Any eta for the next version of Komodo?

[JohnW]

Just wondering if there is an eta for the next version of Komodo?

Thanks..

[Lyudmil Tsvetkov]

Just wondering if there is an eta for the next version of Komodo?

Thanks..

once it reaches the level of Houdini at blitz, and passes SF by around 50 elo at VLTC...

one way or another, Komodo will pass Houdini at some point, as Houdart will hardly update his engine in less than a year (unless he has decided to offer monthly updates), while Komodo are following their subscription policy.

Whether Komodo will pass SF at some point at blitz will very much depend upon the rate of Stockfish development, I very much hope SF does not become a Stuckfish in next months.

3-way tie at the moment: Komodo the official computer WC, SF most certainly holding the unofficial TCEC title, and Houdini, no titles officially held, apart from TCEC rapid, but maybe the strongest.

[Frank Quisinsky]

Hi Lyudmil,

strongest in tactic ... at the moment ... Houdini!
strongest in late middlegame / transition into endgame ... Stockfish (and this one very clear in my opinion).
strongest in endgame ... in my opinion ... Komodo & Shredder!

Most potential from this group of engines ...
Komodo!

A faster Komodo, here I see the most potential ...
I have also enough lost games in the database to search a bit for further Komodo improvements.

We have a wonderful combination of TOP engines, never we have before. I like the style of Houdini too. Very tactical and indeed with the tactial parameter ... stronger for tactical analyses.

But most potential ... again ... I see for Komodo!
Have a look how big the different is from Komodo to Stockfish ... means in blitz and how small the different is if the time control is longer.

Maybe potential for Stockfish for endgames too. So each of the TOPs can be improved.

My favorite at the moment is Komodo (most balanced style between the playing phases and most interesting combination in all playing phases I saw here with my chess knowledge). Houdini on two ... I like stronger engines in tactic. And the new Houdini version ... for using you need a firearms certificate.

Furthermore, for opening book creators ...
Houdini have a gigantic good eval after opening book moves. Most releastic and most interesting if I am looking in the complete A00-E99 opening systems. Maybe the secret why Houdini is so strong after opening book moves with so many short won games. Robert do here a wonderful job.

Best
Frank

[Lyudmil Tsvetkov]

Hi Lyudmil,

strongest in tactic ... at the moment ... Houdini!
strongest in late middlegame / transition into endgame ... Stockfish (and this one very clear in my opinion).
strongest in endgame ... in my opinion ... Komodo & Shredder!

Most potential from this group of engines ...
Komodo!

A faster Komodo, here I see the most potential ...
I have also enough lost games in the database to search a bit for further Komodo improvements.

We have a wonderful combination of TOP engines, never we have before. I like the style of Houdini too. Very tactical and indeed with the tactial parameter ... stronger for tactical analyses.

But most potential ... again ... I see for Komodo!
Have a look how big the different is from Komodo to Stockfish ... means in blitz and how small the different is if the time control is longer.

Maybe potential for Stockfish for endgames too. So each of the TOPs can be improved.

My favorite at the moment is Komodo (most balanced style between the playing phases and most interesting combination in all playing phases I saw here with my chess knowledge). Houdini on two ... I like stronger engines in tactic. And the new Houdini version ... for using you need a firearms certificate.

Furthermore, for opening book creators ...
Houdini have a gigantic good eval after opening book moves. Most releastic and most interesting if I am looking the the compete A00-E99 opening systems. Maybe the secret why Houdini is so strong after opening book moves with so many short won games. Robert do here a wonderful job.

Best
Frank

funny thing is that everyone, except from possibly SF, claims on their sites that their engine is currently the strongest, and they might be rigth from a certain point of view.

Komodo claims it is the best engine, Houdini claims it is the best, SF also almost does so, and, from so many claims, I already do not know which is the strongest...

