maro's Rebel 8.0 Report

by Manfred Rosenboom (maro)

Contents

• Prologue
• HW/SW Configuration
• General Impression
• Playing Strength
• Database Functions
• Book Functions
• Remaining Options
• Missing Features
• Summary

• Rebel 8.0 Option Overview

Prologue

As a beta tester of Rebel 8.0, I had the opportunity, to use this brand new program version two month before general availability to the public. But no rose without thorns: to get this privilege, I should write in return a report about my impressions of Rebel 8.0. Well, a man should at least try to grow with his burdens ;-)

HW/SW Configuration

In testing Rebel 8.0, I used mainly my Windows 95 based Pentium 90 notebook with 32 MB RAM. All tests are run in the pure MS-DOS mode. Also a Pentium 75 based PC with 16 MB RAM and MS-DOS V6.2 was used.

General Impression

Rebel 8.0 is the newest product of Schröder BV in the Rebel chess program line. Like all its predecessor's, Rebel 8.0 is a MS-DOS program. Despite this fact, Rebel 8.0 is a program with a comfortable user interface. To be more precise: in my opinion Rebel 8.0 is the MS-DOS based chess program with the best user interface.

Playing Strength

Rebel 7.0 is reported with a ELO rate of 2412 (on a Pentium 90) in the August list of the SSDF. It is to expect, that Rebel 8.0 will have the same or a even better rating (Rebel 8.0 itself shows a ELO rate of 2432 in the OPT/Elo-Rating menu entry on a Pentium 90 with 32 MB RAM).

Database Functions

Like Rebel 6 and 7 before, database functions are part of Rebel 8.0. All Rebel versions (6, 7 and 8) are using the same Rebel specific database format. An import/export of this format from/to PGN and NicBase is supported directly by the Rebel 8.0 program. Import/export from/to ChessBase is available by the external utility program TB.EXE (shipped with Rebel 8.0). For me as a ChessBase user this is a drawback, but it could be worse.

A lot of search and statistics functions are integrated into Rebel 8.0. Therefore Rebel 8.0 can also be used as a small chess database with an integrated (very strong) chess engine. In principle, no special chess database is necessary to manage your own tournament results. The main missing database features for this purpose are print options.

For all available options, see the Rebel 8.0 menu descriptions DAT and PGN.

Book Functions

Due to the competitors, the Rebel 8.0 beta version was shipped with the Rebel 7.0 opening books (around 550.000 moves). The opening book of Rebel 8.0 will be an improved and even extended version (around 850.000 moves). Further opening books are available by Schröder BV.

New in Rebel 8.0 is the opening book editor for Rebel userbooks (.RBM files). With this editor, you can create your own Rebel opening books from scratch, or change/extend existing userbooks. With the option "Import DB > userbook" you can build a book with a special opening repertoire.

Also new in Rebel 8.0 is the import of Chessmaster 4000, Fritz and Genius books into the Rebel book format (.MVS). And the join function (melting two or more Rebel format books into one big Rebel format book).

The only tool I miss is a converter from userbook format (.RBM) into Rebel format (.MVS) and vice versa.

See the menu description MVS for details.

Remaining Options

Analysis

The game analysis features (menu LEV) are extended in Rebel 8.0 compared with Rebel 7. You can now decide to analyse both white and black moves or only to analyse the white, respectively black, moves only. With "Analysis Power" you can now restrict the analysis by choosing up to six moves, which are analysed exclusively as next move. "Game overview" (menu EXT) shows a game overview in 15 positions (including move number, the move and Rebel's position evaluation). New for position analysing in Rebel 8.0 is the EPD support (menu PGN).

Email Chess

Email chess games, especially games played in an Internet email chess organization like IECC (International Email Chess Club) or IECG (International Email Chess Group) can be managed with the Rebel 8.0 database. Rebel 8.0 supports reading and writing of email chess forms (menu PGN). In reading the email chess forms, the data can directly be written into the Rebel 8.0 database.

