Answers.Body: <p>Fairy-Stockfish is a nice Stockfish fork that can handle a variety of Chess variants. Find and install it following the directions <a href="https://github.com/ianfab/Fairy-Stockfish" rel="noreferrer">here</a>.</p>
  <p>Create a file called variants.ini. Paste the following into there.</p>
  <pre><code>[4x6chess:gardner]
  maxRank = 6
  maxFile = d
  promotionRank = 6
  startFen = rnbk/pppp/4/4/PPPP/RNBK w - - 0 1
  </code></pre>
  <p>Alternatively, download and save the <a href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ianfab/Fairy-Stockfish/master/src/variants.ini" rel="noreferrer">linked file</a> somewhere on your computer, which comes with the 4x6 variant along with several others.</p>
  <p>You have a <a href="https://github.com/ianfab/Fairy-Stockfish/wiki/Graphical-user-interfaces" rel="noreferrer">variety of choices for which front end to use</a>. I am going to use Xboard. If you happen to be on Windows, you can use Winboard and the procedure should be fairly similar.</p>
  <p>If you've chosen to install Xboard/Winboard, you can use the following procedure. Click engine on the menu bar up top and then go to edit engine list. Modify and add the following line</p>
  <pre><code>&quot;Fairy-SF&quot; /variant=4x6chess -fcp &quot;/path/to/fairy-stockfish-binary load /path/to/variants.ini&quot;
  </code></pre>
  <p>Here you should modify your /path/to/fairy-stockfish-binary to wherever that binary/executable exists and modify your /path/to/variants.ini to wherever you earlier created/saved your variants.ini file.</p>
  <p>You can now go back to Engine in the menu bar and select Load New First Engine, selecting the engine you just added. You should now see something like the following image.</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/11w98.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/11w98.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
  <p>You can play the engine from this point if you want. Alternatively, you can paste in a position and ask the engine for analysis. To do the latter with your initial position, copy the following fen to your clipboard:</p>
  <pre><code>rnbk/3p/pp2/1P1P/2P1/RNBK w - - 0 1
  </code></pre>
  <p>On the Xboard/Winboard menu bar select Edit and then select Paste Position. The position should now be in Xboard. Finally you can select mode from the menu bar and select analysis mode. This should give you what you want:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/CimOD.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/CimOD.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T18:00:00.457Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2022-03-07T18:15:41.537Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2022-03-07T18:15:41.537Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dargscisyhp
Body: <p>For example, here is a 4x6 chess position.  Black to move.  How can I determine who is winning, and by how much?</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/QFXzK.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/QFXzK.png" alt="FEN: KBNR/1P2/P1P1/2pp/p3/kbnr " /></a></p>
  <p>Rules:</p>
  <p>Chess variant on a small board. Standard rules apply with the following changes:</p>
  <ul>
  <li>Starting position and number of pieces are changed</li>
  <li>Pawns have no double-move option</li>
  <li>There is no castling</li>
  </ul>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-06T19:08:13.067Z
Comments.Text: To the person who downvoted the question, I expect you to give a viable answer of either my question or reason for your downvote. It will help me learn. Thanks.
Comments.UserDisplayName: AyushDwi
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-06T22:59:02.897Z
Comments.Text: I'm not sure I understand the question. If this is truly a question about evaluating this position, why would you not analyze this like any other position, i.e. by looking at the position, calculation, and applying the usual chess principles that you already know? Or is this a question about how to get a computer to evaluate such a position?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Dargscisyhp
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-06T23:21:32.713Z
Comments.Text: As @Dargscisyhp asks/comments: do you want advice on how to use standard principles to evaluate it, or, instead, how to get a chess engine to evaluate it (in some understandable way)? Can you clarify?
Comments.UserDisplayName: paul garrett
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T02:50:43.827Z
Comments.Text: What are the rules for 4x6 chess?  
  That is: do pawns start with a double-move option; 
  is there Castling?  May one promote to a Queen, or only to one of RBN?
  (Whatever the precise rules are, I'd expect that 
  any position on such a small board can be analyzed out to 
  either forced mate or forced draw, so there's no "by how much": 
  you're either winning or not.)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Noam D. Elkies
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T04:11:08.640Z
Comments.Text: when i see the position i feel like black is better due to space advantage but im not quite sure. for example moves like e3 can be met with something like Rxe3
Comments.UserDisplayName: cmgchess
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T04:56:03.670Z
Comments.Text: I have added the rules in the question,I want to ask how to get a computer to evaluate such a position, and if it is not possible, how to use standard principles to evaluate it.
Comments.UserDisplayName: AyushDwi
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T06:03:24.100Z
Comments.Text: I think this game is small enough that a computer could completely solve it.  Perhaps even a human could completely solve it, simply by trying all the possible moves.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Alexander Woo
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T06:11:05.667Z
Comments.Text: Haven't looked into it too deeply, but you might want to check out [fairy-stockfish](https://github.com/ianfab/Fairy-Stockfish). It looks like it should be able to do what you want it to do.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Dargscisyhp
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T08:02:50.627Z
Comments.Text: @RosieF Rules for both are the same: rules of Standard chess apply with the following differences:
  
