Stockfish UCI options

[Eelco de Groot]

A poll to see if anyone would like to have some of the options back or new options. Not that I can promise anything about Stockfish's UCI options, it's not up to me, although anyone on GitHub could make a pull request for this I think.

[zullil]

A poll to see if anyone would like to have some of the options back or new options. Not that I can promise anything about Stockfish's UCI options, it's not up to me, although anyone on GitHub could make a pull request for this I think.

As a point of information, here are the options that remain in the latest development version of Stockfish:

Code: Select all

Stockfish 060914 64 SSE4.2 by Tord Romstad, Marco Costalba and Joona Kiiski
uci
id name Stockfish 060914 64 SSE4.2
id author Tord Romstad, Marco Costalba and Joona Kiiski

option name Write Debug Log type check default false
option name Contempt Factor type spin default 0 min -100 max 100
option name Min Split Depth type spin default 0 min 0 max 12
option name Threads type spin default 1 min 1 max 128
option name Hash type spin default 16 min 1 max 1048576
option name Clear Hash type button
option name Ponder type check default true
option name MultiPV type spin default 1 min 1 max 500
option name Skill Level type spin default 20 min 0 max 20
option name Emergency Move Horizon type spin default 40 min 0 max 50
option name Emergency Base Time type spin default 60 min 0 max 30000
option name Emergency Move Time type spin default 30 min 0 max 5000
option name Minimum Thinking Time type spin default 20 min 0 max 5000
option name Slow Mover type spin default 80 min 10 max 1000
option name UCI_Chess960 type check default false
uciok

[syzygy]

I wonder why the three "Emergency ..." options are still there? The need for "Minimum Thinking Time" and "Slow Mover" also seems doubtful to me.

The "Min Split Depth" is needed to be able to tune the SMP implementation to the various hardware combinations out there. I strongly question the upper limit of "12". What use is it to have such an artificially low limit.

I don't know how useful the "Write Debug Log" options is for users. It's probably useful for GUI developers, but it could be argued they could compile a version of SF with debug options on.

The other options all make a lot of sense.

[syzygy]

Maybe some of the names could be improved?

Contempt Factor -> Contempt
Min Split Depth -> Split Depth (or SplitDepth or Split_Depth)
Skill Level -> Skill (or would this be confusing?)

Clearly "Min Split Depth" is technically more accurate, but who cares about that?

Apparently UCI_Chess960 is prescribed by the UCI protocol, so I won't complain about it. I suppose GUIs take care of this and never display this option to the user.

[shrapnel]

A poll to see if anyone would like to have some of the options back or new options. Not that I can promise anything about Stockfish's UCI options, it's not up to me, although anyone on GitHub could make a pull request for this I think.

YES ! I for one have ALWAYS wanted the options back, especially Aggressiveness and Cowardice !
I don't care what the experts say, I KNOW they made a DEFINITE difference to the playing style of Stockfish...it was like Stockfish on steroids !
Taking out those options have made Stockfish dull and boring !...oh, its still very strong no doubt, but there is no MAGIC or THRILL left in Stockfish, which after all, is half the fun in computer chess !

[Vinvin]

"Contempt" still not clear because we don't know it's + or -.
"Draw value" is already more clear !

Maybe some of the names could be improved?

Contempt Factor -> Contempt

[syzygy]

"Contempt" still not clear because we don't know it's + or -.
"Draw value" is already more clear !

Maybe some of the names could be improved?

Contempt Factor -> Contempt

The word "contempt" implies that the engine is told not to be happy with a draw, so the "sign" seems absolutely clear to me.

Draw value on the other hand would have exactly this "sign" problem.

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

I wonder why the three "Emergency ..." options are still there? The need for "Minimum Thinking Time" and "Slow Mover" also seems doubtful to me.

The "Min Split Depth" is needed to be able to tune the SMP implementation to the various hardware combinations out there. I strongly question the upper limit of "12". What use is it to have such an artificially low limit.

I don't know how useful the "Write Debug Log" options is for users. It's probably useful for GUI developers, but it could be argued they could compile a version of SF with debug options on.

The other options all make a lot of sense.

Your post makes a lot of sense and right into the point of the thread....
Dr.D

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

A poll to see if anyone would like to have some of the options back or new options. Not that I can promise anything about Stockfish's UCI options, it's not up to me, although anyone on GitHub could make a pull request for this I think.

YES ! I for one have ALWAYS wanted the options back, especially Aggressiveness and Cowardice !
I don't care what the experts say, I KNOW they made a DEFINITE difference to the playing style of Stockfish...it was like Stockfish on steroids !
Taking out those options have made Stockfish dull and boring !...oh, its still very strong no doubt, but there is no MAGIC or THRILL left in Stockfish, which after all, is half the fun in computer chess !

Fully agreed....
Dr.D

[reflectionofpower]

YES ! I for one have ALWAYS wanted the options back, especially Aggressiveness and Cowardice !
I don't care what the experts say, I KNOW they made a DEFINITE difference to the playing style of Stockfish...it was like Stockfish on steroids !
Taking out those options have made Stockfish dull and boring !...oh, its still very strong no doubt, but there is no MAGIC or THRILL left in Stockfish, which after all, is half the fun in computer chess !

I would say these two would be the must options for individual users.