                             HIARCS 3.0 README FILE
                             ======================

Last Modified: 30th October 1994

        HIARCS is developed by:

        Applied Computer Concepts Ltd,
        Latton Bush Business Centre,
        Harlow,
        Essex,
        England.

HIARCS is Copyright (c) Applied Computer Concepts Limited 1992-1994.
All Rights Reserved.

Applied Computer Concepts Limited reserves the rights to revise or make changes
to the software and/or materials accompanying it without incurring any
obligation to notify any person of such changes and revisions whatsoever.

Authors
=======
Mark Uniacke   : Chess Algorithms and Knowledge.
David Hatchett : User Interface.

The HIARCS Development Team draw your attention to the following :-


Acknowledgements
================
We wish to thank the following people for their assistance:

Eric Hallsworth for his extensive contributions to the opening book.
Thorsten Czub and Pia Ridley for the German translation.
Roger Constantin for the French translation.
Toms Casanovas Martnee and Roger Constantin for the Spanish translation.
Eric Hallsworth, Max Uniacke and Thorsten Czub for extensive chess testing
and valuable feedback.

Thank YOU for purchasing HIARCS! Your support is helping us continue to
develop and improve HIARCS. We hope you enjoy using the product.

 
Chess Strength
==============
The chess playing strength of HIARCS has been increased significantly. 
The increase over HIARCS 2.1 is estimated at 80-100 Elo.

At the time of going into production we believe the optimum settings to be:
Search = Selective.
Combinations ON.
Best Play ON.
Hash table ON (extended memory for non blitz games).
Permanent Brain ON.
Max Depth 31 plies.
The Tournament book must be used for all testing.

The Wide book is ONLY for user variety and pleasure.

The style to go with was a difficult choice. In the end we decided on the
style of AGGRESSIVE. However, you may find that when HIARCS is running on
slower hardware than its opponent Solid or Normal may be preferable.
It's a close call and no doubt different styles will excell in different
positions. We did find the Aggressive games were more dynamic though.

A change was made so that when the level is changed, the style and combinations
states are not set to optimum, but are left alone. All other optimum settings,
e.g. Permanent Brain, are set.


General
=======
Inmac are our disk suppliers and are not connected with HIARCS or
Applied Computer Concepts Ltd. Any software or disk problems should
be reported to the HIARCS Development Team or your supplier.

Please read this file and the 64 page manual which accompanies this product
before using it.

You cannot use the numeric keypad to enter numbers.

HIARCS conforms to the PGN definition dated 10th February 1994.
An example PGN database containing HIARCS games is included.
HIARCS does not support alternative PGN starting positions i.e. SetUp tag in
PGN files.

ECO references are included in the opening names as a rough guide to the
beginner, they are not intended to pin point an exact ECO code.

The program H2_TO_H3 converts HIARCS 2.0 & 2.1 saved files to version 3.0.
You can specify any number of parameters on the command line, each one being
the path to a specific file or a DOS wild card. Converted file are placed in 
a directory called H3SVBKUP in the directory where the original file was found.
e.g. H2_TO_H3 FRED.HSV C:\HIARCS\GAMES\JOE.HSV
This command when run from the C:\HIARCS directory will create directories 
called H3SVBKUP in the C:\HIARCS and C:\HIARCS\GAMES directories.
The C:\HIARCS\H3SVBKUP directory will contain FRED.HSV in HIARCS 3.0 format.
The C:\HIARCS\GAMES\H3SVBKUP directory will contain JOE.HSV in HIARCS 3.0 
format.
The original file will be left unchanged.


New options
===========
The following options were introduced after the manual went to print.

Combinations
------------
This option tells HIARCS to use special extensions to identify chess
combinations. In quiet positions, disabling this option may increase
search speed slightly (5-10%), however, it may miss some tactical
opportunities.
For the overall strongest play and performance on test positions we
recommend that this option is left ON. The default is ON.

