ChessExplorer is a Windows software (Win32) with full graphics interface, principally designed to solving orthodox chess problems: direct mates, selfmates, helpmates.
It has some additional options:
- creator of problems ( "Mate in 2" and "Mate in 3" )
- solving tasks of the kind "8-Queens Problem"
- counting number of possible continuations from the given position.
Generally, ChessExplorer is created to test all possible moves and to find exactly all solutions that exists (mode
"brute force" - using big force of modern computers).
This principle isn’t violate by added some "bits of intelligence" (for exemple, a side who defends to mate, "remembers" his good, already verified moves, and he doesn’t need test every time all posible moves).
This software is realized in C++. The basic procedures was optimized in assembly language and the program tests more than 1,000,000 moves per second (sometimes more than 10,000,000 m/sec) on a standard computer.
This speed is possible with the processors of the Pentium family and similar processors. Multi-pipeline architecture of this processors and other features ( e.g. mechanism of prediction of direction of conditional jumps in the program ) causes that the programme is executed quickly that on "old" traditional processors.
For exemple, in option "Counting variants in 6 moves" from the initial position of the chessboard with P II Celeron 366 MHz, the speed is about 3,000,000 moves per second. This means that for one move about 120 clock cycles one needs.
For one move of chess piece one need least some hundreds of commands of processor ( testing if the king is checked, counting of moves, showing of results etc. ) and the "old" processors would use up for this some thousands' of clock cycles.
It seems me that this 120 clock cycles it is probably near to the limit of possibility of optimization of olgorithm ( unless someone will find some brilliant idea ! ).
Shareware program: after a trial period of one month, you must register it
(see:
Terms of using ).
Characteristics:
- can find mates/selfmates/helpmates in any number of moves, up to 63
- preview and import/export FEN position ( *.pgn, *.epd, *.fen files )
- 17 notation's languages (Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish )
- "Men move" - select first move to test
- can stop and save the state of analysis in order to continue later
- show time, progress, number of testing moves and speed (moves per second)
- can move, rotate positions and print diagrams
- quickly installation, simple and intuitive usage.
Additional options:
- creating problems "Mate in 2" and "Mate in 3"
- counting amount of possible continuations from fixed position
- solving tasks of the kind "8-Queens Problem"
Solving problems.
Creating problems.
Option "Positions" ( "8-Queens non-attacked" ).
Option "Positions" ( "Maximum of attacking squares" ).
Remarks:
- The problems of kind "Mate in n moves" are well-known, but not everybody know what's "Selfmate" and "Helpmate":
- Selfmate - white moves first and force black to mate him (white)
- Helpmate - black moves first and helps white to mate him (black)
- Detailed descriptions of *.EPD, *.PGN, *.FEN files are in standard.txt (from http://pgn.freeservers.com). Compressed (38 kB) version of this file here. Description of FEN-notation is also in ChessExplorer (option "Info").
From history of ChessExplorer
| August 7, 2002 | v. 1.0 |
First working version for Windows. Rather modest and slow - about 100,000 moves per second. |
| October 19, 2002 | v. 2.32 |
Import/Export *.fen, *.pgn, *.epd files. Choice of notation's language. Basic procedures in assembly language - speed increased four times. |
| January 10, 2003 | v. 3.0 |
Option "Counting variants". Added "a bit of intelligence" and code optimizing (more faster). |
| February 10, 2003 | v. 3.2 |
Option "First move". Can move, rotate positions. |
| March 5, 2003 | v. 3.3 |
Code optimizing (speed - 25% more). |
| May 14, 2003 | v. 3.4 |
The program was corrected - several bugs was deleted (thanks for all remarks).
Mate/Selfmate - showing second move for all replies.
|
| July 27, 2003 | v. 3.42 |
The arrangement of the main screen has been somewhat changed - more space for showing the results of testing.
The module of import *.FEN was corrected - the resistance to bad *.fen files.
|
| November 11, 2003 | v. 3.5 |
Added "Informations about ChessExplorer".
The data structures were rebuilt in order to enable increasement the speed.
This time: +15%.
|
| January 20, 2004 | v. 3.6 |
Speed +30% in comparison with v. 3.5.
"Splash screen" changed.
|
| April 20, 2004 | v. 4.0 |
General rebuilding of program's code - file "Chessexplorer.exe" smaller nearly three times.
|
| May 02, 2004 | v. 4.1 |
Option: testing all possible second moves of the beginer (Mate, Selfmate). |
| May 28, 2004 | v. 4.2 |
Third main option: "Positions" - solving tasks of the kind "8-Queens Problem". |
| July 02, 2004 | v. 4.22 |
Improvement of showing solutions in problems of type Mate (threats). |
| December 20, 2004 | v. 4.3 |
Program appearance modified; corrections of data structures - speed: +10%. |
| January 26, 2005 | v. 4.4 |
The "IQ" has increased: at "Mate/Helpmate" the speed ( moves per second ) is smaller but the time of testing has reduced by 25 - 45%. |
February 8, 2005
March 02, 2005
April 06, 2005 | v. 4.5
v. 4.6
v. 4.61 |
The "IQ" groves... . ChessExplorer dissolves direct mates and helpmates 2 - 6 times quickly. The bugs deleted. |
April 20, 2005
May 12, 2005 |
v. 5.0
v. 5.1 |
Option: Creating problems "Mate in 2" and "Mate in 3". |
December 10, 2005
January 24, 2006 |
v. 5.2
v. 5.3 |
Development of the problem’s creator: you can specify additional conditions for creating problems. |
| June 20, 2007 |
v. 6.0 |
Solving and creating seriesmovers. |
Speed of ChessExplorer
( identical set of chess problems; Pentium II Celeron, 366 MHz )
