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If you click on the position shown above, you will be able to see the Mate in 9 moves that Gothic Vortex found in 6 seconds
against another Gothic Chess program from Germany. It involved the sacrificing of two pieces, leading to a spectacular finish.
Gothic Vortex is a sophisticated Bitboard search engine that is largely based on the
source code made publicly available by Dr. Robert Hyatt of Cray Blitz and
Crafty fame.
We did get his approval to use the Crafty source code to build our own project. A team of five individuals
working over the internet integrated additional sophisticated features to the program, allowing it to
announce checkmate from a distance
of 268 moves, while playing every move along the way instantly and with perfect precision.
Since it is derived from Crafty, it uses many of the innovative components found in its World Class construction, plus a few of our own
specialized technological creations. Gothic Vortex features all of the technologies listed below:
- 80-bit Search Engine
- Static Exchange Evaluator (SEE)
- Finely Tuned Evaluation Function
- Alpha-Beta Nega-Max Principal Variation Search
- Iterative Deepening
- Fractional Depth Search Extensions
- History Heuristic
- Killer-Move Heuristic
- Frequency Filtering Heuristic
- Multiple Hash Tables
- Real-Time Searching of Compressed Endgame Tablebases in RAM
For those who are programmers, or knowledgeable computer science aficionados, the "nuts & bolts" of the Gothic Vortex
high-performance search engine are available on this page.
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Gothic Vortex is a very fast, highly intelligent program that plays the game of Gothic Chess. It runs on the PC Platform
under the Windows operating system. In time, the Macintosh OS X platform will be supported as well. There are currently
three (3) versions of Gothic Vortex: Gold III, Gold IV, and Gold V.
Each of these items are explained in detail below.
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The image shown on the left is a 50% reduced view of one of the most difficult checkmates to execute with only three pieces on the board.
Click the image for a larger view of it. The side with the Archbishop can checkmate the lone king in 21 moves with perfect play by both sides.
Gothic Vortex Gold III can play this, and every one of the 1.5 million endgame positions in its tablebase, with perfect precision, moving instantly
along the way.
This tablebase can be probed in RAM as the program searches. This enables Gothic Vortex Gold III to find mates from a distance of up to 29 moves away, playing
perfectly before entering into them, and allowing it to announce mate instantly once within the pre-computed positions.
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Each of the Gold editions of Gothic Vortex features a very attractive board (click on the image on the left to see this position which is a mate in 78 moves!)
Even if you let Gold III search for 10 days continuously, it would not be able to announce the winning move and distance to the end of the game for the position
shown on the left. It takes an astonishing 165 plies to win this position, and Gold IV can announce this win instantly!
The Gold editions also come with PGN notation support (import/export, annotation for any position) and the largest opening book
configuration with over 30,000 of the best moves ever played in strong Gothic Chess tournaments.
Gold IV is available for $75, and it has over
839 million endgame positions that are a part of its enhanced knowledgebase. Gold IV can instantly solve wins that
Gold III would not be able to do even if searching for 10 days or more per position, so it is much, much stronger
in the endgame. And, because the databases are probed in RAM during the search, this endgame knowledge trickles down
the tree and leads to much stronger play in the middlegame as well. Gold IV is a very powerful playing partner.
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Gothic Vortex Gold V contains a massive knowledgebase of over 300 billion positions that can be probed
in a RAM buffer during the search. These endgames in Gothic Chess are so complex, no human genius could ever master
them. Gothic Vortex Gold V can not only play them perfectly once they occur over the board, it can factor this information
into the game tree as the search is conducted. Because these databases are so large, Gold V comes pre-installed on its
own external hard drive. For this reason, Gothic Vortex Gold V is available for $250. If you want a World Champion for
a sparring partner, then Gold V is the version for you.
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1. Qe2! Qg8+ 2. Ka7! Qg7+ 3. Ka6! Qa1+ 4. Kb7 Qb2+ 5. Kc6 Qf6+ 6. Kc5 Qf5+ 7.
Kd6 Qf8+ 8. Kd7! Qf7+ 9. Qe7 Qd5+ 10. Qd6! Qb7+ 11. Ke6 Qe4+ 12. Kf6 Qf3+ 13.
Ke5 Qe2+ 14. Kf5 Qf3+ 15. Qf4 Qd5+ 16. Kf6 Qc6+ 17. Ke5 Qb5+ 18. Ke4 Qb1+ 19.
Ke3 Qe1+ 20. Kd3 Qc1 21. Ke2 Qc2 22. Ke3 Qc1 23. Kf2 Qc2 24. Kg3 Qg6+ 25. Kf3
Qd3+ 26. Qe3 Qf5+ 27. Kg3 Qi5+ 28. Kg4 Qi6+ 29. Kf4 Qf6+ 30. Kg3! Qj6+ 31.
