Zarkov 4.20?

[porkroast]

Hello all:

I'm in search of Zarkov 4.20 to plug into my old Chess Assistant 4.0-- I have had no luck finding this version, does anyone know where it might exist? I would be most grateful for any leads, thank you!

[Karol Majewski]

I think Frank Quisinsky is the person to ask. PM him or contact him via his website: www.amateurschach.de

A few years ago he released Zarkov collection.

[bob]

Shoot, John posts here when asked a question. Get the answer straight from the source...

[Frank Quisinsky]

Hi there,

I am not an expert for Chess Assistant software!
Used the older DOS versions and later the CA 3.02 for Windows NT4.
Never a version CA version 4.0 if I remember but ...

I remember on a beta version of CA in times I helped Victor to test the first 100 available winboard versions. For Victor important, that all winboard engines works fine with CA. So engines with problems, for an example SSEChess, Tristram, others. We found 8 engines made trouble and after two "nights" hard testing and many mails between Victor (programmer from Chess Assistant) and myself 7 of 8 of the engines works with programming tricks. Here I am sure that I saw that Zarkov (not sure which version) are included in the beta version I got from Victor. But it was not an Winboard engine. Maybe it was the Millennium MCS version Zarkov 5.0. Again, not sure so many years later.

Have here more as 100 backup CDs / DVDs with all the older chess-software from the first times of Winboard / Windows / DOS. But not a Chess-Assistant version 4 I can looking. I have 4GB eMail backup for the E-Mail program "TheBat" from Winboard times with more as 200.000 eMails I have written in the time the Winboard website from myself are still available. But it's too many work to search here for the mails with Victor.

I have a Zarkov 4.20 version.
It's a private version with an own private GUI John used at this time.
I added the GUI with Zarkov 4.10 on my webpage for some years with the permission by John.

http://www.amateurschach.de/common/zarkov_420.jpg
Here with pieces comes not from John. I added the pieces in the GUI.

Zarkov 4.30 was later available for BookUp (database software) ... called MasterChess 98.
And that is the reason that I am quit sure that John never gave a Zarkov 4.x version the ChessAssistant people because John is working with the American BookUp programmers.

README.TXT for MasterChess '98
Last updated: June 19, 1998
Paul Azzurro Producer
John Stanback Chess Engine
Ken Panzel Game Editor
Mike Leahy Programmer
Bill Haines Opening Books
MasterChess is a collection of 1.1 million chess games and a
program that searches them and gives analysis for them using a
chess engine (which you can also play against).

In the time after Zarkov was available as MCI Engine (Millennium engine protocol), version 5.0 / 5.1.

At the same time John developed his own GUI (have a look in the pic I added) a programm called Grandmaster Chess was available.
October 96 with a version from Zarkov 4.0. Not a Zarkov 4.2 version too. It was 2 years before.

But Zarkov 4.2 for ChessAssistant?
Again ... you are sure with it?
I think you are speaking from MCS Zarkov 5.0 or I have a missed information from this times in my brain.

Best
Frank

[Frank Quisinsky]

Hi there,

looking in the mail backup with TheBat eMail software.
Nice mails I switched with Victor (a very friendly and funny guy, had a lot of fun with him) ... the good and old times, engine protocols like Winboard, later UCI are more and more populare. Never I switched information about Zarkov with Victor. WB Zarkov version from the years 1999 / 2000 are only tested and works fine under CA software. The mail contact I had with Victor was in the years 1999 / 2000, not before.

Zarkov are with AnMon, Phalanx and Spark all the years my favorite chess programs.
If a Zarkov version 4.20 runs under a CA version 4.x ... this will be new for me.

But again:
Zarkov 4.20 is from November 1997 and at this time after all I know John is working with bookup people.
Fact is that BookUp was a very nice database program, made some more important things clearly better as ChessAssistant, Chessbase or ChessAcademy database software which is more good known in Europe at this times.

