Suggestion about Dragon 4.2

[MichelG]

I played an overnight match with the downloadable version (4.3beta1) of dragon against Kingsrow

Settings:
1 minute per game on a 2 core 2.1 Ghz machine with 8 GB ram. 64 bit windows 7.
endgame databases limited to 6 pieces
Kingsrow hashtable: 256 Mb, endgame cache size 6931 Mb
Dragon hashtable: 128 Mb, endgame cache size 531 Mb
Games: first 287 games of 3-move ballots (provided by kingsrow)

Result:
dragon wins 39
kingsrow wins 34
draw 197
unknown 17

While this win is not statistically enough to prove it better, it fits in a series of wins in similar matches. More data on different settings would be welcome.

As for releasing the tournament version, i will do this, but at a later time. The main issue with the tournament version is that for the small (<50 elo?) improvement it requires a lot more memory (ram) and startup time for the program.

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

Hi Michel

A bit I would still improve the program. I would alter in programme.

- to whole variant was visible
- so that information is concerning information that databases is installed, if only the person using the program knew about it.
- so that the option pondering acts in damexchange.

Unfortunately while playing a match from other engine an error appears.

[Catherine]

Dragon dxp error.JPG (185.07 KiB) Viewed 8968 times

Hi Michel, thank for the new beta version, played some dxp games against Dam 2.2 and saw that Dragon got in strong. But,i had the same problem in the endgame: Dragon put in his dxp windows <E0 and play his move but this last move it is not transmit to Dam 2.2. so i am oblige to end the game manually. I don't know if it's a matter of setting or something else, can you help me please, to solve this problem? thanks and congratulations to you, Bert and Gilbert who improve all the time your wonderful programs.

[Catherine]

Hi Michel, i have preoccupation, i want please your help
First, i want to know if it is possible to have the help file of Dragon
The second is that, the dxp games that Dragon played against Kingsrow was played by the "Externe engine", which is no on our Dragon.Perhaps that it is more stronger than Dragon 32/64 bit.
Thanks again.

[MichelG]

Hi Michel, i have preoccupation, i want please your help
First, i want to know if it is possible to have the help file of Dragon
The second is that, the dxp games that Dragon played against Kingsrow was played by the "Externe engine", which is no on our Dragon.Perhaps that it is more stronger than Dragon 32/64 bit.
Thanks again.

"Externe engine" is the name for the engine when i start it in my developpers environment. It's the same as the normal version. The help file is currently rather limited as most of the work in on improving the strength of the engine.

Michel

[Catherine]

Thank for all these precisions. You and the other are doing a good job that we appreciate very much. we will be everytime here to appreciate it, have a good week end

[MichelG]

Dragon v4.4 is now available for download.

This release is mostly about making things easier for the user, but also fixes some bugs in the engine and damexchange.

Dragon can be downloaded from
http://mdgsoft.home.xs4all.nl/draughts/index.html

Changelog:

interface:
* open .pdn files automatically
* importing games: filter on winner
* importing games: quicker import if same file is opened as before
* easier configuration of endgame databases
* changing the endgame database configuration no longer requires a restart of the program

engine:
* dynamically determen hashtable size. Using too much or to less hashtables can affect performance of dragon. Dragon now determens the optimal hashtable size each move, based on the current position and hardware it is running on, without exceeding the maximum amount you set
* 10-20% speed improvement in 'search all moves'
* finetuning of evaluation weights

damexchange:
Some effort has been done to make damexchange more efficient and reproducable at short games (1 minute/game):
* New time measurement: Dragon now measures the game time by solely looking at the time spend in the engine. (previous versions timekeeping included graphical user interface time and contained some inaccuracies) This for more accurate and reproducability (time spend in gui may depend on screen size, font size, graphics cards and many other window settings). If you still want to match with gui-time included, you need to give dragon a few seconds less (e.g. You can set dragons time to .95 minutes/game)
* damexchange: option to wait for 250 ms before starting to think. This should help prevent different programs on the same computer from interfering with eachother.
* when starting damexchange, you can now choose to run with a minimal interface. This should help prevent different programs on the same computer from interfering with eachother, and prevents time being spend on updating windows
* bugfix: damechange in some database positions dragon did not claim a win at move 75

bugs/other:
* bugfix in loading breakthrough table
* bugfix: ambigious moves in damexchange, pdn import
* analyse position/game: not reporting speed correctly

nb 4.4.0 is identical to 4.4beta2 of earlier this month.

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

Thanks warmly for information and for the program Michel. I have so request to You Michel. Whether you can make available larger tables (evaluation and breaktrough), which use during tournaments in Holland among programmes computer.

[Catherine]

Thanks Michel, for the job you and the others programers doing.God bless you. Specially thank to the improvement of Dragon.I will try it and tell you what i think about this new version. Thanks again.

[Krzysztof Grzelak]

Hi Michel.

Unfortunately during game of programme Dragon 4.4.0 in tournament appeared some odd error. I decided to do the test using two of the same laptop computers with the processor i3 350M from 8 GB of the memory of frames. Setting laptops in tournament was following:







I noticed that during the game the program had hung itself didn't return moves (the hard disk all the time worked) still several times the program did.After what time programme began answering on movements and game rolled further. What time again he is appearing after the same event.

I decided to conduct test from processor I7 2670 QM from 16 GB of the memory of frames. Setting laptops in tournament was following:







Unfortunately error all the time the same. Programme hangs and it answers later normally it comes back to party and game rolls further.