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Subject: Hiarcs 7.32 Hashtable Info & Tablebase 1.0 Engine

Author: Eran

Date: 02:26:09 06/19/99


While Hiarcs 7.32 is open, there is a possibility to obtain hashtable memory
information in another way around but how?  Okay, please follow the list below.
I assume you use Windows 98.

1. All your utilities such as anti-virus, task scheduler, etc. should be
disabled, because they may be interfering with information process.
2. Click Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Information, and
leave it open.
3. In the System Information window, look at the line, 'system resources free'.
It could say 83% or 78% depending on what kind of computer system you use.
4. Start Hiarcs 7.32 if it is not open.  When it is open, press Ctrl-Alt-Down to
minimize it.
5. Click the System Information window to activate it and press F5 to refresh
it.
6. Once refreshed, look again at the line, 'system resources free'.  Sure the
percentage of memory changes.  It could say 57%.
7. Maximize Hiarcs 7.32 and start playing a game with one, two, or three moves
ahead from the initial position (Make sure Use Opening is turned off).  After
Hiarcs 7.32 finishes computing and finds best move, press Ctrl-Alt-Down.
8. Click to activate the System Information window and press F5 and look at the
memory information again.
9. If you are good in math, try to figure out yourself how much hashtable memory
is used.  It is not hard to do, right? :)

Okay, it takes a bit more work to do around but that is all we can do, right?
If you let Hiarcs 7.32 analyze a difficult position for a long time, it is a
good idea to look over at the System Information window from time to time to
make sure the hashtable is not full meaning 0%.  However, if you play serious
tournament against Hiarcs 7.32, knowing how much hashtable memory used is not
really important if your computer has sufficient MB RAM.  I hope this will help.

Now, as to the question about the Tablebase 1.0 engine, what was for?  Well, I
tried it with Hiarcs 7.32 and I saw what happened.  When Hiarcs 7.32 was open, I
unloaded Hiarcs 7.32 engine and then loaded only Tablebase 1.0 engine with 8-MB
hashsize.  When I started to play from the initial position, an error message
came up and stated that it did not recognize that position.  I assumed it was
familiar with the positions stored in the Eugene Nalimov tablebases only.  So I
tried another endgame position containing 7 pieces.  Please try the following
FEN or ASCII string with Black to move below for yourself in your Hiarcs 7.32.

8/2pkr3/8/8/8/2PK4/3PR3/8 b - - 0 1

wKd3,Re2,Pc3,d2/bKd7,Re7,Pc7

When I pressed the space bar, again an error message came up and stated that it
did not recognize that position.  So I pressed 'S' to enter Setup Position and
then I removed both White and Black rooks only from the position.  Now the
position had only five pieces.  Again, when I pressed the space bar, Hiarcs 7.32
did not compute at all but instantly found the same position from the Eugene
Nalimov tablebases and showed the list of possible moves in the information
window.  It was the same way you did with Ken Thompson's endgame.  In other
words, Hiarcs 7.32 was unable to use Ken Thompson's endgame during the search
before the endgame actually occurred.  Hiarcs 7.32 did only use the Eugene
Nalimov tablebases during the search but Tablebase 1.0 engine cannot do. You can
also use Tablebase 1.0 engine in ChessBase 7 for analyzing endgame positions of
Eugene Nalimov tablebases without algorithmic computation.  Now, when I pressed
'S' again and put back two White and Black rooks to the same squares like
before.  Then I unloaded Tablebase 1.0 engine and then reloaded Hiarcs 7.32
engine only.  When I pressed the space bar, Hiarcs 7.32 started to calculate! At
the same time the information about TB # might be shown in the information
window.  That sounded to me that Hiarcs 7.32 used "combination" both of
calculating and tablebases using to find the best move as possible, right?

Eran





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