Not logged inRybka Chess Community Forum
Forum RybkaChess Help Search Register Login
Up Topic The Rybka Lounge / Computer Chess / Komodo #1 on CEGT at 40/120!
Parent - - By leavenfish (***) [us] Date 2012-02-07 12:55
Why no Houdini 2?
Parent - By Ray (****) Date 2012-02-07 13:04
And huge error margins with just 350 games.
Parent - - By Razor (****) [gb] Date 2012-02-08 05:41
Interesting!  :smile:

What I also find astonishing is that whilst K4 has the help of a GM to influence its play, it is also quite remarkable that H2c also understands some of the nuances of chess, often more than K4 does.  I say remarkable as I understand Mr Houdart is not a recognised chess player yet he has managed to create a chess engine that understands the 'truth' much more than any other engine I use, even more than K4.

Rating lists {or as I prefer to think of them - ranking lists} are useful if you are thinking about playing one engine against another and being able to have some idea on what the outcome might be; analysing chess can be quite different and although there is a correlation between the two, it is perhaps not what you would expect!  :smile:
Parent - - By tomgdrums (****) Date 2012-02-08 14:58

> Rating lists {or as I prefer to think of them - ranking lists} are useful if you are thinking about playing one engine against another and being able to have some idea on what the outcome might be; analysing chess can be quite different and although there is a correlation between the two, it is perhaps not what you would expect!  :smile:


This has been my conundrum as I use engines mostly to help analyze my own games after I look at the game.  I have found Houdini's "answers" to always be fairly clear and understandable.  Komodo 4 also gives interesting alternatives.

And regarding the ranking lists and analysis correlation, I often find Smarthink 1.20 gives some of the best answers in thorny situations.  Best answer meaning the one that might present the opponent with the most problems OTB.
Parent - - By Razor (****) [gb] Date 2012-02-08 18:11
I remember reading something about the Smarthink engine before; perhaps from you!  :smile:

So, it looks like I should take a look at this engine; I don't currently own/use it and perhaps I need too.  Thanks for the advice.
Parent - - By Dr.Wael Deeb (***) [jo] Date 2012-02-08 19:44
SmarThink is an extremely unique chess engine in terms of originality and playing style....
Dr.D
Parent - - By turbojuice1122 (Gold) [us] Date 2012-02-08 21:10
Someone else should check the stuff on this, but I seem to recall that SmarThink was found to be a clone.  Anyone recall the information on this?
Parent - By Dr.Wael Deeb (***) [jo] Date 2012-02-08 21:59
SmarThink a clone !?

Never heard or read such an accusation related to this chess engine....
Dr.D
Parent - By tomgdrums (****) Date 2012-02-08 22:27

> Someone else should check the stuff on this, but I seem to recall that SmarThink was found to be a clone.  Anyone recall the information on this?


This is the first time I have heard of this at all.

It is a few years old as well.
Parent - - By tomgdrums (****) Date 2012-02-08 22:28

> SmarThink is an extremely unique chess engine in terms of originality and playing style....
> Dr.D


I wholeheartedly agree!  Smarthink is the engine look to for off the wall moves!  And it is rare that any of the big boy engines refute Smarthink's choice.  I think Smarthink is a great engine for ideas in OTB play.
Parent - - By Werewolf (*****) [gb] Date 2012-02-09 11:47
How old is Smarthink and is it still being developed? If it isn't, why not? You'd think such a novel engine would be developed further.
Parent - - By tomgdrums (****) Date 2012-02-09 12:02

> How old is Smarthink and is it still being developed? If it isn't, why not? You'd think such a novel engine would be developed further.


I think it is at least two years old (if not older).

I am not sure if it is still in development.  There has definitely been no news about it.  Lokasoft sells it and they have been very quiet on the engine front.
Parent - - By Werewolf (*****) [gb] Date 2012-02-09 12:05
Thanks! Is it a SP or MP engine? (seems quite expensive for its grade)
Parent - - By tomgdrums (****) Date 2012-02-09 13:11

> Thanks! Is it a SP or MP engine? (seems quite expensive for its grade)


I believe it is SP.  (i only have one core myself)

I don't know if you saw it there but Lokasoft also sells it as a UCI engine only which is a little cheaper.  You don't have to buy it with ChessPartner.
Parent - - By Dr.Wael Deeb (***) [jo] Date 2012-02-09 15:07
SmarThink 1.20 is a SP chess engine that was released in the middle of October 2009....
Cheers,
Dr.D
Parent - - By Werewolf (*****) [gb] Date 2012-02-09 15:45
Would you buy it? Is it original enough to warrant the cost?
Parent - - By Dr.Wael Deeb (***) [jo] Date 2012-02-09 17:51
I already did along time ago and it worth every penny you spend for it....

On another note,I also have SmarThink 1.10 Moscow which was sent to me as a gift from the author himself after I supplied him with an opening book for a chess engines tournamnt in Moscow around three years ago...
Dr.D

P.S.SmarThink has a unique learning system,both positional and opening book related,which actually works....the more played games,the strongest the engine gets....
Parent - By tomgdrums (****) Date 2012-02-09 18:58

> I already did along time ago and it worth every penny you spend for it....


+1

> P.S.SmarThink has a unique learning system,both positional and opening book related,which actually works....the more played games,the strongest the engine gets....


