Sting 1.0 beta (based on Stockfish 1.8)

[lech]

There is possible to download Sting 1.0 beta (WINDOWS-32) from
www.free.of.pl/c/ccintorun/g/sting.rar.

In my intention, Sting should "immediately" find some very difficult for engines and
obvious (often, but not always) for a human sacrifices, thus should return much more reliable analysis.
It works exactly like Stockfish, but with an added sensitive (option) detection of good sacrifices (in midle-game and endgame).
All changes in code don't clash with the Stockfish's source code,
and because it is advisable to use my idea on high depths (or "disabled" in option), a possible drop of strength (good compilation), even if it is impossible to get a profit from this in play, can be a few points only.
My compilation of the beta version is very unprofessional, thus the beta is slower than Stockfish 1.8.
But, of course, the main goal of this (I HOPE I AM WRONG) is other than ELO points.

Sting works with an option: "Sacrifice detection" 0 - 8 (0 = disabled, default = 8).
Have a good time with Sting!

Sting can very quickly (P-IV, 2-threads, Sacrifice detection = 8), find winning sacrifices in such positions:
[d] 3N2r1/2K1p3/4Pk2/8/Bp5b/8/2P5/8 b - - 0 1
1... Bg3+ 2.Kd7 Rxd8! -+

Code: Select all

26	01:41	  81.978.400	808.664	+13,61	Bh4g3+ Kc7d7 Rg8xd8+ Kd7xd8 Kf6xe6 Kd8e8 Ke6d6 Ke8f7 e7e5

[d] 8/r3k3/1r1p2p1/2pR1p1p/2P1pP1P/pPK1P1P1/P7/1B6 b - - 0 1
1...Rxb3! -+

Code: Select all

25+	00:34	  23.415.551	671.702	+2,66	Rb6xb3+ Kc3xb3 Ra7b7+ Kb3c2 Rb7b2+ Kc2c1 Rb2e2 Bb1c2 Re2xe3 

[d] 7k/6rB/6P1/7q/2p5/2B5/3P4/5K2 b - - 0 1
1...Qf3+ 2.Ke1 Qxc3! -+

Code: Select all

30	00:54	  55.452.602	1.021.282	+15,88	Qh5f3+ Kf1e1 Qf3xc3 d2xc3 Rg7d7 Ke1f1 Kh8g7 Kf1e2 Rd7d3

[d] 8/5pKN/5Pp1/5kP1/8/Bb6/8/7q b - - 0 1
1...Qxh7+! -+

Code: Select all

21+	00:04	   2.849.424	646.714	+10,01	Qh1xh7+ Kg7xh7 Kf5xg5 Ba3e7 Kg5h4 Be7c5 Kh4h5 Bc5d6 g6g5

[d] 8/1q3pKN/5Pp1/5kP1/8/Bb6/8/8 b - - 0 1
e.g. 1...Qh1 and 2...Qxh7! (or Qxg5 after ....)

Code: Select all

25+	00:09	   4.968.051	517.828	+8,64	Qb7h1 Ba3b2 Qh1xh7+ Kg7xh7 Kf5xg5 Bb2c3 Kg5h5 Kh7g7 g6g5

[d] 7k/1r4rp/6pN/6P1/8/2B5/8/K7 b - - 0 1
1...Rb5 2.Bf6 Rf5 3.Bc3 Rxg5! -+

Code: Select all

26+	00:54	  45.214.181	823.708	+8,02	Rb7b5 Bc3f6 Rb5f5 Bf6c3 Rf5xg5 Nh6f7+ Kh8g8 Nf7xg5 Rg7b7

Please, try it on your computer and compare results with other engines.
Especially, the last position is worth a special recommendation, but the others too.
For many positions the option Sacrifice detection = 8 can be too hight. E.g.
[d] rk6/p1p5/Bp2p3/1P6/q2B1P2/4K3/8/8 b - - 0 1
wins 1...Qxa6 or 1...Qxd4 (Sacrifice detection = 4)

[mar]

I'm sorry but aren't you violating GPL?

