Feature Request: implement some missing uci (or xboard) features

[LocutusOfPenguin]

Hi, im only interested in uci - but they seem to be missing on xboard too.

Can y implement the following too:

• go searchmoves (good for alternative moves)
• ponder & ponderhit (flags & command)

Thanks for consideration. Jürgen

[Mk-Chan]

I was not planning to implement ponder and ponder hit but I'm not against trying it out.

The go searchmoves is very easy, I can get that quite fast. Surprisingly I didn't even notice that option in the protocol (shh don't tell anyone) :p

[LocutusOfPenguin]

Main reason i changed my mind is, i also overlooked "ponder" flag. Please keep it secret too :-) :-) Now picochess only allows to enter these (=several) analytics modes, if the engine supports that (i check "ponder" flag for that) and the new "permanent brain" mode, needs "ponderhit" (internally im using python-chess, a name y know already, ha).

Alternative move is a quite nice feature to have. But not having "ponder" is alot more restriction in usage with newer versions. Perhaps checking for this flag is "too big jump", hmm

I took a short(!) look inside yr code, and since y have transistions, dont y just need to transfer from "analysis" to "thinking" in case of a ponderhit (putting the time management in charge again). Ponder is this (your) analysis mode, and you just need to provide this flag to the outside, no? Forgive me, if im saying nonsense! => looks for me, you only need to do most of work on the uci.c (& xboard.c)

Jürgen

[Mk-Chan]

Yes, it is almost as simple as transitioning to analysis mode the only difference is to not print bestmove that I can do with a ponder flag

[Mk-Chan]

For ponderhit actually I have to read up on ponder, I don't know how it works in UCI

[Mk-Chan]

go searchmoves is done, please test it if you can.

[LocutusOfPenguin]

youre awsome quick. Sadly it seems to not work see (also not on picochess):

uci id name WyldChess id author Manik Charan option name SyzygyPath type string default option name Hash type spin default 128 min 1 max 1048576 option name MoveOverhead type spin default 30 min 1 max 5000 option name Threads type spin default 1 min 1 max 64 uciok go searchmoves a2a3 movetime 10 info depth 1 seldepth 0 tbhits 0 score cp 67 nodes 25 time 1 pv b1c3 info depth 2 seldepth 1 tbhits 0 score cp 0 nodes 110 time 1 pv b1c3 b8c6 info depth 3 seldepth 2 tbhits 0 ebf 3.117691 score cp 60 nodes 243 time 1 pv b1c3 b8c6 e2e3 info depth 4 seldepth 4 tbhits 0 ebf 3.819805 score cp 0 nodes 1605 time 3 pv b1c3 b8c6 e2e3 e7e6 info depth 5 seldepth 4 tbhits 0 ebf 2.878185 score cp 10 nodes 2013 time 3 pv b1c3 b8c6 e2e3 e7e6 bestmove b1c3 go movetime 10 searchmoves e2e4 d2d4 info depth 1 seldepth 0 tbhits 0 score cp 67 nodes 21 time 0 pv b1c3 info depth 2 seldepth 1 tbhits 0 score cp 0 nodes 61 time 0 pv b1c3 b8c6 info depth 3 seldepth 2 tbhits 0 ebf 2.488067 score cp 60 nodes 130 time 0 pv b1c3 b8c6 e2e3 info depth 4 seldepth 3 tbhits 0 ebf 1.881750 score cp 0 nodes 216 time 0 pv b1c3 b8c6 e2e3 e7e6 info depth 5 seldepth 4 tbhits 0 ebf 1.566476 score cp 10 nodes 319 time 0 pv b1c3 b8c6 e2e3 e7e6 info depth 5 seldepth 5 tbhits 0 ebf 1.849675 score cp 35 nodes 739 time 1 pv b1c3 b8c6 e2e3 e7e6 bestmove b1c3

[Mk-Chan]

I thought searchmoves had to be the last option in UCI. I'll have to change a little bit if that is not so. (I just went by the example in wbec-ridderkerk)

[LocutusOfPenguin]

see last example => also doesnt work

[Mk-Chan]

That's interesting... last example works for me. Maybe I didn't push the commit?

[LocutusOfPenguin]

ok, my error....i still struggle with yr "build.sh" ..SORRY

[Mk-Chan]

Ok, I think I fixed it now

[LocutusOfPenguin]

tested it on picochess (now). e4, d5 ...whats to play e5, alot of alt moves, produce alternatives not always the alternative in order (often give up the e4 pawn), but the stuff itself works.

[Mk-Chan]

What do you mean often gives up the e4 pawn! Maybe I didn't understand clearly.

The alternatives are not in order because of the move sorting.

[LocutusOfPenguin]

if i forbit e5, exd5 , nc3, d3 ...i should come up with another e4 safe move, like Bd3 , Qe2,f3 .. But i get Nh3, a3, h3 and so on => i looses the pawn then.

Youre searching arent y?

[Mk-Chan]

Can you join me here in this chat please, this wall is a bit annoying

[Mk-Chan]

I've implemented pondering and searchmoves, if you test them and they're working fine, do comment and close the issue please. Thanks.

[LocutusOfPenguin]

it works. Thanks.