--- /dev/null
+gnuchess(6) gnuchess(6)
+
+
+
+NAME
+ gnuchess - Chess
+
+SYNOPSIS
+ gnuchess [ [[-|+]a] [-A aging-rate] [-b bookfile] [-B binbookfile] [-C
+ cache-table-size] [-c] [[-|+]D ] [[-|+]E ] [[-|+]e ] [[-|+]F ] [-H
+ hash-depth] [[-|+]h ] [-L language] [-l listfile] [[-|+]N] [[-|+]p ]
+ [-P plys] [-r length] [-s savefile] [-S binbooksize] [-t] [-c hashfile-
+ size] [-T transition-table-size] [[-|+]V] [-v] [-x] [-z search-fuzz]
+ arg1 arg2 ]
+
+DESCRIPTION
+ Gnuchess plays a game of chess against the user or it plays against
+ itself.
+
+ Gnuchess is an updated version of the GNU chess playing program. It
+ has a simple alpha-numeric board display, an IBM PC compatible inter-
+ face, or it can be compiled for use with the chesstool program on a SUN
+ workstation or with the xboard program under X-windows. To invoke the
+ program type:
+
+ gnuchess
+ - simple curses based version
+
+ gnuchessn
+ - fancy version using curses and inverse video on UNIX, or IBM
+ PC cursor controls and characters on MSDOS
+
+ gnuchessr
+ - ASCII based version
+
+ gnuchessc
+ - chesstool compatible version
+
+ gnuchessx
+ - xboard compatible version
+
+TIME CONTROLS
+ If one argument is given, it is the search time per move in [min-
+ utes:]seconds. So gnuchess 30 will generate one move every 30 seconds,
+ while gnuchess 5:00 will generate one move every 5 minutes.
+
+ If two or more arguments are given, they will be used to set tournament
+ time controls with the first argument of each pair being the number of
+ moves and the second being the total clock time in minutes[:seconds].
+ Thus, entering gnuchess 60 5 will set the clocks for 5 minutes (300
+ seconds) for the first 60 moves, and gnuchess 30 3:30 will allow 3 min-
+ utes and 30 seconds for 30 moves.
+
+ gnuchess 30 5 1 :30 will allow 5 minutes for the first 30 moves and 30
+ seconds for each move after that. Up to 4 pairs of controls may be
+ specified.
+
+ If no argument is given the program will prompt the user for level of
+ play.
+
+ For use with chesstool or xboard, see the documentation on those pro-
+ grams.
+
+BOOK
+ At startup Gnuchess reads the binbook file if it is present. It then
+ looks for a book file. If it is present it adds its contents to the
+ binbook data. If the binbook file is writable a new combined binbook
+ file is written.
+
+ The book gnuchess.book consists of a sequence of openings. An opening
+ begins with a line starting with a ! , the rest of the line is com-
+ ments. Following this is a series of moves in algebraic notation
+ alternating white and black separated by white space. A move may have a
+ ? after it indicating this move should never be made in this position.
+ Moves are stored as position:move so transpositions between openings
+ can take place.
+
+HASHFILE
+ The hashfile if created should be on the order of 4 megabytes or
+ gnuchess -c 22. This file contains positions and moves learned from
+ previous games. If a hashfile is used the computer makes use of the
+ experience it gained in past games. Tests run so far show that it plays
+ no worse with the hashfile than without, but it is not clear yet
+ whether it provides a real advantage.
+
+LEGAL MOVES
+ Note: Piece letters and legal castling notation is determined by the
+ language file. What is specified here is the default English.
+
+ Once gnuchess is invoked, the program will display the board and prompt
+ the user for a move. To enter a move, use the notation e2e4 where the
+ first letter-number pair indicates the origination square and the sec-
+ ond letter-number pair indicates the destination square. An alterna-
+ tive is to use the notation nf3 where the first letter indicates the
+ piece type (p,n,b,r,q,k). To castle, type the origin and destination
+ squares of the king just as you would do for a regular move, or type o-
+ o or 0-0 for kingside castling and o-o-o or 0-0-0 for queenside. To
+ promote a pawn append the type of the new piece to the move, as in
+ e7e8q or c7c8r.
