Update Information: May 5, 2012 (Updates)
Engine Updates
Jim Ablett Win/Linux builds
Knightcap 3.7d JA (WB)
C source; Win32, Linux32, Android; eval & book learning
- lots of bugfixes/patches applied (from NetBSD version)
- functions enabled: EGTB, Eval/Book learning
http://jimablett.net63.net/
Neurone XV (WB)
Win32 only; requires .NET 2.0
- non standard transposition table
- improved bonuses for the location of the rooks; now the bonus is given for both rooks in the seventh and octave (the first and second) line
- if enabled, Neurone resign only if the opponent has enough time
- improved understanding of the final management (moving the king and the rule of the square)
- small improvements to the graphical Splash form
- small improvements to the log file
- improved rook coordination
- new logo
http://www.lissandrello.it/?p=524#
Chess News
5-Man Edwards Tablebases
available from Jim Ablett site
http://jimablett.net63.net/
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5047625/EGTB.7z (direct link)
Lucas Chess 6.3 Beta 4
"play chess against the computer with increasing levels of difficulty and with a limited number of hints that are given by a chess tutor"
https://code.google.com/p/lucaschess/ (new homepage)
https://code.google.com/p/lucaschess/downloads/list (download)
Patrick Buchmann Thematic books
- updated: B10-19.ctg Caro-Kann
http://americanfoot.free.fr/echecs/ctg-thematique.htm
Down/Problem Chess Websites
Cecir homepage down for 2 days (no response in 60 seconds)
Chad's Chess homepage down for 6 days (provider has discontinued free website hosting)
ChessMind homepage down for 2 days ("Server not found")
Dann Corbit homepage down for 313 days
Geko homepage down for 7 days (this Google site has disappeared)
iCE homepage down today ("Service Unavailable, Error 503")
Ildtiadar homepage down for 7 days (404 Not Found)
RumbleMinze homepage down for 3 days ("Server Error")
Tippy Chess homepage down for 2 days (no response in 60 seconds)
Wiki Changes
Native Engine List
update by Norbert Raimund Leisner
- WChess (DOS): added another link and revised comment
http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:native_engine_list
SMP Engine List
update by Norbert Raimund Leisner
- added Chessmaster
- added Vitruvius
http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:smp_engine_list
Bonus Notifications (recent releases of free stuff)
Warnings:
- do not install unwanted toolbars, etc.
- alpha releases have new features; crashes and bugs are to be expected
- beta releases have new features; they may contain bugs or crash
- release candidate software may contain minor bugs; crashes are rare
Comodo Dragon Internet Browser 18.3
Windows only; free; based on Google's Chrome browser, with improved security and privacy
stops cookies, no web spies, prevents browser download tracking, etc
http://www.comodo.com/home/browsers-toolbars/browser.php
GIMP for Windows 2.8.0
Gnu Image Manipulation Program (GIMP); retouch photos, create drawings & renderings, etc.
- this build requires Win XP, SP 3 or better and a CPU with SSE instruction set
http://www.gimp.org/
http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/stable.html (Windows builds)
MariaDB 5.3.7 Stable
open source fork of MySQL; completely compatible w/MySQL; w/extra db engines & extra features
"MariaDB is a binary drop-in replacement for MySQL"
MariaDB restores several significant features that Oracle has dropped from MySQL
- this is an update to an older version
http://kb.askmonty.org/ (homepage)
http://kb.askmonty.org/v/mariadb-versus-mysql-features (extra features)
http://kb.askmonty.org/en/mariadb-537-release-notes (release notes)
phpMyAdmin 3.5.1
web admin to view/change MySQL/MariaDB databases; interactive commandline SQL; import/export, etc.
http://www.phpmyadmin.net/home_page/index.php
Puppy Linux 'Slacko 5.3.3'
Puppy is a popular (#9) and easy-to-learn, easy-to-use Linux distribution
Open source, boots from a CD (your Windows installation is unchanged) w/ simple instruction manual
old, slow computers run very well using Puppy's all-in-memory Linux kernel
There are many versions of Puppy available, each with a specific purpose
You don't necessarily use the latest release, you use the version with the software you want
You will need to know how to burn a disk from an ISO image
- "Wary Puppy is intended to be our on-going commitment to older hardware."
- Racy Puppy is a mod of Wary Puppy, supporting the newest machines
- Slacko Puppy can use Puppy, Slackware, Salix, or Slacky software repositories
http://puppylinuxnews.org/ (news)
http://puppylinux.org/ (PuppyLinux homepage)
http://bkhome.org/blog/?viewDetailed=02814 (announcement)
Shedskin 0.9.2
Python to C++ compiler; compiler included in package
"a typical speedup of 2-200 times over standard CPython"
http://code.google.com/p/shedskin/
Meaning of Colors
Red = New or Warning
Green = Updated
Gray = Info Only
Engine List: http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:chess_engine_list
Chess News: http://computer-chess.org/doku.php?id=computer_chess:wiki:lists:chess_news_list
NOTE: If you want me to track a website for you, please email me and I will add it.
ron _at_ computer-chess _dot_ org