A tribute to Arena GUI.

[A Distel]

Arena 3.5.1 is excellent software and one significant element is, you can install just about any engine without having to make any tweaks and it will run it!
http://www.playwitharena.com/?Download:Arena_3.5.1

[SSTATHIS]

It's my favorite GUI but since 3.5 version has the "ponder on" problem (many engines forfeit when ponder is on).

[Nordlandia]

Seemingly Arena 3.5.1 is the only stable GUI that supports two computer matches {Autoplayer} (ponder).

Fritz 13 support this old interface but truly obsolete, also lacking some features.

[Wolfgang]

It's my favorite GUI but since 3.5 version has the "ponder on" problem (many engines forfeit when ponder is on).

I think the ponder bug is fixed with version 3.5.1. I tried it with some matches with SmarThink 1.80 and Andscacs 0.85 for our 5'+3" list with Ponder=ON, no problems so far!

[zd3nik]

Arena 3.5.1 is excellent software and one significant element is, you can install just about any engine without having to make any tweaks and it will run it!
http://www.playwitharena.com/?Download:Arena_3.5.1

Agreed! I use Arena extensively and I love it!

[A Distel]

Arena 3.5.1 is excellent software and one significant element is, you can install just about any engine without having to make any tweaks and it will run it!
http://www.playwitharena.com/?Download:Arena_3.5.1

Yes, it is extremely friendly to use and very flexible. The best there is for running tournaments.

Yes, for people that are not happy with WinBoard...Arena would be a very good alternative, because:
* it is reliable
* simple
* user friendly to operate
* easy to install
* free

[gerold]

Arena 3.5.1 is excellent software and one significant element is, you can install just about any engine without having to make any tweaks and it will run it!
http://www.playwitharena.com/?Download:Arena_3.5.1

Yes, it is extremely friendly to use and very flexible. The best there is for running tournaments.

I have been using it for tournaments for years. Best one i have used.

[hgm]

Seemingly Arena 3.5.1 is the only stable GUI that supports two computer matches {Autoplayer} (ponder).

Fritz 13 support this old interface but truly obsolete, also lacking some features.

Note that the RS232 autoplayer is considered obsolete since networks using ethernet / WiFi became common, and allows you to run two-computer matches (or actually multi-computer tournaments) on any GUI without the need for special provisions in that GUI. The trick is to just install a communication program as engine on the machine where the GUI runs, which then starts the engine on another machine over the network.

Under Linux this can even be done with standard software like ssh or rsh. (And indeed XBoard has -firstHost / -secondHost options for this that automatically invoke the configured -remoteShell to run any registered engine remotely.) Windows is of course less capable, so you usually have to install a dedicated adapter like connect.exe on the machines you want to communicate.

With network play you can distribute general tournaments over many machines. E.g. if you have four equivalent computers in your LAN, you could run a ponder-on roud-robin tournament concurrently by starting two XBoard's, the one with -firstsecondHost set to computer A and B, the other having it set to C and D. And with ponder off you could of course run four games, concurrently, by starting four XBoard instances that each have their -first/secondHost set to the same machine, A, B, C or D. I am not sure whether such things are possible with the RS232 autoplayer.

[A Distel]

Seemingly Arena 3.5.1 is the only stable GUI that supports two computer matches {Autoplayer} (ponder).

Fritz 13 support this old interface but truly obsolete, also lacking some features.

Note that the RS232 autoplayer is considered obsolete since networks using ethernet / WiFi became common, and allows you to run two-computer matches (or actually multi-computer tournaments) on any GUI without the need for special provisions in that GUI. The trick is to just install a communication program as engine on the machine where the GUI runs, which then starts the engine on another machine over the network.

Under Linux this can even be done with standard software like ssh or rsh. (And indeed XBoard has -firstHost / -secondHost options for this that automatically invoke the configured -remoteShell to run any registered engine remotely.) Windows is of course less capable, so you usually have to install a dedicated adapter like connect.exe on the machines you want to communicate.

With network play you can distribute general tournaments over many machines. E.g. if you have four equivalent computers in your LAN, you could run a ponder-on roud-robin tournament concurrently by starting two XBoard's, the one with -firstsecondHost set to computer A and B, the other having it set to C and D. And with ponder off you could of course run four games, concurrently, by starting four XBoard instances that each have their -first/secondHost set to the same machine, A, B, C or D. I am not sure whether such things are possible with the RS232 autoplayer.

Thank you very much for the detailed information you have given us and being very clear in your explanation in relation to Winboard/XBoard!

[Nordlandia]

Seemingly Arena 3.5.1 is the only stable GUI that supports two computer matches {Autoplayer} (ponder).

Fritz 13 support this old interface but truly obsolete, also lacking some features.

Note that the RS232 autoplayer is considered obsolete since networks using ethernet / WiFi became common, and allows you to run two-computer matches (or actually multi-computer tournaments) on any GUI without the need for special provisions in that GUI. The trick is to just install a communication program as engine on the machine where the GUI runs, which then starts the engine on another machine over the network.

Under Linux this can even be done with standard software like ssh or rsh. (And indeed XBoard has -firstHost / -secondHost options for this that automatically invoke the configured -remoteShell to run any registered engine remotely.) Windows is of course less capable, so you usually have to install a dedicated adapter like connect.exe on the machines you want to communicate.

With network play you can distribute general tournaments over many machines. E.g. if you have four equivalent computers in your LAN, you could run a ponder-on roud-robin tournament concurrently by starting two XBoard's, the one with -firstsecondHost set to computer A and B, the other having it set to C and D. And with ponder off you could of course run four games, concurrently, by starting four XBoard instances that each have their -first/secondHost set to the same machine, A, B, C or D. I am not sure whether such things are possible with the RS232 autoplayer.

It it possible to run ponder under Fritz 15 interface (assuming two computers facing each other).

What kind of communication software is required?