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Created page with "'''Home * Engines * WChess''' '''WChess''',<br/> a commercial chess program by David Kittinger, running on x86 PCs in 32-bit [https://en..."
'''[[Main Page|Home]] * [[Engines]] * WChess'''
'''WChess''',<br/>
a commercial chess program by [[David Kittinger]], running on [[x86]] [[IBM PC|PCs]] in 32-bit [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_mode real mode] under the [[MS-DOS]] operating system. WChess participated at the [[ACM 1994]], the [[Harvard Cup 1994]] with sensational 5/6, the [[UPCCC 1994]] winning ahead of [[HIARCS]] and [[MChess]], and the [[WCCC 1995]]. WChess is the chess engine of [[Sierra|Sierra's]] [[Power Chess]] <ref>[http://www.rebel.nl/authors.htm Meet the Authors] by [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]]</ref>, market since 1996 as [[Windows|Windows 95]] program <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Chess Power Chess from Wikipedia]</ref>, and of [[Interplay|Interplay's]] [[USCF Chess]] from 1998 <ref>[http://www.mobygames.com/game/uscf-chess USCF Chess for Windows (1998) - MobyGames]</ref>.
=Screenshot=
[[FILE:wchess_10.gif|none|border|text-bottom|link=http://www.schachcomputer.info/forum/f10/geschwindigkeits-vergleiche-4059.html]]
WChess inside [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOSBox DOSBox] <ref>[http://www.schachcomputer.info/forum/f10/geschwindigkeits-vergleiche-4059.html Studie: Geschwindigkeits Vergleiche - Schachcomputer.info Community] by [[The Spacious Mind|Spacious Mind]], November 12, 2011 (German)</ref>
=Descriptions=
==1995==
given in 1995 from the [[ICGA]] tournament site <ref>[https://www.game-ai-forum.org/icga-tournaments/program.php?id=184 WChess' ICGA Tournaments]</ref>:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| WChess received world-wide attention after it scored 5 out of 6 against some of the strongest American grandmasters in the [[Intel]] [[Harvard Cup 1994|Harvard Cup Man v Machine tournament]] held in October 1994. The program consolidated its position as one of the top micro-computer chess programs by winning the [[UPCCC 1994|1994 Uniform Platform Computer Chess Tournament]] held in London. WChess uses an iterative, [[Depth-First|depth first]] [[Alpha-Beta|alpha-beta]] search with [[Pruning|forward pruning]] and a tactical [[Static Exchange Evaluation|swap-off evaluation]] to limit the growth of the search tree. The [[Evaluation|evaluator]] is somewhat primitive and is not currently as dynamic as the author would like. Positional information is communicated to the search mainly by [[Piece-Square Tables|piece value tables]]. The current version of the program only implements end [[Endgame Tablebases|game databases]] for [[KPK]] although the author is looking into adding more databases.
|}
==2012==
[[David Kittinger]] on WChess in a forum post, April, 2012 <ref>[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic_view=threads&p=462584&t=43447 Re: Hello all] by [[David Kittinger]], [[CCC]], April 25, 2012</ref>:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Goal with WChess was to have a program in high level language ([[C]]) whilch would facilitate testing new [[Search|search]] and [[Evaluation|eval]] ideas. This was a continual process over probably 10 years. A funny thing, I had tried [[Null Move Pruning|NULL move]] but sort of messed up the implementation and hence did not find it better than the [[Pruning|static forward pruning]] I had been using, so never switched over. WChess also used [[Piece-Square Tables|piece value tables]] and in fact used a [[Oracle|high level PVT generator]] written under contract by [[Don Dailey]] and [[Larry Kaufman]]. Larry also contributed some [[Opening Book|opening books]], although this was also an ongoing process in my 'lab'. Experimented and adopted [[Singular Extensions]], [[One Reply Extensions|One reply to check]]. Spent lots of time looking at things like [[Recapture Extensions|recapture extensions]], [[King Safety|k safety]] extensions, [[Passed Pawn Extensions|p to 8th extensions]] and all manner of pruning ideas.
