Spike 1.4 is available

[Jouni]

Spike 1.4 has serious problems in mate solving with 2 CPU. It displays sometimes mate in 1-2 when it's 10x in reality. Example:

[D]r1k1K1bn/p1p2prq/P1Pp1Ppb/1N1p2p1/3P2P1/1P6/8/8 w - -

Analysis by Spike 1.4:

1.b4 Rb8 2.Nxa7#
+- (#2) Depth: 68 00:00:02 2887kN
1.b4 Rb8 2.Nxa7#
+- (#2) Depth: 69 00:00:02 2887kN

And in this position it crashes in most tries:

[D]7R/4p1P1/4P3/3p4/PP6/3PpP2/pp2P3/b1k1KB2 w - -

Jouni

[Mangar]

Hi Tom,

I don´t think you are doing anything wrong. Spike should create an empty file if no file is present. I didn´t manage to take a look at the problem yet.

Greetings Volker

[Mangar]

Hi Jouni,

thank you for this positions and for the bug report.

Greetings Volker

[glorfindel]

But if you tell me that it allready runs on linux with a windows compile - how does it work? Using Wine? Isn´t a linux compilation needed any more?

Yes, people probably use Wine to run Spike on linux and I do the same.
Of course, a native version would be better to have, especially if Spike's code is portable so that it would not take much of your time.

Christos

[fluviumque]

- Spike has now a strength reduction feature. Its not tested very extensively, so there are possibly some flaws.

Thanks Volker and Ralf!

I cannot get the strength reduction done. I first used the spikeconfig.exe, which created a proper xml file. Well, the file has <contempt value="180"/> now in both, UCI and WB section. BTW: Values go from 0-200?

Another possibility was to use Arena's ELO limiting feature, which will send whatever command to the engine. I chose the lowest ELO value for testing, 1100.

In both cases, against Rybka Spike wasn't weaker than 1 pawn until draw No. 40. So I'm sure it doesn't work here.

So what's the correct way to make it work?

I'm on Win7pro64, Arena 3 GUI, Spike files reside in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Arena\Engines\Spike"

TIA
Michael

[Mangar]

Hi Tom,

sorry that I haven´t time to look at the feature and the code before. On my PC all works fine with book-learning. If it has no file, it would create one. Spike uses simply the extension that is set by configuration (file oder uci parameter). It might be .scbl.

Please do not create an empty file. An empty file has not a book-learn file format. Spike does not handle this correctly and will not play any more (will fix this with the next version).

As in protokols there are not allways "end of game" informations from the gui, spike will write a book learn file only if:

1. There is a book learn filename set in the parameter file and the uci parameters - for uci. Spike will use the setting in the parameter file as default for uci.
2. The book learn feature must be switched on. (for uci in uci parameters, config file is default for uci).
3. The engine must receive a "play" command with not more than two moves. Thus at end of game Spike will not write any book learn file. You have to start a new game and let Spike play it to write the book learn file for the last game.

The point 3 will not happen if for example:
* You tell the gui to restart the engine after each game.
* you play a tournament where spike will not play the next game.
* You start the game with some moves allready played or with a start-fen.

Maybe I´ll find a better souloution in the next version.

Pleas tell me, if this information was helpful for you.

Greetings Volker

[tomgdrums]

Hi Tom,

sorry that I haven´t time to look at the feature and the code before. On my PC all works fine with book-learning. If it has no file, it would create one. Spike uses simply the extension that is set by configuration (file oder uci parameter). It might be .scbl.

Please do not create an empty file. An empty file has not a book-learn file format. Spike does not handle this correctly and will not play any more (will fix this with the next version).

As in protokols there are not allways "end of game" informations from the gui, spike will write a book learn file only if:

1. There is a book learn filename set in the parameter file and the uci parameters - for uci. Spike will use the setting in the parameter file as default for uci.
2. The book learn feature must be switched on. (for uci in uci parameters, config file is default for uci).
3. The engine must receive a "play" command with not more than two moves. Thus at end of game Spike will not write any book learn file. You have to start a new game and let Spike play it to write the book learn file for the last game.

The point 3 will not happen if for example:
* You tell the gui to restart the engine after each game.
* you play a tournament where spike will not play the next game.
* You start the game with some moves allready played or with a start-fen.

Maybe I´ll find a better souloution in the next version.

Pleas tell me, if this information was helpful for you.

Greetings Volker

Hi Volker,

Thanks for responding! So I CAN just leave the file name blank?

For not I have been only using book learning and/or position learning when analyzing. For playing against Spike I have been leaving them off and all has worked well..

Thanks again! Spike is great!

[Mangar]

Hi Tom,

you have to enter some filename, if you want to use book learning. It doesn´t matter whicht filename you choose. Extension doesn´t matter.

Greetings Volker

[Mangar]

Hi Michael,

sorry, I don´t know how but an old bug has somehow managed to get into the current version of Spike. You can´t switch on elo reduction. Sorry. It should have worked with the uci parameter thus the Arena´s ELO limiting feature is the right way to use.

The contempt value is the value Spike adds to a draw to prevent him to get into repetition draw if playing against weak engines. This has nothing to do with elo reduction.

Greetings Volker

[Don]

Hi all,

finally, after a long break of more than 4 years, a new version of Spike - 1.4 - is available!

There are more changes done in the last years than we can remember, so I want to give only a short summary:

- The evaluation part was first simplified, some terms with at least doubtable value were thrown out.
- The passed pawn evaluation was rewritten. Beside the common passed pawn evaluation, Spike has now some special terms and values for passed pawns in rook endgames and pawn endgames.
- Sort of an own material table. Chances are good, that the values of this table are sometimes by far off.
- Iirc a somewhat improved futility pruning.
- Much more selectivity by the extensive usage of lmr.
- Spike has now a strength reduction feature. Its not tested very extensively, so there are possibly some flaws.
- Support of up to 12 cores. Our own tests were only up to 6 cores, so we dont have any numbers regarding speedup above that.
- A new internal book with nearly 230.000 positions.
- Countless bug fixes (some of these bugs were really serious).

All in all we expect a large increase in playing strength, mainly resulting from a much deeper search, but the bugfixes and evaluation changes have their good share too!

Enjoy!

Best wishes
Volker and Ralf

http://www.spikechess.de/index_en.html

I look forward to check it out! Good to see that you are working on Spike again.

Don