Polyglot

[hgm]

Well, as Gary pointed out, the recent Windows versions are extremely protective about creating files in the C:\Program Files subtree. And unfortunately WinBoard (and associated programs) tries to create files in its own folder. When I started using Vista I noticed that all kind of files (like the PGN fro saving games) were not made without warning. (Now I know where to look for them, however...) Engines also often try to make files in their own folders (like log files).

So I made the installer propose C:\WinBoard-4.6.2 as default place to install WinBoard + engines. That never gave me any trouble.

[Kyodai]

I'll remember that... As for now all my engines (except Vitro) is working fine
so I settle with directing the save games option to a folder in My Documents.

A couple of questions:

First one is about WB X7 but the issue is that no matter how I write
/ponderNextMove=true in the WB.ini and make sure ponder=true is written
in all engines.ini - it always "jumps out" i.e when an engine is loaded it's
always with ponder unticked - so I have to remember doing this manually.
Is there a way to make ponder on as default? Some adding in the WB.ini.
Or maybe a bug in the program? This should not happen?!

Second question is about books. If an engine has a small own book and
say just a few moves in a variation - does the engine continue play with
the set polyglot book - if there are more moves in this specific variation, in
that book?

[hgm]

Something is wrong, because /ponderNextMove is (and always has been) a persistent option in WinBoard. Set it once, and it should remain set every subsequent session, until you unset it again. Loading engines should never affect it. (Unless the engine line in the WB.ini explicitly contains a -xponder option with it.)

As to the book: no, this does not happen, and is logically impossible. Polyglot or the GUI cannot know whether an engine is in book or out of book. It just sends moves, and how it gotthem is its own little secret. So the GUI book or Polyglot book have precedence over the engine moves. If any of these is switched on, the engine is in fact not consulted at all, and themoves come directly from the GUI book or Polyglot. Only when you run out of those books (or they weren't switch on) the moves go to the engine, and it can reply to them from whichever resource it has.

[Kyodai]

Still I have these problems with ponder on in WB X7.

Somewhere I read that ponder=true actually is useless in polyglot.ini
Also the importance of ticking CanPonder in polyglot.ini
(important for those engines that don't have ponder=true as default or choice.)

Could maybe give a hint of how to deal with this issue. I will try the CanPonder option when at home.

[Modern Times]

From memory, I could never get Zappa to ponder when running as UCI through polyglot under Winboard. But then I realised that Zappa supports Winboard protocol, and running as Winboard it ponders perfectly.

I had no such problems with Critter, it is UCI only and pondered fine through polyglot.

[hgm]

I think the UCI ponder option only tells engines to adapt their time management to the fact that they will save time by pondering. To make them actually ponder is not an option but a command ('go ponder'). Polyglot will make them ponder (if the GUI requests it) whether that option is set or not. (But they might not distribute their time optimally.) To prevent them from pondering even when the GUI says they should, there is the Polyglot CanPonder option. This should not be switched off other than as a work-around for engines that really crash if they receive the 'go ponder' command.