I'm still working on the next version, and it will take some time until the release comes. The main reason is that I've converted the MegaBase 2014 of ChessBase (~5.7 Mio games) to Scidb's format, and the opening tree search is too slow for such a huge database. So I developed a new tree search algorithm, but the implementation is very, very time consuming, because this algorithm requires an elaborated, clean, and algebraically closed set of ECO lines (variations). This set will contain more than 70.000 lines. The algorithm is still untested, without a clean and complete set of lines I cannot get comprehensive test results.
I don't like to work continuously on these lines, I need some diversion from time to time, so I'm implementing other stuff concurrently. This is an estimated overview about the features and fixes of next release: * Tip-of-the-Day dialog integrated, with 26 tips so far (and 31 images). * Engine support: now the evaluation edges (+/=, +/-, ++--) are user-settable. * Engine support: will show more info like NPS and TBHits. * Engine support: new mode "Opponent's view" will show the threats of the opponent. * Engine support: move might be added as a comment. * Engine support: all the lines are mergeable into the game. * Engine support: now offers 1,2,4,6,8 multi-pv lines. * Engine support: pause/resume is really working (no engine restart). * Engine support: the selection of memory size is tweaked. * Engine support: Windows executables now directly usable, for example Houdini (an Ippolit clone?). * Arena opening books implemented (but not yet tested). * Opening tree window: optionally the search looks inside variations; of course this might slow down the search enormously if enabled. * Board pane: optionally threatened squares will be highlighted, but currently there is no engine behind this feature, only a quick estimation. This feature is dedicated to beginners, as a simple help to notice possible threats. * Board: optionally draw a mark on promoted pieces (Zhouse only). * Database maintenance: stripping comments based on a language selection is implemented. * Database maintenance: stripping variations from games is implemented. * Database export: the language set of the exported comments is now selectable, but only if the source is a Scidb or a ChessBase database. * New notation style added, named Minimal Algebraic Notation: omitting check sign '+', capture sign 'x', and promotion sign '=', for a compact display (inspired by pgn4web). * New notation style German Short Algebraic Notation: in traditional German notation "Nxe4" will be written as "Ne4:". * New notation styles: Reversible Algebraic Notation, Smith Notation. * Game browser: graphic enhanced for Crazyhouse games. * Severe bug in bitfield fixed, which has caused severe side effects on 64 bit machines. Many thanks to Hansruedi Glauser for his patch. * Enhancement in drawing of arrows on board: now it is handling overlapping (but not yet optimal). * New board themes "Mystic" and "Akira", the latter is my new favorite (see screenshot http://scidb.sf.net/images/Akira.png) * Comment editor now supports hyperlinks (with Wiki syntax). * Some more fixes and enhancements in comment dialog, works nearly perfect now. * Another feature in game editor: move transpositions in sub-variations will be marked with a link sign, a click on this link sign goes to the referenced position, and hovering the sign is highlighting the referenced position. This is especially useful for (human) analysis, move transpositions (or position repetition) could no longer be overlooked. * Overworked PGN writer: the new writer is producing a clean formatted output. * Game editor: severe bug in layout algorithm fixed. * Database tab: new tab "Start positions", especially useful for Chess 960 and FICS variants. * Database tab: new tab "Opening classification". Shows an opening tree by variations, all games in the database will be classified to a variation independent from move order. * Opening tree (board tab): overworked algorithm, now the search inside opening lines should be faster (hopefully, not yet tested). * ECO classification: now works perfectly; so far as the ECO file don't has errors; and with the restriction that in some cases the ECO classification is unclear/ambigious. * Game editor: inserting a diagram in a Zhouse game will also show the holding (suggested by Lars). * Database switcher: layout problems fixed, mouse wheel handling integrated. * New file type .cbj: contains an optional database specific icon set. * The sliding variation pane now will optionally show move assessments. * Help dialog and crosstable: the font is user-settable, some default fonts are pre-selected. * CBH Decoder: memory leak fixed. * Snapshot of game board implemented. * Tournament table: new tie-breaks "Solkoff Buchholz", "Cumulative Opponent's Score". This supports the USCF tie-break rules. * New game list field "Move List", showing the first 40 moves of a game. * HTML widget: window update reworked, the original update algorithm didn't work properly with large documents (X11 has some 16 bit limits). * Database export: exporting the database to another binary database format now requires very little memory, the size of the destination database is no longer restricted by memory size. * PGN reader: now will auto-detect the piece set. * Window management: now is handling multi-display screens, but this still needs more testing. * Game links implemented: links inside a game to another game in same database. A game link has some magic, it is 100% copy safe (copying games with links to another database). * CQL: overwork of CQL documents, many errors and inaccuracies eliminated. Some superfluous keywords eliminated. Many new keywords: - :accumulate* (position): is counting for each color separately. - :cond (match/position): conditional evaluation. - :endgameevaluation (position): end-game evaluation with the use of tablebases (on disk). - :eithercolor (match): color switch transformation for the match list. - :goodbishop (position): evaulation of bishops. - :goodgame (match): ChessBase estimation of good games. - :halfmovenumber (position): range of plies. - :insidevariation (position): position inside a sub-variation? - :ischeck: next move gives check? - :ischess960, :isshufflechess, :startposition (position): adopted from match list - :isnull (position): next move is null move? - :line (position): this powerful keyword makes the search for move sequences much easier. - :pawncount (position): a very powerful keyword matching any types of pawn attributes or pawn formations (50 different attributes, 16 different count methods, all mutually combinable). - :pawncountdifference (position): a powerful keyword computing the difference for any types of pawns. - :piececountdifference (position): a powerful keyword computing the difference of pieces. - :rating* (match): match average rating. - :ratingdifference (match): match rating difference. - :repetitioncount (position): finding a sequence of repeating position charactersitics. - :skip (position): skip a position. - :xor (match/position): exclusive or. Cheers, Gregor