Major drawbacks of the programs:
# dependence on PVTs for bulk of [[Knowledge|chess knowledge]]. Led to weaker play at deeper levels as PVT knowledge generated from [[Root|root position]] became less relevant/accurate as [[Depth|depth]] increased.
# insufficient eval of [[Passed Pawn|passed pawn]] threats - I saw in [[Stockfish]] that they tested control of [[Promotion Square|queening sqs]], I guess easier to do w/[[Bitboards|bitboards]] .
# [[Pawn Structure|pawn structure eval]] was never very strong.
Just for the record, I did have some collaborators over the years besides Don and Larry as mentioned above. I think [[Harold Bogner|Hal Bogner]] was first 'chess contributor', he helped with testing and input for evaluation ideas back when I worked in Van Nuys. After Hal, [[Scott McDonald]] contributed chess knowledge and reviewed literally hundreds of autotest games looking for weaknesses and improvements. When I moved to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile,_Alabama Mobile, Al], [[James Parker]] worked with me off and on for several years. James is s very bright fellow and wrote a [[Shogi]] program for [[Novag]]. He also contributed to the chess efforts and the [[Chinese Chess]] program as I recall. There were also a number of ideas adopted as result of conversations with various programmers at the computer chess tournaments I attended.
|}
... and on the difference of [[0x88]] coordinates <ref>[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic_view=threads&p=462734&t=43447 Re: Hello all] by [[David Kittinger|Dave Kittinger]], [[CCC]], April 27, 2012</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| The whole 0x88 is pretty obvious. In fact, another big benefit is that you could take the difference of two sqs and use that to look into a table to see the legal piece types that could be attackers. Having bit 3 cleared prevented wrap arounds on this look up. Hence, for most my programs the basic capture routine iterated from [[MVV-LVA|largest to smallest captured piece]], using smallest to largest capturing piece, taking the difference of the sqs, looking up in att_table and seeing if nz, if nz, then if & with attacker type bit nz then just had to check if [[Sliding Pieces|slider]] and had [[Square Attacked By#By0x88Difference|path clear]]. Of course, w and b pawns had different [[Pieces#PieceTypeCoding|type]] bits. Made for a decently fast and ordered [[Quiescence Search|capture search]].
|}
<span id="2000"></span>
=WChess 2000=
The further developed ''WChess 2000'' was incorporated as game AI in [[Majestic Chess]], released in 2003 by Sierra and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivendi Vivendi] <ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/hoyle-majestic-chess/reviews/hoyle-majestic-chess-review-6074888/ Hoyle Majestic Chess Review - GameSpot.com]</ref>, and inside Sierra's [[Disney's Aladdin Chess Adventures]] in 2004 <ref>[http://www.mobygames.com/game/disneys-aladdin-chess-adventures Disney's Aladdin Chess Adventures for Windows (2004) - MobyGames]</ref>.
=See also=
* [[Disney's Aladdin Chess Adventures]]
* [[Harvard Cup 1994#Video|Harvard Cup 1994 - Video]]
* [[Majestic Chess]]
* [[Power Chess]]
* [[USCF Chess]]
=Reports=
* [[Nick Schoonmaker]] ('''1995'''). ''PC-Software: WChess''. [[Computer Chess Reports]], Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 11-12
=Forum Posts=
==1995 ...==
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.chess/browse_frm/thread/fcc9c6cf7802c43e Computer wins Man versus Machine match on ICC] by Eric Peterson, [[Computer Chess Forums|rgc]], June 13, 1995
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.chess.computer/browse_frm/thread/d5170401c6b1164d Where is NEW Wchess?] by [[Jouni Uski]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], October 21, 1996
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.chess.computer/browse_frm/thread/24bcc7aadf7bfca6 Booklearning in WChess ?] by [[Peter Schreiner|pitters]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], January 28 1997
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.chess.computer/browse_frm/thread/b1e7de8fd427f1b2 wChess] by [[Stuart Cracraft]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], April 1, 1998
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.chess.computer/browse_frm/thread/b50bbed02dc06f60 Wchess / PowerChess98 sacs bishop] by [[Thorsten Cucb|mclane]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], July 30, 1998
* [https://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=38223 WChess a giant ?] by [[Marcus Kästner]], [[CCC]], January 03, 1999
