Analysis Lines

Search output is displayed under the chessboard and navigation bar.

[analysislines.bmp]

The first analysis line:

It contains basic search information updated whenever the engine sends the information to the GUI.

  • The evaluation symbol, an arrow upward means good position, downward a bad position
  • The engine name (yellow background): The name of the engine, given by the user,
  • type of engine (UCI, WB1 or WB2), and on Windows NT/2000/XP the amount of memory used by the engine. Note that this is not the hash size but the total physical memory used by the engine.
  • The type of engine: UCI, UCI2, WB1 or WB2 (here in pink colour).
  • The currently searched depth and selective depth (white colour)
  • The move the engine is searching (cyan): In brackets the number of this move and the
  • total number of moves in the current board position is shown.
  • The node total count (red): Totally searched moves in this search.
  • The nodes per second count (black background).
  • The Hash usage (blue): Percent of hash tables occupied with hash entries so far.
  • CPU load (orange): The percentage of CPU time the engine consumes.
  • The statistics (green): Her information is shown on the currently best move with
  • information since when an with which depth. The search depth (D9), the time (00:04), since when this move is the best and the value and the move itself are displayed.
  • The current depths and move (brown): Information on what the engine is doing right
  • now, what depth and extended depth, the number of the moves and the totally possible moves and the currently searched move itself.

Additional information that is not shown in the graphic can be switched on:

  • The table base usage and
  • the current ponder move (if ponder is switched on).

The mainlines area in the following lines:

  • The first line in the graphic (Best move...) contains a summary of the search displayed
  • when the search has finished
  • The next lines contain the current mainlines (principal variation) with depth, time,
  • nodes, nodes per second, and value. They are always visible.
  • By clicking on these columns and then moving the mouse you can resize them.

Additional information if you have UCI-2 compatible engines:

  • There can be a line at the bottom of the mainlines area showing the currently
  • searched move
  • Instead of he principal variations the refutations can be shown.
  • Both informations can be switched on in the pop-up menu under "View". The current
  • engine must support the extensions of the UCI protocol (here called UCI-2).

Please note: the colours can be set differently, so they may differ from yours.


The pop up menu:

As usual, with a click on the right mouse button a pop up menu appears. You can start engine- specific functions for the selected engine here.

a) Configure engine:

Starts the Configuration dialog for UCI engines. For WinBoard engines the ini file will be loaded into an editor if you choose one in the engine details dialog.

b) Limit playing strength to ELO...:

With Limit playing strength to ELO selected you can limit the playing strength of the engine-this only works for UCI-2 engines that support this.

c) Next best move:

The engine searches for the next best move. It is necessary, that the engine has calculated (not analysed, but calculated and executed) a move already in the same position. Arena takes back this move and sends the engine a special command to calculate a new move. If the engine always 'finds' the same move, it does not support this function.

d) Ponder:

Switches on or off pondering for the chosen engine. If there is another engine that is currently loaded it will not be affected.

e) Replace/add engine

Starts the dialogue to select an additional engine or t oreplace an engine.

f) Aggregated view:

Shows the engine not in separated area, but under each other in a list:

[analysislines-aggregated.bmp]

g) View:

  • Main lines: Shows Main lines in a window
  • Refutations: Shows Refutations in a window
  • Calculate Refutations in the background: This does not show the refutations, even when the
  • showing of "Main lines" is selected.
  • Current Line: Turns on or off the showing of the currently calculated line.
  • Two colums: Shows then engines in two columns, not only above each other
  • [analysislines-2col80.bmp]
  • Equal size: Adjusts the height of each engine area equally
  • top: You can move the analysis area up to the top of the Arena main window
  • bottom: You can move the analysis area down to the bottom of the Arena main window

h) Commands:

  • Clear Hash table : Deletes the information, that the UCI-engine has saved in the hash table.
  • Analyse only with Engine ...: Starts the Analysis. With this activated a click on the Analyse
  • button in the Navigation bar only Engine 1 or Engine 2 analyses. With a new click on the Analyse button the Analysis is stopped.
  • Debug Mode (UCI): Starts with the UCI-Debug Mode on, this is normally only interesting for
  • programmers and testers.
  • Emergency stop: Stops the engine. Helpful if it does not react on anything else.
  • Hash Booster: when activated, the size of hash tables is doubled, this only works for UCI-
  • Engines. This is for example useful for analyses.
  • Clear Window: Deletes the Analysis output.
  • Read documentation: Shows the file "Readme.txt" for the Engine.

i) Multi PV Mode:

Turns on or off the Multi variation mode. With this function activated, the engine analyses more moves at the same time and gives you information about possible alternative moves.

j) Configure Engine Analysis Output:

Goes to the configuration dialogue for engine search output.

k) Variation board:

Starts the variation board . You can use this function to analyse the main lines on a separate board.

l) Make analysed move:

If the engine has just finished analysing, you can execute the analysed move that is considered best (on top of the list) with this function.

m) Copy analysis to clipboard:

Copies the produced main lines from the engines to the clipboard, e.g.:

FEN: 5r1k/p1q2pp1/1pb4p/n3R1NQ/7P/3B1P2/2P3P1/7K w - - 0 1

AnMon_560
6 00:00 31.049 0 +1,54 Re6 Kg8 Qxh6 gxh6 Rxc6
7 00:00 38.435 0 +1,19 Re6 Kg8 Rxh6 Nb7 Nxf7 Na5 Rxc6 Qf4 Rc7 Qc1+ Bf1 Qxf1+ Kh2
8 00:00 94.605 0 +1,54 Re6 f5 Re8 Rxe8 Qg6 Kg8 Qd6

Best move: Re6, Value: +1,54, Depth: 9, Time: 00:03,109, 94.605 Nodes, 120.567 N/sec.

Extra info is configurable here , main page "Other Settings".

n) Cancel calculating:

Stops the engine calculations. This is the same function as the ''Stop'' button (if calculating) or the ''Analysis'' button (if analysing) in the navigation bar, but applies only on the current engine. So you could stop one engine analysing with this function while the other still analyses.

o) Close engine:

Closes the engine normally. This is the normal way to remove an engine from memory and removing its analysis lines. The other engines that are visible take over its place.

p) Open engine folder:

Starts the explorer with the folder the engine executable is located

q) Terminate engine process:

Terminates the engine the hard way. Recommended only if the engine will not quit with "Close Engine", see above.

r) (Re)start engine:

Stops the engine (if already running) and starts it (again).

s) Details:

Jumps to the ''Detail'' view of the engine. The same function as Options/ Appearance/ Details and then selecting the current engine.