Kf3! Qi6+ 32. Kf2 Qi5+ 33. Ke2 Qb5+ 34. Ke1 Qb1+ 35. Kf2 Qa2 36. Kg3 Qg8+ 37.
Kf4 Qj8+ 38. Kf5 Qf8+ 39. Ke6 Qc8+ 40. Kd6 Qd8+ 41. Kc6 Qa8+ 42. Kb5 Qb7+ 43.
Ka5 Qa8+ 44. Kb4 Qb7+ 45. Ka3 Qa6+ 46. Kb2 Qb5+ 47. Qb3 Qe5+ 48. Qc3! Qb5+ 49.
Ka3 Qa6+ 50. Kb4 Qb6+ 51. Kc4 Qc6+ 52. Kd4 Qd6+ 53. Ke4 Qg6+ 54. Kd5 Qg8+ 55.
Kc5 Qc8+ 56. Kd4 Qg8 57. Qc6+ Ki2 58. Qd7+! Ki3 59. Kc3 Qa2 60. Qd6 Qa1+ 61.
Kc4 Qc1+ 62. Kb5 Qb1+ 63. Qb4 Qd3+ 64. Kc6! Ki2 65. Qi4+ Kh2 66. Qh5+! Kg1 67.
Qd5! Qa6+ 68. Kd7! Qa7+ 69. Ke6! Qb6+ 70. Kf5 Qf2+ 71. Ke5 Qe2+ 72. Kf6 Qf2+
73. Ke7 Qa7+ 74. Qd7 Qc5+ 75. Qd6! Qg5+ 76. Ke6 Qg6+ 77. Kd7! Qg4+ 78. Kc6
Qa4+ 79. Kb7 Qe4+ 80. Kb6 Qb1+ 81. Ka6 Qa2+ 82. Kb7 Qf7+ 83. Kc6 Qf3+ 84. Qd5
Qf6+ 85. Kc5 Qa6 86. Kb4! Kf2 87. Qb5! Qe6 88. Kc3! Kf3 89. Qd3+ Kg2 90. Qc4!
Qe1 91. Qg4+ Kh2 92. Qf4+ Kg2 93. Kb2 Qe2 94. Qi4+ Kh2 95. Qh4+ Ki2 96. Kc2
Kj3 97. Kc3 Qf3+ 98. d3 Qe3 99. Qd4 Qh6 100. Qd5 Qe3 101. Kc4 Qa7 102. Qc5
Qa2+ 103. Kc3! Qa1+ 104. Kd2 Qa2+ 105. Ke3 Qe6+ 106. Kd4 Qg4+ 107. Kc3! Qg3
108. Qf5 Qc7+ 109. Kd2 Qd6 110. Ke3 Qh6+ 111. Ke4 Qc6+ 112. Qd5 Qg6+ 113. Kf3
Qf6+ 114. Ke2 Qj2+ 115. Ke3 Qe7+ 116. Kd4 Qh4+ 117. Kc5 Qe7+ 118. Kb6 Qf6+
119. Kb5 Qb2+ 120. Kc6 Qc3+ 121. Kd7 Qg7+ 122. Ke8 Qh8+ 123. Ke7 Qh4+ 124. Kd7
Qh3+ 125. Kc7 Qg3+ 126. Kc6 Qg6+ 127. Kc5 Qa6 128. Qf3+ Ki4 129. Qg4+ Ki5 130.
Qd7 Qa5+ 131. Qb5! Qc7+ 132. Kd5 Qd8+ 133. Ke6+! Ki4 134. Qd5 Qg8+ 135. Ke5
Qg5+ 136. Kd4 Qg7+ 137. Kc4 Qc7+ 138. Qc5 Qf7+ 139. Kc3 Qf3 140. Qd6 Kh3 141.
Qe6+! Kg3 142. Kc4 Qf1 143. Qg8+! Kh4 144. Qd5! Kg4 145. Kb5! Kg3 146. Qg5+
Kh2 147. Qe3 Kg2 148. Kb4 Qb1+ 149. Kc5! Qc2+ 150. Kd6! Qc8 151. d4 Qd8+ 152.
Kc5 Qc7+ 153. Kb4 Qb6+ 154. Kc3 Qa5+ 155. Kc4 Qa6+ 156. Kc5 Qa5+ 157. Kc6 Qa8+
158. Kd7 Qd5+ 159. Ke7 Qb7+ 160. Kf8 Qb8+ 161. Kg7 Qc7+ 162. Kg6 Qc6+ 163. Kg5
Qa8 164. Qe2+ Kg1 165. Qe5 Qj8+ 166. Kg6 Qj6+ 167. Kf7 Qj3+ 168. Ke7 Qi3+ 169.
