Huo Chess

UPDATED WIKI: Home

Kakos — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:18:04 GMT

Huo Chess by Spiros (Spyridon) Kakos (http://www.kakos.com.gr) is a free and fully open source micro chess program in CLI C++ v8.0 that attempts to be smaller in size than the Commodore-era Microchess. The goal is to create the smallest chess program that exists. More versions are to come in the future. I started developing the program in CLI C++ v8.0 (with Visual Studio 2008) and I named it "Huo Chess" for personal reasons.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/cshuochess for the C# Edition of Huo Chess (available also as open source).
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/xnahuochess for the XNA Edition of Huo Chess with Graphical User Interface.

Currently Huo Chess version 0.81 is 61.5 KB in size, while Huo Chess 0.6 (micro edition) is only 47.5 KB in size. The new version 0.82 (available only in C# edition up to now) is 52.5 KB in size. The respective emulation of Microchess (the first microchess from the Commodore era) in C is 56 KB.
However, it must be noted that the original Microchess, written in pure Assembly, was about 1 KB (http://www.benlo.com/microchess/microchess1.html)…something I believe no one will ever match!.
Huo Chess plays decent chess and has managed to draw Microchess, but unfortunately will probably lose if it plays with Garry Kasparov :)
Its algorithm can be used to study the underlying logic of a chess program or as a basis for your own chess program.

For games played by Huo Chess and for an analytical explanation of its underlying logic, see http://www.codeproject.com/KB/game/cpp_microchess.aspx.

The algorithm used in this program for the implementation of the computer thinking is the "Brute Force Algorithm." Huo Chess plays with the material in mind, while its code has some hints of positional strategic playing embedded. More analytically: When the program starts thinking, it scans the chessboard to find where its pieces are (see ComputerMove function) and then tries all possible moves it can make. It analyzes these moves up to the thinking depth I have defined (via the ComputerMove -> HumanMove -> ComputerMove2 path), measures the score (see CountScore function) of the final position reached from all possible move variants and – finally – chooses the move that leads to the most promising (from a score point of view) position (ComputerMove function).

IMPORTANT NOTE by Author [Spyridon I. Kakos]: Huo Chess is intelligently designed, but it also evolves. The current version is stable. If you happen to play with Huo Chess and find any problems, make sure to tell me so that I can see what the problem is and try to fix it. Thanks in advance for your feedback and comments!

UPDATED WIKI: Home

Kakos — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:17:24 GMT

Huo Chess by Spiros (Spyridon) Kakos (http://www.kakos.com.gr) is a free and fully open source micro chess program in CLI C++ v8.0 that attempts to be smaller in size than the Commodore-era Microchess. The goal is to create the smallest chess program that exists. More versions are to come in the future. I started developing the program in CLI C++ v8.0 (with Visual Studio 2008) and I named it "Huo Chess" for personal reasons.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/cshuochess for the C# Edition of Huo Chess (available also as open source).
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/xnahuochess for the XNA Edition of Huo Chess with Graphical User Interface.

Currently Huo Chess version 0.81 is 61.5 KB in size, while Huo Chess 0.6 (micro edition) is only 47.5 KB in size. The new version 0.82 (available only in C# edition up to now) is 52.5 KB in size. The respective emulation of Microchess (the first microchess from the Commodore era) in C is 56 KB.
However, it must be noted that the original Microchess, written in pure Assembly, was about 1 KB (http://www.benlo.com/microchess/microchess1.html)…something I believe no one will ever match!.
Huo Chess plays decent chess and has managed to draw Microchess, but unfortunately will probably lose if it plays with Garry Kasparov :)
Its algorithm can be used to study the underlying logic of a chess program or as a basis for your own chess program.

For games played by Huo Chess and for an analytical explanation of its underlying logic, see http://www.codeproject.com/KB/game/cpp_microchess.aspx.

The algorithm used in this program for the implementation of the computer thinking is the "Brute Force Algorithm." Huo Chess plays with the material in mind, while its code has some hints of positional strategic playing embedded. More analytically: When the program starts thinking, it scans the chessboard to find where its pieces are (see ComputerMove function) and then tries all possible moves it can make. It analyzes these moves up to the thinking depth I have defined (via the ComputerMove -> HumanMove -> ComputerMove2 path), measures the score (see CountScore function) of the final position reached from all possible move variants and – finally – chooses the move that leads to the most promising (from a score point of view) position (ComputerMove function).

IMPORTANT NOTE by Author [Spyridon I. Kakos]: Huo Chess is intelligently designed, but it also evolves. If you happen to play with Huo Chess and find any problems, make sure to tell me the moves played so that I can see what the problem is and try to fix it. Thanks in advance for your feedback and comments!