+
+FUNCTION LETTERS
+ -L lang
+ Use language lang from the file gnuchess.lang. If -L is not
+ specified it defaults to the language used in the first line in
+ the file. gnuchessr -L ger will use the german language.
+
+ -A aging-rate
+ Specify aging rate for hash table entries
+
+ [-]a Do [do not] search on opponents time.
+
+ -b bookfile
+ Use bookfile for opening book.
+
+ -B binbookfile
+ Use binbookfile for binary opening book.
+
+ -C cache-size
+ Specify evaluation cache table size (in entries).
+
+ -D Toggle DEEPNULL at runtime.
+
+ -E Toggle flag.threat.
+
+ -e Toggle flag.neweval to force evaluations instead of estimates
+
+ -F Toggle flag.noscore
+
+ -H hash-depth
+ pecify depth in plys for hashing.
+
+ -S size
+ Size of binbookfile for memory based and GDX books. For creating
+ a binbookfile.
+
+ -P plylevels
+ Number of plys to include in the binbookfile. For generating a
+ binbookfile.
+
+ -p Toggle flag.pvs
+
+ -c size
+ Create a new HASHFILE. File size is 2^size entries of approxi-
+ mately 65 bytes.
+
+ [-]h Do [do not] use hashfile.
+
+ -l pathname
+ Pathname of the loadfile use with the get or xget.
+
+ -r length
+ Rehash length times in searching entries for position in trans-
+ position table.
+
+ -s pathname
+ Pathname of the save file to use with the save command.
+
+ -t Show statistics for HASHFILE
+
+ -T size
+ Set the transposition table size to size entries. (minimum is
+ MINTTABLE)
+
+ -v Show version and patchlevel.
+
+ -x value
+ Use value as the evaluation window xwndw.
+
+COMMANDS
+ In addition to legal moves, the following commands are available as
+ responses. Note: command names are determined by the language file and
+ may vary with the implementation. This is default English.
+
+ alg -- allow algebraic input (not implemented)
+
+ Awindow -- change Alpha window (default score + 90)
+
+ Bwindow -- change Beta window (default score - 90)
+
+ beep -- causes the program to beep after each move.
+
+ bd -- updates the current board position on the display.
+
+ bk -- Print out all moves for this position from the book as: move
+ response value
+
+ book -- turns off use of the opening library.
+
+ both -- causes the computer to play both sides of a chess game.
+
+ black -- causes the computer to take the black pieces. If the computer
+ is to move first the go command must be given.
+
+ eco -- Print out opening information for this game - lists ECO # and
+ variations
+
+ coords -- show coordinates on the display (visual only)
+
+ contempt -- allows the value of contempt to be modified.
+
+ debug -- asks for a piece as color piece, as wb or bn, and shows its
+ calculated value on each square.
+
+ debuglevel -- sets level of debugging output if compiled with debug
+ options.
+
+ depth -- allows the user to change the search depth of the program.
+ The maximum depth is 29 ply. Normally the depth is set to 29 and the
+ computer terminates its search based on elapsed time rather than depth.
+ If depth is set to (say) 4 ply, the program will search until all moves
+ have been examined to a depth of 4 ply (with extensions up to 11 addi-
+ tional ply for sequences of checks and captures). If you set a maximum
+ time per move and also use the depth command, the search will stop at
+ the specified time or the specified depth, whichever comes first.
+
+ easy -- toggles easy mode (thinking on opponents time) on and off. The
+ default is easy mode ON. If easy mode is disabled, the keyboard is
+ polled for input every so often and when input is seen the search is
+ terminated. It may also be terminated with a sigint.
+
+ edit -- allows the user to set up a board position.
+
+ # - command will clear the board.
+
+ c - toggle piece color.
+
+ . - command will exit setup mode.
