How to fix multiplayer_msg_general_failure

In Heroes of Might and Magic IV (aka Heroes of Might and Magic 4, HOMM 4, HOMM IV) this error occurs when the name of the executable used to launch the program differs:

multiplayer_msg_general_failure

The content of the executable does not matter, it is the name. So both must use for example h4tour351.exe, even though in Equilibris 3.51 it has the same content as h4mod.exe.

Chess puzzle: The two pawns (medium)

The moves following here look like a harmless, automated trade of the minor pieces. But actually I (white) missed a chance to win material here. What should I have done in move 14?

The actual game is below. Find the moves for white that win material.

[Event "rated standard match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2008.10.18"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Magnakai"]
[Black "LinuxGuy"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "1634"]
[BlackElo "1852"]
[ECO "C00"]
[TimeControl "1800+30"]
[JsCom "startply 26"]

1. e4  e6  2. Nc3  d5
 3. exd5  exd5  4. d4
 Nf6  5. Bg5  Be7
6. Nf3  Bg4  7. Bb5+  c6
 8. Be2  O-O  9. O-O
 Nbd7  10. Re1  Re8
11. Ne5  Bxe2  12. Rxe2  Ne4
 13. Nxe4  Bxg5 $4
 ( 13.
... dxe4 14. Bf4 Nxe5 15. dxe5 g5 16. Bg3 Qxd1+ 17. Rxd1 Rad8 18. Rde1 h5 $11
 ) 14. Nxg5 $2
 ( 14. Nxf7 Qe7
(14. ... Kxf7 15. Nd6+ ) 15. Nfxg5 dxe4 16. Nxe4 Nf6 17. f3 Nxe4 18. fxe4 Rf8
19. Qd3 Qf7 $18  ) Nxe5  15. Rxe5
 Rxe5  16. dxe5 $2
 (
16. Nxf7 Re1+ (16. ... Kxf7 ) 17. Qxe1 Kxf7 18. Qe5 Qf6 19. Re1 Rf8 20. f3
Qxe5 21. dxe5 Ke6 22. Kf2 c5 $16  ) Qxg5
 17. Qd4  Re8  18. f4
 Qf5  19. Qxa7  Qxf4
 20. Qxb7  Qxe5  21. Qxc6
 Qe3+  22. Kf1  Qe2+
 23. Kg1   1/2-1/2

Hint 1: show

Hint 2: show

JNI (Java Native Interface): Exception in thread “main” java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError: Can’t find dependent libraries

How to fix UnsatisfiedLinkError in JNI

I have never had problems with JNI. In the few situations when I needed it, it just worked. But last week someone asked me for help with his problem. When I tried to reproduce it, I found out that it had spread even to my old JNI programs which worked until 2006!

When running a program that uses a native function the following error occured:

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.UnsatisfiedLinkError: Test.dll: Can't find dependent libraries

It’s obviously a linker problem related to the generation of the .dll file. I have no idea why it occurs now and didn’t occur in the past. Different OS, compiler version, something like that? For some reason both the linker of Visual Studio and the linker of GCC started to think that is was a good idea to replace all method names by some arbitrary name which then cannot be found at runtime.

Fix for GCC

To fix that with GCC, the linker opion --add-stdcall-alias can be used.

gcc -Wl,--add-stdcall-alias -mno-cygwin -shared -I/cygdrive/c/Program\ Files/Java/jdk1.6.0_05/include -I/cygdrive/c/Program\ Files/Java/jdk1.6.0_05/include/win32 -o HelloWorld.dll HelloWorld.c

Fix for Visual C

For Microsoft Visual C Compiler it should theoretically be possible with a linker option as well.

Find out the correct linker option

First compile and link in the usual way that didn’t work. This will create the .dll file which results in the error we are talking about. Then use the dumpbin tool to list the procedure names:

dumpbin HelloWorld.dll /EXPORTS

You will find your procedure name, something like _Java_HelloWorld_print@8. Now try to guess what the name should be. My guess in this case would be Java_HelloWorld_print. This would result in the linker option /EXPORT:Java_HelloWorld_print=_Java_HelloWorld_print@8

Supply the linker option

1. Use a #pragma comment in the source file:

   #pragma comment(linker, "/EXPORT:Java_HelloWorld_print=_Java_HelloWorld_print@8")

   OR

2. Split into linking and compiling and provide the option to the linker in the command line, OR
3. Supply it to the compiler at the end using /link:

   cl -I"C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_05\include" -I"c:\Program Files\java\jdk1.6.0_05\include\win32" -MD -LD HelloWorld.c -FeHelloWorld.dll /link /EXPORT:Java_HelloWorld_print=_Java_HelloWorld_print@8

Option 3 is probably the easiest. After that dumpbin will show that now there is an additional procedure with the correct name:

dumpbin HelloWorld.dll /EXPORTS

I even compared it with the working .dll I created with GCC (see above), and it looks the same! But it doesn’t work, still getting the same error!

