FSTM v1.0 (beta): New tournament manager

[Kempelen]

Hi,

I am pleased to announce my last effort to make a Winboard tournament
manager. It has a few silly features I have not seen in other TM. I
hope you will find it usefull. Take into account this is not the
definitive release version, IT IS ONLY A BETA VERSION for people to
test it and report me bugs and/or new features you would like.

I am going to stay on vacations from 1-Ago, so my idea is to release the
definitive final version one or two weeks before that. Until then I will
fix bugs and if I am suggested about new features, I will try to include
them if they are interesting.

I am specially interested to be reported about English translation, kill
engines feature and application stability.

I attach below the readme file which explains special features of the TM.
I will be waiting for your emails. Also, if you like this tool I will
gratefull a notification email (it is always a pleasure to know people use
it). Hope you find usefull.... enjoy

Regards,
Fermin serrano




README file for FSTM

FSTM = Fermin Serrano's Tournament Manager

Version: 1.0 (beta)
Release Date: 06-Jun-09
URL: http://rodin.chess.googlepages.com

INTRODUCTION

FSTM is a tournament manager specially designed to work with H.G.Muller's
Winboard version. I have not try with other WB versions, but it is probably
it will work fine.

I know there is a few tournament managers out there, so most of the FSTM
functionality is like them, but I have added new features I hope you
find interesting:

- Possibility to clone a tournament, so no need to re-enter data to lauch
a new one. You only need to type the new tournament name. This feature is
available from "Tournament manager" window.
- You can add comments to each tournament. This is ideal to keep track of
thoughts, conclusions and tournament characteristics.
- FSTM suggests tournament names.
- Possibility to launch Winboard minimized, so no annoyance while you use
your computer.
- New analisys of losed games. Thank to this you can locate engines which
are not very stable (i.e. losed on time often, quick losses, etc).
Also it is ideal to see what kind of losses your engine usually make.
- You can launch with a mouse click an external PGN-Viewer to see current
tournament games.
- It is provided with an EPD file with 130 opening positions. These are the
main lines from all standard openings. It is like a small ECO index.
- New random feature for use with EPD positions. It chooses random positions.
Nice for an alternative method of testing or for use with EPD of starting
positions provided.
- Possibility to set CPU affinity for multicore machines, so there is no need
to open task manager to do it.
- Posibility to stop or automaticallyy continue tournament on game problems
(like illegal moves, game did not start correctly, etc...)
- Integration with BayesElo to show standing and ELO changes.
- Table of error margin ELO available from help menu for reference.
- Possibility to launch a bat file after games. It will receive current tournament
path as first argument.
- Possibility to add your own winboard options.
- Possibility to add engine specific arguments. Also possibility to add winboard
aguments for engines (like UCI options).
- Nice interface.

[pedrox]

Hola Fermin,

Me da error el ejecutable.

¿Quizás el ejecutable necesita de alguna dll o algún paquete?

Pedro

[Kempelen]

Hola Fermin,

Me da error el ejecutable.

¿Quizás el ejecutable necesita de alguna dll o algún paquete?

Pedro

Que raro. Tengo 3 ordenadores y en ninguno me ha dado problemas. Quizás tengas que instalar el runtime de Visual Basic. Si me dices que error exactamente te da a lo mejor puedo investigar un poco y te digo.....

Upps,, update: normalmente el .net runtime viene instalado en Vista y no se si xp tb. Necesitas instalar el .net runtime:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

[Ferdy]

Hi,

I am pleased to announce my last effort to make a Winboard tournament
manager. It has a few silly features I have not seen in other TM. I
hope you will find it usefull. Take into account this is not the
definitive release version, IT IS ONLY A BETA VERSION for people to
test it and report me bugs and/or new features you would like.

I am going to stay on vacations from 1-Ago, so my idea is to release the
definitive final version one or two weeks before that. Until then I will
fix bugs and if I am suggested about new features, I will try to include
them if they are interesting.

I am specially interested to be reported about English translation, kill
engines feature and application stability.

I attach below the readme file which explains special features of the TM.
I will be waiting for your emails. Also, if you like this tool I will
gratefull a notification email (it is always a pleasure to know people use
it). Hope you find usefull.... enjoy

Regards,
Fermin serrano




README file for FSTM

FSTM = Fermin Serrano's Tournament Manager

Version: 1.0 (beta)
Release Date: 06-Jun-09
URL: http://rodin.chess.googlepages.com

INTRODUCTION

FSTM is a tournament manager specially designed to work with H.G.Muller's
Winboard version. I have not try with other WB versions, but it is probably
it will work fine.

