Arasan 25.0

[chesskobra]

How can I confirm that the engine is using the book? I am using xboard on linux. I have all the installed files in the same directory. I observe that whateveer parameters in xboard I set, the engine appears to analyse each move, starting from move 1, which suggests that probably it does not use the book. The book is enabled in the arasan.rc file (I didn't change the default file).

[jdart]

How can I confirm that the engine is using the book? I am using xboard on linux.

As of this release, the .rc file is no longer loaded on startup, by default. To load it from the Arasan install directory (the behavior in prior releases), pass "-a" on the command line. Alternatively, the "OwnBook" option can be set in xboard.

[chesskobra]

I am not using the rc file, but just checked what is in it in case it is being used.
I have these settings in xboardrc

"arasan-25" -fcp /opt/chess/arasan/arasanx-64-avx2 -fUCI -firstHasOwnBookUCI

OwnBook is checked in the engine settings, and in fact it is showing the correct path of the book. Should I expect the book moves to be played instantly? The moves are not played instantly even when I a play a standard variation like e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 from black.

Under which GUI have you tested it? I also tested under cutechess gui, and it does show the book path in the settings, but does not play the book moves instantly.

[jdart]

I am not using the rc file, but just checked what is in it in case it is being used.
I have these settings in xboardrc

"arasan-25" -fcp /opt/chess/arasan/arasanx-64-avx2 -fUCI -firstHasOwnBookUCI

OwnBook is checked in the engine settings, and in fact it is showing the correct path of the book. Should I expect the book moves to be played instantly? The moves are not played instantly even when I a play a standard variation like e4 e5 Nf3 Nc6 from black.

Under which GUI have you tested it? I also tested under cutechess gui, and it does show the book path in the settings, but does not play the book moves instantly.

I am not sure why you are having difficulties, but since Arasan supports the native xboard protocol (CECP), there is no need to use -fUCI.
Something like:
xboard -cp -fcp "/arasan/temp/arasanx-64-avx2"
should work. And OwnBook is on by default, so if book.bin is in the same directory as the engine, it should be used. Book moves are instant: there should not be a delay.

[chesskobra]

I am not sure why you are having difficulties, but since Arasan supports the native xboard protocol (CECP), there is no need to use -fUCI.
Something like:
xboard -cp -fcp "/arasan/temp/arasanx-64-avx2"
should work. And OwnBook is on by default, so if book.bin is in the same directory as the engine, it should be used. Book moves are instant: there should not be a delay.

I have now tried the exact same command, and it does show OwnBook true, but takes nearly 40 seconds for first 3 moves.

[cpeters]

I also tested under cutechess gui, and it does show the book path in the settings, but does not play the book moves instantly.

Hello chesskobra!

Code: Select all

(OLD) Cute Chess 1.3.1
Using Qt version 5.15.8
Running on Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)/x86_64

Arasan* with book 'works' here.

*
-sitting in home
-provided binary and
-selfcompiled (had to move the nnue-file to the bin-directory whithin arasan-directory though)

I know you checked your PATHs/just to let you know, that there seems to be no major fault with the release.

Greetings!

[chesskobra]

I could get it to work when I built my own book (using the makebook utility with the basic.pgn file). Then I noticed the book.bin file in my tar archive was quite small. I have now downloaded the precompiled package again, and the book.bin in it works. Thanks for all the responses.

[Elorejano]

How can I confirm that the engine is using the book? I am using xboard on linux.

As of this release, the .rc file is no longer loaded on startup, by default. To load it from the Arasan install directory (the behavior in prior releases), pass "-a" on the command line. Alternatively, the "OwnBook" option can be set in xboard.

Hi Jon! Can i request to you that return to the old method of load the rc file?
Im a "old good timesuser", from ages that only had Crafty, GNuChess, Comet and....Arasan!!
This command line stuffs are ugly. I remember my happyness when you implemented hash values from rc file
Please, come back to the "normal" way to load rc file
Thanks in advance

[jdart]

Hi Jon! Can i request to you that return to the old method of load the rc file?
Im a "old good timesuser", from ages that only had Crafty, GNuChess, Comet and....Arasan!!
This command line stuffs are ugly. I remember my happyness when you implemented hash values from rc file
Please, come back to the "normal" way to load rc file
Thanks in advance

I had gotten quite a bit of feedback that the auto-loaded .rc file was confusing to users used to how other engines work. Also, if you set a hash value in the .rc file, most GUIs such as xboard, Fritz, etc. will override it with whatever value is default or is set in the engine options within the GUI. It is just simpler and clearer and more reliable to set options in the GUI and not have a file that may contradict those settings.

I think the only time the .rc file is a reliable way of setting options is if you are running Arasan by itself from the command line, or calling it from a command-line tool. In that case, you can still get the old behavior by adding -a to the Arasan command line.

[Jouni]

thanks for updated testsuite!