  Pawns have no double-move option.
  There is no castling.
Comments.UserDisplayName: AyushDwi
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T08:04:45.510Z
Comments.Text: @OP You cannot *expect* or request explanations for downvotes here on SE. If someone gives them of their own will that is fine; asking kindly for them is tolerated, but in general people have the right to downvote content they don't find clear or useful without need to justify their actions. I have flagged your first comment as "unfriendly or unkind". (Note: I am *not* the downvoter.)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Federico Poloni
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T08:23:05.000Z
Comments.Text: @FedericoPoloni I don't mind that , I was expecting a viable answer to my question. If I would not have commented that, others would have ignored my question thinking that it was obsolete. Answers are more important to me than downvotes, so I don't mind whether you downvoted or someone else lol. Have a nice day!
Comments.UserDisplayName: AyushDwi
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T12:35:22.490Z
Comments.Text: Do you want a method for evaluating *any* 4x6 chess position, or for this one in particular ? (This one looks very drawish to me: limited material, opposite-colored bishops, little "elbow room" for tactics...)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Evargalo
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T12:40:04.960Z
Comments.Text: @FedericoPoloni. The OP's first comment (asking for rationale for downvote) is neither unfriendly nor unkind.
Comments.UserDisplayName: L. Scott Johnson
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T12:48:53.387Z
Comments.Text: @L.ScottJohnson Maybe the nuances get lost in translation, but "I expect you to give..." definitely seems unkind to me. In any case, I flagged the post, and now the decision is up to the moderators.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Federico Poloni
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T14:51:20.657Z
Comments.Text: pawns can still promote to pieces, yes?
Comments.UserDisplayName: TheFakeGrandmaster
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-03-07T16:39:38.543Z
Comments.Text: @AyushDwi Is there a reason you've omitted any analysis (lines) to show what you've analyzed so far? May be a way to show more research effort and provide a bit more value as a question.  I suggest showing us first the lines you've analyzed and your assessment of the positions that come from those lines.
Comments.UserDisplayName: SecretAgentMan
Tags: <analysis><chess-variants>
Title: How can I evaluate a position in 4x6 chess?
ThreadText: # How can I evaluate a position in 4x6 chess?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2022-03-06)
  
  For example, here is a 4x6 chess position. Black to move. How can I determine who is winning, and by how much?
  
  [![FEN: KBNR/1P2/P1P1/2pp/p3/kbnr ](https://i.sstatic.net/QFXzK.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/QFXzK.png)
  
  Rules:
  
  Chess variant on a small board. Standard rules apply with the following changes:
  
  * Starting position and number of pieces are changed
  * Pawns have no double-move option
  * There is no castling
  