I know there is a few tournament managers out there, so most of the FSTM
functionality is like them, but I have added new features I hope you
find interesting:

- Possibility to clone a tournament, so no need to re-enter data to lauch
a new one. You only need to type the new tournament name. This feature is
available from "Tournament manager" window.
- You can add comments to each tournament. This is ideal to keep track of
thoughts, conclusions and tournament characteristics.
- FSTM suggests tournament names.
- Possibility to launch Winboard minimized, so no annoyance while you use
your computer.
- New analisys of losed games. Thank to this you can locate engines which
are not very stable (i.e. losed on time often, quick losses, etc).
Also it is ideal to see what kind of losses your engine usually make.
- You can launch with a mouse click an external PGN-Viewer to see current
tournament games.
- It is provided with an EPD file with 130 opening positions. These are the
main lines from all standard openings. It is like a small ECO index.
- New random feature for use with EPD positions. It chooses random positions.
Nice for an alternative method of testing or for use with EPD of starting
positions provided.
- Possibility to set CPU affinity for multicore machines, so there is no need
to open task manager to do it.
- Posibility to stop or automaticallyy continue tournament on game problems
(like illegal moves, game did not start correctly, etc...)
- Integration with BayesElo to show standing and ELO changes.
- Table of error margin ELO available from help menu for reference.
- Possibility to launch a bat file after games. It will receive current tournament
path as first argument.
- Possibility to add your own winboard options.
- Possibility to add engine specific arguments. Also possibility to add winboard
aguments for engines (like UCI options).
- Nice interface.

Thanks for sharing Fermin, a great tool, especially with the integration of bayeslo. Debug files can also be identified easily. Auto definition of Events is also very handy.

I have a request, under Analysis tab, can you provide also a category for "False draw claim" ? Got some issues here where Crafty 23.0 loses due to the following.

{False draw claim: 'Drawn by 50-move rule'}
{False draw claim: 'Drawn by 3-fold repetition'}

I am using Winboard version 4.4.0e + ("WinBoard_F"). I set Verify Engine Claims to ON.

Please be reminded also to not get lazy creating better help files
You might want to explain everything what are shown on your tournament manager, like kill engines option, Warnings tab, icons on the command button and others.

One more request, under "Engine Manager" window, pressing x button will automatically delete the selected engine, can you provide a way so as not to delete the engine instantly? For example create a dialogue box where the user is ask to verify its real intention. Like "Do you want to delete the engine? YES/NO".

Another feature request, ability to handle starting positions from PGN file.
And of course don't forget to implement multi-gauntlet tourney.

Have a good day.

[Kempelen]

Thanks for sharing Fermin, a great tool, especially with the integration of bayeslo. Debug files can also be identified easily. Auto definition of Events is also very handy.

I have a request, under Analysis tab, can you provide also a category for "False draw claim" ? Got some issues here where Crafty 23.0 loses due to the following.

{False draw claim: 'Drawn by 50-move rule'}
{False draw claim: 'Drawn by 3-fold repetition'}

I am using Winboard version 4.4.0e + ("WinBoard_F"). I set Verify Engine Claims to ON.

Please be reminded also to not get lazy creating better help files
You might want to explain everything what are shown on your tournament manager, like kill engines option, Warnings tab, icons on the command button and others.

One more request, under "Engine Manager" window, pressing x button will automatically delete the selected engine, can you provide a way so as not to delete the engine instantly? For example create a dialogue box where the user is ask to verify its real intention. Like "Do you want to delete the engine? YES/NO".

Another feature request, ability to handle starting positions from PGN file.
And of course don't forget to implement multi-gauntlet tourney.

Have a good day.

Hi Ferdy,

I have just implemented dialog box for deletion of engines, and false draw claims under analysis tab. I have just uploaded it, so you can test it.

I must admit I am a little lazy to make a help file..... OK, I will try. Does anybody knows a simple and easy tool to make windows help files? (or any other kind of help)

I will implement PGN starting position, but I need more time for that. I quoted it. With respect to multi-gountlet tourneys, what exactly is that and how it works?