:===	SUFF_0_3_ALPHA		===:

Topic: UCI-Engine for Windows, Suff_0.3a
Author: Clemens Pruell, Salzburg, Austria
Date: Suff_0.3, compiled at April 2008
--->: Suff_0.3a, fixed a few bugs, June 2009
--->: Suff_0.3_alpha: fixed most bugs

:====== INFO =======:

Suff_0.3 is a very simplistic UCI chess engine (Win32), which I 
programmed in April 2008 (in my holidays).

I'm not a good programmer at all, that's why the
Suff 0.3 usually plays bad moves. 

However, when playing against Suff 0.3 using the GUI of Fritz 11 (TM)
or the GUI of Arena 2.0.1 (TM), serious bugs appear rarely.

That's why I'm somewhat confident with Suff 0.3 - at least it is
possible to play some funny games of chess versus Suff 0.3.

Suff 0.3 can't be used to analyze positions. It can only play.

It is possible to setup a custom start position (with Fritz 11's GUI),
and play the game from there:

Suff_0.3a can handle book moves which it receives from the GUI, 
but has no own book.

Don't try anything else than PLAYING against Suff 0.3 (like
analyzing etc.) - otherwise it's likely that Suff_0.3a crashes.

It is of course possible for Suff_0.3a to participate in Engine
Tournaments, if the GUI offers such an option.
(I have tested engine tournaments with Fritz11's GUI and Arena 
2.0.1's GUI - usually there were no serious bugs or crashes) 
:==


--- *** MAJOR BUGS *** ---
**** THIS BUG WAS FIXED WITH Suff_0_3_alpha ****
:==
There is one little bug when Suff_0.3a got the white pieces and
it should play the first move (from Starting Position), sometimes
an illegal move will be suggested (accurately: Suff_0.3a suggests
a move for black instead).
--> This will happen on very rare occassions, and I'm still trying
--> to fix this bug.
--> It is possible that this bug won't happen at all.

**** THIS BUG WAS FIXED WITH Suff_0_3_alpha ****
:==


:==
--- *** MINOR BUGS *** ---
:==
*) Playing Strength -> it's not easy to lose vs. Suff_0.3a
:== Suff_0_3_alpha is stronger, however it's Playing Strength is still
:== very weak.

*) Suff_0.3a will display its evaluation from 'its point of view',
--> this bug happens, since I try to fix the Major Bug
:== I found, that this is not a bug of my Suff_0_3_alpha engine, but
:== instead some GUIs display positive values, when Black has an
:== advantage (from Suff's point of view).

*) Mating with Q+K worked in Suff_0.3, and to my own surprise
--> doesn't work properly with the improved (?) Suff_0.3a.
:== This bug is fixed in Suff_0_3_alpha.


*) ...
:==

Suff_0.3a will use a log File (I used it for tracking down some
bugs), which is created in the same directory as the Suff_0.3a .exe.
It will only use one log File. Every time Suff_0.3a is started, it
will replace the content of the old log File.

:== THE SUFF_0_3_ALPHA (RELEASE BUILD FOR WIN32) WON'T USE A
:== LOG FILE.

:===== END OF INFO =====:


:===== Remarks =======:

'Suff' is an Austrian German term and describes the state of a
drunk person. Suff_0.3a's playing strength is so weak, and its moves
are ridiculous at times. It's playing like a drunk engine.
That's why I thought Suff is a proper name :)

I think that the design of my Suff_0.3a's source code is very poor,
but it was my first attempt on writing a chess program.
(*The zip Folder contains the Header File of Suff_0_3_alpha).
Hopefully my next engine (from scratch) will play stronger moves
 - I learned a lot about algorithms and chess programming when doing
Suff_0_3_alpha, and will try to avoid many of its logical and design
mistakes in the future.

Why I don't use iterative search, and send the best line found
to the GUI after each increase of MAX_DEPTH?
I'm afraid that this could slow down Suff's search - that's why.

On some Windows Computers a special C-Runtime.dll can be required to
run Suff 0.3a. This .dll can be downloaded from M$.

Regards
	Clemens Pruell, July 14, 2009


P.S.: SUFF_0_3_ALPHA is called 'ALPHA' (as opposed to BETA),
      because I couldn't find serious bugs. So 'ALPHA' is not
      supposed to be part of the Engine's name, which is only 
      'SUFF 0.3'.

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