Ntest Instructions

Introduction

This is for Ntest's command-line interface. For a graphical user interface click on NBoard.exe.

Ntest no longer needs to go in a specific directory. Just unzip it somewhere. This version of Ntest ships with a small book generated at depth s30 (30-ply midgame). Ntest has a different book for each depth. You can use the many self-play features of Ntest to generate your own book at a level you choose.

To tweak Ntest for maximum performance and to set the depth for computer2 in computer/computer matches, edit parameters.txt

Running Ntest

the command line is
Ntest <mode> <search params> <# games> <opening>

# games (optional):

only used in game mode. Ntest will save its book every so often, so you can kill the program (control-c) and not lose the whole book.

opening  (optional):

filename containing a GGF file with an opening. If specified, games will start from the final position in the first game of the GGF file. Otherwise games start from the standard starting position.

In Analysis mode, only games matching the final position of the opening file will be analyzed.

Notes

  1. When playing as human type '?' for a current list of cheat codes. There aren't many, but the "load" and "save" will save in GGF format for an opening file or for review in NBoard.
  2. You can have the computer force a specific opening (or openings). The file "black.ggf" (in the directory where you typed the command to start the program) contains one or more openings the computer will play as black. The file "white.ggf" contains the openings the computer will play as white.

Copyright

Chris Welty 1999-2004.