couple of test positions

[jdart]

This is an interesting tactical position, from Gavrikov-Akesson, Excelsior Cup 2004:

[D] r4r1k/p4ppp/bpq5/2b1P2Q/4R3/1B1p4/PP1B1PPP/3R2K1 w - -

according to a comment on chesssgames.com, Gavrikov missed the move Bd5 here (which I have verified is signficantly better than the next-best Rg4).

This is an endgame position from Dubinin-Petrosian, Gorki 1950:

[D] 3r4/1p3p2/2nN4/4Pk2/3p1Pp1/P2R2Br/7P/6K1 b - -

bm Rxd6. Arasan 9.5 has difficulty with this (couild be a null move issue), but my latest build solves it quickly.

[Tony Thomas]

Are you planning on releasing a new version any time soon? How good is the progress lately?

[jdart]

Yes, I am planning to release version 10.0 this summer. It will have SMP support and 6-man tablebase support, among other things.

I am working on the installer (now using NSIS) and some testing and porting (to x64). It is crashing on Windows x64 at present and also I haven't gotten a PGO build to work on Linux (gcc PGO is still buggy it seems).

--Jon

[Marc MP]

This is an interesting tactical position, from Gavrikov-Akesson, Excelsior Cup 2004:

r4r1k/p4ppp/bpq5/2b1P2Q/4R3/1B1p4/PP1B1PPP/3R2K1 w - -

according to a comment on chesssgames.com, Gavrikov missed the move Bd5 here (which I have verified is signficantly better than the next-best Rg4).

This is an endgame position from Dubinin-Petrosian, Gorki 1950:

3r4/1p3p2/2nN4/4Pk2/3p1Pp1/P2R2Br/7P/6K1 b - -

bm Rxd6. Arasan 9.5 has difficulty with this (couild be a null move issue), but my latest build solves it quickly.

SlowChess Blitz WV2.1 (190 MB hash)
[D] r4r1k/p4ppp/bpq5/2b1P2Q/4R3/1B1p4/PP1B1PPP/3R2K1 w - -

[15] 1.80 14:09.2 Bd5 Qg6 Qxg6 fxg6 Bxa8 Bxf2+ Kh1 Rxa8 b4 g5 Rf1 Bb7 Rg4 Rf8 e6 Bc6 e7 Rf5 Rxg5 Rxg5 Bxg5
[14] 1.72 01:54.6 Bd5 Qg6 Qxg6 fxg6 Bxa8 Bxf2+ Kh1 Rxa8 b4 g5 Rf1 Bb7 Rg4 Rf8 Rd4 h6 Rxd3
[13] 1.56 01:03.7 Bd5 Qg6 Qxg6 fxg6 Bxa8 Bxf2+ Kh1 Rxa8 b4 g5 Bxg5 h6 Bd2 Bb7 Rf4
[12] 1.40 00:16.0 Bd5 Qg6 Qxg6 fxg6 Bxa8 Bxf2+ Kh1 Rxa8 e6 Re8 e7 h6 h3 Bb7 Rf4
[11] 1.44 00:09.7 Bd5 Qg6 Qxg6 fxg6 Bxa8 Bxf2+ Kh1 Rxa8 e6 Re8 Rf4 Bc5 Rdf1
[10] 1.20 00:06.5 Bd5 Qg6 Qxg6 fxg6 Bxa8 Bxf2+ Kh1 Rxa8 Rf4 Bc5 Rf7 h6
[9] 1.36 00:05.4 Bd5 Qg6 Qxg6 fxg6 Bxa8 Bxf2+ Kh1 Rxa8 Rf4 Bc5 e6
[8] 0.48 00:03.8 Bd5
[8] 0.36 00:03.6 Bd5 {++}
[8] 0.36 00:03.5 Rh4 Qg6 Qf3 Rae8 Re1 Bb5 a3 Bc6
[8] 0.24 00:03.2 Rh4 {++}
[8] 0.24 00:03.2 Rf4 Bb7 Qg5 f6 exf6 Rxf6 Rxf6 gxf6 Qg4 Re8
[8] 0.24 00:02.3 Rde1 {++}
[8] 0.24 00:02.2 Rf4 Bb7 Qg5 f6 exf6 Rxf6 Rxf6 gxf6 Qg4 Re8
[7] 0.44 00:01.0 Rf4 Bb7 Rf3 Qg6 Qxg6 fxg6 Rf7 Rxf7 Bxf7
[7] 0.32 00:00.9 Rf4 {++}
[7] 0.32 00:00.7 Rh4 Qg6 Qf3 Bb5 a3 Bc6 Bd5 Bxd5 Qxd5
[7] 0.20 00:00.6 Rh4 {++}
[7] 0.20 00:00.6 Rde1 Bb7 Rg4 g6 Qg5 Rad8 Rh4
[6] 0.64 00:00.1 Rde1 Qg6 Qxg6 fxg6 Rf1 Bb7
[5] 0.64 00:00.0 Rde1 Qd7 Rh4 h6 a3
[5] 0.44 00:00.0 Rde1 {++}
[5] 0.44 00:00.0 Rh4 Qg6 Qxg6 fxg6 Rf1 Bb7
[4] 0.68 00:00.0 Rh4 Qg6 Qxg6 fxg6 Rf1
[3] 0.68 00:00.0 Rh4 Qg6 Qxg6 fxg6 Rf1
[2] 0.84 00:00.0 Rh4 Qg6 Qxg6 fxg6

