Translated by Ljiljana Radisic

A year and a half after his article on chess software
GM Zlatko Ilincic writes about what happened in the meantime:

Advanced computer technology inevitably results in improved chess programmes. More powerful processors and their bigger working memories make possible the reduction of the time taken to find the right move in a game. What is more, chess algorithms are being improved daily and every well-known chess programme gets at least one new version a year.

The appearance of new multi-processor programmes introduced a new discipline in computer chess. Chess games are played on computers which comprise multiple processors - the latest technology in the world of computers. In the last championship Deep Junior 7 scored a win over Quest, which is actually thought to be Deep Fritz in disguise, since they are both by the same author. Deep Fritz was supposed to encounter the grand master Vladimir Kramnik (world champion in Brain Games version ) but the scheduled game has been postponed until 2002. It will be a welcome opportunity to see whether the moment has come when the man will have to acknowledge the superiority of the machine. Whatever the outcome of this game that moment can not be far.

Deep Junior 7 has an enormous book of openings, the design of which was greatly helped by a number of grand masters. Unlike programmes for single processor computers, Deep Junior` s calculation of possible variants per second is far bigger than average and that gives it a huge advantage over the others. The number adds up to three and a half million (3.500.000) moves per second. It is also worth mentioning that the endings with a small number of pieces have already been thoroughly researched so that the computer plays them automatically wasting no time. It is not unusual any more to announce a checkmate in 34 moves as has recently been the case in one game.

Single processor computer programmes are constantly being improved and new versions are brought out every now and then. One of the best known is Fritz, already widely accepted as the synonim for computer chess. Its most recent version is Fritz 7.0. Other programmes of approximately the same chess power are Shredder 5.32, Junior 7.0, Chess Tiger 14.0, Gambit Tiger 2.0 etc. To single out the best among them would be extremely difficult as their results are very uncertain just like the results of matches played by people. The best single processor programme of the last World championship was Shredder 5.0 while Shredder 5.32 has changed its interface so that it now resembles Fritz and Junior and can also be used like a thinking machine as a part of Chess Base.

As for the results achieved by certain programmes, they are not always possible to note due to the absence of a unique league table that would apply to all computers something that would match the ratings of chess players. However, there is a strong desire to draw up and regularly update such a league table in order to reflect the real balance of power on the chess computer scene. The one displayed here is the most commonly accepted (SSDF league table) and was valid in October 2001. The leading position is taken by Deep Fritz multi- processor programme .The position in the table was greatly decided by the power of the processors and their working memory.

SSDF Rating list

Programmes for studying chess have also come a long way.

Chess Assistant 6.0 is the latest version of the programme very popular with first-class grand masters. Its exceptionally fast searching function and its use of a direct tree with branching variants accelerate the preparation of the game. To analyze a certain position you can find Chess Tiger 14.0 helpful. Its comments can easily be called up during a game. Internet Chess Club fans can connect directly from Chess Assistant 6.0 and thus play and communicate through internet with chess players from all over the world.

Some functions of the previous version of Chess Base, in itself exceptional, have been significantly improved and quickened. Now, considerably changed and with a different interface Chess Base 8.0 runs more smoothly and is faster. While watching a game , players` pictures come up and their dossiers are now easily accessible. The latest completed base is MEGA 2001 which contains about 1.500.000. (million and a half) games. Fritz 7, Junior 7, Shredder 5.32 and many other chess programmes are used for analyses. This is just another evidence of the versatility of Chess Base.

Chess Informant Reader 1.9 is the latest version of the programme which is actually an electronic publication of "Chess Informant". It has come a long way since its original version so now the users can switch from one issue to another with ease. A helpful programme to use when analyzing certain positions is Crafty 17.9.