Ruffian

**[[Home]] * [[Engines]] * Ruffian**
|| [[image:ruffian220.jpg link="http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/sports/racing/ruffian_070805/"]] ||~ || **Ruffian**,
a chess engine developed by [[Perola Valfridsson]] since 1998, which appeared in July 2002 as a surprisingly strong newcomer playing on [[Internet Chess Club|ICC]] and [[Free Internet Chess Server|FICS]] <ref>[[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=242402|What is Ruffian?]] by [[Bas Hamstra]], [[CCC]], July 24, 2002</ref>, supporting both, the [[Chess Engine Communication Protocol]] and [[UCI]].

With portability and performance in mind, Ruffian is written in [[C]], and a hybrid between [[Bitboards|bitboard]] and [[8x8 Board|8x8 board]]. It performs a [[Principal Variation Search|PVS]] with [[Null Move Pruning|null-move-]] and other [[Pruning|forward pruning]] techniques as well as a few own algorithms and tricks <ref>[[http://www.top-5000.nl/int/ruffian.htm|Ruffian, the replacement to ABBA]], Interview with [[Perola Valfridsson]], October, 2002, by [[Frank Quisinsky]] et al., hosted by [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]] and [[http://www.playwitharena.com/|playwitharena]]</ref>. One of the major [[Evaluation|evaluation]] terms is [[Mobility|mobility]] based on pre-calculated tables considering various patterns <ref>[[http://www.schachversand.de/e/detail/software/464.html|Ruffian 2.0: 3 Euro]] - [[Schachversand Niggemann]]</ref> <ref>[[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=329957|Ruffian's Secret?]] by [[Steve Maughan]], [[CCC]], November 23, 2003</ref>. ||
|| [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruffian_%28horse%29|Ruffian]], 1975 <ref>[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruffian_%28horse%29|Ruffian]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Triple_Tiara_of_Thoroughbred_Racing|Filly Triple Crown]] winner, Image courtesy of John Bellucci, from [[http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/sports/racing/ruffian_070805/|On the 30th Anniversary of Ruffian’s Last Race]] by Lyn Lifshin</ref> ||~ ||^ ||
[[toc]]
=Photos= 
|| [[image:win29.jpg link="http://old.csvn.nl/ict4tour.html"]] ||
|| [[ICT 2004]] winners: [[Chrilly Donninger]], [[Erdogan Günes]] ([[Hydra]] 2nd), [[Stefan Meyer-Kahlen]] ([[Shredder]] 1st),
[[Johan Havegheer]] ([[Ruffian]] 3rd), [[Vincent Diepeveen]] ([[Diep]] 3rd) <ref>[[http://old.csvn.nl/ict4tour.html|Photos]] from the old [[CSVN]] site</ref> ||

=Achievements=
Ruffian was shared winner of the [[CCT5]] and lonesome winner of the [[DOCCC 2003]] supported by [[Opening Book|book]] [[Opening Book Authors|author]] [[Đorđe Vidanović]], operated by [[Johan Havegheer]], [[Frank Quisinsky]] and [[Leo Dijksman]] <ref>[[http://old.csvn.nl/partic03.html|Participants 23rd Open Dutch Computer-Chess Championship 18, 19, 25, 26 Oct. 2003; Leiden, Netherlands]] old [[CSVN]] site</ref> <ref>[[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=323778|Dutch Open Leiden final ranking - Ruffian Champion]] by [[Theo van der Storm]], [[CCC]], October 26, 2003</ref>, winner of the (unofficial) Swedish Championship in 2003 <ref>[[http://www.albert.nu/SMDS/|iSMDS-03 (unofficial) Swedish Championship 2003]] by [[Albert Bertilsson]]</ref>, and further played a strong [[CCT6]] and [[ICT 2004]].

=Free Ruffian=
The free [[Windows]] versions 1.0.0 and 1.0.1 from September 2002 are still available for download <ref>[[http://ruffian.hkust.se/downloads.shtml|ruffian chess engine | Downloads]]</ref>.

=Commercial Ruffian=
In 2003, Ruffian 2 went commercial, first bundled with [[Chess Assistant]] by [[ChessOK|Convekta]], where [[Victor Zakharov]] mentions [[Dann Corbit]] was a big help <ref>[[http://chessok.com/files/bobpawlak/Articles/Victor_Zakharov_b.html|ChessAssistance.com A talk with Victor Zakharov, head of Convekta development, part b]] by [[Robert Pawlak]], February 14, 2003</ref>, and further with the otherwise free [[Arena]] [[GUI]], CD production by [[Frank Quisinsky]] and distribution by [[Schachversand Niggemann]] <ref>[[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=329068|Arena 1.0 / Ruffian 2.0 ... information!]] by [[Frank Quisinsky]], [[CCC]], November 21, 2003</ref>, and soon as bundle with [[ChessPartner]] by [[Lokasoft]] <ref>[[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=350465|Good news for Ruffian Lovers from outside europe]] by [[Johan Havegheer]], [[CCC]], February 21, 2004</ref>. Ruffian is base of the chess AI in [[Kasparov Chessmate]] <ref>[[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=306057|Kasparov Chessmate review]] by Alastair Scott, [[CCC]], July 12, 2003</ref> <ref>[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasparov_Chessmate|Kasparov Chessmate from Wikipedia]]</ref>, with [[Perola Valfridsson]] credited as author by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobyGames|MobyGames]] <ref>[[http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/by_genre/developerId,281982/|Perola Valfridsson]] from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobyGames|MobyGames]]</ref>. The initial hype about Ruffian's commercialization was apparently detrimental to its authors motivation to continue the development <ref>[[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=429271|Re: CSVN Leiden (Ruffian and Sjeng missing)]] by [[Johan Havegheer]], [[CCC]], June 01, 2005</ref>. In conjunction with the upcoming strong free engines catching up, this was slowly but surely the fall of the commercial endeavor <ref>[[http://www.schachversand.de/e/detail/software/464.html|Ruffian 2.0: 3 Euro]] - [[Schachversand Niggemann]]</ref>.

