Re: On-line engine blitz tournament September

[flok]

Dog lost 1,5 point due to problems with the fics <==> uci interface.
Unfortunate but on the other hand the change I implemented would have gained no more than say 5 elo, probably not visible in this tournament.

[Joost Buijs]

Dog lost 1,5 point due to problems with the fics <==> uci interface.
Unfortunate but on the other hand the change I implemented would have gained no more than say 5 elo, probably not visible in this tournament.

I had Codex make a replacement for time-seal, ICSDrone and polyglot, all in one bridge, which is much cleaner than having three separate apps talking to each other. It had a promotion problem too, promotions were encoded like a7a8q, while it should be a7a8=q.

I'm also busy building a complete new server with a much cleaner design, it has a central server-core with all the functionality a chess server needs, and it uses SQLite for it's databases. FICS and mamer will be nothing more than translation layers talking to the central core, this design makes it very easy to add different protocols in the future.

[Joost Buijs]

It took me three days to build a FICS compatible chess-server with the help of Codex. It has a way better structure than the old Lasker server, a stable chess-server core which uses SQLite as database, and two compatibility layers one for FICS and one for mamer.

Most of the work was getting the FICS protocol working (which has many strange quirks), and getting the FICS and mamer layer behave approx. the same as the old Lasker server.

Handle names can now use numeric, dashes and dots as well, this was a very big shortcoming of the old server.

The old database with player information is imported, the encrypted passwords are re-hashed and use better encryption now, most of the information is still intact.

The new server currently runs on port 5001, when all features are added, and everything is ready, it will be moved back to port 5000.

I'm thinking about removing the FICS protocol completely, and replacing it with json messages. The only thing needed is a simple GUI for Linux and Windows that connects an UCI engine to the server, with the help of Claude or Codex this can be built in half a day. Supporting CECP engines is not necessary because nobody uses this anymore.

[Maarten Claessens]

Supporting CECP engines is not necessary because nobody uses this anymore.

Well, WaDuuttie does...

[chrisw]

It took me three days to build a FICS compatible chess-server with the help of Codex. It has a way better structure than the old Lasker server, a stable chess-server core which uses SQLite as database, and two compatibility layers one for FICS and one for mamer.

Most of the work was getting the FICS protocol working (which has many strange quirks), and getting the FICS and mamer layer behave approx. the same as the old Lasker server.

Handle names can now use numeric, dashes and dots as well, this was a very big shortcoming of the old server.

The old database with player information is imported, the encrypted passwords are re-hashed and use better encryption now, most of the information is still intact.

The new server currently runs on port 5001, when all features are added, and everything is ready, it will be moved back to port 5000.

I'm thinking about removing the FICS protocol completely, and replacing it with json messages. The only thing needed is a simple GUI for Linux and Windows that connects an UCI engine to the server, with the help of Claude or Codex this can be built in half a day. Supporting CECP engines is not necessary because nobody uses this anymore.

Now all we need is a backgammon, checkers and Othello server. I think quite a few of us either have or would write an engine if there was some centralised way of competing with it.

[abulmo2]

Now all we need is a backgammon, checkers and Othello server. I think quite a few of us either have or would write an engine if there was some centralised way of competing with it.

For Othello, strong engines play on GGS https://skatgame.net/mburo/ggs/. This server is generic, and can accept a few other games but Othello is the most played.

[chrisw]

Now all we need is a backgammon, checkers and Othello server. I think quite a few of us either have or would write an engine if there was some centralised way of competing with it.

For Othello, strong engines play on GGS https://skatgame.net/mburo/ggs/. This server is generic, and can accept a few other games but Othello is the most played.

Oh that’s cool, are there test engines online always (like with Joost’s server) or does one need to prearrange matches?