MORE WinGames/WINGAMES.iso/chessnet/chessnet.doc

Text File | 1990-11-26 | 10KB | 178 lines

              ChessNet Shareware/Demo version 1.1

Program and Documentation are
   Copyright 1989 by Design Track, Inc. and Jack Lerner
All rights reserved.

ChessNet is a copyrighted program offered "as is" for your
evaluation and enjoyment. You are encouraged to distribute
copies of this Shareware/Demo version to others for evaluation.
This version is complete in all respects except the following:
during modem play, games cannot be saved or loaded, and chess
clocks are disabled. Also, a choice of algebraic or coordinate
notation is offered in the licensed version. Use of this program
beyond a reasonable evaluation period obligates you to purchase
a licensed copy. Licensed copies may be obtained by sending
$34.95 to: Design Track, Inc., P.O. Box 20340, Dept. SW, Cherokee
Station, New York, NY 10028. The licensed version is shipped with a
Microsoft Windows runtime environment. Design Track, Inc. and the
author make no claims as to the program's suitability for any
specific use and expressly disavow any responsibility for real
or consequential damages of any sort.

ChessNet allows you to play a game of chess over a modem with
an opponent running this software. You may use this software
standalone to play out games, analyze variations, and save to disk
in ascii text format. A computer chess strategy is NOT included
with ChessNet. ChessNet runs in the Microsoft Windows environment.

The following description of menus and dialogs is included for those
unfamiliar with the Windows interface.

Menus:
   All of the features of ChessNet are accessed through menus.
   You may select menu items with the keyboard in two ways. The first
   step using the keyboard is to press the ALT key. Then you may use
   the DIRECTION keys to move across the menu bar (RIGHT and LEFT arrows)
   and the UP and DOWN arrow keys to select items within a menu.
   The currently selected item will always be highlighted. To activate
   the selected menu item or feature press the RETURN key. To cancel
   your menu selection press the ESC key. Some of the items on the menu
   bar contain sub-menus. You must first select and activate the item
   on the menu bar. The sub-menu items will then pop-up. Select and
   activate sub-menu items with the UP and DOWN arrow keys and the RETURN
   key. For example, the Options menu may be selected by hitting ALT,
   RIGHT arrow three times and then a RETURN. The Show Labels menu item
   may then be activated by hitting DOWN arrow and then a RETURN. The display
   of the labels on the side and top of the board may be toggled this way.
   Note that initially a checkmark appears next to this menu item. This
   indicates that the feature is currently active. The second keyboard
   method is more direct. First press the ALT key as before. Next select
   a menu item by pressing the underlined letter of the item. To select
   the Show Labels option using the second method, press ALT, then the
   O key, then the L key. To select menu items with a mouse, point to
   an item on the menu bar and click with the left button. This will
   activate the item immediately. If the item contains a sub-menu, this
   will popup. Select an item on the popup menu by pointing and clicking once
   with the left button. To cancel, point the mouse outside the menu area
   and click once with the left button. Menu items which are currently
   inaccessible are "grayed".

Dialogs:
   The initial signon screen of ChessNet is a dialog box.
   Dialogs are displayed to give you additional information or to
   request information from you. You complete a dialog by selecting
   one of the command buttons inside the dialog box. The signon
   dialog has one command button -- OK. Note that it is outlined in
   bold. This indicates it is the default button and may be selected
   by hitting the RETURN key. If the dialog box contains a CANCEL
   button, it may be selected with the ESC key. Or you may click
   on a command button with the left button of the mouse.
   To select items within a dialog, use the TAB key to move to
   different items or groups of items within a dialog. Items are
   grouped if you are being asked to choose one and only one item
   from a group. For example, the Connect dialog asks you to choose
   either COM1 or COM2 as your communications port. As with menus,
   you may choose between items in a group with the DIRECTION keys
   (LEFT and RIGHT arrows), or by hitting the key corresponding to the
   underlined letter of the item. Or just click on the item with
   the left mouse button. A dialog box may also contain an edit
   field, such as the Phone Number field in the Connect dialog. Just
   tab to this field (a small cursor will appear) and type in a
   number. You may use the BACKSPACE and DELETE keys to correct
   typing errors.