* [https://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=39629 Wchess 2000 and Zarkov 5] by Alain Lyrette, [[CCC]], January 16, 1999
: [https://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=39662 Re: Wchess 2000 and Zarkov 5] by [[Berthold Seifriz|Bert Seifriz]], [[CCC]], January 16, 1999 » [[Zarkov]]
==2000 ...==
* [https://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=198993 WChess at FICS] by [[Bas Hamstra]], [[CCC]], November 26, 2001
* [https://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=449631 Winboard engine WChess 1.6 ?] by Juergen Delitzsch, [[CCC]], September 15, 2005
==2010 ...==
* [http://www.schachcomputer.info/forum/f10/geschwindigkeits-vergleiche-4059.html Studie: Geschwindigkeits Vergleiche - Schachcomputer.info Community] by [[The Spacious Mind|Spacious Mind]], November 12, 2011 (German)
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic_view=threads&p=462584&t=43447 Re: Hello all] by [[David Kittinger]], [[CCC]], April 25, 2012
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=43462 The good old WChess 1.05 (DOS version)] by [[Franz Huber]], [[CCC]], Apr 26, 2012
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=55775 WChess 2000 Help] by [[Bryan Whitby]], [[CCC]], March 25, 2015
=External Links=
* [https://www.game-ai-forum.org/icga-tournaments/program.php?id=184 WChess' ICGA Tournaments]
* [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/WChess WChess - Wikipedia.de] (German)
* [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=79434 The chess games of Wchess (Computer)] from [http://www.chessgames.com/index.html chessgames.com]
* [http://scleinzell.schachvereine.de/p_spielprogramme/wchess2000.shtml Schach + PC - W-Chess 2000] by [[Peter Schreiner]], February 1999, [http://scleinzell.schachvereine.de/home/news.shtml Schachclub Leinzell] (German)
* [http://www.computerchess.org.uk/ccrl/4040/cgi/engine_details.cgi?print=Details&eng=WChess%201.06#WChess_1_06 WChess 1.06] in [[CCRL|CCRL 40/40]]
=References=
<references />
'''[[Engines|Up one level]]'''
[[Category:DosEngine]]
'''WChess''',<br/>
a commercial chess program by [[David Kittinger]], running on [[x86]] [[IBM PC|PCs]] in 32-bit [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_mode real mode] under the [[MS-DOS]] operating system. WChess participated at the [[ACM 1994]], the [[Harvard Cup 1994]] with sensational 5/6, the [[UPCCC 1994]] winning ahead of [[HIARCS]] and [[MChess]], and the [[WCCC 1995]]. WChess is the chess engine of [[Sierra|Sierra's]] [[Power Chess]] <ref>[http://www.rebel.nl/authors.htm Meet the Authors] by [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]]</ref>, market since 1996 as [[Windows|Windows 95]] program <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Chess Power Chess from Wikipedia]</ref>, and of [[Interplay|Interplay's]] [[USCF Chess]] from 1998 <ref>[http://www.mobygames.com/game/uscf-chess USCF Chess for Windows (1998) - MobyGames]</ref>.
=Screenshot=
[[FILE:wchess_10.gif|none|border|text-bottom|link=http://www.schachcomputer.info/forum/f10/geschwindigkeits-vergleiche-4059.html]]
WChess inside [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOSBox DOSBox] <ref>[http://www.schachcomputer.info/forum/f10/geschwindigkeits-vergleiche-4059.html Studie: Geschwindigkeits Vergleiche - Schachcomputer.info Community] by [[The Spacious Mind|Spacious Mind]], November 12, 2011 (German)</ref>
=Descriptions=
==1995==
given in 1995 from the [[ICGA]] tournament site <ref>[https://www.game-ai-forum.org/icga-tournaments/program.php?id=184 WChess' ICGA Tournaments]</ref>:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| WChess received world-wide attention after it scored 5 out of 6 against some of the strongest American grandmasters in the [[Intel]] [[Harvard Cup 1994|Harvard Cup Man v Machine tournament]] held in October 1994. The program consolidated its position as one of the top micro-computer chess programs by winning the [[UPCCC 1994|1994 Uniform Platform Computer Chess Tournament]] held in London. WChess uses an iterative, [[Depth-First|depth first]] [[Alpha-Beta|alpha-beta]] search with [[Pruning|forward pruning]] and a tactical [[Static Exchange Evaluation|swap-off evaluation]] to limit the growth of the search tree. The [[Evaluation|evaluator]] is somewhat primitive and is not currently as dynamic as the author would like. Positional information is communicated to the search mainly by [[Piece-Square Tables|piece value tables]]. The current version of the program only implements end [[Endgame Tablebases|game databases]] for [[KPK]] although the author is looking into adding more databases.
