Testing Stockfish, Lc0, Banksia GUI for iOS (iPhone, iPad, iWatch)

[phhnguyen]

I have been developing a new open-source Banksia GUI for iOS which can run on iPhone, iPad and iWatch. The program is developed with the latest technologies (SwiftUI) and will be released with some already-integrated open-source chess engines as some different apps.

You are invited to use and help us to test those apps. Just use the below links and follow the instructions (you will install TestFlight app first then Banksia GUI, your device should use at least iOS 14/watchOS 7):

1. Stockfish (BanksiaGUI + Stockfish NNUE version 13dev/nn-03744f8d56d8.nnue)
https://testflight.apple.com/join/39PV7I3Z

2. Lc0 (BanksiaGUI + Lc0 0.26.3/703350.pb.gz)
https://testflight.apple.com/join/UxeYAGbb

3. BanksiaGUI (BanksiaGUI + some top chess engines: Stockfish, Lc0, Ethereal, Xiphos, Rubichess, Laser, Defenchess, Igel)
https://testflight.apple.com/join/8aIoxczU

Notes:

• They all will be published on the Apple store as freeware

• The source will be released in my GitHub (https://github.com/nguyenpham/) when the apps are released officially on AppleStore (within a few weeks)

• Each app comes as a pair: one for iPhone/iPad and one for Apple Watch. The watch apps can run independently with ones for iPhone/iPad

• The list of embedded engines come with BanksiaGUI is not fixed, some may be removed when others may be added (depends on feedbacks, test results)

• Feedbacks, comments, suggestions… please post here or use the feedback function of TestFlight

Some screenshots:
iPhone:


Apple watch:


Battle on the wrist (Apple Watch Series 6):

[mephisto]

Hi
Have you received my PM?

[phhnguyen]

Hi
Have you received my PM?

Thank you very much Bryan for supporting us with new chess piece graphics! They will be used from the next build.

[phhnguyen]

I have just uploaded new builds for all apps on TestFlight with some new updates:
- update chess piece graphics
- support iPad's landscape mode
- support Dark appearance mode
- some small changes, improvements

Look like there is no serious bug and if new builds are similar, we will finish this test soon for the official release (including source-code).

Thanks all for your help and cooperation!

[MRI_Doc]

Any chance you can compile Stockfish to run natively on the new MI chip on MacOS?

I AM running your new TestFlight builds on iPhone 12 Pro Max and they are brilliant! No bugs so far.

Best,

Joe

[phhnguyen]

Any chance you can compile Stockfish to run natively on the new MI chip on MacOS?

I AM running your new TestFlight builds on iPhone 12 Pro Max and they are brilliant! No bugs so far.

Best,

Joe

As I have understood, the core of M1 is actually the ARM processor for iOS devices. Thus once the SF is compiled for iOS, the code can run natively on the M1.

When compiling SF, I use the flag USE_NEON, the NNUE code is optimized for ARM too.

I think you can download and run iPhone apps directly on M1's computers, can't it?

BTW, I am releasing the source code, you can try yourself, compile, benchmark as well as contribute

[supersharp77]

I have been developing a new open-source Banksia GUI for iOS which can run on iPhone, iPad and iWatch. The program is developed with the latest technologies (SwiftUI) and will be released with some already-integrated open-source chess engines as some different apps.

You are invited to use and help us to test those apps. Just use the below links and follow the instructions (you will install TestFlight app first then Banksia GUI, your device should use at least iOS 14/watchOS 7):

1. Stockfish (BanksiaGUI + Stockfish NNUE version 13dev/nn-03744f8d56d8.nnue)
https://testflight.apple.com/join/39PV7I3Z

2. Lc0 (BanksiaGUI + Lc0 0.26.3/703350.pb.gz)
https://testflight.apple.com/join/UxeYAGbb

3. BanksiaGUI (BanksiaGUI + some top chess engines: Stockfish, Lc0, Ethereal, Xiphos, Rubichess, Laser, Defenchess, Igel)
https://testflight.apple.com/join/8aIoxczU

Notes:

• They all will be published on the Apple store as freeware

• The source will be released in my GitHub (https://github.com/nguyenpham/) when the apps are released officially on AppleStore (within a few weeks)

• Each app comes as a pair: one for iPhone/iPad and one for Apple Watch. The watch apps can run independently with ones for iPhone/iPad

• The list of embedded engines come with BanksiaGUI is not fixed, some may be removed when others may be added (depends on feedbacks, test results)

• Feedbacks, comments, suggestions… please post here or use the feedback function of TestFlight

Some screenshots:
iPhone:


Apple watch:


Battle on the wrist (Apple Watch Series 6):

Well I could use Banksia for Android as long as it allows Swiss System Chess tourneys and a plug in for engine ratings....it would solve a long backlog in ratings for all of these new (and older) untested android engines....Thanks AR

[phhnguyen]

Well I could use Banksia for Android as long as it allows Swiss System Chess tourneys and a plug in for engine ratings....it would solve a long backlog in ratings for all of these new (and older) untested android engines....Thanks AR

It is a nice surprise if someone can run BanksiaGUI on an Android
I use Qt to develop BanksiaGUI and have read that I can compile it for Android but have not tried yet. I will try later.

BTW, I have been working to integrate a rating system to BanksiaGUI for a while. It is not easy thus it will take me some time.

[Werewolf]

Finally!

A useful chess app for iOS!!

One comment: the text display needs improving below the screen. The nps runs off the screen regularly and is unreadable.
Some options: use shorthand like kn/s or mn/s to reduce the number of digits.
Or let the display run onto the 3rd line

[Thomas Lagershausen]

A better os for mobile chess is android.

Stockfish is on android much faster as on ios.