format and usage of the start.pgn file

[Hasdrubal]

Hello

I have been reading the Crafty Command document by Professor Hyatt and would like to know a bit more about the creation of the books.bin file. Most of the have to do with the start.pgn file

This printout below is from the start.pgn from the ftp site..

[Site ""]
e4 e5 {play 40%}
[Site ""]
e4 d5 {play 10%} exd5 Qxd5 {play 100%}
[Site ""]
e4 c5? {play 30%}
[Site ""]
e4 c6 {play 20%}

1) What is the purpose of the [Site ""] tag?
2) If I modify the file, do I need to follow the conventions used here (eg, no move numbers, etc)?
3) are the {play 40%} instructions to the books.bin generator?
4) Doesn't the third line "e4 c5? {play 30%}" conflict with itself? (don't play ...c5, but play it 30% of the time)
5) Any other ideas or insights about how you might use the books.bin feature?

Thanks very much

[Peter Skinner]

Hello

I have been reading the Crafty Command document by Professor Hyatt and would like to know a bit more about the creation of the books.bin file. Most of the have to do with the start.pgn file

This printout below is from the start.pgn from the ftp site..

[Site ""]
e4 e5 {play 40%}
[Site ""]
e4 d5 {play 10%} exd5 Qxd5 {play 100%}
[Site ""]
e4 c5? {play 30%}
[Site ""]
e4 c6 {play 20%}

1) What is the purpose of the [Site ""] tag?
2) If I modify the file, do I need to follow the conventions used here (eg, no move numbers, etc)?
3) are the {play 40%} instructions to the books.bin generator?
4) Doesn't the third line "e4 c5? {play 30%}" conflict with itself? (don't play ...c5, but play it 30% of the time)
5) Any other ideas or insights about how you might use the books.bin feature?

Thanks very much

There are several ways to modify the start.pgn file:

1. The [Site ""] tag is simply a pgn tag that the generator looks for when sorting moves.
2. When I make a custom book, I use the following format:

Code: Select all

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[PlyCount "33"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Ne5 e6 8. g4 Bg6 9. Bd2!! Qb6 10. Qe2!! Nbd7 11. f4!! O-O-O 12. O-O-O!! Nxe5 13. dxe5!! Nd5 14. Rhf1!! h6 15. f5!! Bh7 16. Rf3!! Nxc3 17. Bxc3!! *

You can pretty much put any eco code line in the start.pgn and use the books create xxx.pgn 60 command to make the book.

If you want to restrict it more, change the 60 to 30 or even 15. It is measured in ply.

I merged my book with our book maker Ted Langreck's book to make a pretty decent book. This is one of Ted's older books, as the newer one we use in tournaments, and I constantly modify the lines when I see something in book that I don't like.

If any of the above info is wrong, I am sure Robert will correct me.

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

Hello

I have been reading the Crafty Command document by Professor Hyatt and would like to know a bit more about the creation of the books.bin file. Most of the have to do with the start.pgn file

This printout below is from the start.pgn from the ftp site..

[Site ""]
e4 e5 {play 40%}
[Site ""]
e4 d5 {play 10%} exd5 Qxd5 {play 100%}
[Site ""]
e4 c5? {play 30%}
[Site ""]
e4 c6 {play 20%}

1) What is the purpose of the [Site ""] tag?
2) If I modify the file, do I need to follow the conventions used here (eg, no move numbers, etc)?
3) are the {play 40%} instructions to the books.bin generator?
4) Doesn't the third line "e4 c5? {play 30%}" conflict with itself? (don't play ...c5, but play it 30% of the time)
5) Any other ideas or insights about how you might use the books.bin feature?

Thanks very much

There are several ways to modify the start.pgn file:

1. The [Site ""] tag is simply a pgn tag that the generator looks for when sorting moves.
2. When I make a custom book, I use the following format:

Code: Select all

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[PlyCount "33"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Ne5 e6 8. g4 Bg6 9. Bd2!! Qb6 10. Qe2!! Nbd7 11. f4!! O-O-O 12. O-O-O!! Nxe5 13. dxe5!! Nd5 14. Rhf1!! h6 15. f5!! Bh7 16. Rf3!! Nxc3 17. Bxc3!! *

You can pretty much put any eco code line in the start.pgn and use the books create xxx.pgn 60 command to make the book.

If you want to restrict it more, change the 60 to 30 or even 15. It is measured in ply.

I merged my book with our book maker Ted Langreck's book to make a pretty decent book. This is one of Ted's older books, as the newer one we use in tournaments, and I constantly modify the lines when I see something in book that I don't like.

If any of the above info is wrong, I am sure Robert will correct me.

Hi Peter,
any chance to provide me with your opening book so that I can use it in my off line tournaments

[bob]

Hello

I have been reading the Crafty Command document by Professor Hyatt and would like to know a bit more about the creation of the books.bin file. Most of the have to do with the start.pgn file

This printout below is from the start.pgn from the ftp site..

[Site ""]
e4 e5 {play 40%}
[Site ""]
e4 d5 {play 10%} exd5 Qxd5 {play 100%}
[Site ""]
e4 c5? {play 30%}
[Site ""]
e4 c6 {play 20%}

1) What is the purpose of the [Site ""] tag?
2) If I modify the file, do I need to follow the conventions used here (eg, no move numbers, etc)?
3) are the {play 40%} instructions to the books.bin generator?
4) Doesn't the third line "e4 c5? {play 30%}" conflict with itself? (don't play ...c5, but play it 30% of the time)
5) Any other ideas or insights about how you might use the books.bin feature?