UPDATED WIKI: Home

Kakos — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:16:56 GMT

Huo Chess by Spiros (Spyridon) Kakos (http://www.kakos.com.gr) is a free and fully open source micro chess program in CLI C++ v8.0 that attempts to be smaller in size than the Commodore-era Microchess. The goal is to create the smallest chess program that exists. More versions are to come in the future. I started developing the program in CLI C++ v8.0 (with Visual Studio 2008) and I named it "Huo Chess" for personal reasons.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/cshuochess for the C# Edition of Huo Chess (available also as open source).
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/xnahuochess for the XNA Edition of Huo Chess with Graphical User Interface.

Currently Huo Chess version 0.81 is 61.5 KB in size, while Huo Chess 0.6 (micro edition) is only 47.5 KB in size. The new version 0.82 (available only in C# edition up to now) is 52.5 KB in size. The respective emulation of Microchess (the first microchess from the Commodore era) in C is 56 KB.
However, it must be noted that the original Microchess, written in pure Assembly, was about 1 KB (http://www.benlo.com/microchess/microchess1.html)…something I believe no one will ever match!.
Huo Chess plays decent chess and has managed to draw Microchess, but unfortunately will probably lose if it plays with Garry Kasparov :)
Its algorithm can be used to study the underlying logic of a chess program or as a basis for your own chess program.

For games played by Huo Chess and for an analytical explanation of its underlying logic, see http://www.codeproject.com/KB/game/cpp_microchess.aspx.

The algorithm used in this program for the implementation of the computer thinking is the "Brute Force Algorithm." Huo Chess plays with the material in mind, while its code has some hints of positional strategic playing embedded. More analytically: When the program starts thinking, it scans the chessboard to find where its pieces are (see ComputerMove function) and then tries all possible moves it can make. It analyzes these moves up to the thinking depth I have defined (via the ComputerMove -> HumanMove -> ComputerMove2 path), measures the score (see CountScore function) of the final position reached from all possible move variants and – finally – chooses the move that leads to the most promising (from a score point of view) position (ComputerMove function).

IMPORTANT NOTE by Author [Spyridon I. Kakos]: Huo Chess is intelligently designed, but it also evolves. If you happen to play with Huo Chess and find any problems (e.g. the program plays an illegal move in a certain position), make sure to tell me the moves played so that I can see what the problem is and try to fix it. Thanks in advance for your feedback and comments!

UPDATED RELEASE: Huo Chess 0.81 (Jan 30, 2009)

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:44:15 GMT

*HOW TO PLAY:* In order to play, just enter the coordinates of the starting and the ending square of your move - by following the directions of the program.

*HOW TO CUSTOMIZE:* Huo Chess version 0.81 is significantly small in size (61.5 KB) [Note: The Huo Chess version 0.82 - C# edition is only 52.5 KB in size. That version in C++ edition is coming soon], has deep thinking capability (up to 20 moves: 10 half-moves for the white and 10 half-moves for the black pieces) and plays decent chess. The program has an opening book capability, which means that anyone can optimize the program by adding his/her own opening moves data in the respective folder Huo Chess Opening Book (which should be in the same directory with the executable). Moreover, you can also optimize the way Huo Chess thinks by changing the CountScore function and the way the computer values the pieces or the chessboard position.

*SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:* Huo Chess version 0.81 requires .NET Framework 2.0 or above in order to run. You can download that framework from the Microsoft site for free. In order to change the source code and re-compile, you will need the Microsoft Visual Studio 2008. You can download the Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition from the Microsoft site for free.

*Improvements from previous v0.722 edition:*
Changed the ComputerMove, HumanMove, CountScore, ElegxosOrthotitas functions. Increased thinking depths from 8 to 20. The C++ edition is still in 0.81 version (separate ComputerMove functions still exist). The game version 0.82 will be soon released in C++ edition.

RELEASED: Huo Chess 0.81 (Jan 30, 2009)

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:44:15 GMT

UPDATED RELEASE: Huo Chess 0.81 (Jan 30, 2009)

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:43:10 GMT

UPDATED RELEASE: Huo Chess 0.81 (Jan 30, 2009)

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:22:12 GMT

*HOW TO PLAY:* In order to play, just enter the coordinates of the starting and the ending square of your move - by following the directions of the program.

*HOW TO CUSTOMIZE:* Huo Chess version 0.81 is significantly small in size (61.5 KB) [Note: The Huo Chess version 0.82 - C# edition is only 52.5 KB in size. That version in C++ edition is coming soon], has deep thinking capability (up to 20 moves: 10 half-moves for the white and 10 half-moves for the black pieces) and plays decent chess. The program has an opening book capability, which means that anyone can optimize the program by adding his/her own opening moves data in the respective folder Huo Chess Opening Book (which should be in the same directory with the executable). Moreover, you can also optimize the way Huo Chess thinks by changing the CountScore function and the way the computer values the pieces or the chessboard position.

*SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:* Huo Chess version 0.81 requires .NET Framework 2.0 or above in order to run. You can download that framework from the Microsoft site for free. In order to change the source code and re-compile, you will need the Microsoft Visual Studio 2008. You can download the Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition from the Microsoft site for free.

*Improvements from previous v0.722 edition:*
Changed the ComputerMove, HumanMove, CountScore, ElegxosOrthotitas functions. Increased thinking depths from 8 to 20. Reduced the size by using a template ComputerMove function for all thinking depths (instead of ComputerMove2, ComputerMove4, ComputerMove6 etc). The C++ edition is still in 0.81 version (separate ComputerMove functions still exist), for educational purposes. Size of C# edition: 52.5 KB.

UPDATED RELEASE: Huo Chess 0.81 (Jan 30, 2009)

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:20:52 GMT

*HOW TO PLAY:* In order to play, just enter the coordinates of the starting and the ending square of your move - by following the directions of the program.

*HOW TO CUSTOMIZE:* Huo Chess version 0.81 is significantly small in size (61.5 KB), has deep thinking capability (up to 20 moves: 10 half-moves for the white and 10 half-moves for the black pieces) and plays decent chess. The program has an opening book capability, which means that anyone can optimize the program by adding his/her own opening moves data in the respective folder Huo Chess Opening Book (which should be in the same directory with the executable). Moreover, you can also optimize the way Huo Chess thinks by changing the CountScore function and the way the computer values the pieces or the chessboard position.

*SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:* Huo Chess version 0.81 requires .NET Framework 2.0 or above in order to run. You can download that framework from the Microsoft site for free. In order to change the source code and re-compile, you will need the Microsoft Visual Studio 2008. You can download the Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition from the Microsoft site for free.

*Improvements from previous v0.722 edition:*
Changed the ComputerMove, HumanMove, CountScore, ElegxosOrthotitas functions. Increased thinking depths from 8 to 20. Reduced the size by using a template ComputerMove function for all thinking depths (instead of ComputerMove2, ComputerMove4, ComputerMove6 etc). The C++ edition is still in 0.81 version (separate ComputerMove functions still exist), for educational purposes. Size of C# edition: 52.5 KB.

UPDATED RELEASE: Huo Chess 0.81 (Jan 30, 2009)

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:20:31 GMT

*HOW TO PLAY:* In order to play, just enter the coordinates of the starting and the ending square of your move - by following the directions of the program.

*HOW TO CUSTOMIZE:* Huo Chess version 0.81 is significantly small in size (61.5 KB), has deep thinking capability (up to 20 moves: 10 half-moves for the white and 10 half-moves for the black pieces) and plays decent chess. The program has an opening book capability, which means that anyone can optimize the program by adding his/her own opening moves data in the respective folder Huo Chess Opening Book (which should be in the same directory with the executable). Moreover, you can also optimize the way Huo Chess thinks by changing the CountScore function and the way the computer values the pieces or the chessboard position.

*SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:* Huo Chess version 0.81 requires .NET Framework 2.0 or above in order to run. You can download that framework from the Microsoft site for free. In order to change the source code and re-compile, you will need the Microsoft Visual Studio 2008. You can download the Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition from the Microsoft site for free.

*Improvements from previous v0.722 edition:*
Changed the ComputerMove, HumanMove, CountScore, ElegxosOrthotitas functions. Increased thinking depths from 8 to 20. Reduced the size by using a template ComputerMove function for all thinking depths (instead of ComputerMove2, ComputerMove4, ComputerMove6 etc). The C++ edition is still in 0.81 version (separate ComputerMove functions still exist), for educational purposes. Size of C# edition: 52.5 KB.

CREATED RELEASE: Huo Chess 0.81 (Jan 30, 2009)

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:20:04 GMT

*Description*

*HOW TO PLAY:* In order to play, just enter the coordinates of the starting and the ending square of your move - by following the directions of the program.

*HOW TO CUSTOMIZE:* Huo Chess version 0.81 is significantly small in size (61.5 KB), has deep thinking capability (up to 20 moves: 10 half-moves for the white and 10 half-moves for the black pieces) and plays decent chess. The program has an opening book capability, which means that anyone can optimize the program by adding his/her own opening moves data in the respective folder Huo Chess Opening Book (which should be in the same directory with the executable). Moreover, you can also optimize the way Huo Chess thinks by changing the CountScore function and the way the computer values the pieces or the chessboard position.

*SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:* Huo Chess version 0.81 requires .NET Framework 2.0 or above in order to run. You can download that framework from the Microsoft site for free. In order to change the source code and re-compile, you will need the Microsoft Visual Studio 2008. You can download the Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition from the Microsoft site for free.

