WinBoard/XBoard 4.8.0 released

[hgm]

I prepared a binary installer for WinBoard 4.8.0. I haven't announced it at WB forum yet, but will update the download pages there shortly. The installer is already downloadable from http://hgm.nubati.net/WinBoard-4.8.0.exe .

Main new features that would benefit Chess users are:
* tablebase hits, selective depth and nps can be shown in Engine Output.
* Clicking moves in the Edit Book window plays them, and moves can be added to the book by playing them.
* The Evaluation Graph can be switched to differential mode ('Blunder Graph').
* Bulk saving of all selected games from a PGN database is possible, to create a new one.
* Setting up positions is made much easier by providing a 'pallette' board showing every piece once, and having a copy as well as move function for the pieces.
* The possibility to cut short engine-engine games based on scorpio bitbase probing.
* The clock times are saved as PGN comment in unfinished games, and restored when they are reloaded, making it easier to adjourn games.

The package contains a new Polyglot (2.0.2) that is needed for transmitting the tablebase hits of UCI engines. (It has a new option ShowTbHits.) It also contains a new Fairy-Max (4.8U), which supports four new variants, amongst which 'King of the Hill' and 'Charge of the Light Brigade', using the new WinBoard mechanism for engine-defined variants. General variant support of WinBoard has been greatly improved with this version; basically completely unknown variants now work just as smoothly as standard variants, because the engine can tell XBoard the rules. The new Fairy-Max uses this to improve the handling of all its existing variants that formerly had to be played with legality testing off. (E.g. Cylinder Chess.) The included Shokidoki engine now also supports Tori Shogi, which also makes use of this facility.

For XBoard there are additional new features:
* The GTK build is declared stable.
* An ICS Interaction window similar to WinBoard's, with integrated chat boxes.
* A Board Theme dialog to create and recal themes.
* More flexible use of fonts (in the GTK version).
* Automatic install of engines that comply with the plugin standard.

The XBoard source code is available from the GNU Savannah git repository. (I am not sure there are prepared tar balls yet.)

Thanks to the efforts of Joshua Pettus there also is an OS X App for XBoard available, for running on a Mac with a native feel. This will also be distributed from WB forum:



For a detailed description of all new features, see the XBoard news page on the GNU website.

[michiguel]

I prepared a binary installer for WinBoard 4.8.0. I haven't announced it at WB forum yet, but will update the download pages there shortly. The installer is already downloadable from http://hgm.nubati.net/WinBoard-4.8.0.exe .

Main new features that would benefit Chess users are:
* tablebase hits, selective depth and nps can be shown in Engine Output.
* Clicking moves in the Edit Book window plays them, and moves can be added to the book by playing them.
* The Evaluation Graph can be switched to differential mode ('Blunder Graph').
* Bulk saving of all selected games from a PGN database is possible, to create a new one.
* Setting up positions is made much easier by providing a 'pallette' board showing every piece once, and having a copy as well as move function for the pieces.
* The possibility to cut short engine-engine games based on scorpio bitbase probing.
* The clock times are saved as PGN comment in unfinished games, and restored when they are reloaded, making it easier to adjourn games.

The package contains a new Polyglot (2.0.2) that is needed for transmitting the tablebase hits of UCI engines. (It has a new option ShowTbHits.) It also contains a new Fairy-Max (4.8U), which supports four new variants, amongst which 'King of the Hill' and 'Charge of the Light Brigade', using the new WinBoard mechanism for engine-defined variants. General variant support of WinBoard has been greatly improved with this version; basically completely unknown variants now work just as smoothly as standard variants, because the engine can tell XBoard the rules. The new Fairy-Max uses this to improve the handling of all its existing variants that formerly had to be played with legality testing off. (E.g. Cylinder Chess.) The included Shokidoki engine now also supports Tori Shogi, which also makes use of this facility.

For XBoard there are additional new features:
* The GTK build is declared stable.
* An ICS Interaction window similar to WinBoard's, with integrated chat boxes.
* A Board Theme dialog to create and recal themes.
* More flexible use of fonts (in the GTK version).
* Automatic install of engines that comply with the plugin standard.

The XBoard source code is available from the GNU Savannah git repository. (I am not sure there are prepared tar balls yet.)

Thanks to the efforts of Joshua Pettus there also is an OS X App for XBoard available, for running on a Mac with a native feel. This will also be distributed from WB forum:



For a detailed description of all new features, see the XBoard news page on the GNU website.

I built the gtk version and I get

Unrecognized argument -pixmapDirectory in settings file
Unrecognized argument -bitmapDirectory in settings file
No default pieces installed!
Select your own using '-pieceImageDirectory'.