Clipboard/simultan playing

Rebel 8.0 supports up to 4 chessboards on parallel (clipboards, menu EXT). This boards can be used for separate games/analyses or for playing 4 simultaneous games. Rebel 8.0 always thinks/analyse for the current active board only.

New Playing levels

Two interesting playing levels are new in Rebel 8.0: Fixed level (Menu LEV) and ELO playing level (Menu OPT). In playing "Fixed level", Rebel 8.0 never compute longer than the given time. In "ELO playing level" Rebel 8.0 play at the given ELO rate. Of course this ELO rate is only a estimated rated, but with this option, you have a "screw" to tune Rebel 8.0 at your own playing strength. Unfortunately, the options "Info", "Show hint" and "Show teacher" (Menu CFG) aren't available in this playing mode.

Missing Features

• A converter from userbook format (.RBM) into Rebel format (.MVS) and vice versa.
• Option "Analyse database" also for complete games
• Options "Info", "Show hint" and "Show teacher" available at playing in ELO mode.

Summary

All in all Rebel 8.0 is a very strong chess engine with a comfortable user interface.

I know the following programs:

• Chessmaster 4000
• Fritz 3/4
• Genius 2/3/4
• IsiChess 2.0
• MChess Pro 5.0
• Nimzo 3
• Rebel Decade/7.0/8.0

The user interface and chess playing style and strength of Rebel 8.0, beside Genius 4, I like most.

Personally I would prefer a Windows based version of Rebel. But on the other hand I can follow Ed's arguments, explained at rec.games.chess.computer, for a MS-DOS based version. But at last, when a truly 32 bit successor of Windows 95 will be available, Ed should made up his mind again.

Last but not least I wish to thank Ed Schröder for his support during testing Rebel 8.0.

Rebel 8.0 Option Overview

Because I can't describe all of the Rebel 8.0 options in detail, here a short description of all Rebel 8.0 menu entries, to see the richness of options in Rebel 8.0:

Menu POS

This menu contains all position related options.

New game

Starts a new game.

Set up

Enter the chessboard position setup editor.

Remove all

Empty the chessboard.

Abort set up

Abort the chessboard position setup editor. And display the last board position.

White to move

White to move (after setup).

Black to move

Black to move (after setup).

Exit to DOS

Exits Rebel 8.0 and save the actual configuration.

Menu LEV

Playing strength related options.

Time

You can choose from the following medium computing times for Rebel 8.0:

• 2 seconds
• 5 seconds
• 10 seconds
• 30 seconds
• 1 minute
• 2 minutes
• 3 minutes
• 6 minutes

Blitz

You can choose from the following max. computing times per match and player:

• 2 minutes
• 5 minutes
• 10 minutes
• 15 minutes
• 30 minutes
• 1 hour
• 2 hour

Handicap

You can choose from the following max. computing times per match and player (1st time: player, 2nd time: Rebel 8.0):

• 10 minutes <> 5 minutes
• 15 minutes <> 5 minutes
• 30 minutes <> 5 minutes
• 60 minutes <> 5 minutes
• 30 minutes <> 10 minutes
• 60 minutes <> 10 minutes

Tournament

You can choose from the following tournament playing times per match and player:

• 40 moves in 01:00
• 60 moves in 01:00
• 40 moves in 01:30
• 60 moves in 01:30
• 40 moves in 02:00
• 60 moves in 02:00
• 40 moves in 02:30
• 60 moves in 02:30

Ply

Rebel 8.0 computes at most up to 1 - 10 plies.

Mate in

Rebel 8.0 can solve mates from 1 - 10 moves.

User level

The user can enter a medium computing time (Format: mm:ss) for Rebel 8.0.

Fixed level

The user can enter a max computing time (Format: mm:ss) per move for Rebel 8.0.

Infinite

Rebel 8.0 computes until a mate is found, or the actual evaluated move is forced by the user.

Analysis

Rebel 8.0 evaluates all legal moves in the actual position.

Analysis Power

Rebel 8.0 evaluates up to six given moves in the actual position.