=See also=
* [[Chester]]
* [[Kasparov Chessmate]]
* [[King of Kings]]
* [[Various Classifications#Mammal|Mammal]]
* [[Tinker]]

=Forum Posts=
==2002==
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=242402|What is Ruffian?]] by [[Bas Hamstra]], [[CCC]], July 24, 2002
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=243152|Some info about Ruffian]] by [[Benny Antonsson]], [[CCC]], July 29, 2002
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=252726|Ruffian 0.76 is still playing incredible strong!]] by [[Jouni Uski]], [[CCC]], September 19, 2002
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=253512|Ruffian is here - Make your move Bob Hyatt!]] by [[Peter Fendrich]], [[CCC]], September 23, 2002
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=257897|Interview with Ruffian programmer Per-Ola Valfridsson available!]] by [[Frank Quisinsky]], [[CCC]], October 09, 2002
==2003==
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=323778|Dutch Open Leiden final ranking - Ruffian Champion]] by [[Theo van der Storm]], [[CCC]], October 26, 2003
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=329068|Arena 1.0 / Ruffian 2.0 ... information!]] by [[Frank Quisinsky]], [[CCC]], November 21, 2003
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=329957|Ruffian's Secret?]] by [[Steve Maughan]], [[CCC]], November 23, 2003
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=333338|The America/Ruffian ordeal...]] by [[Slater Wold]], [[CCC]], December 03, 2003
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=336611|Questions about Ruffian2 and other platforms]] by [[Daniel Clausen]], [[CCC]], December 17, 2003
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=337021|One more post on Ruffian 2.0]] by [[Đorđe Vidanović]], [[CCC]], December 19, 2003
==2004==
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=346058|Ruffian on a G5 isn't bad!]] by George Sobala, [[CCC]], January 31, 2004
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=348116|Ruffian 2.1.0 ...]] by [[Frank Quisinsky]], [[CCC]], February 09, 2004
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=350465|Good news for Ruffian Lovers from outside europe]] by [[Johan Havegheer]], [[CCC]], February 21, 2004
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=350771|Ruffian 2.1.0 or Ruffian 2.0.2 ...]] by [[Frank Quisinsky]], [[CCC]], February 23, 2004
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=352351|Ruffian 2.0.2 copy protection]] by [[Jouni Uski]], [[CCC]], March 02, 2004
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=356976|Ruffian's most peculiar way of pondering]] by [[Peter Berger]], [[CCC]], March 27, 2004
==2005 ...==
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=429271|Re: CSVN Leiden (Ruffian and Sjeng missing)]] by [[Johan Havegheer]], [[CCC]], June 01, 2005
* [[http://www.stmintz.com/ccc/index.php?id=478190|SSDF(Fruit 2.2.1 - Ruffian 1.0.1)A1200, 2½-2½, ended 26-14]] by [[Tony Hedlund]], [[CCC]], January 09, 2006 » [[Fruit]]
==2015 ...==
* [[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=59543|Computer Chess Progress: Stockfish 7 vs Ruffian 1.0.5]] by [[Martin Fierz]], [[CCC]], March 17, 2016 » [[Stockfish]]
* [[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=63995|Ruffian support ...]] by [[Frank Quisinsky]], [[CCC]], May 16, 2017

=External Links=
==Chess Engine==
* [[http://www.playwitharena.com/?Partner_Chess_Engines:Ruffian%26nbsp%3B|Arena Chess GUI for Linux and Windows - Ruffian]]
* [[http://www.top-5000.nl/int/ruffian.htm|Ruffian, the replacement to ABBA]], Interview with [[Perola Valfridsson]], October, 2002, by [[Frank Quisinsky]] et al., hosted by [[Ed Schroder|Ed Schröder]] and [[http://www.playwitharena.com/|playwitharena]]
* [[http://en.chessbase.com/post/shredder-and-ruffian-lead-in-leiden|Shredder and Ruffian lead in Leiden]] by [[Eric van Reem]] and [[Theo van der Storm]], [[ChessBase]], April 24, 2004 » [[ICT 2004]]
* [[http://www.computerchess.org.uk/ccrl/4040/cgi/engine_details.cgi?print=Details&each_game=1&eng=Ruffian%202.1.0|Ruffian 2.1.0]] in [[CCRL|CCRL 40/40]]
==Misc==
* [[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ruffian|ruffian - Wiktionary]]
* [[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ruffiano|ruffiano - Wiktionary]]
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruffian_%28horse%29|Ruffian (horse) from Wikipedia]]
* [[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=912|Ruffian (1972 - 1975) - Find A Grave Memorial]]

=References= 
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=What links here?= 
[[include page="Ruffian" component="backlinks" limit="60" ]]
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