50 USD through PayPal for a solution and an explanation why the current way doesn’t work even though the procedure name is the same as in the working .dll created with GCC. (Only the first solution gets the price; only valid as long as this text is here.)

Chess puzzle #24 (medium)

White to move and win a pawn.

Chess puzzle #23 (easy)

Black to move and win material.

Chess puzzle #22 (medium)

My opponent (white) made a huge mistake with Bh6:

Black to move and win material

Hint: show

Solution: show

Chess puzzle #21 (medium)

I (black) blundered here by taking that pawn on f3:

White to move and win material

Hint 1: show

Hint 2: show

Fortunately my opponent (white) didn’t see the solution and tried Rf1:

Black to move and retain some of the material advantage

Hint 1: show

Hint 2: show

Solution: show

Chess puzzle #21 (easy)

Blunder by white (me)! I just took a black pawn with my rook.

black to move and win material

Black to move and win material.

Chess puzzle: The missed chances (medium)

Today both me and my opponent missed a chance to turn the game around.

[Event "rated standard match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2008.08.07"]
[Round "?"]
[White "tordi"]
[Black "Magnakai"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "1420P"]
[BlackElo "1695"]
[ECO "A40"]
[TimeControl "1200+20"]
[JsCom "startply 28"]

1. d4 g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. c4 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bd3 Nd7 7. O-O e6 8. d5
e5 9. e4 Nc5 10. Bc2 Ba6 11. b3 Nf6 12. Re1 O-O 13. Ng5 h6 14. Nf3 Qd7 $2
{Crafty (score 2.13 at depth 10) thinks this is not a good move} ({Crafty
suggests:} 14. ... Nh5 15. Ne2 Qf6 16. b4 Nd7 17. Qd3 Bb7 18. g4 Nf4 19. Nxf4
exf4 $11 {(score 0.07 at depth 9)} ) 15. Be3 Ncxe4 $2 {Crafty (score 3.14 at
depth 10) thinks this is not a good move} ({Crafty suggests:} 15. ... Nb7 16.
Qc1 Ng4 17. Bd2 Rfd8 18. h3 Nf6 19. Bxh6 Nc5 20. Bxg7 Kxg7 $18 {(score 1.47
at depth 9)} ) 16. Nxe4 Kh7 17. Qd2 $2 {Crafty (score 1.83 at depth 10)
thinks this is not a good move} ({Crafty suggests:} 17. Nxf6+ Bxf6 18. h3 Bg7
19. Rc1 Bb7 20. Qd2 Rad8 21. Be4 a6 $18 {(score 3.78 at depth 9)} ) Ng4 18.
h3 Nxe3 19. Qxe3 b5 20. Nfd2 b4 21. f4 $2 {Crafty (score 1.50 at depth 9)
thinks this is not a good move} ({Crafty suggests:} 21. a3 bxa3 22. Rxa3 Bc8
23. Rxa7 Rxa7 24. Qxa7 f5 25. Nc3 c5 26. Qb6 $18 {(score 3.83 at depth 10)} )
f5 22. fxe5 Bxe5 $2 {Crafty (score 3.27 at depth 9) thinks this is not a good
