Patzer uses state of the art methods as [minimal window](Null_Window "Null Window"), [hash tables](Hash_Table "Hash Table"), [history table](History_Heuristic "History Heuristic"), [static exchange evaluation](Static_Exchange_Evaluation "Static Exchange Evaluation") with [bitboards](Bitboards "Bitboards"), various [extensions](Extensions "Extensions"), [recursive nullmove](Null_Move_Pruning "Null Move Pruning") . It has small databases for [KPK](KPK "KPK") and [KPKP](index.php?title=KPKP&action=edit&redlink=1 "KPKP (page does not exist)") with blocked pawns to decide if it is a win or not. Additionally it can use [Thompson's](Ken_Thompson "Ken Thompson") Endgame CDs at [ply](Ply "Ply") 0.

At the moment I am working on including [endgame table base](Endgame_Tablebases "Endgame Tablebases") support. Patzer has a text interface a well as [GUIs](GUI "GUI") for [DOS](MS-DOS "MS-DOS"), [Windows](Windows "Windows"), OS/2 and [X11](index.php?title=X11&action=edit&redlink=1 "X11 (page does not exist)"). It can read/write [PGN](Portable_Game_Notation "Portable Game Notation") and [EPD](Extended_Position_Description "Extended Position Description") files. It has an Interface for [Autoplayer232](Auto232 "Auto232") and for [XBoard](XBoard "XBoard")/[WinBoard](WinBoard "WinBoard"). It has knowledge of the ["wrong" bishop](Wrong_Color_Bishop_and_Rook_Pawn "Wrong Color Bishop and Rook Pawn") in endgames. A [Hypertext](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertext) User Online Manual is available in German for [DOS](MS-DOS "MS-DOS"), [Windows](Windows "Windows"), OS/2 and [Unix](Unix "Unix"). 

Patzer uses the standard [alpha-beta](Alpha-Beta "Alpha-Beta") [PVS](Principal_Variation_Search "Principal Variation Search") search, enhanced by [hashtables](Hash_Table "Hash Table") (4 retries replacement scheme), [recursive nullmove](Null_Move_Pruning "Null Move Pruning") ([R](Depth_Reduction_R "Depth Reduction R")=2) with verification if only one piece present, special [pruning](Pruning "Pruning") heuristic for [ALL-nodes](Node_Types#all-nodes "Node Types"), various [extensions](Extensions "Extensions"). It also uses a special [material hash table](Material_Hash_Table "Material Hash Table") to adjust the [material](Material "Material") balance values for certain [endgames](Endgame "Endgame") where the "usual" values do not apply. It values [king safety](King_Safety "King Safety") and [passed pawns](Passed_Pawn "Passed Pawn") rather high (too high?). It is a [incremental](Incremental_Updates "Incremental Updates") [bitboard](Bitboards "Bitboards") program with [attack tables](Attack_and_Defend_Maps "Attack and Defend Maps") that are also used during [move generation](Move_Generation "Move Generation") and [sorting](Move_Ordering "Move Ordering").