|}
==2012==
[[David Kittinger]] on WChess in a forum post, April, 2012 <ref>[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic_view=threads&p=462584&t=43447 Re: Hello all] by [[David Kittinger]], [[CCC]], April 25, 2012</ref>:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| Goal with WChess was to have a program in high level language ([[C]]) whilch would facilitate testing new [[Search|search]] and [[Evaluation|eval]] ideas. This was a continual process over probably 10 years. A funny thing, I had tried [[Null Move Pruning|NULL move]] but sort of messed up the implementation and hence did not find it better than the [[Pruning|static forward pruning]] I had been using, so never switched over. WChess also used [[Piece-Square Tables|piece value tables]] and in fact used a [[Oracle|high level PVT generator]] written under contract by [[Don Dailey]] and [[Larry Kaufman]]. Larry also contributed some [[Opening Book|opening books]], although this was also an ongoing process in my 'lab'. Experimented and adopted [[Singular Extensions]], [[One Reply Extensions|One reply to check]]. Spent lots of time looking at things like [[Recapture Extensions|recapture extensions]], [[King Safety|k safety]] extensions, [[Passed Pawn Extensions|p to 8th extensions]] and all manner of pruning ideas.
Major drawbacks of the programs:
# dependence on PVTs for bulk of [[Knowledge|chess knowledge]]. Led to weaker play at deeper levels as PVT knowledge generated from [[Root|root position]] became less relevant/accurate as [[Depth|depth]] increased.
# insufficient eval of [[Passed Pawn|passed pawn]] threats - I saw in [[Stockfish]] that they tested control of [[Promotion Square|queening sqs]], I guess easier to do w/[[Bitboards|bitboards]] .
# [[Pawn Structure|pawn structure eval]] was never very strong.
Just for the record, I did have some collaborators over the years besides Don and Larry as mentioned above. I think [[Harold Bogner|Hal Bogner]] was first 'chess contributor', he helped with testing and input for evaluation ideas back when I worked in Van Nuys. After Hal, [[Scott McDonald]] contributed chess knowledge and reviewed literally hundreds of autotest games looking for weaknesses and improvements. When I moved to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile,_Alabama Mobile, Al], [[James Parker]] worked with me off and on for several years. James is s very bright fellow and wrote a [[Shogi]] program for [[Novag]]. He also contributed to the chess efforts and the [[Chinese Chess]] program as I recall. There were also a number of ideas adopted as result of conversations with various programmers at the computer chess tournaments I attended.
|}
... and on the difference of [[0x88]] coordinates <ref>[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic_view=threads&p=462734&t=43447 Re: Hello all] by [[David Kittinger|Dave Kittinger]], [[CCC]], April 27, 2012</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| The whole 0x88 is pretty obvious. In fact, another big benefit is that you could take the difference of two sqs and use that to look into a table to see the legal piece types that could be attackers. Having bit 3 cleared prevented wrap arounds on this look up. Hence, for most my programs the basic capture routine iterated from [[MVV-LVA|largest to smallest captured piece]], using smallest to largest capturing piece, taking the difference of the sqs, looking up in att_table and seeing if nz, if nz, then if & with attacker type bit nz then just had to check if [[Sliding Pieces|slider]] and had [[Square Attacked By#By0x88Difference|path clear]]. Of course, w and b pawns had different [[Pieces#PieceTypeCoding|type]] bits. Made for a decently fast and ordered [[Quiescence Search|capture search]].
|}
<span id="2000"></span>
=WChess 2000=
The further developed ''WChess 2000'' was incorporated as game AI in [[Majestic Chess]], released in 2003 by Sierra and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivendi Vivendi] <ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/hoyle-majestic-chess/reviews/hoyle-majestic-chess-review-6074888/ Hoyle Majestic Chess Review - GameSpot.com]</ref>, and inside Sierra's [[Disney's Aladdin Chess Adventures]] in 2004 <ref>[http://www.mobygames.com/game/disneys-aladdin-chess-adventures Disney's Aladdin Chess Adventures for Windows (2004) - MobyGames]</ref>.