Thanks very much

1. The "Site" tag gives me a simple way to recognize the end of one "game" and the beginning of the next.

2. move numbers are completely optional.

3. Yes. That says "play this move 40% of the time, rather than relying on randomness to vary.

4. It is an example, and yes ? and "play" makes no sense unless the "play" says 0%...

The idea is to create a very small PGN file that tells crafty which moves to play and which to avoid. If you only want to play Bird's as white, you could use 1. f4 {play 100%} or you could use 1. f4!. The idea is that this small PGN file is much easier to modify to choose openings than editing a file with millions of games.

[bob]

Hello

I have been reading the Crafty Command document by Professor Hyatt and would like to know a bit more about the creation of the books.bin file. Most of the have to do with the start.pgn file

This printout below is from the start.pgn from the ftp site..

[Site ""]
e4 e5 {play 40%}
[Site ""]
e4 d5 {play 10%} exd5 Qxd5 {play 100%}
[Site ""]
e4 c5? {play 30%}
[Site ""]
e4 c6 {play 20%}

1) What is the purpose of the [Site ""] tag?
2) If I modify the file, do I need to follow the conventions used here (eg, no move numbers, etc)?
3) are the {play 40%} instructions to the books.bin generator?
4) Doesn't the third line "e4 c5? {play 30%}" conflict with itself? (don't play ...c5, but play it 30% of the time)
5) Any other ideas or insights about how you might use the books.bin feature?

Thanks very much

There are several ways to modify the start.pgn file:

1. The [Site ""] tag is simply a pgn tag that the generator looks for when sorting moves.
2. When I make a custom book, I use the following format:

Code: Select all

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[PlyCount "33"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Ne5 e6 8. g4 Bg6 9. Bd2!! Qb6 10. Qe2!! Nbd7 11. f4!! O-O-O 12. O-O-O!! Nxe5 13. dxe5!! Nd5 14. Rhf1!! h6 15. f5!! Bh7 16. Rf3!! Nxc3 17. Bxc3!! *

You can pretty much put any eco code line in the start.pgn and use the books create xxx.pgn 60 command to make the book.

If you want to restrict it more, change the 60 to 30 or even 15. It is measured in ply.

I merged my book with our book maker Ted Langreck's book to make a pretty decent book. This is one of Ted's older books, as the newer one we use in tournaments, and I constantly modify the lines when I see something in book that I don't like.

If any of the above info is wrong, I am sure Robert will correct me.

Hi Peter,
any chance to provide me with your opening book so that I can use it in my off line tournaments

We really need to make a better book anyway. The default book from my ftp site is one that offers a lot of variety and which will play most any opening the opponent wants to try. For all the computer vs computer tournaments, this book is not very good and we will do something better before long.

[Hasdrubal]

Thanks guys!

[Dr.Wael Deeb]

Hello

I have been reading the Crafty Command document by Professor Hyatt and would like to know a bit more about the creation of the books.bin file. Most of the have to do with the start.pgn file

This printout below is from the start.pgn from the ftp site..

[Site ""]
e4 e5 {play 40%}
[Site ""]
e4 d5 {play 10%} exd5 Qxd5 {play 100%}
[Site ""]
e4 c5? {play 30%}
[Site ""]
e4 c6 {play 20%}

1) What is the purpose of the [Site ""] tag?
2) If I modify the file, do I need to follow the conventions used here (eg, no move numbers, etc)?
3) are the {play 40%} instructions to the books.bin generator?
4) Doesn't the third line "e4 c5? {play 30%}" conflict with itself? (don't play ...c5, but play it 30% of the time)
5) Any other ideas or insights about how you might use the books.bin feature?

Thanks very much

There are several ways to modify the start.pgn file:

1. The [Site ""] tag is simply a pgn tag that the generator looks for when sorting moves.
2. When I make a custom book, I use the following format:

Code: Select all

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B01"]
[PlyCount "33"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Ne5 e6 8. g4 Bg6 9. Bd2!! Qb6 10. Qe2!! Nbd7 11. f4!! O-O-O 12. O-O-O!! Nxe5 13. dxe5!! Nd5 14. Rhf1!! h6 15. f5!! Bh7 16. Rf3!! Nxc3 17. Bxc3!! *

You can pretty much put any eco code line in the start.pgn and use the books create xxx.pgn 60 command to make the book.

If you want to restrict it more, change the 60 to 30 or even 15. It is measured in ply.

I merged my book with our book maker Ted Langreck's book to make a pretty decent book. This is one of Ted's older books, as the newer one we use in tournaments, and I constantly modify the lines when I see something in book that I don't like.

If any of the above info is wrong, I am sure Robert will correct me.

Hi Peter,
any chance to provide me with your opening book so that I can use it in my off line tournaments

We really need to make a better book anyway. The default book from my ftp site is one that offers a lot of variety and which will play most any opening the opponent wants to try. For all the computer vs computer tournaments, this book is not very good and we will do something better before long.

Thanks Bob,take your time....

[Marc Lacrosse]

We really need to make a better book anyway. The default book from my ftp site is one that offers a lot of variety and which will play most any opening the opponent wants to try. For all the computer vs computer tournaments, this book is not very good and we will do something better before long.

Do ask Peter to come back.
It will be hard to find a better guy for making a competitive book for crafty.

Marc