Maximize Your Chess Analysis with ChessBase 18’s New Remote Engine Feature
- In the past, using chess engines required significant power, draining batteries and heating CPUs.
- After installing ChessBase 18, you’ll see the remote engine option.
- For cost efficiency, turn off the Buddy engine by clicking the green icon to reduce CPU usage.
Remote Engine in ChessBase 18
In the past, using chess engines required significant power, draining batteries and heating CPUs. The new remote engine changes this dynamic. It mainly uses internet data for analysis, reducing the load on your device.
Setting Up the Remote Engine
After installing ChessBase 18, you’ll see the remote engine option. When you activate it, a new window opens. Here’s how to set it up:
- Choose Your Engine: Select the engine and hardware you wish to use.
- Account Benefits: If you have a premium account, the first machine is free. A dual CPU engine suffices for most analysis.
- Configure Automatically: Check "Start Automatically" to launch the engine immediately.
- Save Preferences: Click "Save as Default" to use this setup for future sessions.
- Start the Engine: Click "Start Engine." ChessBase will run in the background while the engine activates.
Monitoring CPU Usage
You might notice high CPU load in your Task Manager. This is often due to the Buddy feature running locally. For cost efficiency, turn off the Buddy engine by clicking the green icon to reduce CPU usage.
Understanding Costs
Using powerful machines incurs costs in Ducats. Premium account holders receive 1,000 Ducats. For instance, a server with 48 CPU cores can consume around 0.5 kW of power. This translates to about 17 cents, or roughly 1.7 Ducats per hour.
Server Efficiency
Operating servers involves managing electricity costs. Data centers, like those in Finland, are preferred for their low energy expenses. Issues can arise, such as our recent server slowdown due to a damaged cable.
Booking and Billing
Renting a server for an hour is cheaper than minute-by-minute bookings. You’ll see your current usage and history under the “Bills” section in ChessBase.
Adjusting Hardware
To change your engine or hardware, update your entries in "Default Engine." Stop the current engine for the new configuration to take effect.
Remote vs. Traditional Cloud Engines
Remote engines offer consistent availability and security. Unlike traditional cloud engines dependent on availability, remote engines operate on virtual servers, ensuring quick activation.
Setting a Default Engine
You can set any engine as the default in ChessBase. Activation is simple through the engine dialog. If you mark the remote engine as default, it will start easily with a shortcut.
Terminating the Engine
To stop the engine, simply close its window. This action sends a signal to terminate the engine via the new UCI command "Bye."
Compatibility
The remote engine uses the UCI interface, allowing it to work across different platforms supporting UCI engines. You can download it for free at Remote Engine.