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DefenceTest

Open distributed testing framework for the Owen chess engine. Volunteers run workers that play test games on their own machines; the server aggregates results into Elo and SPRT statistics. GPL-3.0.

• Test server: see the Owen homepage Testing section for the current host
• Engine: https://github.com/Owen-Foundation/Owen
• Opening books: https://github.com/Owen-Foundation/books
• Support: https://github.com/Owen-Foundation/DefenceTest/issues

For volunteers

1. Create an account on the test server (/signup) — approved instantly after solving the slider-puzzle captcha.
2. Clone the framework: git clone https://github.com/Owen-Foundation/DefenceTest.git
3. You need Python 3.8+, a C++ compiler, make and cmake (Ubuntu: sudo apt install build-essential cmake; macOS: xcode-select --install; Windows: msys2/mingw-w64 or LLVM).
4. Run, with YOUR account and the server's host: python worker/worker.py USERNAME PASSWORD --host <server-host> --port 443
5. Leave it running. Games are fetched, played and submitted automatically — your name appears on Contributors (refreshed every 15 minutes). For 24/7 runs see worker/daemon/.

Full command list: Commands.

For developers

See Creating my first test: open /tests/run, fill base vs patch, pick the owen200.epd book, paste your bench 6 node counts as signatures, submit. Runs by approvers — and by anyone with 500+ contributed games — start immediately; first-time authors wait for one manual approval.

How results work

See DefenceTest mathematics for SPRT bounds, Elo estimation and the pentanomial model.