For years, Chessengeria.eu has been a hub for chess engine enthusiasts, offering rankings, analyses, tests, and reviews. To better meet your expectations and deliver more valuable content, I am implementing significant changes to the policies regarding engine participation in MCERL tournaments, as well as their compilation and distribution, effective immediately.
Chess Engine Compilation – Focus on macOS (Apple Silicon)
The primary focus of Chessengeria.eu is to support Mac computers with Apple Silicon processors (M1, M2, M3, M4, and newer).
The engines I provide will be prepared for this architecture to ensure the highest quality and stability for users.
All engines compiled by me will be labeled as:
Compiled by chessengeria.eu
Example:
Engine Name - Compiled by chessengeria.eu
The "Compiled by chessengeria.eu" tag will also be embedded in the engine's code and visible upon execution. This ensures that users can trust the engine's source and rely on its stability, aligned with the original project authors' intentions. This solution also ensures transparency, identifies the source of the compilation, and protects against misuse, such as lack of attribution or violations of open-source licenses. Additionally, it safeguards against unauthorized appropriation and supports version identification for engines.
Support for Windows and Linux Engines
Compilations for Windows and Linux will be provided only for modern processors (eg. avx2) and exclusively for leading engines that stand out in terms of capabilities and/or playing strength.
Upon request, I may prepare dedicated compilations for specific operating systems and processors – please feel free to contact me if needed.
MCERL – Higher Quality Standards and Chessengeria.eu Resources
For years, Chessengeria.eu has invested significant resources into the development of MCERL. Thousands of hours have been spent conducting matches between engines, analyzing results, and creating rankings that are appreciated by users worldwide.
The mission of Chessengeria.eu is to promote computer chess, which means maintaining high-quality engines – free from crashes and timeouts – is essential for providing users with the most reliable tournament results in MCERL.
Therefore:
All new engines must pass an initial crash test of 200 games before being admitted to MCERL tournaments. If an engine encounters even a single crash or timeout during this test, that version will be excluded from MCERL.
For new engines admitted to MCERL, the stability rule applies:
If an engine experiences 3 crashes or timeouts during a full tournament cycle (e.g., 2,000 games), that version will be excluded from MCERL.
These measures ensure that MCERL remains a platform for stable and reliable chess engines, maintaining the high quality of its rankings.
Why Am I Making These Changes?
Modernity and Technological Trends:
Mac computers with Apple Silicon CPUs have been widely adopted by millions worldwide, as evidenced by Chessengeria.eu statistics showing their continuous growth. Meanwhile, the number of users with Intel-based Macs and Windows systems has been steadily declining. The number of Linux users remains stable, with increasing interest in the ARM platform.
Efficiency and Optimization:
Focusing on a single primary architecture (Apple Silicon) allows me to better manage my time and resources, enabling the publication of more articles, tests, and reviews – in line with your suggestions.
Ecology and Savings:
Apple Silicon provides excellent performance while consuming minimal energy compared to traditional PCs, aligning with global pro-environmental trends. This aspect is also valued by many of you, as reflected in your feedback and correspondence.
Protecting Work and Upholding Licenses:
I have compiled and distributed hundreds of chess engines via Chessengeria.eu. These engines are governed by various open-source licenses that require, among other things, proper attribution, sharing source code, and including relevant project information. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that these rules are not always fully respected, which undermines both the authors' rights and the collaborative spirit of the open-source community.
Sharing chess engines via Chessengeria.eu adheres strictly to open-source license principles, which are fundamental to the modern chess engine community. I expect those using my compilations to respect these principles as well.
MCERL favors engines released under open-source licenses such as GPLv2, GPLv3, or MIT, which promote transparency and openness. Engines without licenses or with closed-source code may be admitted only under the condition of explicit permission from their author and compliance with our strict quality and stability standards.
What’s Next?
Chessengeria.eu remains open to users of all platforms – offering universal information to support your work, learning, and enjoyment with chess engines and software.
I invite you to reach out if you have any questions, suggestions, or requests for special engine compilations – your ideas and feedback are essential to this project’s growth.
Thank you for your understanding and support, which enables Chessengeria.eu to continue developing and delivering even better content. Together, we are building a unique space for computer chess enthusiasts!
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