move} ({Crafty suggests:} 22. ... fxe4 23. e6 Qe7 24. Rad1 Be5 25. Rf1 Rae8
26. Bxe4 c5 $18 {(score 1.40 at depth 9)} ) 23. Rab1 $4 {Crafty (score -0.67
at depth 9) thinks this is a blunder} ({Crafty suggests:} 23. Nc5 Qe8 24. Ne6
Bxa1 25. Nxf8+ Qxf8 26. Rxa1 Qe8 27. Qf4 Qe5 $18 {(score 3.27 at depth 9)} )
fxe4 24. Bxe4 Kg7 25. Nf3 Bc3 26. Rf1 Bb7 $2 {Crafty (score 1.79 at depth 9)
thinks this is not a good move} ({Crafty suggests:} 26. ... Qe7 27. Nd4 Bxd4
28. Qxd4+ Rf6 29. Rbe1 Qe5 30. Qd3 Re8 31. Bxg6 Qxe1 32. Rxe1 Rxe1+ $14
{(score 0.29 at depth 9)} ) 27. Nh4 g5 28. Nf5+ Kh8 29. Nxh6 $2 {Crafty
(score -1.57 at depth 9) thinks this is not a good move} ({Crafty suggests:}
29. a3 Rf6 30. Rf2 a5 31. Rbf1 Qe8 32. axb4 axb4 33. Qf3 $16 {(score 0.94 at
depth 9)} ) c5 $4 {Crafty (score 3.57 at depth 9) thinks this is a blunder}
({Crafty suggests:} 29. ... Qg7 30. Rxf8+ Rxf8 31. Rd1 Qxh6 32. Qxa7 Qh5 33.
g4 Qe8 34. Qxb7 Qxe4 35. Qxc7 $19 {(score -1.57 at depth 9)} ) 30. Rxf8+ Rxf8
31. Qxg5 Qg7 32. Qxg7+ Kxg7 33. Nf5+ Kg8 34. Nxd6 Bd4+ 35. Kh1 Bc8 36. g4 Bd7
37. Nf5 Rf6 $2 {Crafty (score 6.22 at depth 11) thinks this is not a good
move} ({Crafty suggests:} 37. ... Bxf5 38. Bxf5 Be5 39. Rf1 Bg3 40. g5 Re8
41. Kg2 Re1 42. Rf3 $18 {(score 4.04 at depth 10)} ) 38. Rf1 $2 {Crafty
(score 4.23 at depth 11) thinks a good move has been missed} ({Crafty
suggests:} 38. Nxd4 cxd4 39. c5 Rf4 40. Re1 Kf7 41. c6 Be8 42. a3 d3 43. axb4
$18 {(score 6.22 at depth 11)} ) Kh7 $4 {Crafty (score 10.30 at depth 11)
thinks this is a blunder} ({Crafty suggests:} 38. ... Bxf5 39. Bxf5 Be3 40.
h4 Kg7 41. g5 Rd6 42. Kg2 a5 43. g6 Rf6 $18 {(score 4.23 at depth 11)} ) 39.
Nxd4+ Kg7 40. Rxf6 Kxf6 41. Nf3 a6 42. h4 $2 {Crafty (score 8.22 at depth 12)
thinks this is not the quickest way to win} ({Crafty suggests:} 42. g5+ Ke7
43. h4 a5 44. Ne5 Bc8 45. g6 Kf6 46. Nd3 Bg4 47. Kg2 Kg7 48. Nxc5 $18 {(score
11.21 at depth 11)} ) Bxg4 43. Kg2 Kg7 $4 {Crafty (score 12.23 at depth 12)
thinks this move loses more quickly} ({Crafty suggests:} 43. ... Bh5 44. Kg3
a5 45. Kf4 Ke7 46. Ke5 Kd7 47. d6 Bf7 48. Bf5+ Kd8 49. Ng5 Bh5 $18 {(score
8.94 at depth 12)} ) 44. d6 $2 {Crafty (score 9.65 at depth 11) thinks this
is not the quickest way to win} ({Crafty suggests:} 44. Ne5 $18 {(score 12.23
at depth 12)} ) Kf6 45. d7 $4 {Crafty (score 6.88 at depth 12) thinks this is
not the quickest way to win} ({Crafty suggests:} 45. Kg3 $18 {(score 10.03 at
