Spike 1.4 is available

[Ralf]

Hi all,

finally, after a long break of more than 4 years, a new version of Spike - 1.4 - is available!

There are more changes done in the last years than we can remember, so I want to give only a short summary:

- The evaluation part was first simplified, some terms with at least doubtable value were thrown out.
- The passed pawn evaluation was rewritten. Beside the common passed pawn evaluation, Spike has now some special terms and values for passed pawns in rook endgames and pawn endgames.
- Sort of an own material table. Chances are good, that the values of this table are sometimes by far off.
- Iirc a somewhat improved futility pruning.
- Much more selectivity by the extensive usage of lmr.
- Spike has now a strength reduction feature. Its not tested very extensively, so there are possibly some flaws.
- Support of up to 12 cores. Our own tests were only up to 6 cores, so we dont have any numbers regarding speedup above that.
- A new internal book with nearly 230.000 positions.
- Countless bug fixes (some of these bugs were really serious).

All in all we expect a large increase in playing strength, mainly resulting from a much deeper search, but the bugfixes and evaluation changes have their good share too!

Enjoy!

Best wishes
Volker and Ralf

http://www.spikechess.de/index_en.html

[Martin Thoresen]

Very, very cool!

Will you continue working on Spike or is this the last version?

I am very eager to let Spike participate in TCEC.

Best,
Martin

[AdminX]

Thank YOU!!

[Vladimir Xern]

This is absolutely the best news I've heard all year, Ralf!

Congratulations to you and Volker for this shining release in these murky times.

[Werner]

Hi Volker,
hi Ralf,
thanks a lot - this is really a surprise!

best wishes
Werner

[Damir]

Second that. I think it is the best news in the last couple of years. I don't remember the last time when new Spike was released....
Thanks Ralf, Volker as well.

[Graham Banks]

finally, after a long break of more than 4 years, a new version of Spike - 1.4 - is available!

Excellent news! A big thanks to both of you.

[ThatsIt]

Many THX Ralf and Volker !

Very good news.
First tests are running.

Best wishes,
G.S.

[AdminX]

Thanks again,

My 1st test game and everything worked.


[Event "Rated game, 5m"]
[Site "Engine Room"]
[Date "2011.02.01"]
[Round "?"]
[White "NYTed, Spike 1.4"]
[Black "Jacquito, Houdini 1.5a w32"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D45"]
[WhiteElo "2504"]
[BlackElo "2316"]
[Annotator "0.22;0.00"]
[PlyCount "110"]
[EventDate "2011.02.01"]
[TimeControl "300"]

