Booot 6.4 release

[Gabor Szots]

I have started a gauntlet and first results are above expectation.

The same here so far.

https://cegt.forumieren.com/t1277-testing-booot-6-4-x64

Best wishes,
G.S.
(CEGT team)

Fantastic progress for an engine which is already so high ranked.

Best wishes,
Gabor

[booot]

Good day!

Thanks for testing!

Some words about Linux version: this task seems much more difficult then i expected. The good news are: the new version of Delphi IDE already has compiler for Linux, MacOs (and even Android and Ios) platforms. The bad news: Booot has lots of Windows-specific code (WinApi calls for multithread and console input-output routines). I have to rewrite this code completely. The main problem: i am not a programmer yet and chessprogramming is my only hobby in this area (this is why 'Pascal' - the only language i studied 25 years ago in University). I really confused how it works in Linux and need some community help to make platform-independed product. This quarantine is only good for hobby and I already have new beta version of my engine (seems also already about 30-50 Elo stronger then just released) and it should be good if this new booot 6.5 version would have some non-windows binaries.

Alex.

[camava]

Good day!

Thanks for testing!

Some words about Linux version: this task seems much more difficult then i expected. The good news are: the new version of Delphi IDE already has compiler for Linux, MacOs (and even Android and Ios) platforms. The bad news: Booot has lots of Windows-specific code (WinApi calls for multithread and console input-output routines). I have to rewrite this code completely. The main problem: i am not a programmer yet and chessprogramming is my only hobby in this area (this is why 'Pascal' - the only language i studied 25 years ago in University). I really confused how it works in Linux and need some community help to make platform-independed product. This quarantine is only good for hobby and I already have new beta version of my engine (seems also already about 30-50 Elo stronger then just released) and it should be good if this new booot 6.5 version would have some non-windows binaries.

Alex.

Great news!

When will you post the new version all platforms you said you allready have?
Thank you sir

[Fuddur]

Good day!

Thanks for testing!

Some words about Linux version: this task seems much more difficult then i expected. The good news are: the new version of Delphi IDE already has compiler for Linux, MacOs (and even Android and Ios) platforms. The bad news: Booot has lots of Windows-specific code (WinApi calls for multithread and console input-output routines). I have to rewrite this code completely. The main problem: i am not a programmer yet and chessprogramming is my only hobby in this area (this is why 'Pascal' - the only language i studied 25 years ago in University). I really confused how it works in Linux and need some community help to make platform-independed product. This quarantine is only good for hobby and I already have new beta version of my engine (seems also already about 30-50 Elo stronger then just released) and it should be good if this new booot 6.5 version would have some non-windows binaries.

Alex.

Waiting for Android version!

[Damir]

Good day!

Thanks for testing!

Some words about Linux version: this task seems much more difficult then i expected. The good news are: the new version of Delphi IDE already has compiler for Linux, MacOs (and even Android and Ios) platforms. The bad news: Booot has lots of Windows-specific code (WinApi calls for multithread and console input-output routines). I have to rewrite this code completely. The main problem: i am not a programmer yet and chessprogramming is my only hobby in this area (this is why 'Pascal' - the only language i studied 25 years ago in University). I really confused how it works in Linux and need some community help to make platform-independed product. This quarantine is only good for hobby and I already have new beta version of my engine (seems also already about 30-50 Elo stronger then just released) and it should be good if this new booot 6.5 version would have some non-windows binaries.

Alex.

Hi Alex

Sorry to tell you this, but I experienced 2 Exception errors with Booot on Playchess server. In both cases engine resigned the games on its own...

[booot]

Hi Alex

Sorry to tell you this, but I experienced 2 Exception errors with Booot on Playchess server. In both cases engine resigned the games on its own...

Is it possible to receive some logs with positions ?

[Damir]

[pgn][Event "Rated game, 3 min"]
[Site "Engine Room"]
[Date "2020.04.08"]
[Round "?"]
[White "M Z"]
[Black "Zagor Almanah, Booot 6.4_x64_popcn"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A28"]
[WhiteElo "1340"]
[BlackElo "2444"]
[Annotator "??;0.10"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "2020.04.08"]
[SourceTitle "playchess.com"]
[TimeControl "180"]

{AnaLyZeR_UltRa.ctg, 512 MB} 1. c4 {B 0} e5 {B 0} 2. Nc3 {B 0} Nf6 {B 0} 3. Nf3
{B 0} Nc6 {B 0} 4. e4 {B 0} Bb4 {B 0} 5. d3 {B 0} d6 {B 0} 6. a3 {B 0} Bc5 {B 0
} 7. b4 {B 0} Bb6 {B 0} 8. Be3 {B 0} Bxe3 {B 0} 9. fxe3 {B 0} Ne7 {B 0} 10. d4
{B 0} Ng6 {B 0} 11. Bd3 {B 0} O-O {B 0} 12. O-O {B 0} a5 {B 0} 13. b5 {B 0} c6
{B 0} 14. h3 {B 0} Re8 {B 0} 15. Rb1 {B 0} Bd7 {0.10/22 6} 16. d5 {B 0 (Xxd7)
Zagor Almanah,Booot 6.4_x64_popcnt resigns Booot 6.4_x64_popcnt caused an
exception.} 1-0

[/pgn]

[Roland Chastain]

Hello Alex!

Congratulations for the new release. Not yet had time to test it, but will do it ASAP.

Finally small uci bug fixed (Thanks to Roland Chastain)!

You're welcome.

Some words about Linux version: this task seems much more difficult then i expected. The good news are: the new version of Delphi IDE already has compiler for Linux, MacOs (and even Android and Ios) platforms. The bad news: Booot has lots of Windows-specific code (WinApi calls for multithread and console input-output routines). I have to rewrite this code completely. The main problem: i am not a programmer yet and chessprogramming is my only hobby in this area (this is why 'Pascal' - the only language i studied 25 years ago in University). I really confused how it works in Linux and need some community help to make platform-independed product.

I noticed that most Pascal engines use Window API for input/output. I never really understood the reason. In my programs, I simply use the standard "ReadLn" and "WriteLn" and it works, under Linux and under Windows. There must be a reason to use Windows API (since it's what everybody do), but I don't see it.

I have no experience of Delphi under Linux. I have the free version of Delphi and, as far as I know, Linux compilation is only available in paid versions. For my chess projects, I rather use Free Pascal (except for this project, which has never been tested under Linux).

But if I can help you in one way or another I will be glad to do it.

Regards.

Roland

[MOBMAT]

From my meager testing, which is for mate solving, I find that 6.3.1 is much faster than 6.4
But I'll keep trying more positions.

[Roland Chastain]

From my meager testing, which is for mate solving, I find that 6.3.1 is much faster than 6.4
But I'll keep trying more positions.

Interesting. Could you explain how you use it for that purpose? Is there a special option for that, or do you simply send a position and ask for the best move?