Kd7 Qh3+ 170. Kc7 Qc3+ 171. Qc5 Qg3+ 172. Qd6 Qc3+ 173. Kd7 Qh3+ 174. Kc6 Kh1
175. d5 Qh8 176. Kb5 Qh7 177. Kb6 Qh8 178. Qe7 Qb2+ 179. Kc6 Qc2+ 180. Qc5 Qe4
181. Kb6 Qb1+ 182. Qb5 Qg6+ 183. Kc5 Qf5 184. Qe2 Ki1 185. Qe1+ Kh2 186. Qh4+
Ki1 187. Kd4 Qf1 188. Qg3+ Kj2 189. Qj6+ Ki1 190. Qi6+ Kj2 191. d6 Qa1+ 192.
Kd5 Qa8+ 193. Ke5 Qb8 194. Qj5+ Ki2 195. Qg2+ Ki1 196. Qc6 Qh8+ 197. Ke6 Qh3+
198. Ke7 Qh4+ 199. Kd7 Qh7+ 200. Kc8 Qg8+ 201. Kc7 Qg3 202. Qc4 Ki2 203. Qb4
Qe5 204. Kc6 Qe6 205. Qb2+ Ki1 206. Qc1+ Ki2 207. Qi7+ Kj3 208. Qj7+ Ki4 209.
Kc7 Qc4+ 210. Kd8! Qg8+ 211. Kd7 Qg3 212. Qe7 Kj4 213. Qj2+ Ki5 214. Qd2 Ki6
215. Kc6 Qf3+ 216. Kc7 Qf5 217. Qe2+ Kj6 218. Qc4 Qa5+ 219. Kb7 Qf5 220. Qc6
Qb1+ 221. Kc7 Qi1 222. Qd5 Ki6 223. Qf5 Kj6 224. Kd7 Qg3 225. Ke6 Qb3+ 226.
Kf6 Qi3+ 227. Kf7 Qi7+ 228. Kf8 Qh8+ 229. Ke7 Qi7+ 230. Qf7 Qc1 231. Qf6+ Ki7
232. d7 Qc5+ 233. Ke8 Qb5 234. Qc3 Ki8 235. Ke7 Qg5+ 236. Kd6 Qh6+ 237. Kc7
Qf4+ 238. Kb7 Qe4+ 239. Kb6 Qb1+ 240. Kc7 Qi1+ 241. Kc8 Qi2 242. Qd3+ Kj8 243.
Qg6 Qh3 244. Qg8+ Ki7 245. Qg7+ Kj6 246. Qf6+ Ki5 247. Kc7 Qh7 248. Qd4 Ki6
249. Kb7 Kj7 250. Ka8 Qh1+ 251. Ka7 Qh7 252. Qd1+ Ki7 253. Qc1+ Kj6 254. Qc7
Qh8 255. d8Q Qa1+ 256. Kb8 Qb1+ 257. Qb6+ Qxb6+ 258. Qxb6+! Ki5 259. Qb4 Ki6
260. Qi4+ Kh6 261. Kc7 Kg5 262. Kc6 Kf6 263. Qh5 Kg7 264. Kd5 Kf6 265. Kd6 Kg7
266. Ke6 Kg8 267. Kf6 Kf8 268. Qh8# 1-0
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1. Kb2! Nc5 2. Ai8! Kf2 3. Kc3! Kf3 4. Kd4! Nb3+ 5. Kd5 Nd2 6. Aj7+! Kg2 7.
Ah5 Bb4 8. Ai4+! Kf2 9. Ah3+! Kg3 10. Ai5+ Kg2 11. Ae1+ Kh3 12. Ke6 Kg4 13.
Ad3! Ba5 14. Ae2+ Kg5 15. Ke5 Bc7+ 16. Kd5! Bb6 17. Ai6+ Kf5 18. Ag7+! Kg5 19.
Ke6 Kh4 20. Af5+! Kg5 21. Ah3+ Kh4 22. Af4 Nf3 23. Ad5! Nd4+ 24. Ke5 Ba7 25.
Ae4 Kh3 26. Af2+ Kg2 27. Ae3+ Kf3 28. Ad1+ Kg2 29. Ke4 Ne6 30. Af3+ Kh3 31.
Ke5! Nd4 32. Ai6 Nc6+ 33. Ke4 Bb8 34. Aj4+ Ki4 35. Ah6+! Kj3 36. Af5 Ne5 37.
