Author: Robert Henry Durrett
Date: 07:38:33 06/15/02
It is noteworthy that the Fritz programmers saw fit to produce a pocket version of their larger Fritz program [engine + GUI]. Whatever it was that motivated those programmers to do that perhaps ought to apply to the amateur chess programs and programmers too. Note the thread on Hiarcs8. That thread seems focussed mainly on the speed aspect, but it highlights the idea that the "size" of a computer may need to be considered when optimizing the design of any chess program. For the handheld computers, the processors may be different enough from processors on large computers that a different approach to programming might be required to obtain optimal [or reasonably near-optimal] performance on this CLASS of computer. It is interesting [to me, at least] to speculate on the extent to which the chess programmers rely on computer size considerations when designing their programs. A trivial example is the issue of hash table size. A few versions back, [5.3.2?] the Fritz people published a formula for optimal hash table size. The optimal size depended on how the program was to be used [Ex: Bullet chess versus overnight analysis of a position] and the speed of the computer. This formula may or may not still be valid for Fritz. Whether or not it ever was correct for non-Fritz computers is an open question. Obviously, if the computer were too small to provide the optimal hash table size, then the program would perform less well when compared to performance with the correct hash table size. It seems reasonable to assume that the manufacturers of the handhelds had to make many compromises, other than speed reduction, to come up with a workable "handheld" design [compromises in hardware and operating system, and perhaps in compatible compilers, too]. Each of these compromises could be examined, one at a time, to see it's impact on chess program performance. In cases where the impact is negative and significant, it would then be logical to look at the chess program itself to see if changes could be made in the program to minimize the adverse impacts. For the sake of completeness, one might also wonder whether or not the small size had any software benefits relative to the desktops. It seems unlikely that there would be any such advantages. [Agree?] This topic should distinguish between engine issues and GUI issues. It is obvious that numerous GUI mods are required. But what about the engines themselves? Bob D.
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