Arena 3.5.1 is excellent software and one significant element is, you can install just about any engine without having to make any tweaks and it will run it!
http://www.playwitharena.com/?Download:Arena_3.5.1
A tribute to Arena GUI.
Moderators: hgm, Rebel, chrisw
-
- Posts: 3618
- Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 1:33 pm
A tribute to Arena GUI.
The road to chaos is filled with political correctness.
― Tadros
― Tadros
-
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2010 7:55 pm
Re: A tribute to Arena GUI.
It's my favorite GUI but since 3.5 version has the "ponder on" problem (many engines forfeit when ponder is on).
-
- Posts: 2821
- Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 9:38 pm
- Location: Sortland, Norway
Re: A tribute to Arena GUI.
Seemingly Arena 3.5.1 is the only stable GUI that supports two computer matches {Autoplayer} (ponder).
Fritz 13 support this old interface but truly obsolete, also lacking some features.
Fritz 13 support this old interface but truly obsolete, also lacking some features.
-
- Posts: 896
- Joined: Sat May 13, 2006 1:08 am
Re: A tribute to Arena GUI.
I think the ponder bug is fixed with version 3.5.1. I tried it with some matches with SmarThink 1.80 and Andscacs 0.85 for our 5'+3" list with Ponder=ON, no problems so far!SSTATHIS wrote:It's my favorite GUI but since 3.5 version has the "ponder on" problem (many engines forfeit when ponder is on).
-
- Posts: 193
- Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2015 3:34 am
- Location: United States
Re: A tribute to Arena GUI.
Agreed! I use Arena extensively and I love it!A Distel wrote:Arena 3.5.1 is excellent software and one significant element is, you can install just about any engine without having to make any tweaks and it will run it!
http://www.playwitharena.com/?Download:Arena_3.5.1
-
- Posts: 3618
- Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 1:33 pm
Re: A tribute to Arena GUI.
Yes, for people that are not happy with WinBoard...Arena would be a very good alternative, because:SzG wrote:Yes, it is extremely friendly to use and very flexible. The best there is for running tournaments.A Distel wrote:Arena 3.5.1 is excellent software and one significant element is, you can install just about any engine without having to make any tweaks and it will run it!
http://www.playwitharena.com/?Download:Arena_3.5.1
* it is reliable
* simple
* user friendly to operate
* easy to install
* free
The road to chaos is filled with political correctness.
― Tadros
― Tadros
-
- Posts: 10121
- Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2006 12:57 am
- Location: van buren,missouri
Re: A tribute to Arena GUI.
I have been using it for tournaments for years. Best one i have used.SzG wrote:Yes, it is extremely friendly to use and very flexible. The best there is for running tournaments.A Distel wrote:Arena 3.5.1 is excellent software and one significant element is, you can install just about any engine without having to make any tweaks and it will run it!
http://www.playwitharena.com/?Download:Arena_3.5.1
-
- Posts: 27808
- Joined: Fri Mar 10, 2006 10:06 am
- Location: Amsterdam
- Full name: H G Muller
Re: A tribute to Arena GUI.
Note that the RS232 autoplayer is considered obsolete since networks using ethernet / WiFi became common, and allows you to run two-computer matches (or actually multi-computer tournaments) on any GUI without the need for special provisions in that GUI. The trick is to just install a communication program as engine on the machine where the GUI runs, which then starts the engine on another machine over the network.Nordlandia wrote:Seemingly Arena 3.5.1 is the only stable GUI that supports two computer matches {Autoplayer} (ponder).
Fritz 13 support this old interface but truly obsolete, also lacking some features.
Under Linux this can even be done with standard software like ssh or rsh. (And indeed XBoard has -firstHost / -secondHost options for this that automatically invoke the configured -remoteShell to run any registered engine remotely.) Windows is of course less capable, so you usually have to install a dedicated adapter like connect.exe on the machines you want to communicate.
With network play you can distribute general tournaments over many machines. E.g. if you have four equivalent computers in your LAN, you could run a ponder-on roud-robin tournament concurrently by starting two XBoard's, the one with -firstsecondHost set to computer A and B, the other having it set to C and D. And with ponder off you could of course run four games, concurrently, by starting four XBoard instances that each have their -first/secondHost set to the same machine, A, B, C or D. I am not sure whether such things are possible with the RS232 autoplayer.
-
- Posts: 3618
- Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 1:33 pm
Re: A tribute to Arena GUI.
Thank you very much for the detailed information you have given us and being very clear in your explanation in relation to Winboard/XBoard!hgm wrote:Note that the RS232 autoplayer is considered obsolete since networks using ethernet / WiFi became common, and allows you to run two-computer matches (or actually multi-computer tournaments) on any GUI without the need for special provisions in that GUI. The trick is to just install a communication program as engine on the machine where the GUI runs, which then starts the engine on another machine over the network.Nordlandia wrote:Seemingly Arena 3.5.1 is the only stable GUI that supports two computer matches {Autoplayer} (ponder).
Fritz 13 support this old interface but truly obsolete, also lacking some features.
Under Linux this can even be done with standard software like ssh or rsh. (And indeed XBoard has -firstHost / -secondHost options for this that automatically invoke the configured -remoteShell to run any registered engine remotely.) Windows is of course less capable, so you usually have to install a dedicated adapter like connect.exe on the machines you want to communicate.
With network play you can distribute general tournaments over many machines. E.g. if you have four equivalent computers in your LAN, you could run a ponder-on roud-robin tournament concurrently by starting two XBoard's, the one with -firstsecondHost set to computer A and B, the other having it set to C and D. And with ponder off you could of course run four games, concurrently, by starting four XBoard instances that each have their -first/secondHost set to the same machine, A, B, C or D. I am not sure whether such things are possible with the RS232 autoplayer.
The road to chaos is filled with political correctness.
― Tadros
― Tadros
-
- Posts: 2821
- Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 9:38 pm
- Location: Sortland, Norway
Re: A tribute to Arena GUI.
It it possible to run ponder under Fritz 15 interface (assuming two computers facing each other).hgm wrote:Note that the RS232 autoplayer is considered obsolete since networks using ethernet / WiFi became common, and allows you to run two-computer matches (or actually multi-computer tournaments) on any GUI without the need for special provisions in that GUI. The trick is to just install a communication program as engine on the machine where the GUI runs, which then starts the engine on another machine over the network.Nordlandia wrote:Seemingly Arena 3.5.1 is the only stable GUI that supports two computer matches {Autoplayer} (ponder).
Fritz 13 support this old interface but truly obsolete, also lacking some features.
Under Linux this can even be done with standard software like ssh or rsh. (And indeed XBoard has -firstHost / -secondHost options for this that automatically invoke the configured -remoteShell to run any registered engine remotely.) Windows is of course less capable, so you usually have to install a dedicated adapter like connect.exe on the machines you want to communicate.
With network play you can distribute general tournaments over many machines. E.g. if you have four equivalent computers in your LAN, you could run a ponder-on roud-robin tournament concurrently by starting two XBoard's, the one with -firstsecondHost set to computer A and B, the other having it set to C and D. And with ponder off you could of course run four games, concurrently, by starting four XBoard instances that each have their -first/secondHost set to the same machine, A, B, C or D. I am not sure whether such things are possible with the RS232 autoplayer.
What kind of communication software is required?