Chess960: Cutechess-cli & Shredder GUI...

[Steve Maughan]

I'm having some problems playing Chess960 games using CuteChess-cli. Here's an example of a PNG created by cutechess-cli:

Code: Select all

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2025.01.21"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Stockfish_17"]
[Black "Camel"]
[Result "1-0"]
[FEN "bbrknqrn/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/BBRKNQRN w KQkq - 0 1"]
[SetUp "1"]
[Variant "fischerandom"]

1. c4 Ng6 2. c5 O-O-O 3. b4 d5 4. f4 f5 5. Nf3 e6 6. g4 fxg4 7. Nd4 Nxf4 8. e3
Ng6 9. Nxe6 Qxf1+ 10. Rxf1 Rd7 11. Nf2 c6 12. Bf5 Ne7 13. Bxg4 Bxh2 14. Ng5 h6
15. Nf3 Bc7 16. Nd3 Ng6 17. Be6 Rh8 18. Bf5 Nf8 19. Nfe5 Bxe5 20. Nxe5 h5
21. Ke2 h4 22. Bh3 Nf6 23. Nxd7 N8xd7 24. Bxf6 gxf6 25. Rxf6 b5 26. Rf7 Rd8
27. Rg1 d4 28. exd4 Kb8 29. Bxd7 Rh8 30. Rgg7 Bb7 31. Bh3 Bc8 32. Bxc8 Kxc8
33. Rxa7 Re8+ 34. Rge7 Rxe7+ 35. Rxe7 Kd8 36. Rh7 Kc8 37. Rxh4 Kc7 38. Rh7+ Kd8
39. Ke3 Kc8 40. Ke4 Kd8 41. Ke5 Ke8 42. Kf6 Kd8 43. Ke6 Kc8 44. Kd6 Kb8 45. Kxc6
Ka8 46. Kb6 Kb8 47. Rh8# 1-0

Note the "FEN" for the initial position. It doesn't conform to the UCI specification for Chess960 FENs, which would be:

Code: Select all

[FEN "bbrknqrn/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/BBRKNQRN w GCgc- 0 1"]

This results in the Shredder GUI regarding 2... O-O-O as an illegal move.

My questions are:

1. How can I force Cutechess-cli to output the FEN of the initial position in a format recognized by the Shredder GUI?
2. How can I get the Shredder GUI to recognize the Cutechess-cli PGN?
3. Is there a better GUI for analyzing Chess960 that recognizes the Cutechess-cli PNG as Chess960?

— Steve

[Ferdy]

3. Is there a better GUI for analyzing Chess960 that recognizes the Cutechess-cli PNG as Chess960?

1. Lichess
2. Fritz
3. HCE

[AndrewGrant]

Try changing the variants tag. Cutechess is "bugged", and says fischerandom not fischerrandom, ( one r, not two ).
Things like python-chess are aware of this and handle it, but your GUI might be not.

Also, a nitpick -- I don't believe there is a "proper" FRC UCI notation.

[Steve Maughan]

Thanks Ferdy & Andrew,

I'll take a look at the latest HCE.

Python chess may be a good option. And yes, it seems chess960 is a bit of a mess when it comes to FEN.

Thanks — Steve

[Modern Times]

I can confirm the issue here too with ShredderGUI not being able to read the pgn properly.

I tried HCE and that seems fine, I can move through the game from the beginning with Hiarcs doing the analysis as I go, just fine.