This exploits the recent fractional Skill Level, and is a result from some discussion in #2221 and the older #758.
Basically, if UCI_LimitStrength is set, it will internally convert UCI_Elo to a matching fractional Skill Level.
The Elo estimate is based on games at TC 60+0.6, Hash 64Mb, 8moves_v3.pgn, rated with Ordo, anchored to goldfish1.13 (CCRL 40/4 ~2000).
Note that this is mostly about internal consistency, the anchoring to CCRL is a bit weak, e.g. within this tournament,
goldfish and sungorus only have a 200Elo difference, their rating difference on CCRL is 300Elo.
I propose that we continue to expose 'Skill Level' as an UCI option, for backwards compatibility.
The result of a tournament under those conditions are given by the following table, where the player name reflects the UCI_Elo.
# PLAYER : RATING ERROR POINTS PLAYED (%) CFS(%)
1 Elo2837 : 2792.2 50.8 536.5 711 75 100
2 Elo2745 : 2739.0 49.0 487.5 711 69 100
3 Elo2654 : 2666.4 49.2 418.0 711 59 100
4 Elo2562 : 2604.5 38.5 894.5 1383 65 100
5 Elo2471 : 2515.2 38.1 651.5 924 71 100
6 Elo2380 : 2365.9 35.4 478.5 924 52 100
7 Elo2289 : 2290.0 28.0 864.0 1596 54 100
8 sungorus1.4 : 2204.9 27.8 680.5 1596 43 60
9 Elo2197 : 2201.1 30.1 523.5 924 57 100
10 Elo2106 : 2103.8 24.5 730.5 1428 51 100
11 Elo2014 : 2030.5 30.3 377.5 756 50 98
12 goldfish1.13 : 2000.0 ---- 511.0 1428 36 100
13 Elo1923 : 1928.5 30.9 641.5 1260 51 100
14 Elo1831 : 1829.0 42.1 370.5 756 49 100
15 Elo1740 : 1738.3 42.9 277.5 756 37 100
16 Elo1649 : 1625.0 42.1 525.5 1260 42 100
17 Elo1558 : 1521.5 49.9 298.0 756 39 100
18 Elo1467 : 1471.3 51.3 246.5 756 33 100
19 Elo1375 : 1407.1 51.9 183.0 756 24 ---
It can be observed that all set Elos correspond within the error bars with the observed Ordo rating.
No functional change
Leave at 1 for best performance.
* #### Skill Level
Leave at 1 for best performance.
* #### Skill Level
- Lower the Skill Level in order to make Stockfish play weaker.
+ Lower the Skill Level in order to make Stockfish play weaker (see also UCI_LimitStrength).
+ Internally, MultiPV is enabled, and with a certain probability depending on the Skill Level a
+ weaker move will be played.
+
+ * #### UCI_LimitStrength
+ Enable weaker play aiming for an Elo rating as set by UCI_Elo. This option overrides Skill Level.
+
+ * #### UCI_Elo
+ If enabled by UCI_LimitStrength, aim for an engine strength of the given Elo.
+ This Elo rating has been calibrated at a time control of 60s+0.6s and anchored to CCRL 40/4.
* #### Move Overhead
Assume a time delay of x ms due to network and GUI overheads. This is useful to
* #### Move Overhead
Assume a time delay of x ms due to network and GUI overheads. This is useful to
// Check if there are threads with a better score than main thread
if ( Options["MultiPV"] == 1
&& !Limits.depth
// Check if there are threads with a better score than main thread
if ( Options["MultiPV"] == 1
&& !Limits.depth
- && !Skill(Options["Skill Level"]).enabled()
+ && !(Skill(Options["Skill Level"]).enabled() || Options["UCI_LimitStrength"])
&& rootMoves[0].pv[0] != MOVE_NONE)
{
std::map<Move, int64_t> votes;
&& rootMoves[0].pv[0] != MOVE_NONE)
{
std::map<Move, int64_t> votes;
beta = VALUE_INFINITE;
multiPV = Options["MultiPV"];
beta = VALUE_INFINITE;
multiPV = Options["MultiPV"];
// Pick integer skill levels, but non-deterministically round up or down
// such that the average integer skill corresponds to the input floating point one.
// Pick integer skill levels, but non-deterministically round up or down
// such that the average integer skill corresponds to the input floating point one.
+ // UCI_Elo is converted to a suitable fractional skill level, using anchoring
+ // to CCRL Elo (goldfish 1.13 = 2000) and a fit through Ordo derived Elo
+ // for match (TC 60+0.6) results spanning a wide range of k values.
- int intLevel = int(Options["Skill Level"]) +
- ((Options["Skill Level"] - int(Options["Skill Level"])) * 1024 > rng.rand<unsigned>() % 1024 ? 1 : 0);
+ double floatLevel = Options["UCI_LimitStrength"] ?
+ clamp(std::pow((Options["UCI_Elo"] - 1346.6) / 143.4, 1 / 0.806), 0.0, 20.0) :
+ double(Options["Skill Level"]);
+ int intLevel = int(floatLevel) +
+ ((floatLevel - int(floatLevel)) * 1024 > rng.rand<unsigned>() % 1024 ? 1 : 0);
Skill skill(intLevel);
// When playing with strength handicap enable MultiPV search that we will
Skill skill(intLevel);
// When playing with strength handicap enable MultiPV search that we will
o["nodestime"] << Option(0, 0, 10000);
o["UCI_Chess960"] << Option(false);
o["UCI_AnalyseMode"] << Option(false);
o["nodestime"] << Option(0, 0, 10000);
o["UCI_Chess960"] << Option(false);
o["UCI_AnalyseMode"] << Option(false);
+ o["UCI_LimitStrength"] << Option(false);
+ o["UCI_Elo"] << Option(1350, 1350, 2850);
o["SyzygyPath"] << Option("<empty>", on_tb_path);
o["SyzygyProbeDepth"] << Option(1, 1, 100);
o["Syzygy50MoveRule"] << Option(true);
o["SyzygyPath"] << Option("<empty>", on_tb_path);
o["SyzygyProbeDepth"] << Option(1, 1, 100);
o["Syzygy50MoveRule"] << Option(true);