Copyright: copyright (c) 1994 The MSM Company


Contents
Gazebo Chess

This help file describes Gazebo Chess for Windows.

To see the text for a particular topic, simply position the mouse over the underlined hypertext link that identifies the topic of your interest and click the left mouse button.

To come back to this page, press the "Contents" button above.

Topics

    Introduction

        What is Gazebo?
        Getting Technical Support
        If your version of Gazebo is unregistered
        Copyright
    Playing One Side or the Other
        Playing the White Pieces
        Playing the Black Pieces
        Moving Pieces
    Board Setup
        Setting Up a Position
        Removing Pieces
    Forcing and Undoing Moves
        Forcing Gazebo to Make a Move
        Undoing Moves
    Saving/Restoring Games from Files
        Saving a Game
        Opening a Game
    Miscellaneous
        Reversing the Board
        Game File Format


Background
What is Gazebo?

Gazebo Chess for Windows plays a full game of chess against a person, another computer, against itself or merely acts as a referee for two other players. It is sold by The MSM Company.

The name "Gazebo" refers to the idyllic setting of an outdoors gazebo where two players might be playing a game of chess.

The goal behind Gazebo is to produce and make available a fast, clean, efficient, strong chess program for Windows conceived in the C language using state-of-the-art algorithms and heuristics.

Gazebo Chess is written in Microsoft Visual C++ Professional. It runs on the IBM-PC and clones. On a normal Pentium it is capable of searching many thousands of positions per second and does regular7-8 ply searches. On a more common 486, Gazebo typically searches 6-7 ply at normal non-Action tournament time controls.

Gazebo's main advantages are:
    o ease of use, fast startup, responsive interface
    o on-line, thorough documentation
    o moderate strength
    o user-selectable search algorithms/heuristics
    o technical support via mail, phone, fax, Compuserve, Internet.

Gazebo Chess is in a constant state of dynamic development and improvement. The version that you have now is probably out-of-date and should be upgraded (for a nominal fee.) To find out more about this, contact The MSM Company.


Moving Pieces

Moving a chess piece in Gazebo is accomplished by clicking the mouse's left button on the origination square where the piece presently is and then, while holding the button down, pointing at the destination square and releasing the button.

The piece will not slide but will be "jump-moved" when you release the mouse button on the destination square.


Forcing Gazebo to Make a Move

If you want Gazebo to make a move for the side whose turn it is to move now (effectively switching sides), select "Make Move Now" from the "Play" menu.


Saving a Game to a File
Saving a Game

 To save all moves played so far in the current game to a file, go to the "File" menu and select "Save Game As". You will be given a dialog box to choose where to save your game file.

The Gazebo game file format determines the appearance of the game file on disk.

The reverse of saving a game is opening a game file.


Opening a Game

Opening a game file means that Gazebo will read in all moves from that file and play them out and leave you at the last move in the file.

To do this, go to the "File" menu and select "Open Game File". You will be given a dialog box to choose the game file to open.

The Gazebo game file format determines the appearance of the game file on disk.

The reverse of opening a game is saving a game.


Game File Format

The Gazebo game file format is plain human-readable text using the standard Gazebo notation. The format currently supported is:
  first line - Forsythe-Edwards (FEN) notation for starting position
  next line - a pair of white/black moves separated by space/tabs
  next line - same
  next line - etc.
So an example of a game file is:
[FEN "rnbqkbnrpppppppp8888PPPPPPPPRNBQKBNR+"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. OO Nxe4 5. Re1
f5 6. d3 Bb4? 7. c3 OO 8. Bxc6 Bc5 9. Bd5 Kh8 10. dxe4
fxe4 11. Rxe4 d6 12. Be3 c6 13. Bb3 Bf5 14. Bg5 Qd7 15. Rh4
Rae8 16. Bc2 Re6 17. Bxf5 Rxf5 18. b4 Bb6 19. c4 e4 20. c5
exf3 21. cxb6 Rxg5 22. bxa7 Qd8! 23. g3 Rf5 24. Nc3

As you can see, the starting position was used and is indicatedin the FEN diagram. Then the given moves were made from that position.

Thus the given board position that started a given variationis saved out along with all intervening moves since that position to the position on the board when the game was saved.


Undoing Moves

To undo the last move, whether yours or Gazebo's, go to the "Edit"menu and select "Undo". You can continue to undo moves repeatedly until the beginning of the game.


Playing the White Pieces

To play White against Gazebo Chess after just starting the program, just move a White piece. It will then play Black.

However, if the computer is playing White and it is your turn as Black to make a move, select Make Move Now on the "Play" menu. This will cause Gazebo to make a move for the side with the move (Black), leaving you to play the next White move.

Gazebo will begin to think of its move as Black. To play Black yourself, click here.


Playing Black
Playing the Black Pieces

Select Make Move on the Move menu to force Gazebo to play Black. Gazebo can be always forced to make a move for the side on move by using this option. That is, if you are playing White.

You can also change the board so that black plays from the bottom. This is called reversing the board.

To play White yourself, click here.


Reversing the Board

To put the black pieces on the bottom of the window, select "Views/Flip Board". You can then play black.


Setting Up a Position

Setting up a position can be done by using the "Edit/Set Up Position" menu item. Underneath it you'll find all pieces represented, includingthe empty square for removing pieces.

Select the menu item of the piecetype you now want to place, then click on the squares to place thepieces, and then finish up with "Edit/Stop Setup".

During the normal course of setting up pieces you may want to remove a piece. If so, follow the instructions outlined in that help topic.


Removing Pieces

You remove one or more pieces by using the "Edit/Set Up Position" option.

Then just select the "Empty Square" radio button and thenpress return and then click on the squares to delete pieces from.Once you do this, every piece you click with your mouse on the chess board will be removed. After removing all the desired pieces, select "Edit/Stop Setup."

During setup, you may want to place a piece. If so, follow the instructions outlined in that topic.


How to Reach Us

Postal:

  The MSM Company
  25682 Cresta Loma
  Laguna Niguel, Ca.
  92677 USA

Internet: cracraft@ai.mit.edu

Compuserve: 74012,3202

Phone: (714) 347-8107

The technical support line is open 24 hours a day.

If a technician is not available to speak with you immediately, leave your message on the voice-mail, including your telephone number, and you'll be called back within one business day.

When we call back, we will use the name "The MSM Company" with the telephone operator who will announce us as such.


If your version of Gazebo wasn't purchased
Gazebo is shareware, not freeware. If you use it, you are obligated to register it. This is described in the file README.TXT. Gazebo is copyrighted. The author is able to work on the program only insofar as renumeration is possible justifying the considerable expenditure of time on the program.

If someone should ask you for Gazebo, send them to us. Give yourself peace of mind and avoid the possible hassle. Refer them to us and if they purchase Gazebo, you will be entitled to a finder's fee.


Copyright

Gazebo Chess for Windows is copyright (c) The MSM Company 1995.