depth 11)} ) Bxd7 46. h5 Kg7 47. Kg3 Kh6 48. Kh4 $2 {Crafty (score 5.99 at
depth 13) thinks this is not the quickest way to win} ({Crafty suggests:} 48.
Bg6 a5 49. Ne5 Be6 50. Kf4 Bh3 51. Nd3 Bg2 52. Ke5 a4 53. Nxc5 a3 $18 {(score
7.69 at depth 12)} ) Be8 49. Bg6 Bc6 $4 {Crafty (score 12.15 at depth 12)
thinks this move loses more quickly} ({Crafty suggests:} 49. ... Bxg6 50.
hxg6 Kxg6 51. Ne5+ Kf5 52. Nd3 a5 53. Nxc5 Ke5 54. Nb7 Kd4 55. Kg3 Ke4 56.
Kf2 Kd4 57. Nxa5 $18 {(score 5.71 at depth 14)} ) 50. Ne5 Bg2 $2 {Crafty
(score 14.99 at depth 12) thinks this move loses more quickly} ({Crafty
suggests:} 50. ... Bb7 51. Nf7+ Kg7 52. Kg5 Kf8 53. h6 Ke7 54. h7 Be4 55.
h8=Q Bxg6 56. Kxg6 Kd7 57. Qd8+ Kc6 58. Qd6+ Kb7 59. Qxc5 $18 {(score 13.29
at depth 12)} ) 51. Be8 $4 {Crafty (score 8.80 at depth 11) thinks this is
not the quickest way to win} ({Crafty suggests:} 51. Nf7+ Kg7 52. Kg5 Kf8 53.
h6 Ke7 54. h7 a5 55. h8=Q Kd7 56. Bf5+ Kc6 57. Qc8+ Kb6 58. Qb8+ Bb7 59. Be4
a4 60. Qxb7+ $18 {(score 14.99 at depth 12)} ) Be4 $4 {Crafty (score 12.27 at
depth 12) thinks this move loses more quickly} ({Crafty suggests:} 51. ... a5
52. Bg6 Kg7 53. Kg5 Kf8 54. Nd7+ Kg8 55. Nxc5 Bf3 56. h6 Kf8 57. Kf6 $18
{(score 8.80 at depth 11)} ) 52. Bb5 $4 {Crafty (score 5.68 at depth 13)
thinks this is not the quickest way to win} ({Crafty suggests:} 52. Bg6 $18
{(score 12.27 at depth 12)} ) Bb1 53. Bxa6 $2 {Crafty (score 5.34 at depth
13) thinks this is not the quickest way to win} ({Crafty suggests:} 53. Ba4
Bxa2 54. Nd7 Bb1 55. Nxc5 a5 56. Nb7 Be4 57. Nxa5 Bf3 58. Nc6 Bxh5 59. Nxb4
$18 {(score 6.98 at depth 12)} ) Bxa2 54. Ng4+ Kh7 55. Bc8 Bxb3 56. Bf5+ Kh8
57. Bd3 Bd1 58. Ne3 Bf3 59. h6 b3 60. Kg5 b2 61. Bb1 Be2 62. Kf6 Bg4 $4 {This
offers a mate in 5 to the opponent} ({Crafty suggests:} 62. ... Kg8 63. Ke7
Bh5 64. Kd6 Kf7 65. Nd5 Bg6 66. Nc3 Bh5 67. h7 Kg7 68. Kxc5 $18 {(score 6.70
at depth 12)} ) 63. Nxg4 Kg8 64. Ne5 Kh8 65. Nd7 ({Mate in 5 missed} 65. Nf7+
Kg8 66. h7+ Kf8 67. h8=Q# ) Kg8 66. Nxc5 ({Mate in 7 missed} 66. Ne5 Kh8 67.
Nf7+ Kg8 68. h7+ Kf8 69. h8=Q# ) Kh8 67. Nd3 Kg8 68. c5 ({Mate in 7 missed}
68. Ne5 Kh8 69. Nf7+ Kg8 70. h7+ Kf8 71. h8=Q# ) Kf8 69. c6 Ke8 70. h7 ({Mate
in 7 missed} 70. Nc5 Kd8 71. Na6 Ke8 72. h7 Kd8 73. h8=Q# ) Kd8 71. h8=Q+ Kc7
72. Nxb2 Kd6 73. c7 ({Mate in 7 missed} 73. Qb8+ Kc5 74. Ba2 Kxc6 75. Nd3 Kd7
76. Ne5# ) Kd5 74. c8=Q Kd6 75. Qh2+ ({Mate in 1 missed} 75. Qhd8# ) Kd5 76.
Qc4# {Magnakai checkmated} 1-0