If I had to choose which engine to employ, I would use Houdini for static eval (which of course does not make much sense), Komodo for any representative function, as this engine simply has a distinct style of play, the other 2 tops do not, and SF for gameplay, as it has a bit of an edge currently.

but of course, best thing is to use different engines for different positions, SF for open and sharp lines, Houdini and Komodo for more closed play.

[Frank Quisinsky]

Hi Lyudmil,

yes indeed!

With different conditions we can create different results. I am not a fan in ... to looking on Elo only. I am more looking in the playing phases. So I create my own list of favorits to the styles I like most with the conditions I like most for visiting in live mode the games.

Speaking from TOP-4 ...
But in reality I like the tactical combinations of Hakkapeliitta (not the TCEC version, version before) or the human style of Wasp and Hiarcs. Many others I like ... not only the TOP-4.

But after all ...
Most sensational this year is what Houdini do in the beginning of the games and how good the eval is here.

I am not a big fan from Robert Houdert (beginning of Houdini) but he must be a great programmer because again ... what Houdini do in the beginning of the games is more as sensational. The tactic skills here are much better as the skills from Stockfish. Stockfish the number 1 in tactic (never Stockfish are the number 1 ... Komodo have the same good skills here) ... is history since Houdini 5 is available.

And what Stockfish do in the late middlegame is sensational too. In late middlegame ... Stockfish is playing in an own league ... so good Stockfish is here.

But I can only speaking with the results with my own conditions and looking what the others have. Again ... with different conditions we produce different results. So, if others have an other opinion ... fully OK. In reality the TOP engines are 1000 Elo stronger as I and I need many stats to see more ... and all of the stats are a lot of work and all of the stats can't be to 100% exactly.

Higher Elo and all is more complicated to find out a bit.

Best
Frank

[Frank Quisinsky]

So, if the programmers of Houdini, Komodo and Stockfish wrote ... strongest engines ... with the situation we have today ... why not. I think I can life with it.

Very closed and all three are very strong.
More interesting is that we can used it for different situation in analysing games. Such things are more interesting as to looking on the boring Elo we can find in rating systems ... for an example my list.

The styles are particularly and superfine!
Means, such things are to around "1 Million x" more interesting as boring Elos.



Best
Frank

[Lyudmil Tsvetkov]

Hi Lyudmil,

yes indeed!

With different conditions we can create different results. I am not a fan in ... to looking on Elo only. I am more looking in the playing phases. So I create my own list of favorits to the styles I like most with the conditions I like most for visiting in live mode the games.

Speaking from TOP-4 ...
But in reality I like the tactical combinations of Hakkapeliitta (not the TCEC version, version before) or the human style of Wasp and Hiarcs. Many others I like ... not only the TOP-4.

But after all ...
Most sensational this year is what Houdini do in the beginning of the games and how good the eval is here.

I am not a big fan from Robert Houdert (beginning of Houdini) but he must be a great programmer because again ... what Houdini do in the beginning of the games is more as sensational. The tactic skills here are much better as the skills from Stockfish. Stockfish the number 1 in tactic (never Stockfish are the number 1 ... Komodo have the same good skills here) ... is history since Houdini 5 is available.

And what Stockfish do in the late middlegame is sensational too. In late middlegame ... Stockfish is playing in an own league ... so good Stockfish is here.

Best
Frank

one thing I wonder is where did all the top engines from big countries like Germany and France go? In the past, we had so many engines from Germany and France, and now just a few. Many more strong Italian and Spanish engines than German and French ones, which is a bit paradoxical.

Maybe Germans and French programers got tired of computer chess, and are now working on 'state-of-the-art' applets for mobile phones?

Of the top, just 1 American engine, no other near the top (Americans, like British, are quite probably also far advanced, and are already working on phone stuff), 1 Dutch, and 1 international (but mostly European).

It seems that, of all, only the Dutch still have not lost their interest in computer chess.

