🚀 go-pugleaf

This is an announcement of a freeware chess programming package
written in portable C for experimenters.  Although this package has
been already announced in rec.games.chess and gnu.chess, I was asked
to place it here also.  This is because the sources can be modified to
support other games such as checkers/draughts (a little overkill),
Chinese chess, shogi (Japanese chess), and other two-person board
games with rectilinear coordinate systems.  It is probably not very
helpful for go, however.

This announcement also appears in the Coherent newsgroup as the
software is an example of C development under the MWC Coherent
operating system.  (From: mwcbbs!zipper!sje)

I have just sent out the first copies of the SAN Kit freeware chess
programming package.  (SAN: Standard Algebraic Notation.)  It is about
53 Kbytes long, so it may possibly choke a few mailreaders.  If there
are e-mail distribution problems, perhaps someone can put the package
on an ftp site.

If you are a prospective chess software author interested in receiving
a copy, send me some e-mail with a subject line of "Send SANKit" and
it's on its way.  I hope that the README file and the sources provide
sufficient help as I do not have the time to offer much in the way of
personal assistance.  Like the README says: no warranty and use at
your own risk.

I will hazard a guess by suggesting that a skilled C programmer could
use some of the SAN Kit routines provided and have his/her own
chessplaying program running in a week or so.  Just code a search and
an evaluation function and you're on your way!  Similarly, programmers
with interests in Chinese chess, shogi, and the like could have a
player up and running in an additional week or so.

 [The above opinions expressed are my own; not necessarily held by others.]
      == Steven J. Edwards           Bull HN Information Systems Inc. ==
      == (508) 294-3484              300 Concord Road         MS 820A ==
      == sje@xylos.ma30.bull.com     Billerica, MA 01821          USA ==
"That Government which Governs the Least, Governs Best." -- Thomas Jefferson