Answers.Body: <p>Shredder 12 runs natively on Linux.</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.shredderchess.com/chess-software/linux.html">http://www.shredderchess.com/chess-software/linux.html</a></p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-02-22T12:36:46.783Z
Answers.Text: I didn't know that, I'll give it a try, thank you. But in the spirit of linux open source philosophy, is there an open source or at least a free engine that could what shredder does?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Lynob
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-02-22T12:45:27.437Z
Answers.Text: [Stockfish](http://stockfishchess.org/) is an open-source engine and should be in the Ubuntu repos. I've used it with [ChessX](http://chessx.sourceforge.net/).
Answers.UserDisplayName: stianhj
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-02-22T12:52:54.673Z
Answers.Text: can it analyze your game from any given position? can it play your game against itself like shredder?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Lynob
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-02-22T13:38:52.383Z
Answers.Text: @Fischer you should edit your question to ask for an Open Source engine if one exists, or ask a new question. Other people searching for it can find it easier, in the search engines :)
Answers.UserDisplayName: MDMoore313
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-02-22T17:32:34.503Z
Answers.Text: @MDMoore313 Okay, I edited the question
Answers.UserDisplayName: Lynob
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-02-22T18:28:11.827Z
Answers.Text: @Fischer Yes- usually setting up a position or having an engine play itself is a function of the interface you use. XBoard, for example, will do this using any chess engine you hook up to it.
Answers.UserDisplayName: lily
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-02-22T19:33:51.923Z
Answers.Text: @IstvanChung so scid or pychess can't do so? do i need to install xboard?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Lynob
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-02-22T20:45:02.510Z
Answers.Text: I know scid and pychess can both import FEN files, so you can set up a position that way if there's no way to do it through the GUI.
Answers.UserDisplayName: lily
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-02-22T23:22:08.463Z
Answers.Text: @IstvanChung xboard worked like you said it would, one small question, how to control the machine strength in xboard? all I see is `machine vs machine` and I don't know if it's 1200 elo or 3000 elo :) if you know the answer, please post it as an answer, so I could vote it up and accept it :) - I would essentially like to control the strength of the engine, crafty, stockfish, whatever
Answers.UserDisplayName: Lynob
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Answers.Text: @Fischer I don't believe there is such an option. The machine plays with as much strength as it can within the time and computing power constraints.
Answers.UserDisplayName: lily
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-02-22T10:53:42.070Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-02-22T10:53:42.070Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: stianhj
Answers.Body: <p>As much as I love Linux (particularly Ubuntu) and as many downvotes I am going to collect with this, I must acknowledge something and move on: <strong>Chess software sucks in Linux and it is still in the pre-2000 era, if not worse.</strong> I am thinking for instance of the year 2000 when a particular software for Windows 9x was released (I don't want to give them free publicity) with a beautiful interface and lots of easy to use options. 17 years before, there is still nothing that compares. Interfaces are ugly, non-intuitive, dissociated from the engines (e.g. some configuration options may work, some others may not without any notice) and often buggy.</p>
  
  <p>The best option is a virtual machine with Windows 9x or Windows XP. There you may install your software and play against the emulated Chessmaster opponents, the Sparring mode in Fritz, and others. For me it is either that, or playing in lichess online with the internet browser. Or playing in Android in my phone (Droidfish with Rodent II engine, there is a Jim Ablett compile that works like a charm).</p>
  
  <p>Someone is going to say now that this is not true. Yes, there is Scid and even Arena for linux, and you can install Crafty with book-medium-to-small and Stockfish, Pychess, Knights in KDE, and lots of options... Be my guest, Sir, give them a try...</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2017-02-23T19:48:15.413Z
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Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-02-23T19:54:38.020Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Mephisto
Answers.Body: <p>Get SCID and insert Shredder or almost any other engine into it.  I do this and it works great.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2017-02-22T01:28:54.360Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: ToddM
Answers.Body: <p>Features such as setting up a position and playing Engine vs. Engine are part of the interface, not the engine. <a href="http://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/" rel="noreferrer">XBoard</a>, for instance, is both <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software" rel="noreferrer">free as in speech</a> and as in beer, supports both of these options and can be configured to use nearly any chess engine you wish; many other interfaces exist and have the same features.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-02-22T23:26:14.520Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: lily
Body: <p>On Windows, I used Shredder to not only analyze my games, but play the game against me or against itself from any given position. </p>
  
  <p>I used many engines but only found that option in Shredder, maybe I didn't notice that option in other engines.</p>
  