*Improvements from previous v0.722 edition:*
Changed the ComputerMove, HumanMove, CountScore, ElegxosOrthotitas functions. Increased thinking depths from 8 to 20. Reduced the size by using a template ComputerMove function for all thinking depths (instead of ComputerMove2, ComputerMove4, ComputerMove6 etc). The C++ edition is still in 0.81 version (separate ComputerMove functions still exist), for educational purposes. Size of C# edition: 52.5 KB.

UPDATED WIKI: Home

Kakos — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:13:12 GMT

Huo Chess by Spiros (Spyridon) Kakos (http://www.kakos.com.gr) is a free and fully open source micro chess program in CLI C++ v8.0 that attempts to be smaller in size than the Commodore-era Microchess. The goal is to create the smallest chess program that exists. More versions are to come in the future. I started developing the program in CLI C++ v8.0 (with Visual Studio 2008) and I named it "Huo Chess" for personal reasons.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/cshuochess for the C# Edition of Huo Chess (available also as open source).
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/xnahuochess for the XNA Edition of Huo Chess with Graphical User Interface.

Currently Huo Chess version 0.81 is 61.5 KB in size, while Huo Chess 0.6 (micro edition) is only 47.5 KB in size. The new version 0.82 (available only in C# edition up to now) is 52.5 KB in size. The respective emulation of Microchess (the first microchess from the Commodore era) in C is 56 KB.
However, it must be noted that the original Microchess, written in pure Assembly, was about 1 KB (http://www.benlo.com/microchess/microchess1.html)…something I believe no one will ever match!.
Huo Chess plays decent chess and has managed to draw Microchess, but unfortunately will probably lose if it plays with Garry Kasparov :)
Its algorithm can be used to study the underlying logic of a chess program or as a basis for your own chess program.

For games played by Huo Chess and for an analytical explanation of its underlying logic, see http://www.codeproject.com/KB/game/cpp_microchess.aspx.

The algorithm used in this program for the implementation of the computer thinking is the "Brute Force Algorithm." Huo Chess plays with the material in mind, while its code has some hints of positional strategic playing embedded. More analytically: When the program starts thinking, it scans the chessboard to find where its pieces are (see ComputerMove function) and then tries all possible moves it can make. It analyzes these moves up to the thinking depth I have defined (via the ComputerMove -> HumanMove -> ComputerMove2 path), measures the score (see CountScore function) of the final position reached from all possible move variants and – finally – chooses the move that leads to the most promising (from a score point of view) position (ComputerMove function).

IMPORTANT NOTE by Author [Spyridon I. Kakos]: Huo Chess is intelligently designed, but it also evolves. Currently, the program is at version 0.721. If you happen to play with Huo Chess and find any problems (e.g. the program plays an illegal move in a certain position), make sure to tell me the moves played so that I can see what the problem is and try to fix it. Thanks in advance!

UPDATED WIKI: Home

Kakos — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:11:52 GMT

Huo Chess by Spiros (Spyridon) Kakos (http://www.kakos.com.gr) is a free and fully open source micro chess program in CLI C++ v8.0 that attempts to be smaller in size than the Commodore-era Microchess. The goal is to create the smallest chess program that exists. More versions are to come in the future. I started developing the program in CLI C++ v8.0 (with Visual Studio 2008) and I named it "Huo Chess" for personal reasons.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/cshuochess for the C# Edition of Huo Chess (available also as open source).
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/xnahuochess for the XNA Edition of Huo Chess with Graphical User Interface.

Currently Huo Chess version 0.82 is 61.5 KB in size, while Huo Chess 0.6 (micro edition) is only 47.5 KB in size. The respective emulation of Microchess (the first microchess from the Commodore era) in C is 56 KB.
However, it must be noted that the original Microchess, written in pure Assembly, was about 1 KB (http://www.benlo.com/microchess/microchess1.html)…something I believe no one will ever match!.
Huo Chess plays decent chess and has managed to draw Microchess, but unfortunately will probably lose if it plays with Garry Kasparov :)
Its algorithm can be used to study the underlying logic of a chess program or as a basis for your own chess program.

For games played by Huo Chess and for an analytical explanation of its underlying logic, see http://www.codeproject.com/KB/game/cpp_microchess.aspx.

The algorithm used in this program for the implementation of the computer thinking is the "Brute Force Algorithm." Huo Chess plays with the material in mind, while its code has some hints of positional strategic playing embedded. More analytically: When the program starts thinking, it scans the chessboard to find where its pieces are (see ComputerMove function) and then tries all possible moves it can make. It analyzes these moves up to the thinking depth I have defined (via the ComputerMove -> HumanMove -> ComputerMove2 path), measures the score (see CountScore function) of the final position reached from all possible move variants and – finally – chooses the move that leads to the most promising (from a score point of view) position (ComputerMove function).