{Houdini 1.5a w32 (2 cores): 11.0 plies; 328kN/s Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU
6400 @ 2.13GHz 2133MHz, StrongBook2011.ctg, 2048 MB} 1. d4 {B 0} d5 {0} 2. c4
{B 0} c6 {0} 3. Nc3 {B 0} Nf6 {0} 4. e3 {B 0} e6 {0} 5. Nf3 {B 0} Nbd7 {0} 6.
Qc2 {B 0} Bd6 {0} 7. b3 {B 0} O-O {0} 8. Be2 {B 0} b6 {0} 9. Bb2 {B 0} Qe7 {0}
10. O-O {B 0} Bb7 {0} 11. Rfe1 {B 0} h6 {0} 12. Bd3 {0.22/16 9} e5 {0 (Rfd8)}
13. dxe5 {0.27/18 8} Nxe5 {6} 14. Nxe5 {0.24/19 1} Bxe5 {8 (Qxe5)} 15. cxd5 {
0.38/18 7} cxd5 {0} 16. Rac1 {0.29/18 9} Rac8 {10} 17. Qe2 {0.37/19 12} Ne4 {
6 (Kh8)} 18. Nb5 {0.11/20 17} Bxb2 {0} 19. Qxb2 {0.12/20 6} Ba6 {1} 20. Qd4 {
0.12/19 4} Rxc1 {14 (Nc5)} 21. Rxc1 {0.00/20 6} Nc5 {2} 22. Be2 {0.03/19 2} Rd8
{5} 23. Qc3 {0.07/20 0} Ne6 {8} 24. Nd4 {0.08/21 0} Nxd4 {4 (Rc8)} 25. Bxa6 {
0.00/20 6} Ne6 {0} 26. Rd1 {0.06/18 6} Qa3 {11 (Kf8)} 27. Bf1 {0.10/20 8} a6 {
7 (Qc5)} 28. Qc6 {0.65/20 7} Qxa2 {9 (Qa5)} 29. Qxb6 {0.67/19 13} Qc2 {9} 30.
Rd3 {0.71/23 0} Qa2 {6} 31. Qc6 {0.91/21 1} d4 {5} 32. exd4 {0.82/21 2} Qa1 {4}
33. Re3 {0.80/22 0} Rxd4 {6} 34. Qc8+ {0.54/22 0} Rd8 {4} 35. Qxa6 {0.54/25 0}
Qb1 {15 (Qxa6)} 36. g3 {0.85/18 8} Rd1 {8} 37. Kg2 {0.91/20 0} g6 {3} 38. h4 {
1.06/18 3} Kh7 {7 (Kg7)} 39. h5 {1.43/19 7} Kg7 {7} 40. hxg6 {1.64/18 0} Qxg6 {
1} 41. Qc4 {1.68/18 3} Qb1 {1} 42. Qb5 {1.64/17 6} Qa2 {5 (Kg8)} 43. Rxe6 {2.
49/19 8} fxe6 {2} 44. Qe5+ {2.57/21 7} Kh7 {0} 45. Bd3+ {2.58/20 5} Rxd3 {1}
46. Qe4+ {2.60/19 3} Kg7 {0} 47. Qxd3 {2.67/19 3} Qa8+ {1 (Qa3)} 48. Qf3 {2.77/
18 3} Qc8 {4 (Qa6)} 49. b4 {3.05/19 3} Qb8 {1 (Qa6)} 50. Qg4+ {3.34/17 3} Kf6 {
1 (Kh7)} 51. Qf4+ {12.45/18 5} Qxf4 {0} 52. gxf4 {17.12/17 4} Ke7 {7} 53. b5 {
24.38/18 4} Kd6 {3 (Kd7)} 54. Kh3 {24.79/17 3} Kc5 {3} 55. Kg4 {#24/17 5} Kxb5
{0 (Kd6) Jacquito,Houdini 1.5a w32 resigns (Lag: Av=0.46s, max=2.2s)} 1-0


[Event "Rated game, 2m"]
[Site "Engine Room"]
[Date "2011.02.01"]
[Round "?"]
[White "NYTed"]
[Black "The-prisoner, Deep Rybka 4 SSE42 "]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E09"]
[WhiteElo "1496"]
[BlackElo "2501"]
[Annotator "-0.21;0.11"]
[PlyCount "124"]
[EventDate "2011.02.01"]
[TimeControl "120"]