Ag3! Ki3 38. Kd5! Kj2 39. Ah2 Ki2 40. Af4 Kh1 41. Ke4 Ki2 42. Ae2 Nf7 43. Ag4+
Kh1 44. Ae6 Ne5 45. Ah3 Kh2 46. Af1+ Ki3 47. Aa6! Nd7 48. Kf5! Bi1 49. Af1 Ne5
50. Kg5! Nf3+ 51. Kh5! Nh2 52. Ag3 Nj3 53. Ae4 Nh2 54. Af5 Nj3 55. Aj1+ Kj4
56. Ag4 Bb8 57. Ad7 Bi1 58. Af6 Nh2 59. Ag5 Nj3 60. Ki6 Bg3 61. Af6 Nh4+ 62.
Kh5! Be1 63. Ag4 Kj3 64. Ah3 Ki3 65. Ag1+ Kj3 66. Kg5 Bg3 67. Kg4 Ni2 68. Af3
Ki3 69. Ag2+ Kh2 70. Af1+ Ki3 71. Aj5+ Kh2 72. Kh5 Bd6 73. Ai4+ Kg1 74. Ah3+
Kh2 75. Ag4+ Ki1 76. Ac8 Bc7 77. Ah3+ Kh2 78. Ai4+ Ki3 79. Ag2+ Kj4 80. Ah3+
Ki3 81. Ag4+ Kj3 82. Ae6 Bd6 83. Af7! Bb8 84. Ae8! Ki3 85. Af6+! Kj3 86. Ad7
Bf4 87. Ae8 Bg3 88. Kg4+ Ki3 89. Kf3 Bh4 90. Ah5+! Kh2 91. Ai4+ Ki3 92. Ag2+
Kh2 93. Af1+ Kh1 94. Kg4 Bd8 95. Ai4 Ng1 96. Ag3+ Kg2 97. Af4+ Kf2 98. Ad5 Ne2
99. Ac6 Bb6 100. Ae4+! Kg1 101. Ad3 Nd4 102. Kf4 Kg2 103. Ac4 Ba7 104. Ae3+
Kh3 105. Ag4+ Kg2 106. Ke4 Nb3 107. Ae5 Nd4 108. Af4+ Kh1 109. Ae3 Ki2 110.
Ag4+ Kj3 111. Ac8 Nc6 112. Kd5 Nb4+ 113. Ke6 Bc5 114. Kf5 Nc2 115. Ab7 Bb6
116. Kg4 Ki3 117. Ag2+ Kh2 118. Af4+ Ki3 119. Kg3 Ne3 120. Ag5+ Ki2 121. Ah4+
Ki1 122. Aj3+ Kj2 123. Ah1+ Ki1 124. Ac6 Bc7+ 125. Kf3 Bb6 126. Ad7 Nc4 127.
Kg3 Bc7+ 128. Kg2 Ne3+ 129. Kg1 Kj2 130. Ae6 Bb6 131. Kh2 Nf1+ 132. Kh3 Ne3
133. Af7 Ba7 134. Ai4+ Ki1 135. Ag3+ Kj2 136. Ki4 Ng4 137. Ah1+ Ki1 138. Ac6
Bf2 139. Ag2+ Kh2 140. Af3+ Kg3 141. Ae2+! Kh2 142. Axg4+ Kg2 143. Ae2 Ba7
144. Kh4 Kf2 145. Ad1+ Ke1 146. Af3+ Kf1 147. Kh3 Bb6 148. Ae5 Kf2 149. Kg4
Ba7 150. Af4 Ke1 151. Kf3 Kd1 152. Ad3 Kd2 153. Ac4+ Kc2 154. Ke2 Bg1 155. Ae6
Ba7 156. Ad7 Kb3 157. Kd3 Bg1 158. Af8 Bf2 159. Ae7 Bi5 160. Ac5+ Kb2 161.
Ad4+ Ka3 162. Kc4 Bh4 163. Ac3 Bg5 164. Ab5+ Kb2 165. Ad4+ Kc1 166. Ac3 Bh6
167. Kd3 Bi5 168. Ke2 Bj4 169. Ad4 Bi3 170. Kd3 Bg5 171. Ae5 Bj2 172. Kc3 Bd8
173. Ag4 Ba5+ 174. Kd3 Bd8 175. Ae3+ Kb2 176. Kd2 Ba5+ 177. Kd1 Kb3 178. Ad5+
Ka3 179. Kc2 Be1 180. Ae7+ Bb4 181. Ac6 Bf8 182. Ad7 Be7 183. Ab5+ Kb4 184.
Ac6+ Kc5 185. Axe7+ Kd4 186. Ag6 Kc4 187. Ah8 Kd5 188. Kd3 Kc5 189. Ke4 Kc6
190. Ad4+ Kd7 191. Af5+ Ke8 192. Kd5 Kf7 193. Ke5 Ke8 194. Ke6 Kf8 195. Ah6+
Ke8 196. Kd6 Kd8 197. Ag7 Kc8 198. Kc6 Kb8 199. Kb6 Ka8 200. Ae6 Kb8 201. Ka6
Ka8 202. Ac7# 1-0
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