Best
Frank

PS:
I tested Zarkov 4.20 vs. a program called Zeuss (the Spanish program is for sure unknown for the most of us but one of the strongest chess programs with Ferret or ChessWizard). I believe Zeuss won different Spanish computer chess tournaments. Around 1998 / 1999 not all of the best chess program are free or commercial available. A main problem we can solved with Winboard GUI step by step in the years follows 1998. The results from Zarkov 4.10 are stronger with longer time controls as results from Zarkov 4.20. Version 4.20 is in my opinion not one of the most interesting Zarkov versions but version 4.10 it is indeed!!

Regards to Bob and John if John will be read my bad English.

And for Wasp fans ...
John is working, TOP-Secret information, hold it secret ...

[Dann Corbit]

Victor is a real hero of computer chess. I like him a lot.

[Frank Quisinsky]

Dann, do you remember on Dann Corbit
I had a lot of fun with Dann Corbit too.
So many strong programmers responsible for that what we have today.
Dann Corbit is one of them.

Yes, Victor is a great programmer and very friendly and realy a funny guy.

Short question for you?!
For some years you sent me your B01 games from your big private database.
Not sure, do you have such a big game database today too.

It's possible that I can have the B01 games again?

My problem is ...
My backUp CD with scandinavish games is defect and your files are lost, unfortunately.
Since many years I am angry about it because I found games I found in no other databases.

Friendly
Frank

[Frank Quisinsky]

Ah, the only engine Victor have the biggest trouble with ChessAssistant was a earlier version of Francesca.
Sure, the currrent version of MAD / Francesca will be work.



I am reading at the moment all the nice mails I switched with Victor for around 20 years.

Best
Frank

[Ajedrecista]

Hello Frank:

[...]

But Zarkov 4.2 for ChessAssistant?
Again ... you are sure with it?
I think you are speaking from MCS Zarkov 5.0 or I have a missed information from this times in my brain.

Best
Frank

Thanks to CPW article about Zarkov, I reached an old thread of CCC from 1999 titled 'Zarkov 4.2 strength?':

Subject: Zarkov 4.2 strength?

So how does Zarkov 4.2 stack up against other engines for analysis? This appears to be the strongest engine CA 4.0 has for internal analysis, and I wondered how strong it really is. I haven't been able to find much comment on this on the web.

Maybe it was possible Zarkov 4.2 for CA after all. I am not saying it is fore sure, I provide the text of the old CCC topic 'as it is'.

------------------------

[...]

PS:
I tested Zarkov 4.20 vs. a program called Zeuss (the Spanish program is for sure unknown for the most of us but one of the strongest chess programs with Ferret or ChessWizard). I believe Zeuss won different Spanish computer chess tournaments. Around 1998 / 1999 not all of the best chess program are free or commercial available. A main problem we can solved with Winboard GUI step by step in the years follows 1998. The results from Zarkov 4.10 are stronger with longer time controls as results from Zarkov 4.20. Version 4.20 is in my opinion not one of the most interesting Zarkov versions but version 4.10 it is indeed!!

[...]

Regarding Spanish programme, Zeuss returns no results at CPW while Zeus does:

Zeus

Which makes sense according to Spanish spelling. Just saying if someone wants a little more info at CPW.

Regards from Spain.

Ajedrecista.

[Dann Corbit]

Dann, do you remember on Dann Corbit
I had a lot of fun with Dann Corbit too.
So many strong programmers responsible for that what we have today.
Dann Corbit is one of them.

Yes, Victor is a great programmer and very friendly and realy a funny guy.

Short question for you?!
For some years you sent me your B01 games from your big private database.
Not sure, do you have such a big game database today too.

It's possible that I can have the B01 games again?

My problem is ...
My backUp CD with scandinavish games is defect and your files are lost, unfortunately.
Since many years I am angry about it because I found games I found in no other databases.

Friendly
Frank

I will see if I can find some of my B01 games for you.