Senpai 1.0 (new engine)

[fern]

Pity does not run in 32 bits....

Fern

[Xann]

Japanese: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senpai

[Ajedrecista]

Hello:

Hi all,

I have recently regained interest in computer chess. By a coincidence (or fate?), Joachim Rang and Ryan Benitez are also active once again.

I have been working on a new GPL engine: Senpai.

The highlights compared to Fruit are:
- from-scratch engine (no Fruit code)
- plain bitboards (I will implement magic bitboards later)
- more precise mobility (safety, centre weights)
- evaluation of tactical moves: captures and checks
- late-move pruning (last few plies)
- more aggressive futility pruning
- SMP

The download page: http://www.chessprogramming.net/senpai/
Direct link: http://goo.gl/H0h1Jd
Estimated level: Protector or better (don't ask).

Have fun with Senpai!

Fabien.

Does it play on the level of protector or better

First of all: congratulations to Fabien. Great comeback!

Secondly: Senpai 1.0 has ponder option? If that, it is a good chance to test it at IPON if Ingo sees this thread.

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

[Xann]

Ponder option confirmed.

[Tord Romstad]

Since Fabien forgot to say it, I will:

The reason why Senpai was released on this particular date is that today is the ten year anniversary of Fruit 1.0.


Edit: Oh, nevermind, he did say it, just in another thread.

[tttony]

wow just one file .cpp, like Gull, for me it's impossible to work with just one file

Congrats for the new engine!!

[Xann]

One reason is that I design programming languages as a hobby and I never included the concept of multiple files in my interpreter VMs.
Another is to make dependencies between modules explicit, for instance to guarantee a safe initialisation order (which C++ doesn't).

[Steve Maughan]

Hi Fabien,

Welcome back and congrats on the new release!

I look forward to testing it.

A few obvious questions:

+ After an absence of a few years, what was the motivation for writing Senpai?

+ How long did it take you write Senpai?

+ Why did you start a new codebase? Why not continue with the development of Fruit?

+ Have you accomplished everything you set out to do with Senpai, or is this a work-in-progress?

+ LMR became popular after it was introduced in Fruit - is there any new "secret sauce" in Sanpai which you think may be of interest to other programmers?

+ Why did you choose C++11 as the development language?

Steve

[JuLieN]

As Fabien is a bit busy right now, I'll take a shot and emulate what his answers will probably be.

+ After an absence of a few years, what was the motivation for writing Senpai?

The clones wars were fading, so I needed to release some new strong open sources. Plus we need a new R[edited out by moderator]a 5.

+ How long did it take you write Senpai?

A pair of hours in a six years span.

+ Why did you start a new codebase? Why not continue with the development of Fruit?

Fruit is lame, it's only about 2800.

+ Have you accomplished everything you set out to do with Senpai, or is this a work-in-progress?

The answer is contained in the name of the engine.

+ LMR became popular after it was introduced in Fruit - is there any new "secret sauce" in Sanpai which you think may be of interest to other programmers?

There's a big hint hidden in the release readme !

+ Why did you choose C++11 as the development language?

Trendy is funny.

*hiding*

[mjlef]

Great news!

I see you now know the chess programming virus has no cure. It draws you back again and again. But it does reward you by making your brain happy!

Welcome back.

Mark