ScpcPGN - analysis of PGN files annotated by Scid vs. PC

external link:


Stockfish
development versions

the latest versions of Stockfish

internal links:


evaluation relevance reduction

move and position evaluations together with NAG and Informator symbols

Keyboard layout for chess annotation

ScpcPGN - download:


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program ScpcPGN - development version 19th January 2021
ZIP file [1.76 MB]: ScpcPGN.zip
in the ScpcPGN GUI click on the button 'English'



Preliminary note:
This article was written in the original in German. The English translation comes from the author too. A sufficient quality of the translation cannot be guaranteed.

ScpcPGN - a Windows program that the world doesn't need, at most some users of the Chess GUI Scid vs. PC



What can ScpcPGN do?

Intelligent processing of PGN files annotated with Scid vs. PC along with generation of browser and spreadsheet files with game analysis. It appropriates thereby the knowledges described in the article 'Evaluation Relevance Reduction'.

1) The program package contains:



2) Automatic game annotation by remote control of Scid vs. PC:

ScpcPGN relies for its analysis function on games annotated by Scid vs. PC and saved in PGN files. However, Scid vs. PC has only limited automatic game annotation, as it does not offer a multi-variation mode (‘MultiPV’), which inserts several variations per game move into the notation. Reference is made to this fruitless discussion with the programme author Steven Atkinson. While ScpcPGN is able to process only one annotated variation per game move (single-variation mode), but the analysis function is considerably limited as a result.

However, there is still the option of manual move annotation by clicking on the button '++V' with the tooltip 'Add All Variations' in the engine analysis window. To the right, the number of variations can be set. The only problem is the work involved in the perpetual clicks, not to mention the adherence to a fixed evaluation time for all the moves to be annotated.

Now ScpcPGN comes into play. The ScpcPGN GUI section ‘Scpc game analysis’ can be used to automate the addition of engine variations and annotations in Scid vs. PC by remotely controlling Scid vs. PC from ScpcPGN. If you should dare to do this, you should, in your own interest, carefully read and observe the notes on preparation that appear after starting this function. After all the author excludes any liability for any damage due to malfunctions of ScpcPGN and in particular due to malfunctions of this special program feature (see the attached file 'COPYING'). Mystically speaking: After starting this program function, the user's computer is in the power of fate! A goodness proposal for jumpy souls: Modestly start the game analysis with only a few half moves and then check what all has crashed …

On the one hand, the 'analysis time per move in seconds' can be set.

When choosing the 'half moves forward (+x) / backward (-x)' to be commented on, it should be noted that the half-moves available in the relevant game direction do not exceed the value entered.

You will not find a choice of single- or multi-variation mode here. As described above, this must be done in the engine analysis window.

Now we come to the most delicate point. The '++V' button in the engine analysis window must be found and activated by ScpcPGN by means of an identification number. This number must be entered in the ScpcPGN GUI under 'Instance'. The problem is, however, that it changes depending on the window arrangement in Scid vs. PC.

The following window arrangement is therefore recommended:
board top left;
'Game info' window on the left below the board;
'PGN Window' top right;
engine analysis window on the right below the 'PGN Window'.

With this window arrangement, experience shows that the 'Instance' is 9 or 10 - with emphasis on 10. This setup also has 2 advantages. It only contains what is necessary for the annotation and one can directly follow the progress of the variation insertion in the 'PGN Window'.

Since it is ultimately up to the user to find out the correct setting on his system, here is a tip: To determine the appropriate 'instance' value, one can use the tool 'Au3Info.exe', which is included in the downloadable program package of AutoIt. It can also be downloaded individually from this website. After the start the 'Finder Tool' must be dragged on the button '++V' with the tooltip 'Add All Variations' in the engine analysis window. The following can then be read under 'Basic Control Info':

Class: Button
Instance: x
where the 'x' stands for the instance you are looking for.

During the analysis by the chess engine you can switch to another window or program. If then Scid vs. PC has to insert an engine evaluation, ScpcPGN will hopefully automatically switch to Scid vs. PC in the background and back to the previously used window or program after the work is done.

3) Processing and analysis of engine variations and annotations:

ScpcPGN uses engine variations and comments, which are inserted by Scid vs. PC into the game notation with a manual or automatic click on the '++V' button in the engine analysis window while the engine analysis is running.

These engine comments can optionally be used for automatic annotation of moves and/or variations with various analysis data and/or move evaluation symbols (!!, !, ?, ?!, ? and ??) and/or for generating an analysis HTML file to be saved and/or for saving analysis data to the clipboard for a spreadsheet program.

A PGN file prepared in this way by Scid vs. PC is loaded by clicking on the button "start of PGN file".

4) Insertion of game move comments into the PGN file:

ScpcPGN inserts comments after those game moves for which Scid vs. PC provides it with data. To this, it replaces the text modules utilized by the user in the format #...# in the ScpcPGN GUI in the text input field under the heading ‘insertion of game move comments’, if this option is selected. But the text definition in the supplied ‘Scpc.par’ file using any editor in line 18 is much more convenient.

The following text modules are available:


5) Insertion of variation move comments into the PGN file:

ScpcPGN can also modify and extend the variation move comments coming from Scid vs PC. To this, it replaces the text modules utilized by the user in the format #...# in the ScpcPGN GUI in the text input field under the heading 'modification of engine comments at variation start', if this option is selected. But the text definition in the supplied 'Scpc.par' file using any editor in line 20 is much more convenient. Of course, ScpcPGN adopts again the user-selectable explanatory texts between the modules.

Not all of the text modules listed in paragraph 4) above make sense here. For variations can be used:



6) ASCII/Unicode characters in PGN files:

Scid vs. PC and Aquarium know how to handle Unicode characters in PGN files. However nitial tests with Arena, Kvetka and Shredder Classic 4 were negative. If one of these programmes should be selected as output programme in the ScpcPGN GUI, ScpcPGN will therefore try to convert some used Unicode characters into ASCII characters. At present, this still has plenty of experimental character.

The AqChessUnicode font has chess Unicode characters, especially the chess figurines. If AqChessUnicode is not available, the following download link may be helpful: AqChessUnicode font. This font is also included in the chess GUI Aquarium.

The recommendable '∑' (sum) and 'ø' (average) characters contained in the ‘Scp.par’ file can be found under hexadecimal 2211 or decimal 8721 and hexadecimal F8 or decimal 248.

In the text outside the actual text modules, you should use the fixed, non-breaking space character (hexadecimal A0 or decimal 160) in suitable places. Otherwise the chess programs could mercilessly break such text in the annotation on the right side.

If there is a selection of Aquarium according to paragraph ?), the normal hyphen should be avoided under certain circumstances and replaced by the protected or non-breaking hyphen (hexadecimal 2011 or decimal 8209). However, if you intend to load the PGN files into Arena, Kvetka or Shredder Classic 4, you should refrain from the non-breaking hyphen due to lack of Unicode character recognition in these programs (as well as from the fixed space character, by the way); you could then use the underscore '_'.

This programme description will be continued steadily.

Contact: mail@konrod.info


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program ScpcPGN - development version 19th January 2021
ZIP file [1.76 MB]: ScpcPGN.zip
in the ScpcPGN GUI click on the button 'English'








 

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