Rodent

thorhammer wrote:

my computer can't run the 32 bit compile

I guess it is 2850 Elo on the CCRL scale again (previous version has dived down to 2812). I worked mainly on endgame performance, stabilizing quiescence search, adding more endgame knowledge and improving middlegame positional play, so that Rodent has a chance of surviving till endgame in a slightly better shape than it used to. Nevertheless, this is still the same messy and aggressive engine that it used to be, so have fun!

Beside that there are new parameters for tweaking personalities (preference for keeping given kind of pieces + possibility of setting opening book from personality file).

- more stable quiescence search
- more endgame knowledge, including unstoppable passers
- limiting check extension
- adding recapture extension in pv nodes
- retuning some eval parameters, including passed pawns values
- half-open files are less valuable if enemy pawn on a file is defended
- queen is less valuable with enemy minor pieces on the board
- minor pieces like to be shielded by a pawn
- internal iterative deepening in pv nodes
- mate distance pruning
- opening book can be defined in personality file (depending on basic.ini settings)
- new stylistic parameters for keeping pieces on board

As a bonus, I have changed Rodent's homepage a bit - hope You like it.