+
+ pb3 - place a pawn on b3
+
+ Pieces are entered by typing a letter (p,n,b,r,q,k) for the piece fol-
+ lowed by the coordinate.
+
+ The usual warning about the language file applies.
+
+ exit -- exits gnuchess.
+
+ first -- tells the computer to move first. Computer begins searching
+ for a move. (same as "go").
+
+ force -- allows the user to enter moves for both sides. To get the pro-
+ gram to play after a sequence of moves has been entered use the 'white'
+ or 'black' command followed by 'go'.
+
+ gamein -- toggles game mode time control. Assumes the time specified
+ for time control is the time for a complete game. Input with the level
+ command should be the game time and the expected number of moves in a
+ game.
+
+ get -- retrieves a game from disk. The program will prompt the user
+ for a file name.
+
+ go -- tells the computer to move first. Computer begins searching for a
+ move. (same as "first").
+
+ hash -- use/don't use hashfile.
+
+ hard -- think on opponents time
+
+ hashdepth -- allows the user to change the minimum depth for using the
+ hashfile and the number of moves from the begining of the game to use
+ it.
+
+ help -- displays a short description of the commands and the current
+ status of options.
+
+ hint -- causes the program to supply the user with its predicted move.
+
+ level -- allows the user to set time controls such as 60 moves in 5
+ minutes etc. In tournament mode, the program will vary the time it
+ takes for each move depending on the situation. If easy mode is dis-
+ abled (using the 'easy' command), the program will often respond with
+ its move immediately, saving time on its clock for use later on.
+
+ list -- writes the game moves and some statistics on search depth,
+ nodes, and time to the file 'chess.lst'.
+
+ material -- toggle material flag - draws on no pawns and both sides <
+ rook
+
+ Mwpawn, Mbpawn, Mwknight, Mbknight, Mwbishop, Mbbishop -- print out
+ static position evaluation table
+
+ new -- starts a new game.
+
+ p -- evaluates the board and shows the point score for each piece. The
+ total score for a position is the sum of these individual piece scores.
+
+ post -- causes the program to display the principle variation and the
+ score during the search. A score of 100 is equivalent to a 1 pawn
+ advantage for the computer.
+
+ unpost -- turn off the post display.
+
+ quit -- exits the game.
+
+ random -- causes the program to randomize its move selection slightly.
+
+ rcptr -- set recapture mode.
+
+ remove -- backout the last level for both sides. Equal to 2 undo's.
+
+ reverse -- causes the board display to be reversed. That is, the white
+ pieces will now appear at the top of the board.
+
+ rv -- reverse board display.
+
+ setup -- Compatibility with Unix chess and the nchesstool. Set up a
+ board position. Eight lines of eight characters are used to setup the
+ board. a8-h8 is the first line. Black pieces are represented by
+ uppercase characters.
+
+ stars -- (gnuchessn only) add stars (*) to black pieces.
+
+ save -- saves a game to disk. The program will prompt the user for a
+ file name.
+
+ switch -- causes the program to switch places with the opponent and
+ begin searching.
+
+ test -- performs some speed tests for MoveList and CaptureList genera-
+ tion, and ScorePosition position scoring for the current board.
+
+ time otim -- time set computers time remaining, intended for synchro-
+ nizing clocks among multiple players. -- otim set opponents time
+ remaining, intended for synchronizing clocks among multiple players.
+
+ undo -- undoes the last move whether it was the computer's or the
+ human's. You may also type "remove". This is equivalent to two "undo's"
+ (e.g. retract one move for each side).
+
+ white -- causes the computer to take the white pieces. If the computer
+ is to move first the go command must be given.
+
+ xget -- read an xboard position file.
+
+ xwndw -- change X window. The window around alpha/beta used to deter-
+ mine whether the position should be scored or just estimated.
+
+BUGS
+SEE ALSO
+ chesstool(6)
+ xboard(6)
+
+
+
+
+ gnuchess(6)
projects / xboard.git / blobdiff