Miguel

[Ferdy]

I have some options that are not displayed by winboard, but are displayed in arena configuration. Highlighed options are not displayed in winboard engine setting.

Code: Select all

info string Deuterium v14.3.34.113 64bit POPCNT
uci
id name Deuterium v14.3.34.113
id author Ferdinand Mosca
option name Hash type spin default 32 min 16 max 2048
option name EvalHash type spin default 16 min 8 max 32
option name PawnHash type spin default 4 min 1 max 8
option name KingAndPawnHash type spin default 4 min 1 max 8
option name Log type check default false
option name Ponder type check default false
option name OwnBook type check default false
option name BookFile type string default Deuterium.bin
option name KingSafetyPercent type spin default 100 min 0 max 1000
option name MidGameMobilityPercent type spin default 100 min 0 max 1000
option name EndGameMobilityPercent type spin default 100 min 0 max 1000
option name OffensivePercent type spin default 100 min 0 max 1000
option name DefensivePercent type spin default 100 min 0 max 1000
option name FutilityPruning type check default true
option name LateMoveReduction type check default true
option name NullMove type check default true
option name Razoring type check default true
option name GoodEvaluationPruning type check default true
option name RepetitionScore type spin default 0 min -500 max 500
option name InsufficientMaterialScore type spin default 0 min -500 max 500
option name FiftyMoveScore type spin default 0 min -500 max 500
option name StaleMateScore type spin default 0 min -30000 max 30000
option name TimeBufferMilliSec type spin default 60 min 0 max 1000
option name CheckExtension type check default true
option name EndingExtension type check default true
option name RecaptureExtension type check default true
option name PawnTo7thRankExtension type check default true
option name UseScorpioBitBases type check default false
option name AvailableScorpioEgbbMen type spin default 5 min 3 max 6
option name EgbbMinimumProbeDepth type spin default 8 min 1 max 128
option name ScorpioBitBasesPath type string default c:\chess\egtb\scorpio
option name ScorpioBitBasesCache type spin default 16 min 8 max 512
option name ScorpioBitBasesLoadType type combo default 4MEN var NONE var 4MEN va
r SMART var 5MEN
option name MultiPV type spin default 1 min 1 max 300
option name UCI_ShowCurrLine type check default false
option name UCI_ShowRefutations type check default false
option name Engine_LimitStrength type check default false
option name Engine_Elo type spin default 2800 min 1000 max 2800
option name UCI_AnalyseMode type check default false
option name UCI_EngineAbout type string default YrCreated 2003, Language C, Boar
dScheme Bitboard, MultiThread no
uciok

[hgm]

Hmm, they all end in 'Score'. I wonder if that can have something to do with it.

[hgm]

I built the gtk version and I get

Unrecognized argument -pixmapDirectory in settings file
Unrecognized argument -bitmapDirectory in settings file
No default pieces installed!
Select your own using '-pieceImageDirectory'.

Miguel

Sounds like you did not install it.

The other messages are normal, if you upgrade from something older than 4.6, as the -pixmapDirectory option is no longer supported, and it would still be in your settings file. (In fact pixmaps are no longer supported since we switched to the Cairo plot library.) This is not fatal, though, just a warning, and after you saved settings once it should disappear.

Having no pieces at all to display is fatal, though.

[Ferdy]

Hmm, they all end in 'Score'. I wonder if that can have something to do with it.

I tried changing RepetitionScore to RepetitionValue, still the same result, the option is not displayed.
What about a spin type with negative values?

[hgm]

I also don't see them in the Engine Settings dialog.

Problem is that I also don't see them when I run Deuterium as UCI engine in the console:

