Play Magnus: official App with Chess Engine

[yanquis1972]

Congratulations!

Thanks! It's been a fun project to work on.

The google translation of this Norwegian article make you a millionaire by now
http://www.dn.no/forsiden/etterBors/article2772522.ece

"Play Magnus" has so far cost more than three million dollars to develop, but is free to download from Apple's appstore.

- Most of these are one-time costs to develop chess engine behind the app, says Brandt.

I suspect though this might just be a marketing exaggeration...

That's a pretty weird translation by Google: The Norwegian original says "tre millioner kroner", which Google somehow manages to translate into "three million dollars", which is six times more (a Norwegian krone is worth $0.166 at the current exhange rate). Still a pretty big sum, but only a small fraction of it is mine.

guys a great sport. nice insight into the memory of these guys too -- "i didn't think i played this until i was 15..." folloed by the exact age to the day. lol

[JuLieN]

"Chess engine developed by Tord Romstad."

True, that's what I've been working on the last few months. I've just returned from the launch party.

Basically, the chess engine is a modified version of Glaurung (not Stockfish, since that wouldn't have been possible for copyright reasons) with some improvements and adjustments to make its style a little more similar to Magnus', and special opening libraries for each level, based on the games Magnus played around that age.

Thanks, I had guessed it was based on Glaurung (or it would have greeted some more contributors), but it's good to have confirmation. And also from the fact it seemed to be iOS only... and that it was finely level-tuned, something I read in the past was one of your main interests.

Very good app, btw ! And Magnus cracked me up posting on his FB that he lost against 14-yo himself! As for me, the last level I defeated without taking back moves was 10-yo... That's depressing.

The last

[supersharp77]

"Chess engine developed by Tord Romstad."

True, that's what I've been working on the last few months. I've just returned from the launch party.

Basically, the chess engine is a modified version of Glaurung (not Stockfish, since that wouldn't have been possible for copyright reasons) with some improvements and adjustments to make its style a little more similar to Magnus', and special opening libraries for each level, based on the games Magnus played around that age.

Just happened across this issue by chance.....does anyone know which Glaurung (Specially Modified Glaurung) the engine author is talking about? Just heard of this situation.....Thx in Advance AR