Lack of MultiPV?

[Guenther]

Is there a list which uci programs don't have multipv implemented?

-> e.g. Hannibal 1.4b doesn't have it

Was multipv in the early uci specs or did it arrive later in uciv2 or uciv3?
(if that would be true I would at least know that before a certain date/timeframe probably there is little chance of being implemented...)

BTW@HG how does it work now for WB programs since I remember you added support for it in WB once, IIRC but may be my memory is wrong?
(and which chess engines can show something so far, or is there even some backward compatibility?)

Guenther

[Steve Maughan]

Hi Guenther,

I believe it's always been in the spec.

However, juts because it's in the spec doesn't mean an author has to implement it.

And it's not trivial to add.

Steve

[hgm]

Fruit 2.1 does not have MultiPV.

As for WB protocol, multi-PV support is more an engine matter. The engine can print as many PVs as it wants, and WinBoard will dutifully display them (sorted by score, so it does not matter really in which order the engine prints them).

The engine can define whatever option or method it wants to control how many PV are sent. But if there is an option MultiPV (like there of course will be for UCI engines running under Polyglot), it is treated as special, as you can increment or decrement it by (right-)clicking in the Engine Output window, rather than having to open the Engine Settings dialog to alter it.

Fairy-Max supports multi-PV through a non-standard option 'Multi-PV Margin' (in centi-Pawn). I don't know of any other WB engines. (But I am not really into Chess engines anymore.)

BTW, in Fairy-Max it was totally trivial to add it. (In stead of increasing alpha to the bestScore when it finds a better move in the root, it increases it to bestScore minus margin.)

That authors of UCI engines might not implement multi-PV is OK, as a GUI can clearly see by the engine options whether it is implemented. What is a real pain in UCI, however, is that there is no way the GUI can know whether the engine implements 'searchmoves'...

[Ferdy]

Is there a list which uci programs don't have multipv implemented?
[...]

Guenther

Here are some uci engines with info on multi pv.

Code: Select all

id name Amyan 1.72
MultiPV is supported

id name Andscacs 0.64
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name AnMon 5.75
MultiPV is supported

id name Arasan 17.1
MultiPV is supported

id name Arion 1.7
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Atlas  3.50  x64
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Bison 9.11
MultiPV is supported

id name BlackMamba_1.2c x64
MultiPV is supported

id name Bobcat 3.25
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Booot 5.2.0&#40;64&#41;
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name cheng4 0.36c
MultiPV is supported

id name Critter 1.6a 64-bit
MultiPV is supported

id name Deuterium v14.2.33.276
MultiPV is supported

id name DiscoCheck 5.2
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Fire 3.0 x64
MultiPV is supported

id name Fruit reloaded 2.1
MultiPV is supported

id name Gaviota v1.0
MultiPV is supported

id name Glass 2.0 PERSONALITY
MultiPV is supported

id name Glaurung 2.2 JA
MultiPV is supported

id name GNU Chess 5.50-64
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Godel 2.3.7
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name GreKo 12.0
MultiPV is supported

id name Gull 2.2 x64
MultiPV is supported

id name Hamsters 0.7.1
MultiPV is supported

id name Hannibal 1.4x64
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name HIARCS 14 WCSC
MultiPV is supported

id name Houdini 4 x64
MultiPV is supported

id name iCE 2.0 v2240 x64/popcnt
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Komodo 6 64-bit
MultiPV is supported

id name MadChess 1.4
MultiPV is supported

id name Maverick 0.51 x64
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name MinkoChess 1.3 x64
MultiPV is supported

id name Murka 3 x64 UCI
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name cheng4 0.36c
MultiPV is supported

id name Nebula 2.0
MultiPV is supported

id name Nemo SP64o 1.0.1 Beta
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Nirvanachess 1.8
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Octochess revision 5190
MultiPV is supported

id name Pawny 1.0.x64.SSE4.2
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Pedone 0.5
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Pharaon 3.5.1
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Protector 1.7.0
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Quazar 0.4 x64
MultiPV is supported

id name RedQueen 1.1.4
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Rhetoric 1.4.1 x64
MultiPV is supported

id name Rodent 1.5 &#40;build 15&#41;
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Rotor 0.8
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Ruffian 1.0.5
MultiPV is supported

id name Rybka 2.3.2a mp
MultiPV is supported

id name Senpai 1.0
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name SmarThink 1.70
MultiPV is supported

id name SOS 5 for Arena
MultiPV is supported

id name spark-1.0
MultiPV is supported

id name Spike 1.4
MultiPV is supported

id name Stockfish 5 64 SSE4.2
MultiPV is supported

id name Strelka 5.5
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Twisted Logic 20100131x
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Texel 1.04 64-bit
MultiPV is supported

id name TJchess 1.1U-x64
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Toga II 3.0
MultiPV is supported

id name Tornado 4.88 x64
MultiPV is supported

id name Ufim 8.02
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

id name Umko 1.1 x64
MultiPV is supported

id name Vajolet2 1.45
MultiPV is supported

id name Yace 0.99.87
MultiPV is not supported <<<<<<<<<<<<

[Aser Huerga]

Komodo 8 (same for K7) supports multiPV, but then syzygy tablebases doesn't work. In all other programs I know that supports multiPV, TBs works without problems. I reported this to the authors when K7 was released but for whatever reason the problem remains the same ...

[Jouni]

My Komodo 8 uses syzygy in multiPV definitely.

[peter]

My Komodo 8 uses syzygy in multiPV definitely.

But in Deep Shredder12 GUI it doesn't show the hits on the contrary to other engines and to its own output in single variant mode

[Guenther]

Thanks to all for the helpful answers!
(especially to Ferdinand for the comprehensive list)

Guenther

[Aser Huerga]

My Komodo 8 uses syzygy in multiPV definitely.

But in Deep Shredder12 GUI it doesn't show the hits on the contrary to other engines and to its own output in single variant mode

Same behaviour in Aquarium GUI.