best move arrows

[Jim Ablett]

I really like this option in Arena to show best move arrows when thinking/pondering, and particularly in analysis.
Would be a nice feature to add to winboard ?

Jim.

[H.G.Muller]

I have never used Arena, so let me make sure I understand what you mean:

In analyze mode, every time the engine sends new Thinking Output, you want WinBoard extract the first move from the PV, and highlight it with an arrow until the next Thinking output appears?

I guess this should be quite easy to implement, as the possibility to highlight moves with an arrow already exists (thanks to Alessandro). So it would be merely a matter of slipping in an extra call to it in the right place.

[Jim Ablett]

I have never used Arena, so let me make sure I understand what you mean:

In analyze mode, every time the engine sends new Thinking Output, you want WinBoard extract the first move from the PV, and highlight it with an arrow until the next Thinking output appears?

I guess this should be quite easy to implement, as the possibility to highlight moves with an arrow already exists (thanks to Alessandro). So it would be merely a matter of slipping in an extra call to it in the right place.

Exactly.
Preferably also in a different colour from the last move arrows.

Jim.

[Jim Ablett]

Also better/clearer if each side has different colour best move arrows.

Jim.

[ChessKnight]

H.G.Muller and Jim Ablett:

to show best move arrows when thinking/pondering

-Definitely.


Another feature I would like to suggest to highlight threatened piece or threatened square by last move, with toggle to switch on or off, if possible.

CN

[H.G.Muller]

How do you define "threatened"? An attack on a higher piece by a lower one? Attack on an undefended piece? WinBoard is not an engine, and although it has a routine to determine which moves are possible / legal, it cannot think ahead. This means many tactics that humans would still consider trivial would be totally beyond its grasp.

[Michel]

it cannot think ahead. This means many tactics that humans would still consider trivial would be totally beyond its grasp.

I think Scid uses an internal engine for such things (scidlet). By making the internal engine think a few plies it can detect threats, work as an aimbot etc...

[H.G.Muller]

Sure, I could include an engine in WinBoard. (Fairy-Max is not that big.! ) But that would make it enormously more CPU consuming then it is now, and I doubt very much if this is desirable.

[ChessKnight]

By making the internal engine think a few plies it can detect threats, work as an aimbot etc...

I guess, only one ply ahead would be enough for a particular move.

But that would make it enormously more CPU consuming then it is now, and I doubt very much if this is desirable.

Arena has this feature. I am not sure whether Arena uses internal engine or not.

CN