  **Tags:** analysis, chess-variants
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: To the person who downvoted the question, I expect you to give a viable answer of either my question or reason for your downvote. It will help me learn. Thanks.  
  > **username_1**: I'm not sure I understand the question. If this is truly a question about evaluating this position, why would you not analyze this like any other position, i.e. by looking at the position, calculation, and applying the usual chess principles that you already know? Or is this a question about how to get a computer to evaluate such a position?  
  > **username_2**: As @username_1 asks/comments: do you want advice on how to use standard principles to evaluate it, or, instead, how to get a chess engine to evaluate it (in some understandable way)? Can you clarify?  
  > **username_3**: What are the rules for 4x6 chess?   That is: do pawns start with a double-move option;  is there Castling?  May one promote to a Queen, or only to one of RBN? (Whatever the precise rules are, I'd expect that  any position on such a small board can be analyzed out to  either forced mate or forced draw, so there's no "by how much":  you're either winning or not.)  
  > **username_4**: when i see the position i feel like black is better due to space advantage but im not quite sure. for example moves like e3 can be met with something like Rxe3  
  > **username_0**: I have added the rules in the question,I want to ask how to get a computer to evaluate such a position, and if it is not possible, how to use standard principles to evaluate it.  
  > **username_5**: I think this game is small enough that a computer could completely solve it.  Perhaps even a human could completely solve it, simply by trying all the possible moves.  
  > **username_1**: Haven't looked into it too deeply, but you might want to check out [fairy-stockfish](https://github.com/ianfab/Fairy-Stockfish). It looks like it should be able to do what you want it to do.  
  > **username_0**: @RosieF Rules for both are the same: rules of Standard chess apply with the following differences:  Pawns have no double-move option. There is no castling.  
  > **username_6**: @OP You cannot *expect* or request explanations for downvotes here on SE. If someone gives them of their own will that is fine; asking kindly for them is tolerated, but in general people have the right to downvote content they don't find clear or useful without need to justify their actions. I have flagged your first comment as "unfriendly or unkind". (Note: I am *not* the downvoter.)  
  > **username_0**: @username_6 I don't mind that , I was expecting a viable answer to my question. If I would not have commented that, others would have ignored my question thinking that it was obsolete. Answers are more important to me than downvotes, so I don't mind whether you downvoted or someone else lol. Have a nice day!  
  > **username_7**: Do you want a method for evaluating *any* 4x6 chess position, or for this one in particular ? (This one looks very drawish to me: limited material, opposite-colored bishops, little "elbow room" for tactics...)  
  > **username_8**: @username_6. The OP's first comment (asking for rationale for downvote) is neither unfriendly nor unkind.  
  > **username_6**: @username_8 Maybe the nuances get lost in translation, but "I expect you to give..." definitely seems unkind to me. In any case, I flagged the post, and now the decision is up to the moderators.  
  > **username_9**: pawns can still promote to pieces, yes?  
  > **username_10**: @username_0 Is there a reason you've omitted any analysis (lines) to show what you've analyzed so far? May be a way to show more research effort and provide a bit more value as a question.  I suggest showing us first the lines you've analyzed and your assessment of the positions that come from those lines.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2022-03-07. Score: 11 | Accepted answer
  
  Fairy-Stockfish is a nice Stockfish fork that can handle a variety of Chess variants. Find and install it following the directions [here](https://github.com/ianfab/Fairy-Stockfish).
  
  Create a file called variants.ini. Paste the following into there.
  
  ```
  [4x6chess:gardner]
  maxRank = 6
  maxFile = d
  promotionRank = 6
  startFen = rnbk/pppp/4/4/PPPP/RNBK w - - 0 1
  
  ```
  
  Alternatively, download and save the [linked file](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ianfab/Fairy-Stockfish/master/src/variants.ini) somewhere on your computer, which comes with the 4x6 variant along with several others.
  
  You have a [variety of choices for which front end to use](https://github.com/ianfab/Fairy-Stockfish/wiki/Graphical-user-interfaces). I am going to use Xboard. If you happen to be on Windows, you can use Winboard and the procedure should be fairly similar.
  
  If you've chosen to install Xboard/Winboard, you can use the following procedure. Click engine on the menu bar up top and then go to edit engine list. Modify and add the following line
  
  ```
  "Fairy-SF" /variant=4x6chess -fcp "/path/to/fairy-stockfish-binary load /path/to/variants.ini"
  
  ```
  
  Here you should modify your /path/to/fairy-stockfish-binary to wherever that binary/executable exists and modify your /path/to/variants.ini to wherever you earlier created/saved your variants.ini file.
  
  You can now go back to Engine in the menu bar and select Load New First Engine, selecting the engine you just added. You should now see something like the following image.
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/11w98.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/11w98.jpg)
  
  You can play the engine from this point if you want. Alternatively, you can paste in a position and ask the engine for analysis. To do the latter with your initial position, copy the following fen to your clipboard:
  
  ```
  rnbk/3p/pp2/1P1P/2P1/RNBK w - - 0 1
  
  ```
  
  On the Xboard/Winboard menu bar select Edit and then select Paste Position. The position should now be in Xboard. Finally you can select mode from the menu bar and select analysis mode. This should give you what you want:
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/CimOD.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/CimOD.jpg)
  
  
  ---
  
  