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I would like to discuss Engines with a unique and incomparable playing style.

Most Engines today plays all the same meaningless mainstream-chess. There is no really significant difference between Houdini, Critter and all the ippoclones.

Which Engines play different to them? I would like to see fascinating chess-games with sacrifices and brave moves.

Well, there's Moron 1.0 http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47026

For a more serious answer, engines with a real identity include:
- Komodo (it is currently playing great and spectacular chess at TCEC)
- HIARCS
- Shredder
- Chess Tiger (not as strong as the three other ones, but very wild at attacking!)

JuLieN wrote:For a more serious answer, engines with a real identity include:
- Komodo (it is currently playing great and spectacular chess at TCEC)
- HIARCS
- Shredder
- Chess Tiger (not as strong as the three other ones, but very wild at attacking!)

Probably there are many weaker engines which can play spectacularly, but I would mention Junior 6,7,8. Tweaking king safety and aggressivity in some engines makes them play nicer. Also, some weak very aggressive and speculative engines toast me faster than super-engines.

Laskos wrote:

JuLieN wrote:For a more serious answer, engines with a real identity include:
- Komodo (it is currently playing great and spectacular chess at TCEC)
- HIARCS
- Shredder
- Chess Tiger (not as strong as the three other ones, but very wild at attacking!)

Probably there are many weaker engines which can play spectacularly, but I would mention Junior 6,7,8. Tweaking king safety and aggressivity in some engines makes them play nicer. Also, some weak very aggressive and speculative engines toast me faster than super-engines.

Then maybe the new TrappyBeowolf should be worth a try? I didn't try it yet but I'll do as soon as I have time to play.

http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47057

JuLieN wrote:

Laskos wrote:

JuLieN wrote:For a more serious answer, engines with a real identity include:
- Komodo (it is currently playing great and spectacular chess at TCEC)
- HIARCS
- Shredder
- Chess Tiger (not as strong as the three other ones, but very wild at attacking!)

Probably there are many weaker engines which can play spectacularly, but I would mention Junior 6,7,8. Tweaking king safety and aggressivity in some engines makes them play nicer. Also, some weak very aggressive and speculative engines toast me faster than super-engines.

Then maybe the new TrappyBeowolf should be worth a try? I didn't try it yet but I'll do as soon as I have time to play.

http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47057

If that works, it would be very nice to play with. Engines take me too seriously, let them trap me, like a stronger human would do.

Laskos wrote:

JuLieN wrote:For a more serious answer, engines with a real identity include:
- Komodo (it is currently playing great and spectacular chess at TCEC)
- HIARCS
- Shredder
- Chess Tiger (not as strong as the three other ones, but very wild at attacking!)

Probably there are many weaker engines which can play spectacularly, but I would mention Junior 6,7,8. Tweaking king safety and aggressivity in some engines makes them play nicer. Also, some weak very aggressive and speculative engines toast me faster than super-engines.

Please consider the Zappa Dissident Aggressor settings (you'd have to purchase Zappa Mexico in the first place.)

Thinker Passive or Active (this latter version is supposed to swindle the opponents) is a great engine with a unique, pleasant style. This is a FREE engine.

Hiarcs also has a swindle function and can play great chess in many (but maybe not all) positions. Junior likewise has an attacking style.

Hannibal also has a great positional/active style and is FREE. Its predecessor TwistedLogic is also FREE.

Chiron is a great attacking engine, but is commercial.

Rybka 3 had Human and Dynamic personalities, and there are some tweaks available for Rybka 4.1 (such as the S settings).

Fire(Bird) was tweakable and played very interesting chess for an Ippolit-derived engine. Most old versions may still be available for FREE download.

The old Critter 0.90 was renowned for its aggression.

Stockfish 2.2.2 and likely later versions incorporated the PHQ settings which increased its aggressiveness. Its ancestor Glaurung 1.2.1 was a fine aggressive engine to begin with. There were other early Stockfish versions which excelled at this. Stockfish is FREE.

There is still a GambitFruit offshoot of Fruit that's likely available for FREE download even now.

Tornado and Spark (+Bright) play a nice active style. Lower than that are DiscoCheck, Dirty, and EXchess, all FREE, but well worth having.

At the middle/lower end of the spectrum, I'd look at Glass, Rodent, Pharaon/Zchess and even Neurosis and Monarch (below master level).

This is off the top of my head. I hope others can contribute as well.

Cheers,
CL

Henryval wrote: I would like to see fascinating chess-games with sacrifices and brave moves.

ZChess 2.00 London by Mr.Franck Zibi. By far the no.1 !

http://www.fzibi.com/pharaon/zchess200.zip

Nothing comparable in our galaxy ! Try it, please !

Regards,
SilvianR

Other classic engine: Comet A90. Unique.

Sergio Martinez wrote:Other classic engine: Comet A90. Unique.

Hey man, THANK YOU !

A very active engine. Just let me know - please - its command line parameters. I don't know if I installed this engine in a correct way.

THANK YOU again !

SilvianR