I got the permission by Steen Surrballe (Gandalf) ...

[Frank Quisinsky]

Hi there,

in times bevore I am working with Martin on Arena my older Parsimony Forum used for Gandalf Beta Test.
We had around 14 beta testers, some years ago.

Most important are engine compatibilty to the engine protocols.

It's right what Günther wrote here but Steen made some experiments with his search, in special the mid-game.
Open positions and to search ways to give material for a greater attacking style, Gandalf like to give pawns for open a closed position. That was a big wish by myself. Frank Schneider made some things with Gromit (later Anaconda, later Gingko, later available in Fritz 17).

4.32d ... the engine compatiblity is not good but the version can play very danger chess in middlegames, but it's weaker in Elo strength.
4.32f and 4.32g ... the "f" version is my favorite version and with the "g" and later the "h" version Gandalf lost a bit from the atticking style but Elo strenght goes higher.

So, most intereting are "d", "f" and "g" or "h". "g" and "h" is around the same.
From "d" to all others ... a lot of changes, since "e" small but important changes!!

Later Steen goes to Ed and first what Ed do is to killed the UCI support for Gandalf.
The UCI support are very important for us, we (I do that with Gambit-Soft) sent many chess programmers the "Millennium 2000 package" for made engines UCI compatible. Ed don't like it and saw in UCI not the future I believe.

But later in development Steen added again the UCI support after the bad decision from Ed Schröder.

Gandalf was very important for the UCI and for the WB protocol.
Because we need stronger engines to make the protocols more popular.
Ossi Weiner helps to with WB Nimzo ...

Best
Frank

[Frank Quisinsky]

Hi there,

I had forgotten ...
The learn files are important for Steen, but I have forgotten the information around the learn files. But I know that Steen made here often updates.
Not easy to handle the learn files, with Fritz GUI and Fritz Adapter for WB engines ... Gandalf produced problems after all I remember. In reality Gandalf 4.32f are the number 4 in the World to release time.

All the versions, available in donwload file, are collected versions from the Beta-Test or my contacts to Steen.

Again, Gandalf are the "engine" shining star in times we try to make Winboard, later UCI more popular because all the strong commercial support only itself ... the own protocol (Chessbase protocol).

Give users the information:
You have to used winboard or UCI ... in other case Gandalf will not work ... such things help us.
And Gambit-Soft (Bert Seinfriz and Roland Tröger) have the biggest interest that all the programs have a better compatibilty together. The reason that I am working with Gambit-Soft and build a co-operation in times my Winboard site are very populur and a longer time in FIDE stat of place 1 with around 2000-3000 different IPs daily.



Best
Frank

PS: An other very important point around Gandalf:
The really great opening book by Dan Wulff.
In my opinion the strongest book together with the Hiarcs book these times are available!
Dan works many years on it and try exactly that Gandalf will get an open line.

[supersharp77]

Hi there,

I had forgotten ...
The learn files are important for Steen, but I have forgotten the information around the learn files. But I know that Steen made here often updates.
Not easy to handle the learn files, with Fritz GUI and Fritz Adapter for WB engines ... Gandalf produced problems after all I remember. In reality Gandalf 4.32f are the number 4 in the World to release time.

All the versions, available in donwload file, are collected versions from the Beta-Test or my contacts to Steen.

Again, Gandalf are the "engine" shining star in times we try to make Winboard, later UCI more popular because all the strong commercial support only itself ... the own protocol (Chessbase protocol).

Give users the information:
You have to used winboard or UCI ... in other case Gandalf will not work ... such things help us.
And Gambit-Soft (Bert Seinfriz and Roland Tröger) have the biggest interest that all the programs have a better compatibilty together. The reason that I am working with Gambit-Soft and build a co-operation in times my Winboard site are very populur and a longer time in FIDE stat of place 1 with around 2000-3000 different IPs daily.



Best
Frank

PS: An other very important point around Gandalf:
The really great opening book by Dan Wulff.
In my opinion the strongest book together with the Hiarcs book these times are available!
Dan works many years on it and try exactly that Gandalf will get an open line.

Thanks for The Gandalf Archive upload...There are a whole lot of Gandalfs in there with some very small numbers like version 1, 1a etc...I will have to open them up and see whats what soon...I do plan to put all of them in a aquarium of choice and see whats what...What GUI did they play the best in, Lokasoft...Fritz..Rybka or Banksia etc? Too many for a RR tourney I think plus Gandalf 7 beta does not make moves in my Fritz GUI (so far) should be quite interesting though..stay tuned..