Author: Dirk Frickenschmidt
Date: 10:37:39 11/05/98
When testing the new Hiarcs7 beta I was - among others - surprised about the broad range of test positions it solved, from tactics over some positional stuff to endgames. I compared the results of the engines available in Chessbase so far, and will add some more results (from Rebel, Mchess and Genius) soon before publishing examples. While all programs normally show some holes here and there (including Fritz5, else being an exceptionally fast solver of test positions), Hiarcs seems to set a new record in the number of positions solved (after about 30 well chosen, difficult positions tested so far). In some cases other programs like Fritz5 or Junior5 are fastest, in some it was Hiarcs7b. But the really remarkable thing is that even in those cases where Hiarcs7b was not the fastest solver, it nearly always was second or third, and solving about *anything* which *any* of the programs could solve! This indicates a high degree of tactical stability, endgame skill and (in only a few test positions) also some positional skill. I'm already more than curious to see the even a bit better final version (Mark still intends to implement some things) in practical play! I remind you that test positions are only part of the truth about a new program! The other part, which is just as important, is the sequence of moves played in real games, is how coherent a program is able to play, are the "plans" developing from the single moves programs calculate (judged from the human view of course, not implying that programs make plans in the full human sense). But after these tests, a few one-hour-games (on 200MMX-64MbHash) also confirmed my first impression (not more, not less!), that this program - which still is in development concerning the engine, so no last words yet! - will probably at least play in one league with Junior5 and Rebel10, and this while playing very interesting chess. And that is quite a bit, is it? Kind regards from Dirk
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