IMPORTANT NOTE by Author [Spyridon I. Kakos]: Huo Chess is intelligently designed, but it also evolves. Currently, the program is at version 0.721. If you happen to play with Huo Chess and find any problems (e.g. the program plays an illegal move in a certain position), make sure to tell me the moves played so that I can see what the problem is and try to fix it. Thanks in advance!

UPDATED WIKI: Home

Kakos — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:51:05 GMT

Huo Chess by Spiros (Spyridon) Kakos (http://www.kakos.com.gr) is a free and fully open source micro chess program in CLI C++ v8.0 that attempts to be smaller in size than the Commodore-era Microchess. The goal is to create the smallest chess program that exists. More versions are to come in the future. I started developing the program in CLI C++ v8.0 (with Visual Studio 2008) and I named it "Huo Chess" for personal reasons.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/cshuochess for the C# Edition of Huo Chess (available also as open source).
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/xnahuochess for the XNA Edition of Huo Chess with Graphical User Interface.

Currently Huo Chess version 0.722 is 56.5 KB in size, while Huo Chess 0.6 (micro edition) is only 47.5 KB in size. The respective emulation of Microchess (the first microchess from the Commodore era) in C is 56 KB.
However, it must be noted that the original Microchess, written in pure Assembly, was about 1 KB (http://www.benlo.com/microchess/microchess1.html)…something I believe no one will ever match!.
Huo Chess plays decent chess and has managed to draw Microchess, but unfortunately will probably lose if it plays with Garry Kasparov :)
Its algorithm can be used to study the underlying logic of a chess program or as a basis for your own chess program.

For games played by Huo Chess and for an analytical explanation of its underlying logic, see http://www.codeproject.com/KB/game/cpp_microchess.aspx.

The algorithm used in this program for the implementation of the computer thinking is the "Brute Force Algorithm." Huo Chess plays with the material in mind, while its code has some hints of positional strategic playing embedded. More analytically: When the program starts thinking, it scans the chessboard to find where its pieces are (see ComputerMove function) and then tries all possible moves it can make. It analyzes these moves up to the thinking depth I have defined (via the ComputerMove -> HumanMove -> ComputerMove2 path), measures the score (see CountScore function) of the final position reached from all possible move variants and – finally – chooses the move that leads to the most promising (from a score point of view) position (ComputerMove function).

How to improve performance
It seems that the AI engine of Huo Chess currently performs better when Thinking_Depth is set to 6 half-moves (instead of 8 that is the default). That is related to the fact that the chess engine of the program does not know when to "stop" analyzing the situation. Thus, the program may analyze in a great depth the chessboard and find out that in 4 moves (= 8 half-moves) it may win the queen of the opponent, without "seeing" that in the next move the opponent will win by mate. Limiting the thinking depth to 6 half-moves limits that probelm (setting the depth to less than 6 highly affects the effectiveness of the chess engine by limiting its thinking analysis too much).

IMPORTANT NOTE by Author [Spyridon I. Kakos]: Huo Chess is intelligently designed, but it also evolves. Currently, the program is at version 0.721. If you happen to play with Huo Chess and find any problems (e.g. the program plays an illegal move in a certain position), make sure to tell me the moves played so that I can see what the problem is and try to fix it. Thanks in advance!

UPDATED WIKI: Home

Kakos — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:53:10 GMT

Huo Chess by Spiros (Spyridon) Kakos (http://www.kakos.com.gr) is a free and fully open source micro chess program in CLI C++ v8.0 that attempts to be smaller in size than the Commodore-era Microchess. The goal is to create the smallest chess program that exists. More versions are to come in the future. I started developing the program in CLI C++ v8.0 (with Visual Studio 2008) and I named it "Huo Chess" for personal reasons.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/cshuochess for the C# Edition of Huo Chess (available also as open source).
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/xnahuochess for the XNA Edition of Huo Chess with Graphical User Interface.

Currently Huo Chess version 0.722 is 56.5 KB in size, while Huo Chess 0.6 (micro edition) is only 47.5 KB in size. The respective emulation of Microchess (the first microchess from the Commodore era) in C is 56 KB.
However, it must be noted that the original Microchess, written in pure Assembly, was about 1 KB (http://www.benlo.com/microchess/microchess1.html)…something I believe no one will ever match!.
Huo Chess plays decent chess and has managed to draw Microchess, but unfortunately will probably lose if it plays with Garry Kasparov :)
Its algorithm can be used to study the underlying logic of a chess program or as a basis for your own chess program.

For games played by Huo Chess and for an analytical explanation of its underlying logic, see http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cpp/cpp_microchess.aspx.

The algorithm used in this program for the implementation of the computer thinking is the "Brute Force Algorithm." Huo Chess plays with the material in mind, while its code has some hints of positional strategic playing embedded. More analytically: When the program starts thinking, it scans the chessboard to find where its pieces are (see ComputerMove function) and then tries all possible moves it can make. It analyzes these moves up to the thinking depth I have defined (via the ComputerMove -> HumanMove -> ComputerMove2 path), measures the score (see CountScore function) of the final position reached from all possible move variants and – finally – chooses the move that leads to the most promising (from a score point of view) position (ComputerMove function).

