Author: Vincent Lejeune
Date: 14:51:12 10/28/02
Go up one level in this thread
GREAT !!! could you remember where to download ChestUCI please, now nothing stop me to use this wonderfull mate-engine !!!! On October 28, 2002 at 17:31:07, F. Huber wrote: >Hello to all English users of ChestUCI, > >because I didn´t find someone making an English translation of my >ChestUCI manual for me, I had to do this job myself. :-( > >So here´s a short English version of my German text file ´Readme.txt´. >Until my next release of ChestUCI, where this file will be included, >you can copy this text and paste it into a new file ´English.txt´. > >I hope, my English translation is not too bad. ;-) > >Much fun and best regards, >Franz. > > > > ChestUCI Ver.2.2 - (C) October 2002 by Franz Huber, Austria >======================================================================= > >´ChestUCI´ is an UCI-interface for the top-level chess problem solver >´Chest Ver.3.19´ from Heiner Marxen (C) 1994-2002. > >This text is a short English version of the German file ´Readme.txt´, >describing only the most important instructions for using ´ChestUCI´ - >more detailed informations can be found in the original German file. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Engine installation & configuration >----------------------------------- >´ChestUCI´ has to be installed under an UCI-compatible chess-GUI, and >has been tested with ´Arena 0.90´, ´Shredder 6-Classic´ and ´Fritz 7´. > >Please note the following instructions: >1) during installation of the UCI-engine you have to choose the engine > file ´ChestUCI.exe´. DON´T select ´WinChest.exe´ >2) the included program ´WinChest.exe´ is a slightly modified version > of the original ´Chest 3.19´, and is necessary for proper function. > DON´T rename it or use any other version of ´Chest´ > >Because ´Fritz´ doesn´t support the full UCI-standard, there exist >some restrictions under this GUI - really all features of ´ChestUCI´ >are only available within ´Arena´ and ´Shredder´. > >In the engine configuration menu (under ´Arena´) you can adjust the >following engine parameters or options: > >1) ´DefenderMoves´: yes / no (Default=no) > --------------- >This setting allows solving problems like "black moves first, and >(after that) white mates in n moves" (or reverse). So when you set >this option, every possible ´defender´ move (for the side to move) >is executed first, and then (for each of this moves) the selected >problem type will be solved for the opposite side. >All solutions will be ordered by the length of the main line, but >starting with possible ´defences´ (if no solution exists). > >2) ´SearchDepth´: 0..30 (Default=10) > ------------- >This value is the maximum search depth (in full moves) for the >calculation of a solution (´0´ is the same as ´30´). >Because ´Chest´ always looks for the shortest possible solution, >it´s not really necessary to set this option to the right value - >it is only a possibility to restrict the search depth (if wanted). > >3) ´ProblemType´: Mate / Stalemate / SelfMate / SelfStalemate / > ------------- HelpMate / HelpStalemate (Default=Mate) > >Here you can select one of the six available types of chess puzzles. >Further informations (specially about the non-orthodox problem types) >you´ll find in the included original ´Chest´ documentation ´README´. > >4) ´HashSize´: -1..2048 (Default=64) > ---------- >This value (in MB) determines the maximum size of the ´hash table´. >´0´ disables the use of any hash table, ´-1´ takes all free physical >memory, which is momentary available, for hashing (up to 2GB). >Any other value will be tested, if there´s actually enough free RAM >available - if not, it will be limited to the physical free RAM to >avoid ´disk swapping´, which would make ´Chest´ incredibly slower. > >Remarks: a) depending on the complexity of the chess problem, > increasing this value could speed up Chest´s solution > process really dramatically > b) other ´Hash´ settings within the chess-GUI itself don´t > have any influence at all over Chest´s hash table > >5) ´ShowProgress´: yes / no (Default=yes) > -------------- >If this option is activated, ´ChestUCI´ continuously shows the actual >search depth, the move number and the currently examined move. >This can give a rough estimate, how much longer the solution process >of ´Chest´ could still take. > >6) ´EngineMode´: UCI / Chest / Expert (Default=UCI) > ------------ >This setting determines in principle, how the original program >´Chest´ works together with ´ChestUCI´. >The default mode ´UCI´ causes ´Chest´ to return all moves in usual >coordinates notation, which exactly corresponds to the UCI-standard. >Only this UCI-mode allows you to make use of really all features, >which are available in ´ChestUCI´ - e.g. in this mode the solution >moves found by ´Chest´ are actually executed, and so you can play >against ´ChestUCI´ through all main lines up to the end. > >The mode ´Chest´ works in a similar way, except it´s only showing >the solution lines in the analyse window (´Engine output window´ >under ´Fritz´), but not actually executing any move. In this case >all solutions are shown in standard algebraic notation, and so the >output of ´Chest´ may be more readable for humans - but in this mode >it´s not possible to play against the engine. > >The last mode setting ´Expert´ has to be selected, if you want to use >the following configuration field ´ExpertOptions´. In this mode there >is no action at all in the chess-GUI itself, but there will popup a >window with the complete solution of the original ´Chest´, shown in >your standard text editor. This mode is intended to be only a more >comfortable way of input/output for the original ´Chest´, than using >this program at the command line prompt. On the other hand, in this >mode you can use ´Chest´ with absolutely all options and parameters >of the original version, and so you may get a lot of more detailed >informations about the chess problem and its solution. > >7) ´ExpertOptions´: Chest options (Default: -LSUr) > --------------- >Into this input field, which should be only used by ´Chest´ experts, >you can directly enter every parameter and option of the original >program ´Chest´, and therefore have influence on Chest´s solution >process and information output. >As