SOS - the best free program so far?!

[Djordje Vidanovic]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Djordje Vidanovic am 29. Oktober 1999 17:06:22:
After ten games against Crafty 16.19 SMP (G/5) the stand is 5-5. However, I am convinced that SOS is the better of the two, having watched several of the games, and going through the rest. The match is continuing, and now I have a pretty good impression of the strength of the program (in a previous match it beat Anmon 5.01 by 20-15). SOS may well turn out to be the new reference _free_ program -- the best freely available Winboard program so far!
Djordje

[Christian]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Christian am 29. Oktober 1999 18:56:01:
Als Antwort auf:/As an answer to: SOS - the best free program so far?! geschrieben von:/posted by: Djordje Vidanovic am 29. Oktober 1999 17:06:22:

After ten games against Crafty 16.19 SMP (G/5) the stand is 5-5. However, I am convinced that SOS is the better of the two, having watched several of the games, and going through the rest. The match is continuing, and now I have a pretty good impression of the strength of the program (in a previous match it beat Anmon 5.01 by 20-15). SOS may well turn out to be the new reference _free_ program -- the best freely available Winboard program so far!
Djordje

You haven´t seen the latest LG2000 yet.
It has just beaten SOS 4:0 under Winboard (60Z/30m).
Not signifcant, I know.
May the the next games will end 0:4
Christian

[Dann Corbit]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Dann Corbit am 29. Oktober 1999 19:00:43:
Als Antwort auf:/As an answer to: SOS - the best free program so far?! geschrieben von:/posted by: Djordje Vidanovic am 29. Oktober 1999 17:06:22:

After ten games against Crafty 16.19 SMP (G/5) the stand is 5-5. However, I am convinced that SOS is the better of the two, having watched several of the games, and going through the rest. The match is continuing, and now I have a pretty good impression of the strength of the program (in a previous match it beat Anmon 5.01 by 20-15). SOS may well turn out to be the new reference _free_ program -- the best freely available Winboard program so far!

Crafty comes with source code. I think also that time control changes the play of programs quite a bit. At longer time controls, superior algorithms will win out over implementation details. I think crafty will always be my favorite chess program, whether or not stronger ones come along. Indeed, my favorite commercial programs Rebel and Hiarcs are not as dear to me as Crafty, although they are probably stronger.
What 'best' means is really in the eye of the beholder. Same thing for strongest, because strongest always has a set of conditions that accompany it. However, all that having been said, strong new programs are a wonderful thing and surely will bring us more enjoyment.

[Clemens Keck]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Clemens Keck am 29. Oktober 1999 21:55:58:
Als Antwort auf:/As an answer to: SOS - the best free program so far?! geschrieben von:/posted by: Djordje Vidanovic am 29. Oktober 1999 17:06:22:

After ten games against Crafty 16.19 SMP (G/5) the stand is 5-5. However, I am convinced that SOS is the better of the two, having watched several of the games, and going through the rest. The match is continuing, and now I have a pretty good impression of the strength of the program (in a previous match it beat Anmon 5.01 by 20-15). SOS may well turn out to be the new reference _free_ program -- the best freely available Winboard program so far!
Djordje

Hello Djordje
....and if SOS will be able to play at Chess servers it will be a new number one(or two;-))
best regards Clemens

[Pete Galati]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Pete Galati am 29. Oktober 1999 22:35:51:
Als Antwort auf:/As an answer to: SOS - the best free program so far?! geschrieben von:/posted by: Djordje Vidanovic am 29. Oktober 1999 17:06:22:

After ten games against Crafty 16.19 SMP (G/5) the stand is 5-5. However, I am convinced that SOS is the better of the two, having watched several of the games, and going through the rest. The match is continuing, and now I have a pretty good impression of the strength of the program (in a previous match it beat Anmon 5.01 by 20-15). SOS may well turn out to be the new reference _free_ program -- the best freely available Winboard program so far!
Djordje