How to improve performance
It seems that the AI engine of Huo Chess currently performs better when Thinking_Depth is set to 6 half-moves (instead of 8 that is the default). That is related to the fact that the chess engine of the program does not know when to "stop" analyzing the situation. Thus, the program may analyze in a great depth the chessboard and find out that in 4 moves (= 8 half-moves) it may win the queen of the opponent, without "seeing" that in the next move the opponent will win by mate. Limiting the thinking depth to 6 half-moves limits that probelm (setting the depth to less than 6 highly affects the effectiveness of the chess engine by limiting its thinking analysis too much).

IMPORTANT NOTE by Author [Spyridon I. Kakos]: Huo Chess is intelligently designed, but it also evolves. Currently, the program is at version 0.721. If you happen to play with Huo Chess and find any problems (e.g. the program plays an illegal move in a certain position), make sure to tell me the moves played so that I can see what the problem is and try to fix it. Thanks in advance!

UPDATED WIKI: Home

Kakos — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:52:45 GMT

Huo Chess by Spiros (Spyridon) Kakos (http://www.kakos.com.gr) is a free and fully open source micro chess program in CLI C++ v8.0 that attempts to be smaller in size than the Commodore-era Microchess. The goal is to create the smallest chess program that exists. More versions are to come in the future. I started developing the program in CLI C++ v8.0 (with Visual Studio 2008) and I named it "Huo Chess" for personal reasons.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/cshuochess for the C# Edition of Huo Chess (available also as open source).
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/xnahuochess for the XNA Edition of Huo Chess with Graphical User Interface.

Currently Huo Chess version 0.722 is 56.5 KB in size, while Huo Chess 0.6 (micro edition) is only 47.5 KB in size. The respective emulation of Microchess (the first microchess from the Commodore era) in C is 56 KB.
However, it must be noted that the original Microchess, written in pure Assembly, was about 1 KB (http://www.benlo.com/microchess/microchess1.html)…something I believe no one will ever match!.
Huo Chess plays decent chess and has managed to draw Microchess, but unfortunately will probably lose if it plays with Garry Kasparov :)
Its algorithm can be used to study the underlying logic of a chess program or as a basis for your own chess program.

For games played by Huo Chess and for an analytical explanation of its underlying logic, see http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cpp/cpp_microchess.aspx.

The algorithm used in this program for the implementation of the computer thinking is the "Brute Force Algorithm." Huo Chess plays with the material in mind, while its code has some hints of positional strategic playing embedded. More analytically: When the program starts thinking, it scans the chessboard to find where its pieces are (see ComputerMove function) and then tries all possible moves it can make. It analyzes these moves up to the thinking depth I have defined (via the ComputerMove -> HumanMove -> ComputerMove2 path), measures the score (see CountScore function) of the final position reached from all possible move variants and – finally – chooses the move that leads to the most promising (from a score point of view) position (ComputerMove function).

How to improve performance
It seems that the AI engine of Huo Chess currently performs better when Thinking_Depth is set to 6 half-moves (instead of 8 that is the default). That is related to the fact that the chess engine of the program does not know when to "stop" analyzing the situation. Thus, the program may analyze in a great depth the chessboard and find out that in 4 moves (= 8 half-moves) it may win the queen of the opponent, without "seeing" that in the next move the opponent will win by mate. Limiting the thinking depth to 6 half-moves limits that probelm (setting the depth to less than 6 highly affects the effectiveness of the chess engine by limiting its thinking analysis too much).

IMPORTANT NOTE by Author [Spyridon I. Kakos]: Huo Chess is intelligently designed, but it also evolves. Currently, the program is at version 0.721. If you happen to play with Huo Chess and find any problems (e.g. the program plays an illegal move in a certain position), make sure to tell me the moves played so that I can see what the problem is and try to fix it. Thanks in advance!

UPDATED WIKI: Home

Kakos — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:50:36 GMT

Huo Chess by Spiros (Spyridon) Kakos (http://www.kakos.com.gr) is a free and fully open source micro chess program in CLI C++ v8.0 that attempts to be smaller in size than the Commodore-era Microchess. The goal is to create the smallest chess program that exists. More versions are to come in the future. I started developing the program in CLI C++ v8.0 (with Visual Studio 2008) and I named it "Huo Chess" for personal reasons.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/cshuochess for the C# Edition of Huo Chess (available also as open source).
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/xnahuochess for the XNA Edition of Huo Chess with Graphical User Interface.