mentioned above, this option only works in ´Expert´ mode, and >only displays the solution file of ´Chest´, but doesn´t return any >moves or other informations to the chess-GUI. > >Important: Because of the incomplete UCI-implementation of ´Fritz´, > this input field is not available under this GUI! > >8) ´Show Options´: Options display > -------------- >This button gives a short overview about all available options for >´Chest´, which can be used within the above ´ExpertOptions´. >More detailed informations about those parameters can be found in >the included README-file (or in the original source files of Chest). > >Important: Also this button is not available under ´Fritz´! > Under ´Shredder´ this info window will not be displayed > until closing the configuration menu! > >9) ´AutoSolution´: yes / no (Default=no) > -------------- >If this option is activated, then after each calculation the output >file of ´Chest´ will be displayed automatically. This option is >especially useful for ´Fritz´ users, because under this GUI it´s >the only way to see Chest´s full solution (see next option). > >10) ´Show Solution´: Solution display > --------------- >This button displays the complete result of ´Chest´ with the full >solution tree and all additional informations about the solution. >It simply shows the output file ´ChestSol.txt´ with your Windows >standard text editor (usually the program ´Notepad.exe´). >Of course, this function only makes sense AFTER calculating the >solution for a given problem, and has to be closed again before >solving another problem. > >Important: Also this button is not available under ´Fritz´! > >11) ´German´: yes / no (Default=yes) > -------- >This option controls the output language (German or English). >It effects all text messages, and - depending on the ´EngineMode´ - >also the move notation and the solution tree in Chest´s output file. >If ´EngineMode=UCI´, this only influences the text messages - the >move notation depends on the selected language within the chess-GUI, >and the output file always shows coordinates notation. >If ´EngineMode=Chest´, then also the moves in the GUI and in the >output file are shown in the selected language. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Program execution >----------------- >After setting up or loading a chess position, normally the engine can >be started immediately. Only for special problems or settings some >options in the engine configuration menu (as search depth or problem >type) can be set to appropriate values before starting ´ChestUCI´. > >During the search process the engine only provides informations about >the current search depth, move number and current move, but only if >the option ´ShowProgress´ is activated. This allows a rough estimate >about the necessary time for a solution of the given problem. >Of course the search can be aborted at any time during calculation >by pressing the ´Stop´ button of the chess-GUI. > >If ´Chest´ has solved the problem, then this main solution (and all >other existing solutions) are displayed in the chess-GUI. With >´EngineMode=UCI´ the first move of the main variation will also be >executed on the board, with ´EngineMode=Chest´ the complete solution >is only displayed without making any move. >If the given problem has no solution (on the adjusted conditions), >of course ´ChestUCI´ will also inform you about this situation. > >When there are any troubles at the start or end of the engine (e.g. >problems with input or output files, or not being able to find the >program ´WinChest´), you´ll get an appropriate error message. >Furthermore if ´Chest´ has problems with the interpretation of its >input file, or ´ChestUCI´ cannot correctly analyse its output file, >then the output file ´ChestSol.txt´ is displayed automatically, so >you could find out the reason for the problem or error. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Special features >---------------- >Since ´ChestUCI Ver.2.0´ this engine supports two additional and very >comfortable functions, which are only available with the default mode >´EngineMode=UCI´, and are used in the following way: > >1) If a chess problem has more than one solution (so-called ´duals´), >you can scroll through this list of different solutions and select >each of them for further playing. Simply take back the last move, >that the engine just has made on the board, and press the button >´Start´ (or ´Move´) once more - and ´ChestUCI´ will choose the next >main line and execute it´s first key move on the board again. This >can be repeated as often as wanted to get really every solution, >and is especially useful in combination with the following feature. > >2) After ´ChestUCI´ has found a solution and executed its key move, >you can play through the whole main line up to the last move against >the engine. This can be done either manually by simply making a next >move on the board, in which case ´ChestUCI´ immediately will answer >with the following move of the opposite side, or also automatically >by repeatedly pressing the ´Start´ button, which forces the engine >to make all moves itself. This even works with the ´Auto´ (or ´Demo´) >button, if the chess-GUI supports such an ´Autoplay´ mode, as e.g. >´Arena´ does. Of course you also can take back or move forward again >any number of moves you want - so it´s really worth playing a little >bit around with this feature and finding out what´s possible. In >other words, after ´ChestUCI´ has calculated the full solution, you >almost can play against it as with any other ´normal´ chess engine. > >----------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Remarks >------- > o If you find any problems or errors in the program ´ChestUCI´, > I would be very grateful for every report, if possible with > exact details of the chess position and the kind of error - > either a posting in any chess forum in the Internet will do, > or just drop me a line by e-mail (see address below!) > o Besides I would really appreciate, if you have any ideas or > suggestions for improvements or enhancements of ´ChestUCI´ > >----------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Franz Huber October 2002 > <fhub@gmx.at> > >-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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