How to Move:
   Ready for a chess game? You select the piece you want to move by
   pointing and clicking in its square. If the piece has moves
   available, it will be outlined in a blinking rectangle. Only pieces
   with legal moves may be selected. If you don't have a mouse,
   the ARROW KEYS will move a solid rectangle around the board.
   Again, the rectangle will blink only if the piece can move.
   Select the piece by hitting the RETURN key or clicking with the
   left mouse button. The blinking rectangle will now remain solid.
   You can change your mind by hitting the RETURN key a second time,
   or clicking again. The outline rectangle will begin blinking
   again. After de-selecting a selected piece, you are free to choose
   a different piece. To move, first select a piece, then select a
   square to move to using the mouse or keyboard as above. A valid
   square to move to will be indicated by a blinking rectangle.
   ChessNet only allows legal chess moves. Click or hit RETURN.
   Shortcut: click to select, mouse button up to make the move.
   The last move made will be displayed and highlighted in the window
   to the right of the board.

How to Connect:
   You may play chess against an opponent at another site who is
   running ChessNet if you each have telephone lines attached to
   Hayes compatible modems. Invoke the Connect dialog from the menu
   bar (ALT+C or click with mouse). There are two choices for
   connect. If you have a phone attached to your modem line, the
   easiest method is to first call your opponent (ordinary voice
   call). Then, after you both have copies of the ChessNet software
   running, have one player select Dial and the other Answer (first
   group of items within dialog). Then have both players select
   Voice to Data as the Connect Type. Also change any default
   settings of the COM Port, and Dial Type (if you don't have
   a touch tone line choose pulse). The player who selected
   Dial may choose White or Black (this can be reversed by later
   choosing New from the Game menu--New will reset the board and
   switch the sides). End the Connect dialog with OK. ChessNet will
   establish a data connection and ask you to hang up the phone. The
   board will be reset and you are ready to play! The second method
   is to select Dial Number as the Connect Type. Arrange who will
   Dial and who will Answer. The player selecting Dial fills in
   the number to dial in the Connect dialog. After the Dial player
   ends the Connect dialog, ChessNet will dial and connect. (Allow
   enough time for the Answer player to end the Connect dialog--
   this puts the modem in auto-answer mode for up to 30 minutes.)

New Game:
   Select New from the Game menu to reset the board. If you are
   playing a modem game, this will also reset your opponent's board
   and switch sides. It is considered poor sportsmanship to select
   this option without first resigning or agreeing to a draw.

Load:
   A game previously saved with ChessNet may be loaded and resumed.
   If you are connected via modems, the moves will be transmitted
   to your opponent and loaded on both machines.

Save As:
   To save a game to disk, type in the file name as requested. The
   default extension is *.CHS. If you just enter 'filename', it will
   be saved as 'filename.chs'.

Rotate Board:
   See how the other side lives.

Replay Game:
   After selecting Replay, you may back out any and all moves. With
   the mouse, click on the scroll bars, or with the keyboard use '+'
   or '-' on the keypad, INS and DEL, or UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW if
   you have a mouse installed. You may exit Replay by continuing the
   game with a new move at any point, or by toggling the option from
   the menu.

Setting Clocks:
   Clocks may be set individually to any time. Setting a clock puts
   that player in a countdown mode. You will be notified if that
   player's "flag" drops, but may continue to play out the game
   regardless. If you are connected by modem, either player may
   set either clock. The setting will be transmitted and displayed
   on both machines. Set by clicking the mouse on the scroll bars,
   or use the ARROW keys. End setting mode with RETURN or by clicking
   outside the clock area. Clocks may only be set before the first
   move.

Chat:
   After connecting via modem, messages may be exchanged with this
   option. What you see is what you send. Messages are displayed
   at the bottom of the board. After receiving a message, you are
   given an Option to clear the message line.

Hangup:
   If connected, will disconnect and hang up phones on both sides.
   You may resume a voice call if you first pick up the phones, then
   select this option.