HAL9000

HAL9000
"It just isn't conceivable that you can design a program strong enough to beat players like me."

January 10, 2015

Chess for Android 5.0 is out with Fischer clock!

9th of January seems to be a big milestone for Android chess.

As of today, a chess GUI capable of managing engine tournaments using Fischer clock is in our hands.

The new version of Chess for Android by Aart Bik integrates, among many other improvements, a more realistic time control setting which allows chess engines to show some more of their skills, closer to a real chess game.

It was needed, requested, missed, awaited since long ago...

Finally, we are not limited anymore to "max seconds per move" and we can set "Game in X minutes with Y seconds per each move played", the latter being widely accepted and used in human tournaments, as well as almost all engine tournaments.
Now remains nothing but two more steps:
customized adjudications and
randomized polyglot book tournaments
to reach for "Arena on Android"

Remember that FIDE also uses Fischer clock as official time control method in rapid chess and blitz chess tournaments.

I insist for calling it Fischer clock because i don't like that FIDE denies any reference to legendary Bobby Fischer who sponsored and defended its utility and finally managed to make it official. FIDE can forget the inventor/defender of the idea but i can't.

Now, show must go on!

Download Chess for Android v5.0 at: Google Play and don't forget to take a look at Aart's blog: http://aartbik.blogspot.com

Android UCI engine update: Betsabe II 1.47.JA

Betsabe is not among the top engines, same applies to Android platform too. Last working version 1.30 is now replaced the most recent 1.47.

Betsabe 1.47 is compiled by "unstoppable" Jim Ablett. His brakes won't hold and we don't really want'em to hold :-)

Click HERE download the binary.

New Android UCI engine: Bison 9.11.JA

Bison is another new engine which joins the Android population, again with Jim Ablett's precious effort.

Don't be surprised if you see the version reported as 15.1 when imported into Chess for Android. It's normal (and wrong indeed).

Download it: HERE and enjoy.

January 9, 2015

New Android UCI engine: Chenard_2014.07.11.JA

Today's chess weather report had stated "Cloudy with engine falls". Then, here's another one, Chenard, compiled for the first time for Android by Jim Ablett. Thanks again JA!

You can download Chenard: HERE

January 8, 2015

New Android XB engine: Darky 0.5.d.JA

Today's gift by Jim Ablett is Darky 0.5d. I didn't test it yet. You do this for me please.
Download Darky: HERE

New Android UCI engine: Olivechess 0.2.7

Olivier Herau's OliveChess is not a mature development project yet. I hope it turns to a monster in time.

For the moment, those who want to face a more "human friendly" engine may give a try to OliveChess v0.2.7. It works well with Chess for Android as seen below:
Mmm.. smells like B.Larsen.
Download the binary: HERE

Android XB engine update: Phalanx XXIV

Another updated Android port by Jim Ablett. Phalanx jumps from XIII to XXIV. Glad to see the recent version available for our devices.

Download Phalanx XXIV for Android: HERE

The compile works flawlessly when imported to Chess for Android as an Xboard engine. The nodes per second performance seems lower but once again that has no meaning between different versions. I'm sure the engine evaluates less positions in a smarter way to issue better moves than before.
173 kNps on Exynos 4412 vs 217 kNps of previous version XIII
show again nodes ain't a comparison tool between different versions

You can check hundred newspapers very quickly to miss the most important news in all of them or you may choose to read only half of them but more in detail and you hit what you're looking for. Analyzing chess positions looks similar to me.