Author: Richard A. Fowell (fowell@netcom.com)
Date: 00:12:53 05/09/98
For owners of 680X0 Macs, Sigma Chess Lite seems to be both stronger
and more full-featured than the 680X0 version of MacChess (2.5.1).
(Strength assessment based on the LCTII, CCR 1-hr and Maresch
problem tests, and the commercial version of Sigma Chess 4.0 that
I bought from GambitSoft in November 1997).
The Sigma Chess interface is truly exquisite - it is worth
downloading just to see this. Sigma Chess Lite is the only
free Mac chess program with the option of a 3D board display
(as well as some very nice 2D "diagram" sets).
Sigma Chess 4.0 Lite can be downloaded from:
U.S. sites:
ftp://mirrors.aol.com/pub/info-mac/game/sigma-chess-40-lite.hqx
ftp://ftp.pitt.edu/group/student-activities/chess/PROG/sigma4l.hqx
European site:
ftp://ftp.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/pub/info-mac/game/sigma-chess-40-lite.hqx
For owners of Power Macintoshes, the comparison between MacChess and
Sigma Chess Lite isn't as clear cut - MacChess seems to have a
significant edge in strength (it came out ahead in every test I
tried, even when using the Speed Doubler utility to improve the
performance of the Sigma Chess engine (written in 680X0 assembler)),
and the Power Macintosh version of MacChess has many more features
than the 680X0 version.
Some features Sigma Chess 4.0 Lite has that MacChess lacks:
- 3D "true perspective" display option as well as excellent 2D sets
- Reads PGN files up to 1000 games (vs. 500 for MacChess)
- Database search capability
(white name, black name, event, site, date range, result)
- 25 "single opening" opening books provided as well as the "big book".
- You can use the opening editor to browse the opening books
- Endgame tablebases for KQKR, KBNK
- "Analyze Game" lets you suppress annotation for moves where Sigma's
move choice is the move chosen in the game.
- Full capabilities available to users of older (680X0) Macs
(the latest MacChess that runs on 680X0 Macs is MacChess 2.5.1, so
many capabilities added in versions 3.0 and 4.0 aren't available
to users of 680X0 Macs).
- Will print a game with embedded annotation and diagrams at user-
selected positions in double-column format.
- "Mate Search" option keeps looking until all solutions found -
great for "cook hunts".
- More commands available from on-screen buttons, and buttons provide
on-screen help when held down for a second or so.
- Figurine notation option for display and printout
Some features MacChess 4.0 has that Sigma Chess does not:
(features with "*" are not available in 680X0 versions)
- Displays variation names
- Very detailed clock display (includes time on this move, avg time/move
left).
- EPD file input/output, as well as EPD Clipboard input/output
- Option to save board display as PICT file
* Ability to work as analysis engine in Exachess ("e" versions only).
* PowerPC native - extremely fast
* Has "monitor mode" (analyse player-player) where it will analyze
continuously as you move pieces manually
* Has "next best move" analysis option
* Will analyze multi-position EPD files
* Logs analysis to file, if desired,
with PV updates at each change of ply or move choice
* Copy/Paste move list as PGN to the Clipboard
* Displays ECO codes in Openings window
Background:
SigmaChess has been sold by ChessBase for a couple of years now, but
judging by the tardiness of the distribution and the dearth of
advertising, they aren't very interested in spending money on it.
This freeware release was motivated on ChessBase's part by getting
some advertising without spending anything, and on the programmers'
part by a desire to see the fruits of their labor put to use.
The programmers recently told me:
"According to Matthias Wuellenweber the ChessBase Mac and Sigma
sales were not very good. He suggested that we could release
Sigma Chess 4.0 as shareware (or even freeware) instead in order
to get the program out to as many Mac users as possible, and then
head for a commercial, PPC native version 5.0."
I suspect the weak sales of Sigma Chess have a lot to do with the
fact that ChessBase has not advertised it other than including a
line entry in their price list, and has provided it to very few
distributors (for example, ChessBase USA has not recieved any copies,
9 months after the program was provided to ChessBase).
Ah, well. The programmers decided to distribute a freeware version,
figuring that, if nothing else, the fruits of their labor would
finally be used by someone. In deference to those who had purchased
Sigma Chess 4.0, the freeware version has seven restrictions placed
on the "high-end" features. Otherwise, the "Lite" version is identical
to the $60 version I bought from GambitSoft in November 1997.
The seven restrictions are (from the ReadMe file):
==================================================================
• Collections can contain a maximum of 1000 games, compared to
the 10,000 games in the commercial version.
• Libraries cannot be saved, but you can still try out the Opening
Library Editor.
• Only the KQKR and KBNK endgame databases are included. The
commercial version contains several other 4-piece endings.
• Automatic game annotation/analysis are disabled for collections.
Thus * Chess Lite will only annotate one game at a time.
• Diagrams are not printed when printing collections/online chess
books.
• Transposition tables are limited to 10 Mb, whereas the commercial
version can handle transposition tables up to a size of 80 Mb.
• Only one 3D board is available.
===================================================================
I've attached a summary of the main Sigma Chess menus, to give
an idea of the feature set.
Sigma Chess 4.0 Lite main menus
Notes on menu titles below:
- trailing bracketed character indicates Command-key keyboard shortcut
- trailing period or periods ("...") indicate menu item opens dialog box
- trailing angle bracket (">") indicates menu item opens hierarchical
menu
- "*" indicates paraphrased menu title
- Bracketed menu titles are disabled in the "Lite" version
FILE EDIT GAME ANALYZE
=============================================================================
New Game [N] Undo [Z] Undo Move [U] Go
[G]
Open Game ...[O] Redo Redo Move [R] Stop
[.]
Save Game ...[S] Cut [X] Undo All Moves Pause
[,]
Save Game As ... Copy [C] Goto Move [M] Hint
[H]
Next PGN Game Paste [V] Position Editor [E] Draw
Offer[D]
Append PGN Game. Clear Game Info [I] Auto
Play
Page Setup... Clear All Demo
Play
Print Game ..[P] Select All Analyze
Game..
Preferences... Find ... [F] [Analyze
Coll*]
Quit [Q] Find Next... [J] Copy
Analysis
Replace Resign
Enable
Replace & Find [K] Announce
Mate
Replace All Move
Beep
Annotation Editor[A] Sound
Effects
*Hash
Tables >
*Tablebases
LEVEL DISPLAY COLLECTION LIBRARY
=============================================================================
Tournament...[T] Turn Board New Collection ... <Library
Name*>
Time > Show Analysis Open Collection ... New
Library ..
Average > Show Search Tree Close Collection Open
Library .
Leisure [L] Show Statistics Compact Collection [Save
Library]
Fixed Depth > Real Time Sizing Collection Browser[B] [Save
Libr As*]
Infinite Notation > Select Game > Library
Editor
Mate Finder > Piece Letters > Alter Game >
Novice > Game Info Options ... Find Game ... [F]
Easy Play Piece Set > Find Next Game [J]
Manual Play Board Type > Collection Info ...
Randomize 3D Board [W] Print Collection ...
Handicap 3D Board Type Import from PGN ...
Playing Style > Show 3D Clocks Export to PGN ...
Colour Scheme >
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