This I did not know!  Time to use it even more.  :)
Parent - - By tomgdrums (****) Date 2012-02-09 18:57

> Would you buy it? Is it original enough to warrant the cost?


I am definitely glad I bought it!

It is fun to play against and a great alternative engine for post game analysis!

Just buy the UCI version, it is cheaper.  (although Chess Partner is an underrated GUI)
Parent - By Werewolf (*****) [gb] Date 2012-02-09 23:01
you've convinced me! I'll buy it after I next get paid.
Parent - - By Eelco de Groot (***) Date 2012-02-09 17:22
If I recall correctly, the author of Smarthink wrote to someone that he had to suspend the development of his program, because he was drafted by the army in his country. He is from Iran. It is possible that they could use his programming capabilities for more "productive" purposes than chess programming but what he was asked to do I don't know. If you would ask Lex Loep maybe he could tell you some more but I don't think the author has posted anywhere for several years now, the program participated in a CSVN tournament a few years back but that was not with a new version I think.

Eelco
Parent - - By tomgdrums (****) Date 2012-02-09 18:56

> If I recall correctly, the author of Smarthink wrote to someone that he had to suspend the development of his program, because he was drafted by the army in his country. He is from Iran. It is possible that they could use his programming capabilities for more "productive" purposes than chess programming but what he was asked to do I don't know. If you would ask Lex Loep maybe he could tell you some more but I don't think the author has posted anywhere for several years now, the program participated in a CSVN tournament a few years back but that was not with a new version I think.


I thought the author of Ktulu was from Iran and that the author of Smarthink was from Russia?
Parent - - By Eelco de Groot (***) Date 2012-02-09 19:00
Yes, you are right Tom, I also just went to check the Lokasoft site, thinking that maybe I got them mixed up, and I indeed was :red: Sorry! So I would suggest that you just ask Lex if he knows anything new about the author, usually Lex will respond to user e-mails within a few days and he would know if there is anything new to tell about this engine!

Regards, Eelco
Parent - - By tomgdrums (****) Date 2012-02-09 19:02

> Yes, you are right Tom, I also just went to check the Lokasoft site, thinking that maybe I got them mixed up, and I indeed was :red: Sorry! So I would suggest that you just ask Lex if he knows anything new about the author, usually Lex will respond to user e-mails within a few days and he would know if there is anything new to tell about this engine!
>
> Regards, Eelco


I thought I saw the author of Smarthink on TalkChess for a second a few months ago which got me excited but then he was gone.

I like Ktulu a lot as well.

I do regret not getting in to computer chess early enough to have been able to purchase Gandalf as it seems that was an entertaining engine as well!
Parent - - By Eelco de Groot (***) Date 2012-02-09 19:25
If it is not being sold anymore maybe in time the author will release it in the public domain. I still have the CD-rom version from Lex, it was an interesting program for sure although I never have put it to much use myself, what I saw mostly reminded me of Rebel especially its playing style. I could send you the files but it would be better to ask the programmer maybe if he would mind. There was talk for a time of making a multithreaded version of Gandalf and I believe there were at least new beta versions at a time , single threaded still, but the author Steen Suurballe probably thought it was too hard to reach the very top with this program. This was before Robbolito et al appeared on the scene which reinvigorated general progress I think, if not directly then indirectly because better readable programs with open source got stronger from that as well. I think Gandalf also came with 5 men Nalimov tablebases (or was that Chess Tiger) which at the time with dial-up internet was really a good idea, I still use those.

Regards, Eelco
Parent - By Dr.Wael Deeb (***) [jo] Date 2012-02-09 20:05
Yep,Deep Gandalf 7 has never seen the light in terms of commercial release and sank in the eternal darkness of computer chess history....
Dr.D
Parent - By tomgdrums (****) Date 2012-02-10 03:42
So what about Chess Tiger 2007?  Is that a fun engine to have.  I know it is old by today's standards but I have often toyed with purchasing it.  Christophe released a newer Chess Tiger for the iphone but not for Android (which I have) and doesn't seem like he will release the new Chess Tiger as UCI.

Any thoughts on Chess Tiger 2007?
Parent - By tomgdrums (****) Date 2012-02-08 22:30

> I remember reading something about the Smarthink engine before; perhaps from you!  :smile:
>
> So, it looks like I should take a look at this engine; I don't currently own/use it and perhaps I need too.  Thanks for the advice.


I got turned on to Smarthink by Frank Quisinsky.  He talked about it and Ktulu and their original styles.  I like Ktulu a lot as well.  Good endgame engine!
Parent - By rocket (***) [se] Date 2012-02-08 15:10
Most authors are not that strong players, and seemingly brilliant positional understanding is search... try houdini without opening book and you will still see tons of flaws since search does not help it so early in a game were many options are available.
- - By rocket (***) [se] Date 2012-02-07 15:25
error margin  with a 5 points difference but they are probably equal streight now at these conditions.
Parent - By Werewolf (*****) [gb] Date 2012-02-07 16:41
All this bodes very well for Komodo MP, although it seems to be delayed until March now: Don said he's getting it ready for CCT 14 which is at the end of Feb.
Up Topic The Rybka Lounge / Computer Chess / Komodo #1 on CEGT at 40/120!

Powered by mwForum 2.27.4 © 1999-2012 Markus Wichitill