Implementing WinBoard

[Robert Pope]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Robert Pope am 02 Januar 2000 17:55:42:
I am trying to make my engine WinBoard compatible and have run into a problem that I hope someone can help with - playing as black against a human.
WinBoard sends the following commands:
xboard
new
random
level 40 5 0
post
hard
easy
time 30000
otim 30000
e2e4
Correct me if I am wrong, but "xboard" should put the computer into "force mode", where the engine accepts moves but does not think on its own or move. "new" sets up a new game, but does not affect "force mode".
So my engine accepts "e2e4" as white's move (entered manually), but it is still in "force mode" and does not make a move of its own. It works fine in two-computer mode because it gets a "go" command and starts thinking.
Have I misinterpreted how to implement one of the commands, or how do I fix this?
Thanks,
Rob Pope

[Pete Galati]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Pete Galati am 02 Januar 2000 19:15:11:
Als Antwort auf:/As an answer to: Implementing WinBoard geschrieben von:/posted by: Robert Pope am 02 Januar 2000 17:55:42:

I am trying to make my engine WinBoard compatible and have run into a problem that I hope someone can help with - playing as black against a human.
WinBoard sends the following commands:
xboard
new
random
level 40 5 0
post
hard
easy
time 30000
otim 30000
e2e4
Correct me if I am wrong, but "xboard" should put the computer into "force mode", where the engine accepts moves but does not think on its own or move. "new" sets up a new game, but does not affect "force mode".
So my engine accepts "e2e4" as white's move (entered manually), but it is still in "force mode" and does not make a move of its own. It works fine in two-computer mode because it gets a "go" command and starts thinking.
Have I misinterpreted how to implement one of the commands, or how do I fix this?
Thanks,
Rob Pope

TSCP's download page

I kind of think that you probably have the xboard commant wrong (I'm not sure what you're saying), I think it's usually just calling a function in the program, there is some information on Tim Mann's Winboard site about all of Winboard's commands.
Also, TSCP now does Winboard, see the xboard funtion in main.c, I have not gone through it very closely, but it looks very clearly laid out and you should be able to follow what each Winboard command is doing useing the main.c's xboard funtion as a starting point. Th latest TSCP is much better commented than previous versions.
Pete

[Inmann Werner]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Inmann Werner am 02 Januar 2000 21:00:08:
Als Antwort auf:/As an answer to: Implementing WinBoard geschrieben von:/posted by: Robert Pope am 02 Januar 2000 17:55:42:

I am trying to make my engine WinBoard compatible and have run into a problem that I hope someone can help with - playing as black against a human.
WinBoard sends the following commands:
xboard
new
random
level 40 5 0
post
hard
easy
time 30000
otim 30000
e2e4
Correct me if I am wrong, but "xboard" should put the computer into "force mode", where the engine accepts moves but does not think on its own or move. "new" sets up a new game, but does not affect "force mode".
So my engine accepts "e2e4" as white's move (entered manually), but it is still in "force mode" and does not make a move of its own. It works fine in two-computer mode because it gets a "go" command and starts thinking.
Have I misinterpreted how to implement one of the commands, or how do I fix this?
Thanks,
Rob Pope

I ran in the same problem.
Made a "horrible" workaround.
If it is the first move, and ther was no force mode command before then i give the go command by myself....
not fine, but working....
Werner

[José Carlos]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: José Carlos am 03 Januar 2000 09:11:47:
Als Antwort auf:/As an answer to: Re: Implementing WinBoard geschrieben von:/posted by: Inmann Werner am 02 Januar 2000 21:00:08:

I am trying to make my engine WinBoard compatible and have run into a problem that I hope someone can help with - playing as black against a human.
WinBoard sends the following commands:
xboard
new
random
level 40 5 0
post
hard
easy
time 30000
otim 30000
e2e4
Correct me if I am wrong, but "xboard" should put the computer into "force mode", where the engine accepts moves but does not think on its own or move. "new" sets up a new game, but does not affect "force mode".
So my engine accepts "e2e4" as white's move (entered manually), but it is still in "force mode" and does not make a move of its own. It works fine in two-computer mode because it gets a "go" command and starts thinking.
Have I misinterpreted how to implement one of the commands, or how do I fix this?
Thanks,
Rob Pope

I ran in the same problem.
Made a "horrible" workaround.
If it is the first move, and ther was no force mode command before then i give the go command by myself....
not fine, but working....
Werner

xboard should not put the program into force mode.
new should tell the program he is playing black.
This is how I implement it, and it works fine.
José C.

[Rob Pope]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Rob Pope am 03 Januar 2000 15:14:34:
Als Antwort auf:/As an answer to: Re: Implementing WinBoard geschrieben von:/posted by: Pete Galati am 02 Januar 2000 19:15:11:

I am trying to make my engine WinBoard compatible and have run into a problem that I hope someone can help with - playing as black against a human.
WinBoard sends the following commands:
xboard
new
random
level 40 5 0
post
hard
easy
time 30000
otim 30000
e2e4
Correct me if I am wrong, but "xboard" should put the computer into "force mode", where the engine accepts moves but does not think on its own or move. "new" sets up a new game, but does not affect "force mode".
So my engine accepts "e2e4" as white's move (entered manually), but it is still in "force mode" and does not make a move of its own. It works fine in two-computer mode because it gets a "go" command and starts thinking.
Have I misinterpreted how to implement one of the commands, or how do I fix this?
Thanks,
Rob Pope

I kind of think that you probably have the xboard commant wrong (I'm not sure what you're saying), I think it's usually just calling a function in the program, there is some information on Tim Mann's Winboard site about all of Winboard's commands.
Also, TSCP now does Winboard, see the xboard funtion in main.c, I have not gone through it very closely, but it looks very clearly laid out and you should be able to follow what each Winboard command is doing useing the main.c's xboard funtion as a starting point. Th latest TSCP is much better commented than previous versions.
Pete

Okay, thanks. I checked the documentation again, and I was wrong. I had thought that "xboard" included "force" as part of the setup, but it doesn't. So it looks like I just need to take that bit out and it should work.
Rob