{Deep Rybka 4 SSE42 x64 (6 cores): 16.6 plies; 461kN/s Intel(R) Core(TM) i7
CPU X 980 @ 3.33GHz 4000MHz, StrongBook2011.ctg, 2048 MB} 1. d4 {B 0}
Nf6 {B 0} 2. c4 {B 0} c6 {B 0} 3. Nf3 {B 0} e6 {B 0} 4. g3 {0.01/0 0} d5 {B 0}
5. Nbd2 {B 0} Be7 {B 0} 6. Bg2 {B 0} O-O {B 0} 7. O-O {B 0} b6 {B 0} 8. Qc2 {
B 0} Bb7 {B 0} 9. e4 {B 0} Nbd7 {B 0} 10. e5 {B 0} Ne8 {B 0} 11. cxd5 {B 0}
cxd5 {0.11/17 6} 12. Re1 {B 0 (Nb1)} Rc8 {0.10/17 8} 13. Qa4 {B 0 (Qd1)} a6 {
0.09/15 7} 14. Qd1 {-0.21/18 4 (Nf1)} a5 {0.06/16 7} 15. Nb1 {0.00/20 0} b5 {
0.08/16 3} 16. Nc3 {0.09/19 0} b4 {0.07/16 5} 17. Na4 {0.03/22 0} Nc7 {0.07/16
2} 18. Bd2 {0.14/19 2 (Be3)} Na8 {0.14/18 13} 19. a3 {0.23/21 0} Nab6 {0.14/18
1} 20. axb4 {0.11/21 1} axb4 {0.11/19 0} 21. Nxb6 {0.26/19 3 (Qb3)} Qxb6 {0.11/
18 3} 22. Bf1 {0.16/20 0} Ra8 {0.11/17 1 (Rc6)} 23. Qb3 {0.19/18 4 (Qe2)} Rfc8
{0.10/17 5 (h6)} 24. Bd3 {0.33/18 3 (Qd3)} Nb8 {0.08/16 3 (Ba6)} 25. Rxa8 {0.
35/19 3} Bxa8 {0.08/18 0} 26. Ra1 {0.33/19 2 (Kg2)} Nc6 {0.09/16 2 (Bb7)} 27.
Qa4 {0.35/16 3 (Qc2)} Nxd4 {0.00/17 2 (Bb7)} 28. Nxd4 {0.14/19 3} Qxd4 {0.00/
19 0} 29. Qd7 {0.16/20 2} Rf8 {0.00/20 0} 30. Qxe7 {0.03/20 3} Qxd3 {0.00/21 0}
31. Bxb4 {0.03/21 1} Rc8 {0.00/21 0} 32. Qd7 {0.11/21 2} Qc4 {0.00/19 0} 33.
Bc3 {0.00/21 4} h5 {0.02/20 0} 34. Ra7 {0.07/21 2} Rf8 {0.00/20 0} 35. Qa4 {0.
02/21 1} Qxa4 {0.00/19 0} 36. Rxa4 {0.07/21 2} Bc6 {0.03/20 0 (Kh7)} 37. Ra5 {
0.12/21 3 (Rh4)} Rd8 {0.00/19 2 (Kh7)} 38. Rc5 {0.12/20 2} Ba4 {0.00/19 0} 39.
b4 {0.13/19 1 (Kg2)} Kh7 {0.00/20 3} 40. Kf1 {0.18/21 0 (f3)} d4 {0.00/20 2}
41. Bd2 {0.16/22 0} Rb8 {0.00/20 0 (d3)} 42. Ke2 {0.04/20 2} Bb5+ {0.00/22 0}
43. Kf3 {0.07/22 1} Bd3 {0.00/22 0} 44. Rc7 {0.07/21 1} Rb5 {0.00/21 0 (Rf8)}
45. Rd7 {0.00/18 2 (Rc5)} Rxe5 {-0.06/19 3} 46. Rxd4 {0.00/23 0} Bb5 {-0.06/19
0} 47. Be3 {0.00/21 1} g5 {-0.13/20 1} 48. Rd8 {0.00/22 1 (g4)} f6 {-0.17/18 2
(g4+)} 49. Kg2 {0.00/16 1 (h3)} g4 {-0.22/16 2 (Bc6+)} 50. h3 {-0.03/17 2 (Rb8)
} Re4 {-0.36/19 2 (Be2)} 51. Rd4 {-0.14/18 1} Rxd4 {-0.36/24 0} 52. Bxd4 {-0.
16/23 2} Bc6+ {-0.36/24 2 (e5)} 53. Kh2 {-0.17/24 1 (Kf1)} Kg6 {-0.39/23 1} 54.
Bc5 {-0.17/25 0 (Bb6)} Kf5 {-0.39/24 2} 55. Be7 {-0.17/28 0} e5 {-0.39/23 0}
56. h4 {-0.17/25 1 (Kg1)} Ke6 {-0.39/22 2} 57. Bd8 {-0.17/25 0 (Bc5)} Bb5 {-0.
39/27 1 (f5)} 58. Kg2 {-0.17/28 1 (Bb6)} Be2 {-0.39/28 2 (Kf5)} 59. Bb6 {-0.17/
26 1 (Kh2)} Kd7 {-0.39/26 1 (Kd5)} 60. Be3 {-0.17/27 1 (Bc5)} Kc6 {-0.39/27 1
(Kd6) NYTed,Spike 1.4 offers a draw} 61. Bc5 {-0.17/28 1 (Bc1)} f5 {-0.39/28 1
(Kd5)} 62. Ba7 {-0.17/27 1 (Be3)} Kc7 {-0.39/27 1 (Kd6) (Lag: Av=0.54s, max=1.
5s)} 1/2-1/2

[Thomas Lagershausen]

Who will beat Houdini & Rybka in the future?

Only my loud thoughts.