Zahak, a GoLang based chess engine

[Gabor Szots]

Hi Amanj,

Recently I have received 3 e-mail notifications about new Zahak development versions, 2 of them today (version 8.5 and 8.6). When I clicked the link it lead me to a non-existent page.
I wonder if these were not fake notifications. Anyway, I wanted to receive notifications only about releases.

[amanjpro]

Hi Amanj,

Recently I have received 3 e-mail notifications about new Zahak development versions, 2 of them today (version 8.5 and 8.6). When I clicked the link it lead me to a non-existent page.
I wonder if these were not fake notifications. Anyway, I wanted to receive notifications only about releases.

Unfortunately I don't have a windows box. And to build a windows binary I have to create a release. So whenever I need to create a dev binary for someone (for example for FCP tournament), I create a release, and since it is a dev I also deleted it, thought I'm doing a favor for testers, guess I'm not.

I am sorry for this, and will not do it again. I guess I'll be installing windows on virtual box and start building windows binaries there.

Regards,
Amanj

[Gabor Szots]

Hi Amanj,

Recently I have received 3 e-mail notifications about new Zahak development versions, 2 of them today (version 8.5 and 8.6). When I clicked the link it lead me to a non-existent page.
I wonder if these were not fake notifications. Anyway, I wanted to receive notifications only about releases.

Unfortunately I don't have a windows box. And to build a windows binary I have to create a release. So whenever I need to create a dev binary for someone (for example for FCP tournament), I create a release, and since it is a dev I also deleted it, thought I'm doing a favor for testers, guess I'm not.

I am sorry for this, and will not do it again. I guess I'll be installing windows on virtual box and start building windows binaries there.

Regards,
Amanj

No problem now that I know. I'm going to ignore notifications when there is dev attached to the name.

[Frank Quisinsky]

Hi Amanj,

you develops in big steps.

For my tourney is a release not very important.
But if I add dev. versions the main program should be available.
Your version 8.0 is available and in this case I am happy if I can help a bit with testing a dev. version.

What I not like is to test private available engines.
Such engines have here no chance ... since I made for around 20 years some bad knowledge.

Your 8.6 can go in TOP-25 with around 3130-3150 Elo (if Shredder 13 = ~ 3125).

The community will be happy with your next release.
And I am happy that Jörg Burwitz sent me the Zahak tip for my tourney.

Zahak 8.6 will be start in around 2 hours.

Go Zahak go ...
Very nice engine you develops!

Best
Frank

[amanjpro]

Hi Amanj,

you develops in big steps.

For my tourney is a release not very important.
But if I add dev. versions the main program should be available.
Your version 8.0 is available and in this case I am happy if I can help a bit with testing a dev. version.

What I not like is to test private available engines.
Such engines have here no chance ... since I made for around 20 years some bad knowledge.

Your 8.6 can go in TOP-25 with around 3130-3150 Elo (if Shredder 13 = ~ 3125).

The community will be happy with your next release.
And I am happy that Jörg Burwitz sent me the Zahak tip for my tourney.

Zahak 8.6 will be start in around 2 hours.

Go Zahak go ...
Very nice engine you develops!

Best
Frank

Ah, it is just that I am not able to produce a Windows binary without creating a tag (and ucse GitHub CI for generating it).
If I generate the binary on my Linux machine, the produced windows EXE won't have Syzygy support

Thanks for your nice words

[eduherminio]

Hi Amanj,

In case you are not aware, you can add --draft to the hub command you use to publish GitHub releases.
You could either do that for all releases, or (try to) run different steps depending on the tag that triggered the release (that is, one with and one without --draft).

Regards,

Eduardo

[amanjpro]

Hi Amanj,

In case you are not aware, you can add --draft to the hub command you use to publish GitHub releases.
You could either do that for all releases, or (try to) run different steps depending on the tag that triggered the release (that is, one with and one without --draft).

Regards,

Eduardo

Very cool, will do use that then

[Frank Quisinsky]

Hi Amanj,

v8.6 seems to be have ~ the level or stronger as Shredder 13 / Fritz 18.
Fighting with Minic & Weiss and maybe Wasp & Schooner in my tourney for place 18-22.
In the near from Xiphos!!

I think important for the moment is that syzygy support works.
More compiles for different machines is important.

Technique is good, no problems during the first 218 games in my FCP Tourney-2022.

Good luck for Zahak.
Very, very strong ...

But have a look in the 8 fast lost games "mate below 50 moves" vs. the attacker Wasp, Slow, Revenge ... Koivisto is playing a great game. Here you can see that you program have problems with aggressive pawns with many pieces on board. Your program need more aggressiveness with pawn moves against King site (no fast won game, mate below 50 moves). I missed a bit the aggressivess in the earlier mid-games. That's very very important for understandings all the different openings.

But what I can see here in the late mid-game is really strong.
Good work you do!

Very speedy jumpings into the TOP-25, TOP-20 are possible (have not enough games).

Best
Frank

PS:
And for my personal wish list:
Analyze-Mode should work ... edit a position and start thinking.
Not working with Shredder GUI perfectly.

And christmas the computer chess community will be happy with Zahak with Syzygy support and a bit more speculative chess with many pieces on board ... with other words the next interesting TOP-20 engine can be born. But what you do with so many energy is great, that's fact.

[amanjpro]

Hi Amanj,

v8.6 seems to be have ~ the level or stronger as Shredder 13 / Fritz 18.
Fighting with Minic & Weiss and maybe Wasp & Schooner in my tourney for place 18-22.
In the near from Xiphos!!

I think important for the moment is that syzygy support works.
More compiles for different machines is important.

Technique is good, no problems during the first 218 games in my FCP Tourney-2022.

Good luck for Zahak.
Very, very strong ...

But have a look in the 8 fast lost games "mate below 50 moves" vs. the attacker Wasp, Slow, Revenge ... Koivisto is playing a great game. Here you can see that you program have problems with aggressive pawns with many pieces on board. Your program need more aggressiveness with pawn moves against King site (no fast won game, mate below 50 moves). I missed a bit the aggressivess in the earlier mid-games. That's very very important for understandings all the different openings.

But what I can see here in the late mid-game is really strong.
Good work you do!

Very speedy jumpings into the TOP-25, TOP-20 are possible (have not enough games).

Best
Frank

PS:
And for my personal wish list:
Analyze-Mode should work ... edit a position and start thinking.
Not working with Shredder GUI perfectly.

And christmas the computer chess community will be happy with Zahak with Syzygy support and a bit more speculative chess with many pieces on board ... with other words the next interesting TOP-20 engine can be born. But what you do with so many energy is great, that's fact.

Thanks a lot
I'll look into the aggressiveness issue. Zahak has a rather weak notion of King safety, this is something I yet need to fix.

I am not sure what is missing for Analyze-Mode, this binary that you have supports both MultiPV and searchmoves (which is really cool, because the engine keeps all the past info when searching in this mode). Can you explain to me what is missing in Analyze-Mode, so I can add it?

And for Shredder, I am again unsure what is missing. Can you please share the issues/difficulties that you have, so I can fix it too.


Regards,
Amanj

[Frank Quisinsky]

Hi Amanj,

I will looking in detail on my ultrabook with Shredder "ucidebug" ... after I made the first stats to the still running tourney. The work I do for Klaus Wlotzka and his excel files. 1 round need for me around three hours. On the first six I have to work today.

On weekend I am will looking with more time and will send information by mail.
Maybe I made a mistake here ... very fast testing by myself yesterday in the evening before I added your v8.6 in my tourney.

Best
Frank