Menu OPT

General program options.

Player <> Player

Switches of the Rebel autoplay mode. All moves must be entered by the user.

Autoplay on

Back to autoplay mode.

Analyse game

The user can analyse the actual game:

• Analyse for white
• Analyse for black
• Analyse for both

Rebel 8.0 analyse the game with the choosed playing option.

Analyse database

Analyse all games in a database. This option can not be used for game databases, but position databases only, because Rebel analyses the first position of a game only.

Go to move

Search move

Replay game

• Slowly
• Normal
• Fast

Make move note

Enter a move comment.

Game to textfile

Save the actual loaded game moves to a ASCII file.

Permanent brain

Rebel evaluates the position during the user time.

Brute force

Don't use any selective heuristics.

Combination

Selection

1 - 9 or N

Playstyle

Choice of the general playing style:

• Agressive
• Active
• Normal
• Solid
• Defensive

Strength

Choice of the general playing strength:

• Novice
• Intermediate
• Strong

Hashtables

Configuration of the hashtable size (0 to max available RAM).

ELO-rating 2432

Rebel 8.0 plays at the given ELO rate. On a Pentium 90 (32 MB RAM) a ELO rate of 2432 is the default. The user can enter any ELO rate <= this value.

PC-Auto-board

Use the external PC auto board for playing.

Autoplay 232

Use the AUTO232 driver for playing against another program.

Menu DAT

Rebel database options.

Load game

Load a game from database.

Next game

Load the next game from database.

Save game

Save the actual game to database.

Rewrite game

Overwrite the loaded (and changed) game in database.

Delete game

Delete game from database.

Reorganisation db

Reorganize database: free no more needed disk space.

Search names

Search for all games in database with the given player name.

Search for text

Search for all games in database, containing the given text.

Search for moves

Search for all games in database with given move sequence.

Search for position

Search for all games in database with given position.

Game-info

Overviews

• Complete overview
• Top 40 perc
• Top 40 elo
• Tournament
• Match
• Bookopenings

Load database

Load a database (change actual database).

New database

Create a new (empty) database.

Menu MVS

Opening book options.
You have to distinguish between Rebel book format (.MVS) files and userbook (.RBM) ASCII files.

Load opening book

Load a Rebel opening book.

Join opening book

Join two Rebel opening book into one book.

Import book from

Import of a

• Genius
• Fritz
• CM 4000

opening book into Rebel book format.

Overview MVS-file

Load user book

Load a userbook.

New user book

Create a new (empty) userbook.

Make userbook from DB

Create a new userbook from the actual Rebel database. The user can enter the max. number of moves of each game, that will be copied to the userbook.

Edit userbook

Edit an userbook.

Save userbook

Save the edited userbook.

Menu CFG

General program configuration options.

Info

Choice of the informations, displayed in the info box.

None

Usual

Extended

Super

Show hint

If activated, Rebel displays a hint for the next user move.

Characters/Piece-icons

The pieces will either be displayed as characters (K,Q,R,N,B) or as pieces icons in the move box.

Show teacher

If this option is activated, the user gets some information in the info box in pressing ALT T.

Resign

Rebel 8.0 either resigns never (Off), or from the given evaluation value on.

Turn board

Drag pieces/Click on squares

Load piece set

Animation

• None
• Usual
• Fast

Opening book

If activated, the Rebel 8.0 REBEL.MVS opening book will be used.

Tournament book

If activated, the Rebel 8.0 buildin opening book will be used.

User book

If activated, the actual loaded userbook will be used.

Language

The Rebel 8.0 user interface can be displayed in the following languages:

• English
• German
• Spanish
• French
• Dutch

Sound

Switch sound on/off.

Mouse

Switch mouse support on/off.

dd-mm-yyyy/mm-dd-yyyy

Display dates either in day-month-year, or month-day-year format.

Small Pulldown

Save configuration

Save the actual Rebel 8.0 configuration.

Standard config.

Reset to the Rebel 8.0 standard configuration.

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