CM5000 Ideas, Part 2 of 2
dtre...@gss.efn.org
<continued from Part 1>
9. Option for real-time display of 'BEST CANDIDATES'; a window that shows the
three highest-scoring (i.e., "best") *moves* (not lines) under consideration so
far, along with the current point-value for each of these candidate moves.
(Like, "Best Candidates: cxd4...+0.22, Nxd4...+0.15, Bc4...+0.08") This would
be a useful analysis tool to stimulate healthy chess thought
10. The clocks need to count DOWN, not up
11. Allow for the Fischer clock option, where a constant, user-specified time
increment (typically 5-30 seconds) is added to that player's clock after each
move
12. Integrate a digital count-down chess clock with the move list, so that
each player's time remaining is shown at the top of the column for his moves.
Include an 'LED' indicator next to each player's time that would 'light up' to
show whose move it is. The 'Game Status' window is too confusing as is, what
with White's moves positioned over Black's. Adding this digital clock and move
indicator to the move list would probably obviate the need for the 'Game
Status' window completely.
13. This is a major project separate from your planned release of Chessmaster
5000, but I think you could MAKE A LOT OF MONEY and 'scoop' the chess database
world by designing an add-on chess database package for Chessmaster. Make it
Chessbase and Chess Assistant compatible and -- MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL -- sell
it for a price of say $50!!
Chess playing is not a lucrative venture in this country. Even the best
grandmasters probably earn less money per year than a typical
garbage-truck-driver! So chessplayers are not a wealthy bunch, by any stretch
of the imagination. At $150-$300 or more, I'm sure MANY share the opinion
that the leading chess database products are priced ridiculously high!
If you can bring to market a $50 chess database add-on for your new Chessmaster
program, not only will it help you sell more units of the new Chessmaster, but
I'll bet you within a year or two, you will have sold more chess database
packages than Chessbase and Chess Assistant combined! Even if your database
add-on was not as full-featured as the two leading databases, I guarantee you I
would buy it for two BIG reasons--price and Chessmaster compatibility!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT!
14. How about some kind of 'learning' capability? Each time it is CM's move,
it could store (to disk) the position, along with its numerical evaluation and
best move. If at a later point in the game, the evaluation significantly
WORSENS, then CM could 're-trace its footsteps' back to a point where the
position started getting worse and hopefully identify which move it was that
led to the position going sour.
Then, in future games, if it ever found itself in that position again, it would
have 'learned' NOT to make that same (bad) move. Do you see what I'm getting
at here? This would mimick how humans learn. When I lose a game, I like to
replay it and discover where I made my bad moves so that I won't make them in
future, similar positions.
pthibode
As it is, CM4000 is a piece of garbage for the serious chess player.
It plays a strong game, and that's it. Its data entry is buggy,
it analysis features are a joke, and its interface is corny.
Joe Stella
pthibode <pthi...@cadvision.com> writes:
The developers of CM5000 *do* have the brains to listen, I know it
for a fact. It would help if you could be more specific. What analysis
features do you want, how should the user interface be changed, etc.
Joe Stella
Al Cargill
One feature I would love CM50000 to have is a feature to save the
game and analysis as the games is in progress - either when I or
another computer is playing it or more particularly when in the
tournament mode when the various personalities are playing each other
- the lack of this feature has been the most annoying to me!!
Al
Max Burkett
be able to capture en passant in both directions in the opening book
editor. I am
relatively new to both the internet and CM4000- Max Burkett
bill.c...@bbs.synapse.net
> Joe Stella
Well, given that pthibode's comments were in REsponse to the subject
"CM5000 Ideas", I would think it safe to say that his comments were in
reference to this post. Read that post if you want him to be more
specific. At least he's not repetitive.
Bill.
Randell Jesup
>9. Option for real-time display of 'BEST CANDIDATES'; a window that shows the
>three highest-scoring (i.e., "best") *moves* (not lines) under consideration so
>far, along with the current point-value for each of these candidate moves.
>(Like, "Best Candidates: cxd4...+0.22, Nxd4...+0.15, Bc4...+0.08") This would
>be a useful analysis tool to stimulate healthy chess thought
This isn't easy given how a chess engine works. It would be nice to be
able to say "look for the best move _NOT_ made in this position already" (i.e.
none of the options taken in the move list at this point). This would be VERY
handy for analyzing positions to suggest other plausible if fractionally worse
moves (in it's current opinion). Fairly easy, too - just make it a toggle-item
in a menu.
I hope they're listening or that someone (Eric?) is forwarding these
messages to them. I've made a few suggestions a long time ago directly to
the manager there.
>10. The clocks need to count DOWN, not up
Of course.
>11. Allow for the Fischer clock option
Also obvious; I'm sure it'll be in there.
--
Randell Jesup, Scala US R&D
Randel...@scala.com
Ex-Commodore-Amiga Engineer, class of '94
#include <std/disclaimer>
1FA93-Bruce Szablak
the "save current configuration" question.
I'd like to have CM analyze a position without having to "back-up at least
one move".
I'd like the analysis of a position to have its own move list window (I like
this part of the User Interface), with top 2 or 3 candidate moves having
lines provided.
My two cents ;)