[Frank Quisinsky]

Hi Lyudmil,

Germans are often very own / peculiar.
Small different interpretations and end of work.

Computer chess is also a good for individualistic people. In German we say ... playing a prima donna ... I am a good example with things I do in the past.

Yes, we had strong programmers ... but with Shredder, Protector and ice we have also TOP engines. Gingko and Jonny are private available. So you can see ... Germans search all the time his own way or better ... Germans are thinking more "fancy oneself" ... I think this one is more right.

Not important ... from which country the programmers comes from.

Ah and to the French programmers:
With a lot I had mail contacts in the past. The Group of French programmers building an own closed group. Have a look in the past and the tourneys in Massy. But all of the French programmers I had contacts are very sympathical. Can't say this to all of the german programmers I had contacts. Often very complicated persons, also other Germans in Computer chess discussions. It's here allways the same ... Germans are thinking ... I know it better. Again, I am the best example.

and often ...

Not Stefan Meyer-Kahlen ... means from the Group of programmers. Stefan is our showpiece!



Best
Frank

[Lyudmil Tsvetkov]

Hi Lyudmil,

Germans are often very own / peculiar.
Small different interpretations and end of work.

Computer chess is also a good for individualistic people. In German we say ... playing a prima donna ... I am a good example with things I do in the past.

Yes, we had strong programmers ... but with Shredder, Protector and ice we have also TOP engines. Gingko and Jonny are private available. So you can see ... Germans search all the time his own way or better ... Germans are thinking more "fancy oneself" ... I think this one is more right.

Not important ... from which country the programmers comes from.

Ah and to the French programmers:
With a lot I had mail contacts in the past. The Group of French programmers building an own closed group. Have a look in the past and the tourneys in Massy. But all of the French programmers I had contacts are very sympathical. Can't say this to all of the german programmers I had contacts. Often very complicated persons, also other Germans in Computer chess discussions. It's here allways the same ... Germans are thinking ... I know it better.

Not Stefan Meyer-Kahlen ... means from the Group of programmers. Stefan is our showpiece!



Best
Frank

Ginkgo - international effort (at least judging from the authors)
ICE - not quite that strong
Protector - not fully original? (sorry, if I am mistaken)

so, only Shredder and Jonny remain, that deserve attention and still mix into the top. very few for 80 million people? in the past we had Little Goliath, Shredder, Comet, Quark, etc., and AnMon, Nejmet, Pharaon, Dragon, etc., for French programmers. I tell you, those people are doing mobile applets...

[Frank Quisinsky]

Hi Lyudmil,

mobile ...
A new Situation we have with mobile computer. An old Situation we have with normely chess programs for PC. French programmers are very eager to try out new things. Thinking on all the experiements the AnMon programmer do with MTD or the ZChess / Pharaon programmer do. The Capture programmer have a lot of interesting ideas in the past. Have a look which skills Fabian have.

One of the best programmes in Germany is Rudolf Huber (SOS) ... maybe the best chess programmer we have in Germany (I know that Stefan Meyer-Kahlen have the same opinion). But he have a hard job and not enough time for computer chess. I am sure Rudolf Huber can produced with many time also a chess program with 3.200 Elo. Other things are more important than chess. Yes, a nice Hobby for all of us but I can understand that TOP-Programmers have other things in his brain as to work a long time on chess programs ... Commercial products one day later can be found on crack sites.

And often we can see that programmers come back to us after a while.

All in all ...
Not important how the programmer comes from.
Many people are working in chess programming and what we have today was never better before.

And to the Germans ...
Germans do a lot in the past, thinking on all the GUI developments. Enough room for others ... must not be Germans again. At the moment I am very happy with all the American developments. Never so many strong American programs are available. A hard job for Crafty ... but Crafty hold the place in TOP-30 ... still running at the moment here. Very nice and strong Crafty.

I am a Crafty fan all the time!
Go Crafty go ...



Best
Frank