DragonDraughts
Click
here for DragonDraughts-0.0.tgz (1 Mb, 12 Jun 1996)
The distribution includes all 3 man and some 4 man endgame databases,
500 tactical patterns, a small opening book, a manual (sort of), all source
code and a patched version of the GNU xboard program.
Linux-elf binaries are provided, but it should compile on any Linux
box.
You can also try a newer version that I rediscovered in 2001. This update (532 Kb, dated 25 Oct 1996)
contains newer source code, but I have no clue if this is stable.
Release notes
- Dragon currenly runs only on LINUX! (or BSD) This is due to problems
with little/big endian conversion. The databases generation and xboard
do run on other unix systems.
- Version 0.0 and 0.2 are the only releases, program devellopment stopped in 1996.
For anyone interrested; 4v2 kings requires a 128 Mb machine (bare minimum)
and about a week CPU time (on p200). It is also possible to compute the 4v2 and 3v3
man-only endgames partially (without using the neccessary sub-endgames)
with about the same resources. (Mail for more info).
KNOWN BUGS/PROBLEMS WITH DRAGON
- It loses sometimes :-)
- the time mechanism doesn't like takebacks. (text-based version)
- the installation procedure must be improved.
- be more flexible with opening books etc.
KNOWN BUGS/PROBLEMS WITH XBOARD.DRAUGHTS
- Only small pieces are supported
- It is unable to read games.
- Unable to read/write positions
- show thinking not supported
- hint/book not supported
- ics not supported (Anyone in for writing/running a draughts server?)
- ambigious moves can not be resolved; edit the position if this happens
(typically once in every hundred games)
Free cookies/other to: 
Computer draughts
& checkers page