use Linux distribution
Open source, boots from a CD (your Windows installation is unchanged) w/ simple instruction manual
old, slow computers run very well using Puppy's all-in-memory Linux kernel
There are many versions of Puppy available, each with a specific purpose
You don't necessarily use the latest release, you use the version with the software you want
You will need to know how to burn a disk from an ISO image
- Precise Puppy is binary-compatible with Ubuntu LTS 12.04.2
- Wary Puppy is intended to run on older hardware
- Racy Puppy is a mod of Wary Puppy, supporting the newest machines
- Slacko Puppy can use Puppy, Slackware, Salix, or Slacky software repositories
- Quirky Puppy is built from Wary and Racy and is very experimental
http://puppylinuxnews.org/ (news)
http://puppylinux.org/ (PuppyLinux homepage)
http://bkhome.org/blog2/?viewDetailed=00172 (announcement)

SeaMonkey 2.16.1
open source, all-in-one Internet suite: browser, email, news feed, newsgroups, IRC chat, & html editor
http://www.seamonkey-project.org/

Meaning of Colors

Red = New or Warning
Green = Updated
Gray = Info Only

Engine List: http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:chess_engine_list
Chess News: http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:chess_news_list

NOTE: If you want me to track a website for you, please email me and I will add it.
ron _at_ computer-chess _dot_ org