🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1991Nov12.085731.784@sics.se> roland@sics.se (Roland Karlsson) writes:
>
>Some say that GNUchess is a very strong chess program.  I think I
>have heard that it should be about 2500 US ratings on a SPARC station.
>Some others say that it plays an awful chess.  Far below commercial
>chess computers.  Those two statements are contradictory.  What is
>the truth?   Has anyone made (serious) testings of the strength?
>
>
>Roland Karlsson

A while back some of us did some strength testing of gnuchess, because we were
considering it as a base for a chess project...

The documentation that comes with gnuchess claims a rating of around
2300 on a Sparc, but this is a lie.

In our tests, the Fidelity Mach III beat gnuchess decisively, by a score of
6-0. The older Novag Superconstellation was slightly better 
than gnuchess (2.5-1.5), and the Mephisto Mondial 68000 defeated it 1-0. 
The above experiments were conducted on a Sparcstation, at a time
control of 1 minute/move, with gnuchess version 3.1+.

We were planning on more extensive testing, but gnuchess was so weak 
we didn't feel it even worth the time to go on. It appeared to be 
about 1800 strength. I'd be happy to post actual games if people desire.

    Rich