Currently Huo Chess version 0.722 is 56.5 KB in size, while Huo Chess 0.6 (micro edition) is only 47.5 KB in size. The respective emulation of Microchess (the first microchess from the Commodore era) in C is 56 KB.
However, it must be noted that the original Microchess, written in pure Assembly, was about 1 KB (http://www.benlo.com/microchess/microchess1.html)…something I believe no one will ever match!.
Huo Chess plays decent chess and has managed to draw Microchess, but unfortunately will probably lose if it plays with Garry Kasparov :)
Its algorithm can be used to study the underlying logic of a chess program or as a basis for your own chess program.

For games played by Huo Chess and for an analytical explanation of its underlying logic, see http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cpp/cpp_microchess.aspx.

The algorithm used in this program for the implementation of the computer thinking is the "Brute Force Algorithm." Huo Chess plays with the material in mind, while its code has some hints of positional strategic playing embedded. More analytically: When the program starts thinking, it scans the chessboard to find where its pieces are (see ComputerMove function) and then tries all possible moves it can make. It analyzes these moves up to the thinking depth I have defined (via the ComputerMove -> HumanMove -> ComputerMove2 path), measures the score (see CountScore function) of the final position reached from all possible move variants and – finally – chooses the move that leads to the most promising (from a score point of view) position (ComputerMove function).

IMPORTANT NOTE by Author [Spyridon I. Kakos]: Huo Chess is intelligently designed, but it also evolves. Currently, the program is at version 0.721. If you happen to play with Huo Chess and find any problems (e.g. the program plays an illegal move in a certain position), make sure to tell me the moves played so that I can see what the problem is and try to fix it. Thanks in advance!

UPDATED WIKI: Home

Kakos — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:49:55 GMT

Huo Chess by Spiros (Spyridon) Kakos (http://www.kakos.com.gr) is a free and fully open source micro chess program in CLI C++ v8.0 that attempts to be smaller in size than the Commodore-era Microchess. The goal is to create the smallest chess program that exists. More versions are to come in the future. I started developing the program in CLI C++ v8.0 (with Visual Studio 2008) and I named it "Huo Chess" for personal reasons.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/cshuochess for the C# Edition of Huo Chess available also as open source.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/xnahuochess for the XNA Edition of Huo Chess with Graphical User Interface.

Currently Huo Chess version 0.722 is 56.5 KB in size, while Huo Chess 0.6 (micro edition) is only 47.5 KB in size. The respective emulation of Microchess (the first microchess from the Commodore era) in C is 56 KB.
However, it must be noted that the original Microchess, written in pure Assembly, was about 1 KB (http://www.benlo.com/microchess/microchess1.html)…something I believe no one will ever match!.
Huo Chess plays decent chess and has managed to draw Microchess, but unfortunately will probably lose if it plays with Garry Kasparov :)
Its algorithm can be used to study the underlying logic of a chess program or as a basis for your own chess program.

For games played by Huo Chess and for an analytical explanation of its underlying logic, see http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cpp/cpp_microchess.aspx.

The algorithm used in this program for the implementation of the computer thinking is the "Brute Force Algorithm." Huo Chess plays with the material in mind, while its code has some hints of positional strategic playing embedded. More analytically: When the program starts thinking, it scans the chessboard to find where its pieces are (see ComputerMove function) and then tries all possible moves it can make. It analyzes these moves up to the thinking depth I have defined (via the ComputerMove -> HumanMove -> ComputerMove2 path), measures the score (see CountScore function) of the final position reached from all possible move variants and – finally – chooses the move that leads to the most promising (from a score point of view) position (ComputerMove function).

IMPORTANT NOTE by Author [Spyridon I. Kakos]: Huo Chess is intelligently designed, but it also evolves. Currently, the program is at version 0.721. If you happen to play with Huo Chess and find any problems (e.g. the program plays an illegal move in a certain position), make sure to tell me the moves played so that I can see what the problem is and try to fix it. Thanks in advance!

UPDATED WIKI: Home

Kakos — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:48:50 GMT

Huo Chess by Spiros (Spyridon) Kakos (http://www.kakos.com.gr) is a free and fully open source micro chess program in CLI C++ v8.0 that attempts to be smaller in size than the Commodore-era Microchess. The goal is to create the smallest chess program that exists. More versions are to come in the future.
I started developing the program in CLI C++ v8.0 (with Visual Studio 2008) and I named it "Huo Chess" for personal reasons.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/cshuochess for the C# Edition of Huo Chess.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/xnahuochess for the XNA Edition of Huo Chess with Graphical User Interface.

Currently Huo Chess version 0.722 is 56.5 KB in size, while Huo Chess 0.6 (micro edition) is only 47.5 KB in size. The respective emulation of Microchess (the first microchess from the Commodore era) in C is 56 KB.
However, it must be noted that the original Microchess, written in pure Assembly, was about 1 KB (http://www.benlo.com/microchess/microchess1.html)…something I believe no one will ever match!.
Huo Chess plays decent chess and has managed to draw Microchess, but unfortunately will probably lose if it plays with Garry Kasparov :)
Its algorithm can be used to study the underlying logic of a chess program or as a basis for your own chess program.