Quoting the readme:

Sting 1.0 beta is a chess engine (for Windows 32) based on Stockfish 1.8 and free software.
Sting is free for non-commercial use. It can be downloaded and
used for playing chess games and analysis of chess positions.
This license does not grant any right of additional use other than the
above.
The software is provided "as is", without any warranty.

Martin

[Evert]

I'm sorry but aren't you violating GPL?

Quoting the readme:

Sting 1.0 beta is a chess engine (for Windows 32) based on Stockfish 1.8 and free software.
Sting is free for non-commercial use. It can be downloaded and
used for playing chess games and analysis of chess positions.
This license does not grant any right of additional use other than the
above.
The software is provided "as is", without any warranty.

Indeed.
To clarify, since sting is based on Stockfish it shoul be released under the terms of the GPL (unless you hold the copyright to the Stockfish code, in which case you can just change the licence; that's academic though), which forbids adding restrictions ("This license does not grant any right of additional use other than the above").

EDIT: the archive also doesn't contain the source or indeed the licence, as it should.

Note to the OP: this is not meant to discourage you from your project, on the contrary.

[mar]

this is not meant to discourage you from your project, on the contrary.

absolutely

[Sylwy]

I'm sorry but aren't you violating GPL?

Quoting the readme:

Sting 1.0 beta is a chess engine (for Windows 32) based on Stockfish 1.8 and free software.
Sting is free for non-commercial use. It can be downloaded and
used for playing chess games and analysis of chess positions.
This license does not grant any right of additional use other than the
above.
The software is provided "as is", without any warranty.

Martin

Jawohl Martin !

And not only .

Isn't it Herr Sting ?



Regards,
SilvianR

[lech]

It is only a "beta" version.
The full version will contain source code.

[Adam Hair]

It is only a "beta" version.
The full version will contain source code.

You still have to include the source code in order to comply with Stockfish's license, beta or not.

Good luck with your project.

[zamar]

Hi Marek!

Stockfish can act as a kind of starting point for all kind of experiments. (This is one of the reason why we have tried to keep the source simple). Therefore I wish you could luck with your project. If you are able to discover something useful ELO-wise, we are happy to merge your changes in the development branch.

But as others have already stated, every time you make a release (beta or official), you must include full source code. Also changing license is forbidden without the permission from SF-team.

Cheers,
Joona

[mcostalba]

It is only a "beta" version.
The full version will contain source code.

No, It doesn't work like this. Whenever you release some binaries from a derived GPL program you should also add the sources, it does not matter if it is beta, alpha, gamma, delta or whichever letter you may choose.

So please release the sources and Good luck with Sting !

[lech]

Hi Marek!

Stockfish can act as a kind of starting point for all kind of experiments. (This is one of the reason why we have tried to keep the source simple). Therefore I wish you could luck with your project. If you are able to discover something useful ELO-wise, we are happy to merge your changes in the development branch.

But as others have already stated, every time you make a release (beta or official), you must include full source code. Also changing license is forbidden without the permission from SF-team.

Cheers,
Joona

Two years ago I found one position where top engines were not able to find a simple for human solution:
[d] 8/5pKN/5Pp1/5kP1/8/Bb6/8/7q b - -
1…Qxh7!
I wrote about it. I set next similar examples. Always I heard: they are only some individual positions. I did not see any interest for this question.
I found out Stockfish code (a wonderful collective work) to understand “why” and try change it.
As far I remember, I tried to support Stockfish team some petty ideas (corrections) too.

It seems that Sting makes seemingly impossible thing. A machine “think - want to play” like human.
I have no time to work at this idea permanently.
Believe me, I tested only these positions above. Thus “beta version” is to get some positive or negative reactions.
Also I hoped that Stockfish (no Sting) will be a target place for my idea in the future.
I was very happy to divide this interesting idea with all. I see I was hot-headed.
I am not a professional programmer; thus my mistake in license is possible. I am sorry!
I can’t feel a pirate and I remove this Sting.
I hope new Sting is ok and it satisfies all:
www.free.of.pl/c/ccintorun/g/sting.zip