  <p>Now I dumped Windows, and moved to Linux, Xubuntu. While I still could run Shredder on wine, I'd like to know if there's an engine, that runs natively on Linux and that has that option.</p>
  
  <p>I have Pychess and Scid with crafty. I still don't see it, on Windows I tried many engines and didn't see it, is Shredder the only engine that has this option, or am I missing something? </p>
  
  <p><strong>Edit</strong></p>
  
  <p>I would like to know if there's a free alternative to Shredder that has that option. If not, then I'll download Shredder.</p>
  
Tags: <analysis><engines>
Title: Linux: is there any engine that could play your game like Shredder?
ThreadText: # Linux: is there any engine that could play your game like Shredder?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2014-02-22)
  
  On Windows, I used Shredder to not only analyze my games, but play the game against me or against itself from any given position.
  
  I used many engines but only found that option in Shredder, maybe I didn't notice that option in other engines.
  
  Now I dumped Windows, and moved to Linux, Xubuntu. While I still could run Shredder on wine, I'd like to know if there's an engine, that runs natively on Linux and that has that option.
  
  I have Pychess and Scid with crafty. I still don't see it, on Windows I tried many engines and didn't see it, is Shredder the only engine that has this option, or am I missing something?
  
  **Edit**
  
  I would like to know if there's a free alternative to Shredder that has that option. If not, then I'll download Shredder.
  
  **Tags:** analysis, engines
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2014-02-22. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
  
  Features such as setting up a position and playing Engine vs. Engine are part of the interface, not the engine. [XBoard](http://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/), for instance, is both [free as in speech](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software) and as in beer, supports both of these options and can be configured to use nearly any chess engine you wish; many other interfaces exist and have the same features.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2014-02-22. Score: 7
  
  Shredder 12 runs natively on Linux.
  
  <http://www.shredderchess.com/chess-software/linux.html>
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: I didn't know that, I'll give it a try, thank you. But in the spirit of linux open source philosophy, is there an open source or at least a free engine that could what shredder does?  
  > **username_1**: [Stockfish](http://stockfishchess.org/) is an open-source engine and should be in the Ubuntu repos. I've used it with [ChessX](http://chessx.sourceforge.net/).  
  > **username_0**: can it analyze your game from any given position? can it play your game against itself like shredder?  
  > **username_2**: @Fischer you should edit your question to ask for an Open Source engine if one exists, or ask a new question. Other people searching for it can find it easier, in the search engines :)  
  > **username_0**: @username_2 Okay, I edited the question  
  > **username_3**: @Fischer Yes- usually setting up a position or having an engine play itself is a function of the interface you use. XBoard, for example, will do this using any chess engine you hook up to it.  
  > **username_0**: @IstvanChung so scid or pychess can't do so? do i need to install xboard?  
  > **username_3**: I know scid and pychess can both import FEN files, so you can set up a position that way if there's no way to do it through the GUI.  
  > **username_0**: @IstvanChung xboard worked like you said it would, one small question, how to control the machine strength in xboard? all I see is `machine vs machine` and I don't know if it's 1200 elo or 3000 elo :) if you know the answer, please post it as an answer, so I could vote it up and accept it :) - I would essentially like to control the strength of the engine, crafty, stockfish, whatever  
  > **username_3**: @Fischer I don't believe there is such an option. The machine plays with as much strength as it can within the time and computing power constraints.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2017-02-23. Score: 1
  
  As much as I love Linux (particularly Ubuntu) and as many downvotes I am going to collect with this, I must acknowledge something and move on: **Chess software sucks in Linux and it is still in the pre-2000 era, if not worse.** I am thinking for instance of the year 2000 when a particular software for Windows 9x was released (I don't want to give them free publicity) with a beautiful interface and lots of easy to use options. 17 years before, there is still nothing that compares. Interfaces are ugly, non-intuitive, dissociated from the engines (e.g. some configuration options may work, some others may not without any notice) and often buggy.
  
  The best option is a virtual machine with Windows 9x or Windows XP. There you may install your software and play against the emulated Chessmaster opponents, the Sparring mode in Fritz, and others. For me it is either that, or playing in lichess online with the internet browser. Or playing in Android in my phone (Droidfish with Rodent II engine, there is a Jim Ablett compile that works like a charm).
  
  Someone is going to say now that this is not true. Yes, there is Scid and even Arena for linux, and you can install Crafty with book-medium-to-small and Stockfish, Pychess, Knights in KDE, and lots of options... Be my guest, Sir, give them a try...
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2017-02-22. Score: 0
  
  Get SCID and insert Shredder or almost any other engine into it. I do this and it works great.
  
  
  ---
  
  