For games played by Huo Chess and for an analytical explanation of its underlying logic, see http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cpp/cpp_microchess.aspx.

The algorithm used in this program for the implementation of the computer thinking is the "Brute Force Algorithm." Huo Chess plays with the material in mind, while its code has some hints of positional strategic playing embedded. More analytically: When the program starts thinking, it scans the chessboard to find where its pieces are (see ComputerMove function) and then tries all possible moves it can make. It analyzes these moves up to the thinking depth I have defined (via the ComputerMove -> HumanMove -> ComputerMove2 path), measures the score (see CountScore function) of the final position reached from all possible move variants and – finally – chooses the move that leads to the most promising (from a score point of view) position (ComputerMove function).

IMPORTANT NOTE by Author [Spyridon I. Kakos]: Huo Chess is intelligently designed, but it also evolves. Currently, the program is at version 0.721. If you happen to play with Huo Chess and find any problems (e.g. the program plays an illegal move in a certain position), make sure to tell me the moves played so that I can see what the problem is and try to fix it. Thanks in advance!

UPDATED WIKI: Home

Kakos — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:48:20 GMT

Huo Chess by Spiros (Spyridon) Kakos (http://www.kakos.com.gr) is a free and fully open source micro chess program in CLI C++ v8.0 that attempts to be smaller in size than the Commodore-era Microchess. The goal is to create the smallest chess program that exists. More versions are to come in the future. I started developing the program in CLI C++ v8.0 (with Visual Studio 2008) and I named it "Huo Chess" for personal reasons.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/cshuochess for the C# Edition of Huo Chess.
Please visit http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/xnahuochess for the XNA Edition of Huo Chess with Graphical User Interface.

Currently Huo Chess version 0.722 is 56.5 KB in size, while Huo Chess 0.6 (micro edition) is only 47.5 KB in size. The respective emulation of Microchess (the first microchess from the Commodore era) in C is 56 KB.
However, it must be noted that the original Microchess, written in pure Assembly, was about 1 KB (http://www.benlo.com/microchess/microchess1.html)…something I believe no one will ever match!.
Huo Chess plays decent chess and has managed to draw Microchess, but unfortunately will probably lose if it plays with Garry Kasparov :)
Its algorithm can be used to study the underlying logic of a chess program or as a basis for your own chess program.

For games played by Huo Chess and for an analytical explanation of its underlying logic, see http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cpp/cpp_microchess.aspx.

The algorithm used in this program for the implementation of the computer thinking is the "Brute Force Algorithm." Huo Chess plays with the material in mind, while its code has some hints of positional strategic playing embedded. More analytically: When the program starts thinking, it scans the chessboard to find where its pieces are (see ComputerMove function) and then tries all possible moves it can make. It analyzes these moves up to the thinking depth I have defined (via the ComputerMove -> HumanMove -> ComputerMove2 path), measures the score (see CountScore function) of the final position reached from all possible move variants and – finally – chooses the move that leads to the most promising (from a score point of view) position (ComputerMove function).

IMPORTANT NOTE by Author [Spyridon I. Kakos]: Huo Chess is intelligently designed, but it also evolves. Currently, the program is at version 0.721. If you happen to play with Huo Chess and find any problems (e.g. the program plays an illegal move in a certain position), make sure to tell me the moves played so that I can see what the problem is and try to fix it. Thanks in advance!

CREATED RELEASE: Huo Chess 0.722 (Jan 09, 2009)

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:27:09 GMT

*HOW TO PLAY:* In order to play, just enter the coordinates of the starting and the ending square of your move - by following the directions of the program.

*HOW TO CUSTOMIZE:* Huo Chess version 0.722 is significantly small in size (56.5 KB), has deep thinking capability (up to 8 moves: 4 half-moves for the white and 4 half-moves for the black pieces) and plays decent chess (better than version Huo Chess 0.6). The program has an opening book capability, which means that anyone can optimize the program by adding his/her own opening moves data in the respective folder Huo Chess Opening Book (which should be in the same directory with the executable). Moreover, you can also optimize the way Huo Chess thinks by changing the CountScore function and the way the computer values the pieces or the chessboard position.

*SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:* Huo Chess version 0.722 requires .NET Framework 2.0 or above in order to run. You can download that framework from the Microsoft site for free. In order to change the source code and re-compile, you will need the Microsoft Visual Studio 2008. You can download the Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition from the Microsoft site for free.

*Improvements from previous v0.721 edition:*
Fixed some issues and removed redundant code from HumanMove function. Size: 56.5 KB