SlowChess Blitz WV2.1 (190 MB hash)
[D]3r4/1p3p2/2nN4/4Pk2/3p1Pp1/P2R2Br/7P/6K1 b - -

[15] -1.68 02:29.0 Rxd6 exd6 Rh6 Be1 Rxd6 Bd2 Nd8 Kf2 Ne6 h3 Ke4 Rg3 gxh3 Rxh3 Rd7 Rf3 f5
[14] -1.60 00:33.4 Rxd6 exd6 Rh6 Rb3 Rxd6 Rxb7 d3 Rb5+ Ke4 Rb1 d2 Rd1 Ke3 Kf1 Rd3 a4 f5 Kg2
[13] -1.48 00:16.8 Rxd6 exd6 Rh6 Rb3 Rxd6 Rxb7 d3 Rb5+ Ke4 Rb1 d2 Rd1 Kf3 Kf1 f5 a4 Na5
[12] -1.28 00:08.7 Rxd6 exd6 Rh6 Rb3 Rxd6 Rxb7 d3 Rb1 d2 Rd1 Ke4 Kf2 Kd3 a4 f5
[11] -1.16 00:04.8 Rxd6 exd6 Rh6 Rb3 Rxd6 Rxb7 d3 Rb1 d2 Rd1 Ke4 Kf2 Kd3 a4
[10] -1.40 00:03.7 Rxd6 exd6 Rh6 Rb3 Rxd6 Rxb7 d3 Rb1 d2 Rd1 Ke4 Kf2 Kd3
[10] -0.96 00:03.5 Rxd6 {++}
[10] -0.96 00:03.2 Ke6 Rb3 Rb8 Kf2 Rh5 Rxb7 Rxb7 Nxb7 Kd5 Nd6
[9] -1.04 00:01.0 Ke6 Rb3 Rb8 f5+ Ke7 Rxb7+ Rxb7 Nxb7 Rh8 Nd6 Rd8
[8] -1.04 00:00.4 Ke6 Rb3 Rb8 f5+ Ke7 Rxb7+ Rxb7 Nxb7 d3 f6+ Kf8 Nd6
[7] -1.16 00:00.1 Ke6 Rb3 Rb8 f5+ Ke7 Rxb7+ Rxb7 Nxb7 Rh8
[6] -1.04 00:00.0 Ke6 Rb3 Ne7 Rxb7 d3 a4
[5] -1.08 00:00.0 Ke6 Rb3 Ne7 Kf2 b5 Rxb5
[4] -1.16 00:00.0 Ke6 Nxb7 Rc8 Nd6
[3] -1.36 00:00.0 Ke6 Nxb7 Rc8
[2] -1.44 00:00.0 Ke6 Nxb7

[Chris Taylor]

[quote="jdart"]Yes, I am planning to release version 10.0 this summer. It will have SMP support and 6-man tablebase support, among other things.

I am working on the installer (now using [url=http://nsis.sourceforge.net]NSIS[/url]) and some testing and porting (to x64). It is crashing on Windows x64 at present and also I haven't gotten a PGO build to work on Linux (gcc PGO is still buggy it seems).

--Jon[/quote]

Hi

I have a couple of X64 bit machines, if they are of any use feel free to try your installation upon? They are AMD boxes...

Chris

[jdart]

To clarify the installer is not the issue on x64 - it is the engine itself. Probably a simple problem but I need to fire up the debugger on that machine and find it. I have 6 computers so machines are not an issue.

--Jon

[bob]

This is an interesting tactical position, from Gavrikov-Akesson, Excelsior Cup 2004:

[D] r4r1k/p4ppp/bpq5/2b1P2Q/4R3/1B1p4/PP1B1PPP/3R2K1 w - -

according to a comment on chesssgames.com, Gavrikov missed the move Bd5 here (which I have verified is signficantly better than the next-best Rg4).

Crafty switches from Rg4 to Bd5 at one second and sticks with it... +2 from the start.

This is an endgame position from Dubinin-Petrosian, Gorki 1950:

[D] 3r4/1p3p2/2nN4/4Pk2/3p1Pp1/P2R2Br/7P/6K1 b - -

bm Rxd6. Arasan 9.5 has difficulty with this (couild be a null move issue), but my latest build solves it quickly.

Current crafty gets this at depth=14, just over 1 second on my core-2 duo laptop... -2.5 and getting better for black..