Code: Select all

C:\WinBoard-4.8.0\Deuterium>"Deuterium v14.2.33.276 32bit.exe"
info string Deuterium v14.2.33.276 32bit
uci
id name Deuterium v14.2.33.276
id author Ferdinand Mosca
option name Hash type spin default 64 min 16 max 1024
option name EvalHash type spin default 16 min 8 max 32
option name PawnHash type spin default 2 min 1 max 8
option name Log type check default false
option name Ponder type check default false
option name Resign type check default false
option name DeuteriumRating type spin default 2800 min 2650 max 2800
option name OwnBook type check default false
option name BookFile type string default Deuterium.bin
option name MidGameMobilityPercent type spin default 100 min 0 max 1000
option name EndGameMobilityPercent type spin default 100 min 0 max 1000
option name FutilityPruning type check default true
option name LateMoveReduction type check default true
option name NullMove type check default true
option name TimeBufferMilliSec type spin default 60 min 0 max 1000
option name EndingExtension type check default true
option name RecaptureExtension type check default true
option name PawnTo7thRankExtension type check default true
option name UseScorpioBitBases type check default false
option name AvailableScorpioEgbbMen type spin default 5 min 3 max 6
option name EgbbMinimumProbeDepth type spin default 8 min 1 max 128
option name ScorpioBitBasesPath type string default c:\chess\egtb\scorpio
option name ScorpioBitBasesCache type spin default 16 min 8 max 512
option name ScorpioBitBasesLoadType type combo default 4MEN var NONE var 4MEN va
r SMART var 5MEN
option name MultiPV type spin default 1 min 1 max 300
option name UCI_ShowCurrLine type check default false
option name UCI_ShowRefutations type check default false
option name UCI_LimitStrength type check default false
option name UCI_Elo type spin default 2800 min 1000 max 2800
option name UCI_AnalyseMode type check default false
option name UCI_Opponent type string default GM 2800 computer Android
option name UCI_EngineAbout type string default YrCreated 2003, Language C, Boar
dScheme Bitboard, MultiThread no
uciok

Apparently the Deuterium that has them is not available for download yet. Which makes it kind of hard for me to test/debug...

[Ferdy]

Just take sf5. Contempt Factor is not going to be shown.

Stockfish 5 64 SSE4.2 by Tord Romstad, Marco Costalba and Joona Kiiski
uci
id name Stockfish 5 64 SSE4.2
id author Tord Romstad, Marco Costalba and Joona Kiiski

option name Write Debug Log type check default false
option name Write Search Log type check default false
option name Search Log Filename type string default SearchLog.txt
option name Book File type string default book.bin
option name Best Book Move type check default false
option name Contempt Factor type spin default 0 min -50 max 50
option name Mobility (Midgame) type spin default 100 min 0 max 200
option name Mobility (Endgame) type spin default 100 min 0 max 200
option name Pawn Structure (Midgame) type spin default 100 min 0 max 200
option name Pawn Structure (Endgame) type spin default 100 min 0 max 200
option name Passed Pawns (Midgame) type spin default 100 min 0 max 200
option name Passed Pawns (Endgame) type spin default 100 min 0 max 200
option name Space type spin default 100 min 0 max 200
option name Aggressiveness type spin default 100 min 0 max 200
option name Cowardice type spin default 100 min 0 max 200
option name Min Split Depth type spin default 0 min 0 max 12
option name Threads type spin default 1 min 1 max 128
option name Hash type spin default 32 min 1 max 16384
option name Clear Hash type button
option name Ponder type check default true
option name OwnBook type check default false
option name MultiPV type spin default 1 min 1 max 500
option name Skill Level type spin default 20 min 0 max 20
option name Emergency Move Horizon type spin default 40 min 0 max 50
option name Emergency Base Time type spin default 60 min 0 max 30000
option name Emergency Move Time type spin default 30 min 0 max 5000
option name Minimum Thinking Time type spin default 20 min 0 max 5000
option name Slow Mover type spin default 80 min 10 max 1000
option name UCI_Chess960 type check default false
uciok

[hgm]

OK, I already added an option RepetitionScore to Fairy-Max, ranging from -100 to 100.

The control did not show up in the Settings dialog, but space was reserved from it, and the standard debug output written to the debug file that shows how the dialog ahould look, prints the option.

But there is something very fishy going on. I added a print statement in the WinBoard backend at the point where the option is received from the engine, to print what was parsed. This prints the correct values (0, -100 and 100), so nothing wrong there. But then the problem in the front-end disappears! The option is displayed as it should.

[hgm]

OK, found it and fixed it.

Apparently two lines of code got commented out to silence a warning. (Funny thing is that I did not get a warning after uncommenting them.)

The lines were commented out without much thinking, because they would only be active on -slider options, which WinBoard does not support yet internally. (It immediately maps them onto -spin.)

Unfortunately that they referred to Slider was a bug in itself. I had used a kludge to change the option type Spin to Spin+100 for indicating -spin options that could attain negative values. Because these need non-numeric control, as Windows does not allow you to type a minus sign in numeric controls. So a switch statement that originally had a "case Spin:" now also needed a duplicate "case Spin+100:", and inadvertantly I made that by duplicating the "case Slider:" instead, and adding +100 to that. This probably happened when I tried to transfer the fix for not accepting the minus sign after making and testing it on Windows to the git repository on Linux, by just typing it by hand.


Anyway, I fixed it now, and put the resulting "WinBoard 4.8.0a" binary in the installer, at the same download link.