=See also=
* [[Disney's Aladdin Chess Adventures]]
* [[Harvard Cup 1994#Video|Harvard Cup 1994 - Video]]
* [[Majestic Chess]]
* [[Power Chess]]
* [[USCF Chess]]
=Reports=
* [[Nick Schoonmaker]] ('''1995'''). ''PC-Software: WChess''. [[Computer Chess Reports]], Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 11-12
=Forum Posts=
==1995 ...==
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.chess/browse_frm/thread/fcc9c6cf7802c43e Computer wins Man versus Machine match on ICC] by Eric Peterson, [[Computer Chess Forums|rgc]], June 13, 1995
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.chess.computer/browse_frm/thread/d5170401c6b1164d Where is NEW Wchess?] by [[Jouni Uski]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], October 21, 1996
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.chess.computer/browse_frm/thread/24bcc7aadf7bfca6 Booklearning in WChess ?] by [[Peter Schreiner|pitters]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], January 28 1997
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.chess.computer/browse_frm/thread/b1e7de8fd427f1b2 wChess] by [[Stuart Cracraft]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], April 1, 1998
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.chess.computer/browse_frm/thread/b50bbed02dc06f60 Wchess / PowerChess98 sacs bishop] by [[Thorsten Cucb|mclane]], [[Computer Chess Forums|rgcc]], July 30, 1998
* [https://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=38223 WChess a giant ?] by [[Marcus Kästner]], [[CCC]], January 03, 1999
* [https://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=39629 Wchess 2000 and Zarkov 5] by Alain Lyrette, [[CCC]], January 16, 1999
: [https://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=39662 Re: Wchess 2000 and Zarkov 5] by [[Berthold Seifriz|Bert Seifriz]], [[CCC]], January 16, 1999 » [[Zarkov]]
==2000 ...==
* [https://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=198993 WChess at FICS] by [[Bas Hamstra]], [[CCC]], November 26, 2001
* [https://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=449631 Winboard engine WChess 1.6 ?] by Juergen Delitzsch, [[CCC]], September 15, 2005
==2010 ...==
* [http://www.schachcomputer.info/forum/f10/geschwindigkeits-vergleiche-4059.html Studie: Geschwindigkeits Vergleiche - Schachcomputer.info Community] by [[The Spacious Mind|Spacious Mind]], November 12, 2011 (German)
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic_view=threads&p=462584&t=43447 Re: Hello all] by [[David Kittinger]], [[CCC]], April 25, 2012
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=43462 The good old WChess 1.05 (DOS version)] by [[Franz Huber]], [[CCC]], Apr 26, 2012
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=55775 WChess 2000 Help] by [[Bryan Whitby]], [[CCC]], March 25, 2015
=External Links=
* [https://www.game-ai-forum.org/icga-tournaments/program.php?id=184 WChess' ICGA Tournaments]
* [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/WChess WChess - Wikipedia.de] (German)
* [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=79434 The chess games of Wchess (Computer)] from [http://www.chessgames.com/index.html chessgames.com]
* [http://scleinzell.schachvereine.de/p_spielprogramme/wchess2000.shtml Schach + PC - W-Chess 2000] by [[Peter Schreiner]], February 1999, [http://scleinzell.schachvereine.de/home/news.shtml Schachclub Leinzell] (German)
* [http://www.computerchess.org.uk/ccrl/4040/cgi/engine_details.cgi?print=Details&eng=WChess%201.06#WChess_1_06 WChess 1.06] in [[CCRL|CCRL 40/40]]
=References=
<references />
'''[[Engines|Up one level]]'''
[[Category:DosEngine]]
