What is the strongest xianqi program available for the pc?

[Amstaff]

Freeware or purchase it doesn't matter.
Thanks in advance.
Gerald

[Ron Langeveld]

A few prize winners are mentioned on this Chinese site. Couldn't tell you which one is the strongest when available but it might be an interesting link for you to translate and explore.

http://www.xqbase.com/resource.htm#programs

[hgm]

That seems a very old page (2008). I haven't much followed computer Xiangqi lately. Cyclone always has been a very strong commercial (UCI) engine. But I don't think it is still the strongest today.

[Ron Langeveld]

Cyclone 0.55 is free.

I was wondering whether I can use this in your Winboard IDE

Ron

[hgm]

That is a very old version of Cyclone. But it can indeed run under WinBoard as UCCI engine.Either with UCCI2WB or a recent UCI2WB.

In 2010 I conducted a tournament of free XQ engines. See http://home.hccnet.nl/h.g.muller/XQC2010.html . Cyclone was not nearly the strongest there. But all engines there were blown away by the commercial Cyclone of that time.

[S.Taylor]

Freeware or purchase it doesn't matter.
Thanks in advance.
Gerald

I'm wondering, Isn't this topic very greatly the wrong forum? Is xianqi chess?

[hgm]

Yes, it is. Chinese Chess. There exist many variants of Chess, and Chinese Chess is the most popular one on this planet. 'International Chess', the variant you are used to (aka Mad Queen Chess) comes a good second.

[S.Taylor]

Yes, it is. Chinese Chess. There exist many variants of Chess, and Chinese Chess is the most popular one on this planet. 'International Chess', the variant you are used to (aka Mad Queen Chess) comes a good second.

I've heard the opinion of someone, that FRC is a vatiant. But it IS exact chess, after setup.

And you say that all the famous chess champions since Steinitz played the "mad queen"? (MQC)

So xianqi uses the exact same squares and exact same pieces and moves, as does FRC?

[hgm]

Indeed, they all played the Mad Queen variant. This name distinguishes it from the previously most popular variant in Europe, where the Queen could move only one step (i.e. moved the same as the King).

I do not really consider Chess960/FRC a different variant. Like you say, it is the same as International Chess, just from a different starting position. Perhaps one could call this a 'sub-variant'.

And no, International Chess and Chinese Chess do not have the same pieces, the same moves or the same board. Just like the pre-decessors of International Chess did not have the same moves, and sometimes more pieces and a larger board (e.g. Courier Chess had 9 different piece types on 12x8, and Grant Acedrex had 8 piece types on 12x12). Modern Japanese Chess uses a 9x9 board.

[Evert]

Freeware or purchase it doesn't matter.
Thanks in advance.
Gerald

I'm wondering, Isn't this topic very greatly the wrong forum? Is xianqi chess?

Yes, quite literally. FIDE Chess is called "international xiangqi" in Chinese.

"Chess" isn't a game, it's a family of related games, with Chaturanga as the oldest known representative. It includes FIDE Chess, Xiangqi, Shogi, Shatranj, Makruk, Shatar and other historic and regional variations.