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Shogi. Missing description (9x9, Cells: 81) (Recognized!)[All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]
H. G. Muller wrote on Sat, Nov 20, 2010 10:56 PM UTC:
Xiangqi is so different from any other variant (because of the board zoning and King-facing rule) that I made a dedicated derivative of Fairy-Max for it, called MaxQi. The additions required to implement it were not generally useful. (Similarly, there is a dedicated version for Shatranj applying the baring rule, ShaMax, although that is so similar to the original Fairy-Max that it is generated from the same source code, using a compiler switch.)

So in the 4.5.beta package you should not select Fairy-Max but MaxQi from the startup dialog engine combobox if you want to play Xiangqi. (And HaQiKi D or Elephant Eye if you want a tougher opponent, or do analysis. MaxQi is derived from an older version of Fairy-Max that did not print a full PV yet.) The 4.4 install does use MaxQi.

Qianhong is an extremely weak (non-searching) AI. There are Qianhong plugins that are tougher. VSCCP is the next weakest, and might stil lose to Zillions too. But Elephant Eye is also available as a Qianhong Plugin.(Or rather, there exists a UCCI2QH adapter, from which I actually derived the UCCI2WB adapter.) For an overview of Xiangqi engines that you could run under WinBoard, see http://home.hccnet.nl/h.g.muller/XQ.html and links therein.

I asked on the Seirawan website if it was patented, or if it was allowed to support it in WinBoard. Bruce Harper answered me 'Go ahead, the more exposure we get, the better'.