Frequently asked questions

USERS:

Can I use engines without spending Ducats?

Of course! You can provide private engines from your own machines for yourself. This is the main use of the Engine Cloud. You can also use free engines from others.

Can I bid lower than the current minute rate asked? Can I negotiate a price?

You can always queue a bid. The provider will be notified of your bid and might even lower the current rate. If he/she does so, the engine will load automatically. It is recommended to open a board window with your analysis position. If you gain the engine while being away from your computer, analysis will then start automatically.

Can I limit the time I am using an engine?

You can limit your ducats budget. As soon as the budget limit is reached, the engine will be unloaded and the current variation + evaluation will be stored in the game notation.

Can I play engine matches?

Yes, the engine cloud is an interesting autoplayer. You could also run tactical test suites or play in the playchess.com engine room. Engine tournaments are not implemented yet. If you use engines for playing it is recommended to use the reliable rate which protects you from getting outbid by others. Losing the engine would lose the game.

PROVIDERS:

Can I make my engine visible for a limited group of users only?

In your provider window (which opens when you offer an engine), call "Edit Engine Data" and add the users to the "private users" list.

What is the "provider experience"?

It is a function of total minutes over all engines, number of different users, "likes" received and Ducats earned.

At what price should I offer my machine?

Price is a function of supply and demand. Try offering for free to gain experience ranking and then benefit from auctions.

What is the meaning of "Max. time for fixed rate"?

The fixed rate protects a user from bidding. After a time limit set by the provider has been reached, the engine is open for auctions again, but the current user may continue working with out.

Can I offer more than one engine on one machine?

No, your engines are identified by a combination of your name, the engine name and a unique machine identifier. This combination has to be unique for every engine.