RELEASE NOTES

Version 5.4, 2008/07/24.
  • 80 Elo stronger than 5.3 (tested at 1 minute per game).
  • Improved parallel search.
  • Hash table up to 128 Mb.
  • Thanks to beta tester Maurizio Platino (10000+ test games).

    Version 5.3B, 2008/06/25.
  • Fixed a memory bug caused by the MP implementation.
  • Fixed an evaluation bug in the endgame.

    Version 5.3, 2008/06/24.
  • Many evaluation improvements.
  • Option for dual core CPUs.
  • Fixed a bug in UCI pondering.
  • Restored "perft" command.

    Version 5.2, 2007/09/28.
  • Much better pawns knowledge.
  • More more aggressive style!
  • Improved static evaluation.
  • Italian Champion 2007.

    Version 5.1, 2007/02/12.
  • Improved search and book.
  • Added UCI protocol.
  • Improved source code.
  • 25 Elo stronger than 5.0.

    Version 5.0, 2006/06/05.
  • Futility pruning.
  • Fixed a bug in has table.
  • Improved king safety.
  • Source code available.
  • Italian champion 2006.

    Version 4.6, 2005/10/14.
  • Many speed optimizations.
  • Improved search.

    Version 4.51, 2005/09/15.
  • Better stragetic evaluation.
  • Improved book.
  • Italian champion 2005.

    Version 4.5, 2004/05/25.
  • Improved evaluation.
  • Minor speed optimizations.
  • Italian champion 2004.

    Version 4.4, 2003/11/15.
  • Fixed a bug in king safety.
  • Tuning of easy levels.
  • Many speed optimizations.
  • SAN output.
  • Bigger opening book.

    Version 4.3, 2003/09/21.
  • Improved positional play.
  • Better opening book.
  • Fixed a bug in pondering.

    Version 4.2, 2003/06/20.
  • Slightly better endgame play.
  • Some minor optimizations.
  • Italian champion 2003.

    Version 4.1, 2003/03/08.
  • Many speed and search optimizations.
  • Bigger opening book.
  • 64 bit Perft command.
  • Current Move shown during analysis.

    Version 4.0, 2003/02/13.
  • Major rewrite of all functions.
  • Added Perft command.
  • Fixed a bug in the Ping command.


    TECHNICAL DETAILS

    Board representation.
    16 x 12 array of bytes, no bitboards.

    Move generator. Legal moves generator, pseudolegal captures during quiesce. Some parts are optimized in assembly.

    Evaluation.
    Pawn structure, passed pawns, king safety, mobility for bishops and rooks, bad bishops evaluation, knight position, king attack evaluation, pins, double attacks, hanging pieces, adaptive lazy evaluation.

    Opening book.
    30000 moves, most hand written(!). Plays c4, d4, e4 , sometimes it plays also rare openings. Compressed in only 300 kb.

    Endgame play.
    Most 4 pieces internal compressed database and 5 pieces KRPKR.

    Hash table.
    Smart data replacement, 2-128 Mb variable size.

    Easy levels.
    1000 ELO easy mode, calibrated against humans, calibrated endgame play. 1000-2300 Elo in the Trainer Release

    Uncommon features.
    Object oriented code written in Pascal. Capture history heuristic. Smart thinking time allocation, from 50% to 400% of the average time. Random play (always !) when some moves seem equal.