Houdini 4 has been released

[Modern Times]

Does anyone know which tablebases Houdini will use when all three are present ? From ChessGUi debug files:

Code: Select all

SendToEng1Time 0000000021735447 : Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) -> setoption name GaviotaTbPath value e:\gtb
.
SendToEng1Time 0000000021735447 : Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) -> setoption name GaviotaTbCache value 32
.
SendToEng1Time 0000000021735447 : Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) -> setoption name NalimovPath value e:\tb
.
SendToEng1Time 0000000021735447 : Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) -> setoption name NalimovCache value 32
.
SendToEng1Time 0000000021735447 : Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) -> setoption name SyzygyPath value K:\5men;K:\6men\dtz;K:\6men\wdl
.

and then from the engine

Code: Select all

Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) <- info string 1 thread used
Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) <- info string GaviotaTb 5 men EGTB available - 32 MB cache
Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) <- info string Nalimov 5 men EGTB available - 32 MB cache
Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) <- info string Syzygy 6 men EGTB available - 510 tablebases found
Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) <- readyok
nChessVariant(0) = 2, readyok.

[Graham Banks]

Does anyone know which tablebases Houdini will use when all three are present ? From ChessGUi debug files:

Code: Select all

SendToEng1Time 0000000021735447 : Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) -> setoption name GaviotaTbPath value e:\gtb
.
SendToEng1Time 0000000021735447 : Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) -> setoption name GaviotaTbCache value 32
.
SendToEng1Time 0000000021735447 : Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) -> setoption name NalimovPath value e:\tb
.
SendToEng1Time 0000000021735447 : Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) -> setoption name NalimovCache value 32
.
SendToEng1Time 0000000021735447 : Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) -> setoption name SyzygyPath value K:\5men;K:\6men\dtz;K:\6men\wdl
.

and then from the engine

Code: Select all

Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) <- info string 1 thread used
Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) <- info string GaviotaTb 5 men EGTB available - 32 MB cache
Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) <- info string Nalimov 5 men EGTB available - 32 MB cache
Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) <- info string Syzygy 6 men EGTB available - 510 tablebases found
Eng01 (Houdini 4 x64) <- readyok
nChessVariant(0) = 2, readyok.

From memory, it uses the first listed if restricted to using only one.
However, sometimes engines can use more than one is my understanding.

[Modern Times]

It would be good for Robert to confirm.

[shrapnel]

It would be good for Robert to confirm.

Are you and Graham Banks brothers ?

[Graham Banks]

It would be good for Robert to confirm.

Are you and Graham Banks brothers ?

Yes.

[Jim Logan]

It would be good for Robert to confirm.

Robert did confirm in the on-line manual, and I quote: "You should only use one type of EGTB - if you specify several in the UCI options, the last option will prevail. Houdini cannot use more than one type of EGTB at the time."

[Modern Times]

It would be good for Robert to confirm.

Robert did confirm in the on-line manual, and I quote: "You should only use one type of EGTB - if you specify several in the UCI options, the last option will prevail. Houdini cannot use more than one type of EGTB at the time."

Perfect.

Well, depending on the GUI you use, you sometimes cannot avoid more than one GUI path being sent to Houdini, without also affecting other engines. For the version of ChessGUI that I use, if I prevent Houdini from using Gaviota and Nalimiov, then that action prevents the opponent engine from using them as well - and the opponent engine of course doesn't have Syzgy. There really should be a UCI parameter in Houdini where you explicitly choose which ones you want to use and the GUI cannot affect that.

[Modern Times]

It would be good for Robert to confirm.

Robert did confirm in the on-line manual, and I quote: "You should only use one type of EGTB - if you specify several in the UCI options, the last option will prevail. Houdini cannot use more than one type of EGTB at the time."

Well, that isn't correct. In the above situation, Houdini is hitting the flash drive , which contains Nalimov and Gaviota. So be it, if I can't control what it uses, then it will use what it will use.

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

It would be good for Robert to confirm.

Are you and Graham Banks brothers ?

Yes.

No way....

All these years I didn't notice that....

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

It would be good for Robert to confirm.

Robert did confirm in the on-line manual, and I quote: "You should only use one type of EGTB - if you specify several in the UCI options, the last option will prevail. Houdini cannot use more than one type of EGTB at the time."

Perfect.

Well, depending on the GUI you use, you sometimes cannot avoid more than one GUI path being sent to Houdini, without also affecting other engines. For the version of ChessGUI that I use, if I prevent Houdini from using Gaviota and Nalimiov, then that action prevents the opponent engine from using them as well - and the opponent engine of course doesn't have Syzgy. There really should be a UCI parameter in Houdini where you explicitly choose which ones you want to use and the GUI cannot affect that.

Correct....
Dr.D