My Dad, now 81, beat my chess engine Pulsar

[adams161]

As some know I developed the program Pulsar Chess which is well known for its variants but also a chess playing program with levels. I started it in 1998 but it only played full strength then and even though it wasn't very strong by chess program standards it was a bit tough for non rated players and my Dad as I wrote in http://www.lanternchess.com/fathers-che ... stmas.html was not much interested in paying it at the time.

I joined chessclub.com in 1998 and developed the Pulsar chess engine. I let my dad try it in Winboard and the first problem was there was no takeback. I added retract move but it might have been to late. He wasn't much interested.

My Dad did become interested in my OpeningTree App around 2014 and 2015 for its Crafty analysis free play it allowed him.

Well recently a Pulsar customer mailed me this:

I'm about 1400-1500 elo and I lose badly to the easy mode. On other apps eg., Primus and Turochess I often win and having ratings 1500-1600. Maybe it needs to be dumbed down more for weak players like me.

Sent from my iPad

So I wrote this person back that it's really not hard to beat on easy and gave some tips which I then compiled into tips i put in app on game menu's "How to beat Pulsar". And the next week he responded

Your advice worked a treat. Now I'm on a roll and defeated Normal setting rather quickly. Of course always good advice is to take your time.
Cheers, ***.

Well now Pulsar Chess is on Mac and my dad who had it on his iPhone got it on Mac and I told him over the phone about the how to beat Pulsar tips in app and suggested he try them as my dad had not managed to beat it on easy. And my dad wrote me a few days ago:

Have Pulsar on my Mac and won a game using your tips.

And yesterday wrote me referring to his best friend who I've known since childhood

****** down loaded Pulsar and it beat him. Have to get him to read your note

Well to me that's real success. You can make analysis programs that are 9000 rated, great, but a playing program you can't beat isn't any fun. And the more modern handicapping techniques I think do a disservice to the game. So I'm going with what I got with my tips in App.

Mike

[MikeB]

As some know I developed the program Pulsar Chess which is well known for its variants but also a chess playing program with levels. I started it in 1998 but it only played full strength then and even though it wasn't very strong by chess program standards it was a bit tough for non rated players and my Dad as I wrote in http://www.lanternchess.com/fathers-che ... stmas.html was not much interested in paying it at the time.

I joined chessclub.com in 1998 and developed the Pulsar chess engine. I let my dad try it in Winboard and the first problem was there was no takeback. I added retract move but it might have been to late. He wasn't much interested.

My Dad did become interested in my OpeningTree App around 2014 and 2015 for its Crafty analysis free play it allowed him.

Well recently a Pulsar customer mailed me this:

I'm about 1400-1500 elo and I lose badly to the easy mode. On other apps eg., Primus and Turochess I often win and having ratings 1500-1600. Maybe it needs to be dumbed down more for weak players like me.

Sent from my iPad

So I wrote this person back that it's really not hard to beat on easy and gave some tips which I then compiled into tips i put in app on game menu's "How to beat Pulsar". And the next week he responded

Your advice worked a treat. Now I'm on a roll and defeated Normal setting rather quickly. Of course always good advice is to take your time.
Cheers, ***.

Well now Pulsar Chess is on Mac and my dad who had it on his iPhone got it on Mac and I told him over the phone about the how to beat Pulsar tips in app and suggested he try them as my dad had not managed to beat it on easy. And my dad wrote me a few days ago:

Have Pulsar on my Mac and won a game using your tips.

And yesterday wrote me referring to his best friend who I've known since childhood

****** down loaded Pulsar and it beat him. Have to get him to read your note

Well to me that's real success. You can make analysis programs that are 9000 rated, great, but a playing program you can't beat isn't any fun. And the more modern handicapping techniques I think do a disservice to the game. So I'm going with what I got with my tips in App.

Mike

+1 God Bless your Dad.

[hgm]

[mclane]

congratulations.

[chysiddh14]

how to beat pulsar chess engine tips ?
can we get this information also ?

[adams161]

how to beat pulsar chess engine tips ?
can we get this information also ?

It's in every updated copy of pulsar on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android on the App's Game menu in 5 languages, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian. I can see about a web copy but the rtf file had issues when i put it up on web so no promised. App is free with no ads and small download size relatively speaking. Can search Pulsar Chess to find it.

Edit: i found out i had it on my web site. its got a few character issues with the rtf stuff but its pretty readable i think http://www.lanternchess.com/rules/beatpulsar.html