1. Find a better move 15 for white which wins material.

2. Find a better move 29 for black that wins material.

Chess puzzle: Who is the one in trouble? (tough)

Once again I (black) got in trouble after my opponent engaged multiple threads at once with 20. f4:

Who is the one in trouble?

I used up almost all my time to think of a way out. Usually there is one in such a situation. But I didn’t see that actually there was not only a way to get out with minor material disadvantage, but even with a significant advantage!

Black to move and win material.

Hint: show

Solution: show

My own “solution” was a bit puny. If you look at how I won, please consider that after that situation I had only two minutes left :-)
show

[Event "rated standard match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2008.08.05"]
[Round "?"]
[White "bobbilipili"]
[Black "Magnakai"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1584"]
[BlackElo "1722"]
[ECO "B54"]
[TimeControl "1200+20"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Nc3 Nf6 8.
Qd2 Nc6 9. f3 e5 10. Nb3 Be6 11. O-O-O Ke7 12. Bh6 $2 {Crafty (score -0.14 at
depth 11) thinks this is not a good move} ({Crafty suggests:} 12. g4 b5 13.
Nd5+ Bxd5 14. exd5 Na7 15. c5 Qc7 16. c6 Rhc8 $16 {(score 1.14 at depth 9)} )
Bxh6 13. Qxh6 Qb6 14. c5 dxc5 15. Qe3 Nd7 16. Na4 Qb4 17. Naxc5 Nxc5 18. Nxc5
Bxa2 19. Rd7+ Kf6 20. f4 $4 {Crafty (score -3.75 at depth 9) thinks this is a
blunder} ({Crafty suggests:} 20. Rxb7 Qd4 21. Qxd4 Nxd4 22. b4 Rhc8 23. Rb6+
Be6 24. Bxa6 Rc7 25. Rd6 $11 {(score 0.05 at depth 10)} ) Rhd8 $4 {Crafty
(score -0.15 at depth 9) thinks a good move has been missed} ({Crafty
suggests:} 20. ... Na5 21. fxe5+ Kg7 22. e6 Rhc8 23. Qc3+ Qxc3+ 24. bxc3 Rxc5
25. Rxf7+ Kh6 26. c4 Bxc4 27. Bxc4 Rxc4+ $19 {(score -3.75 at depth 9)} ) 21.
fxe5+ Kg7 22. Rxb7 Qd4 23. Ne6+ $4 {Crafty (score -5.36 at depth 12) thinks
this is a blunder} ({Crafty suggests:} 23. Qxd4 Nxd4 24. b3 Rac8 25. Kb2 Rxc5
26. Kxa2 Ra5+ 27. Kb2 Rxe5 28. Bc4 Ne6 29. Bxa6 Rxe4 $11 {(score -0.13 at
depth 11)} ) Kg8 $4 {Crafty (score 5.77 at depth 11) thinks this is a
blunder} ({Crafty suggests:} 23. ... Bxe6 24. Qxd4 Rxd4 25. Rc7 Nxe5 26. g3
Rc8 27. Rxc8 Bxc8 28. Bg2 Bb7 29. Rd1 Rc4+ 30. Kd2 Bxe4 31. Bxe4 Rxe4 $19
{(score -5.36 at depth 12)} ) 24. Nxd4 Rxd4 $4 {Crafty (score 9.95 at depth
12) thinks this move loses more quickly} ({Crafty suggests:} 24. ... Nxd4 25.
Rc7 Rab8 26. Rc3 a5 27. Bc4 Bxc4 28. Rxc4 Nb3+ 29. Kc2 Rd2+ 30. Qxd2 Nxd2 31.
Kxd2 Rxb2+ $18 {(score 5.77 at depth 10)} ) 25. Rc7 $4 {Crafty (score 7.02 at
depth 10) thinks this is not the quickest way to win} ({Crafty suggests:} 25.
Rb6 Rc8 26. Bxa6 Nxe5+ 27. Bxc8 Rc4+ 28. Kd2 Rxc8 29. b3 Bxb3 30. Qxb3 Nc4+
31. Ke2 Nxb6 32. Qxb6 $18 {(score 9.95 at depth 12)} ) Bb3 $4 {Crafty (score
11.16 at depth 10) thinks this move loses more quickly} ({Crafty suggests:}
25. ... Na5 26. Be2 Rad8 27. Rd1 Nb3+ 28. Kc2 Rxd1 29. Bxd1 $18 {(score 7.02
at depth 10)} ) 26. Rxc6 $4 {This offers a mate in 1 to the opponent}
({Crafty suggests:} 26. Be2 a5 27. Rxc6 Rb4 28. Rf1 Rd8 29. Qf3 a4 30. Rd6
Rd4 31. Rxd8+ Rxd8 $18 {(score 11.16 at depth 10)} ) Rd1# {bobbilipili
checkmated} 0-1