Get on Swimmingly

By Mark Donlan The beta version of the computer chess engine Rybka (which means “little fish” in Russian) was released in 2005 and it was quickly apparent that it would be a contender as the strongest chess engine in the world. By 2006 it had a rating of 3000, surpassing other engines by as many as 200 points, and in 2007 it became the 15th ICGA World Computer Chess Champion. Since then Rybka has had high-profile odds matches against a number of noted players. It won 4½-1½ against GM Jaan Ehlvest in 2007 and 6-2 against GM Joel Benjamin in a 2008 match in which Benjamin had white in every game and draws were counted as wins for him. Most recently, Rybka, ceding pawn and move in each game, scored 4-4 against GM Roman Dzindzichashvili.

Rybka 3 now has an estimated rating of 3150. All that Rybka lacked was an interface to call its own, but now a graphical user interface (GUI) has been designed for Rybka by developers Victor Zakharov and Pete Lupherenko. Rybka Aquarium is designed to take advantage of the full power of Rybka 3.

The interface is based on the Fluent design, which was first introduced by Microsoft in Office 2007. The first thing you will notice is that all menus and toolbars have been replaced with a single container that organizes Aquarium’s full feature set into a series of tabs. This container is known as the “Ribbon”. Read the rest of this entry »

Infinite Analysis with Chess Assistant 10

Chess Assistant 10 is a fast and powerful chess database that is equipped with an array of tools to assist active and improving players. This month I’ll look at some of the methods offered by Chess Assistant for infinite analysis and examine two of them in detail. Many readers probably think of infinite analysis as pushing a button and watching a chess engine search for the best line of play, but as you will see Chess Assistant has taken this simple concept and turned it into a powerful tool for analyzing and understanding a position.

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Rybka 3 is finally released !
We are glad to inform you that Rybka 3 is finally released! Shortly you will get your serial number for the product you purchased. Whenever you write us for support, please specify this serial number. – Deep Rybka 3 Aquarium (for download or DVD) – Rybka 3 UCI without interface (for download or CD) – Deep Rybka 3 UCI without interface (for download or CD) – Upgrade Chess Assistant 10 Starter package with Rybka 3 (for download or DVD) – Upgrade Chess Assistant 10 Professional package with Deep Rybka 3 (for download or DVD) – Chess Assistant 10 Starter package with Rybka 3 (for download or DVD) – Chess Assistant 10 Professional package with Deep Rybka 3 (for download or DVD) – Chess Assistant 10 Mega package with Deep Rybka 3 and Gold Nalimov Tablebases (DVD) We are starting publishing video tutorials for Rybka 3 Aquarium: – Modes Video (139 Mb) – Quick Video (340Mb) Links to the same videos in archives: 1 2 3 >> Rybka 3 Aquarium Manual (ENG) << >> Rybka 3 Aquarium Manual (GER) << Read the rest of this entry »

Second Grand Prix Tournament: Sochi 2008
The second tournament in the FIDE Grand Prix Series will run July 30 – August 15, with thirteen rounds and two rest days – the standard schedule for all six tournaments. The first Grand Prix was won by Vugar Gashimov, Wang Yue and Magnus Carlsen and of these three players, Gashimov and Wang Yue will also compete in Sochi. The Russian resort city Sochi (population 400,000) is situated in Krasnodar Krai, just north of the southern Russian border. It sprawls along the shores of the Black Sea against the background of the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains. The city has been selected to host the XXII Olympic Winter Games in 2014.

1 round;2 round; 3 round; 4 round; 5 round; 6 round; 7 round;
8 round; 9 round;10 round; 11 round; 12 round; 13 round Read the rest of this entry »

New product: Total Chess Training III
Total Chess Training III (download or CD versions) is the third compilation of five popular training programs, that covers some aspects of chess: Tactics, Combinations, Strategy and Middlegame: Advanced Chess School Chess Tactics for Beginners Chess Combinations Encyclopedia Encyclopedia of Middlegame III Encyclopedia of Middlegame IV

New products: Rybka 3 Aquarium, Rybka UCI and Chess Assistant 10 with Rybka 3

We are glad to inform you about release of the following new programs soon:- Rybka 3 Aquarium (for download or DVD) – Deep Rybka 3 Aquarium (for download or DVD) – Rybka 3 UCI without interface (for download or CD) – Deep Rybka 3 UCI without interface (for download or CD) – Upgrade Chess Assistant 10 Starter package with Rybka 3 (for download or DVD) – Upgrade Chess Assistant 10 Professional package with Deep Rybka 3 (for download or DVD) – Chess Assistant 10 Starter package with Rybka 3 (for download or DVD) – Chess Assistant 10 Professional package with Deep Rybka 3 (for download or DVD) – Chess Assistant 10 Mega package with Deep Rybka 3 and Gold Nalimov Tablebases (DVD) The sales will be started 2008, August, 4 You can already pre-order these products in our on-line shop www.chessok.com Read detailed description of new products and articles about Rybka 3 and GUI Rybka Aquarium by Dadi Jonsson here.

41st Biel International Chess Festival
The 41st Biel International Chess Festival takes place 19th July – 1st August 2008. Alekseev won the title after a playoff 2.5-1.5 by winning game four and thus avoided taking the match into a sudden death.
From the left: Leinier Dominguez, Etienne Bacrot, Alexander Onischuk, Yannick Pelletier, Evgeny Alekseev, Magnus Carlsen

1 round; 2 round; 3 round;4 round; 5 round; 6 round; 7 round; 8 round; 9 round; 10 round; Playoff;

North Urals Cup 2008. Krasnoturinsk
The North Urals Cup takes place in Krasnoturinsk (Sverdlovsk region) July 26th – August 3rd 2008. This is the strongest women’s tournament ever. The tournament is held according to all-play-all basis. Time control: 90 minutes for the whole game, an increment of 30 seconds per move. 1 round; 2 round; 3 round; 4 round; 5 round; 6 round; 7 round