Sting SF 17

[F.Huber]

BTW. "<>" It is not my bug!

Well, I would say it is indeed your bug!

The problem is, that ChessBase creates a file *.eng with the name of the engine,
and the characters <> are not allowed in filenames,
because they are used for input/output redirection in the OS.
So it's not a good idea to use them within an engine name.

Just replace them with ().
(BTW, everyone can do this by himself with any hexeditor)

[lech]

BTW. "<>" It is not my bug!

Well, I would say it is indeed your bug!

The problem is, that ChessBase creates a file *.eng with the name of the engine,
and the characters <> are not allowed in filenames,
because they are used for input/output redirection in the OS.
So it's not a good idea to use them within an engine name.

Just replace them with ().
(BTW, everyone can do this by himself with any hexeditor)

Let it be that it is my bug, rather a bad luck!
You suggestion in BTW seems to be very good for now, but I doubt that some users will be able to it.

[lech]

If Sting does not load in Chessbase/Fritz GUI Sting is no longer important for me and other users.

This is sad to read it.
All my tough work can be disqualified by the abnormal work of some GUI.
I think to change the name Sting to Buran.

[Jim Logan]

BTW. "<>" It is not my bug!

Well, I would say it is indeed your bug!

The problem is, that ChessBase creates a file *.eng with the name of the engine,
and the characters <> are not allowed in filenames,
because they are used for input/output redirection in the OS.
So it's not a good idea to use them within an engine name.

Just replace them with ().
(BTW, everyone can do this by himself with any hexeditor)

While I have a hex editor on my system (who knows why?), I do not know how to use it. So, unless there is a quick method, and not a tutorial, I feel many will be lost and out of luck. Like myself.

[Paloma]

If Sting does not load in Chessbase/Fritz GUI Sting is no longer important for me and other users.

This is sad to read it.
All my tough work can be disqualified by the abnormal work of some GUI.
I think to change the name Sting to Buran.

Oh my god, what stubbornness.

If you don't change the <> in the name, you don't need it either.
I have changed with a hex editor <> in () for myself.

Do you want to annoy us?

[F.Huber]

While I have a hex editor on my system (who knows why?), I do not know how to use it. So, unless there is a quick method, and not a tutorial, I feel many will be lost and out of luck. Like myself.

Ok, here's the patched Sting 17 package:
https://www67.zippyshare.com/v/hmdNuRVr/file.html

I've replaced the <> by () in all 3 versions (including the source).

Franz

[lech]

Now, we may go to the essence of the version 17.
I added a code to solve special (very long solution) puzzles. Engines, as a rule, are not able to do it by searching.
But here (Sting 17) is possibility to try to do it by auto-playing (maybe it would be better: self-playing ???).

If you click Sting-sf-17 the "black" window is opening.
(bold == your input)

setoption name hash value 1024
sets hash to 1024 Mega
setoption name threads value 1
sets count of threads (e.g. 1 thread)

the above commands you can use once for a session.

setoption name clearhash value true
clears hash (if you want to do it - e.g. new position)
position fen rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR - kqKQ 0 1
loads e.g. start position (you can use "paste")
go movetime 7200000
starts searching in miliseconds (e.g. 2 hours)

if you want to stop searching (auto-playing too) press (don't hold) CTRL keyboard button and then type
stop
and if you want to end the session
quit
to close Sting

Instead of (or after) searching you can start auto-playing:

go movetime 30000 play
it starts auto-playing (e.g. 30 seconds per move)

or

go movetime 30000 play forward 4
as above + it skips (e.g. 4) first moves of the solution (Pv line) if searching was done earlier.

or

go movetime 30000 play forward 4 show
as above + it displays the diagram after each move

Now you can try to solve e.g. position by auto-playing:

[d]4b3/5p2/2p4p/P1p1PN2/2pn2P1/P2k4/Pr1npKN1/B7 w - - 0 1
I tried, without searching earlier, with 30 seconfs per move (old dual core).

[lech]

Now, we may go to the essence of the version 17.
I added a code to solve special (very long solution) puzzles. Engines, as a rule, are not able to do it by searching.
But here (Sting 17) is possibility to try to do it by auto-playing (maybe it would be better: self-playing ???).

If you click Sting-sf-17 the "black" window is opening.
(bold == your input)

setoption name hash value 1024
sets hash to 1024 Mega
setoption name threads value 1
sets count of threads (e.g. 1 thread)

the above commands you can use once for a session.

setoption name clearhash value true
clears hash (if you want to do it - e.g. new position)
position fen rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR - kqKQ 0 1
loads e.g. start position (you can use "paste")
go movetime 7200000
starts searching in miliseconds (e.g. 2 hours)

if you want to stop searching (auto-playing too) press (don't hold) CTRL keyboard button and then type
stop
and if you want to end the session
quit
to close Sting

Instead of (or after) searching you can start auto-playing:

go movetime 30000 play
it starts auto-playing (e.g. 30 seconds per move)

or

go movetime 30000 play forward 4
as above + it skips (e.g. 4) first moves of the solution (Pv line) if searching was done earlier.

or

go movetime 30000 play forward 4 show
as above + it displays the diagram after each move

Now you can try to solve e.g. position by auto-playing:

[d]4b3/5p2/2p4p/P1p1PN2/2pn2P1/P2k4/Pr1npKN1/B7 w - - 0 1
I tried, without searching earlier, with 30 seconfs per move (old dual core).

Sorry, here is my mistake:
is: setoption name clearhash value true
should be: setoption name clear hash value true

The next good example is study (previous is Neghina's) of Popov Georgy & Hanyan Aleksei:

[d]qn6/b1Kp3p/p1pB3p/p6p/P1NkP3/2pP4/2B5/8 w - - 0 1
And again auto-playing (30 seconds) without searching should lead to the long-long solution.

[lech]

If Sting does not load in Chessbase/Fritz GUI Sting is no longer important for me and other users.

This is sad to read it.
All my tough work can be disqualified by the abnormal work of some GUI.
I think to change the name Sting to Buran.

Oh my god, what stubbornness.

If you don't change the <> in the name, you don't need it either.
I have changed with a hex editor <> in () for myself.

Do you want to annoy us?

Your "us", at the end means, "Inquisition" or "other special group"?
Sting doesn't need "Devil's advocates" (works without tricks) too.

Seriously, of course, in the next version of Sting I will change something to avoid this strange and restrictive behaviour of ChessBase.

I am happy that users found this simple and obvious solution.

[lech]

One very important tip (advice) for users of Sting 17.
Now PLY_MAX is only 100 moves. It means that Sting is ablae to display the solution (PV-line) only of 100 moves, maximally.
Of course, Sting is able to find a mate with much more than 100 moves. Once it was: "mate in 92" (184 moves).
And then (higher depths), it may happen that Sting (score) goes up and down, or Sting is working without any effect.
It is a good moment to stop searching and start again (without clearing hash ) or (or next if no effect) to start self-playing (auto-playing).