How to Set Up Winboard with UCI Chess Engines via Polyglot

 

If you're looking to use UCI chess engines like Rybka 2.2n2 with Winboard, this guide walks you through the process using the Polyglot adapter.

Step 1: Download and Set Up Winboard_X

1. Download Winboard_X from here and extract the files into a folder named Winboard_X.
2. Double-click the Winboard_X executable file, select 'Just view or edit game files,' then close the windows to allow Winboard to create its winboard.ini file.
3. In the Winboard_X folder, create two additional folders: Polyglot and Chess Engines.

Step 2: Download and Set Up Polyglot

1. Download Polyglot 1.4 and the required cygwin1.dll from here. Extract these files to a temporary folder.
2. Move the cygwin1.dll and polyglot.exe files to the Polyglot folder within the Winboard_X directory.
3. Optionally, download the Fonzy Bluemers modified version of Polyglot to avoid using the cygwin1.dll file.

Step 3: Download Rybka 2.2n2

1. Download the free Rybka 2.2n2 engine from rybkachess.com, and extract it to the Chess Engines folder.
2. Create a new folder named Rybka 2.2n2 in the Chess Engines directory and move the appropriate version of Rybka into it (e.g., the 32-bit version if you're using a 32-bit system).

Step 4: Set Up Polyglot for Rybka

1. Create a polyglot.ini file in the Polyglot folder. In this file, set the EngineDir to point to the Rybka 2.2n2 folder and configure the book paths if using an opening book.
2. Download a Polyglot-compatible opening book from here or here, and place it in the Rybka 2.2n2 folder. Update the polyglot.ini file to point to the book file.

Step 5: Configure Winboard to Use Polyglot and Rybka

1. Open the winboard.ini file and configure it to point to polyglot.exe as the chess engine. The entry for Rybka should look like this:

   bash
   "Rybka 2.2n2" /fd="C:\Program Files\Winboard_X\Polyglot\Rybka 2.2n2" /fcp='polyglot'
   

2. Double-click the Winboard_X executable, select 'Play against a chess engine or match two engines,' and choose Rybka as the engine.

Step 6: Configure Game Settings

1. Under 'Options > Time Control,' set the desired time control for the game.
2. Go to 'Mode > Machine White' if you want Rybka to play as White.
3. Optional: Under 'Options > General' and 'Options > Engines,' explore additional configuration settings.

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That's it! You now have Rybka 2.2n2 set up with Winboard using the Polyglot adapter. Enjoy playing or analyzing games with this powerful engine!