Print = [Moves | Analysis]
--------------------------
This option tells HIARCS to send all moves played from now onwards to the
printer. When invoked HIARCS asks if you wish to print just moves or
moves and analysis.
If you wish to turn the printing off, simply select the option again.
To change what HIARCS is printing, for example if HIARCS is printing moves
and you wish it to print moves and analysis, simply turn the option off, then
on and you will be asked what you wish to be printed.

Game To Printer
---------------
This option prints the moves or moves and analysis (as defined by the
Print option above) in the game so far, to the printer. This option is generally
used to either print all the moves at the end of the game or alternatively to
print the moves in the game so far ready to continue printing with the print
moves option enabled.

Chess232 compatibility
----------------------
A new feature in HIARCS 3.0 is the ability to connect to the auto sensory
Chess232 board.
Follow the instructions supplied with the Chess232 board on how to use
HIARCS with the board. Please ensure the "Short Algebraic" option is NOT on
when using this feature.


Associated Files
================
Included on the HIARCS 3.0 distribution disk are 2 PGN databases and 3 EPD
test positions. These files will not be installed on your harddisk, but are
provided as examples of PGN/EPD type files.


Copy protection
===============
HIARCS is a copy protected piece of software. However, we hope this protection
does not inconvenience you. HIARCS comes with three installation tokens.

a) The copy protection creates two hidden files (ccontrol.sys and hiarcs3.ccc)
   in a directory in the installed hiarcs directory.

   *** PLEASE DO NOT MOVE, DELETE OR TOUCH THESE FILES IN ANYWAY ***

   Do not backup these files as a subsequent restore will cause the copy
   protection to think the protection is invalid.  To help you, the archive
   bit is NOT set on these files so it may be possible for you to restrict
   the backup of files to those with the archive bit set.

b) The /d+ option of PC-Kwik from Multisoft Corporation is not compatible with
   the installing/deinstalling the copy protection. HyperCache has a similar
   non-standard option for accessing floppy disks. These utilities should be
   temporarily disabled when installing/deinstalling HIARCS.

c) The copy protection is compatible with disks that have been compressed
   with disk compression programs such as SuperStor, Stacker and DoubleSpace.
   However, you should temporarily de-install HIARCS when deinstalling or
   installing any compression system. Failure to do so could cause the copy
   protection system to consider the protection invalid.

d) The copy protection system is compatible with disk defragmenters such as
   Central Point's Compress, Digital Research's Diskopt, Stac's Sdefrag and
   Microsoft's Defrag.

e) It is recommended that you only install/deinstall HIARCS when running 
   only DOS.
   For example, you may encounter some problems when installing/deinstalling
   HIARCS from a DOS prompt within Windows for Workgroups 3.11.


HIARCS tournament highlights
============================
1991 World Amateur Microcomputer Chess Champion, Vancouver, Canada.
1992 World Computer Olympiad Chess Champion, London, England.
1993 International Uniform Platform PC Chess Champion, London, England.
1993 World Amateur Microcomputer Chess Software Champion, Munich, Germany.
1993 World Microcomputer Chess Software Champion, Munich, Germany.
1994 International Uniform Platform PC Chess Championship, runner up, England.


About HIARCS
============
HIARCS is a program developed on a part-time basis by Mark Uniacke who
designed and developed the chess engine software and David Hatchett who has
designed and developed all the User Interface software.

HIARCS is a 16 bit application using 80386 instructions.

HIARCS performs excellently at all time controls. However, it is tuned
to perform at its peak relative to other programs at longer time controls
such as Game in 30 minutes or longer.

One word of warning which we have found to our cost over the last year
in developing HIARCS is that test position (particularly tactical) performance
often has little relevance to a programs true strength when it actually plays
the game! 

Please be aware that ratings based on a small number of games are not reliable.

For blitz games you are recommended to not use extended memory hash tables.

Registration
------------
Please complete the enclosed registration form. Only registered users are
entitled to future upgrades at discounted prices. If a registration form is
missing simply send the following details to the address given at the top of
this readme file:
Name:
Address:
HIARCS distribution disk no:
Date purchased:
Where purchased:

Dealers
-------
Please send all dealer enquiries to the address given at the beginning of this
readme file.

END