It may be a strong program, but there's work to be done on it before it becomes the best. As far as I can tell there is no way for SOS to take any user adjustments yet so I can't use it because it wants too much hashtable.
I only have 40mb of memory on my computer so I can't let SOS have whatever it is that it's asking for a hashtable setting. But this is only a minor detail since it is it's first relrease.
If SOS was modified to accept command line parameters then that would be a big step in the right direction, but as it is now I can't even use it, so it's necessary for me to assume that Crafty is still the best downloadable program. And with only 10 games and the score still being tied, you have very little to go on saying that it's a better program. Please play more games.
Pete

my page

[Djordje Vidanovic]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Djordje Vidanovic am 30. Oktober 1999 01:52:41:
Als Antwort auf:/As an answer to: Re: SOS - the best free program so far?! geschrieben von:/posted by: Christian am 29. Oktober 1999 18:56:01:

After ten games against Crafty 16.19 SMP (G/5) the stand is 5-5. However, I am convinced that SOS is the better of the two, having watched several of the games, and going through the rest. The match is continuing, and now I have a pretty good impression of the strength of the program (in a previous match it beat Anmon 5.01 by 20-15). SOS may well turn out to be the new reference _free_ program -- the best freely available Winboard program so far!
Djordje

You haven´t seen the latest LG2000 yet.
It has just beaten SOS 4:0 under Winboard (60Z/30m).
Not signifcant, I know.
May the the next games will end 0:4
Christian

Pete, Dann and Christian all have a point in what they said. However, I did accompany my title with a question mark and an exclamation mark! I liked SOS's style of play very much: it is so active and enterprising. I liked its struggle against the old fox, Crafty, and its constant seeking for initiative. Yes, it may have its Angstgegner, LG2000 in this case, but...
And I agree that the worth of a chess program is in the eye of the beholder. For Dann it is Crafty, and for it will always remain the old Super Constellation! I shall never forget my excitement at its saccing the knight capturing the e6 pawn in the Sicilian...
Clemens, I have tried SOS on FICS today. It played some ten moves or so and then simply stopped. It did not hang, it stopped ((
Djordje

[Frank Quisinsky]

Geschrieben von:/Posted by: Frank Quisinsky am 01. November 1999 15:59:41:
Als Antwort auf:/As an answer to: Again SOS -- is it the best? geschrieben von:/posted by: Djordje Vidanovic am 30. Oktober 1999 01:52:41:

After ten games against Crafty 16.19 SMP (G/5) the stand is 5-5. However, I am convinced that SOS is the better of the two, having watched several of the games, and going through the rest. The match is continuing, and now I have a pretty good impression of the strength of the program (in a previous match it beat Anmon 5.01 by 20-15). SOS may well turn out to be the new reference _free_ program -- the best freely available Winboard program so far!
Djordje

You haven´t seen the latest LG2000 yet.
It has just beaten SOS 4:0 under Winboard (60Z/30m).
Not signifcant, I know.
May the the next games will end 0:4
Christian

Pete, Dann and Christian all have a point in what they said. However, I did accompany my title with a question mark and an exclamation mark! I liked SOS's style of play very much: it is so active and enterprising. I liked its struggle against the old fox, Crafty, and its constant seeking for initiative. Yes, it may have its Angstgegner, LG2000 in this case, but...
And I agree that the worth of a chess program is in the eye of the beholder. For Dann it is Crafty, and for it will always remain the old Super Constellation! I shall never forget my excitement at its saccing the knight capturing the e6 pawn in the Sicilian...
Clemens, I have tried SOS on FICS today. It played some ten moves or so and then simply stopped. It did not hang, it stopped ((
Djordje

Hello Djordje,
in Leiden I play games with SOS against Patzer (in the hotel room ) ).
I think that SOS play with 2450 ELO. The new version supports ...
01) Move Now
02) Edit Mode
03) Analyse Mode
04) LogFile
But use 20 MB for hashtables. And SOS use in this new version the CYGWin1.dll from Cygnus. I will write more information in my news ticker. The new Ant is very strong in Leiden. I think over 2400 ELO or more !!!
Kind regards
Frank