   WinChess Help Contents

Game Instructions

Starting the Game

How the Pieces Move

Winning the Game

Playing WinChess

Chess Notation

Chess Strategy

Menu Commands

Game Menu

Edit Menu

Options Menu

TroubleShooting

CTL3DV2.DLL Error Message

BWCC.DLL Error Message

Appendix

Registering WinChess

License/Warranty

Distribution Policy

WinChess Files

Author Contact


Starting the Game

The player with the white pieces commences the game. The players alternate in making one move at a time until the game is completed. (Castling is an exception). Only one piece is allowed on a square.

To capture an enemy piece, simply remove the enemy piece from the board and replace it with your own piece (En Passant is an exception).


How the Pieces Move


Kings Movement
King

The King is the most important piece on the board. When the King becomes trapped, the game is lost. The King can move one square in any direction (eight possible moves). An exception is castling. The King may never move into a check.


Queens Movement
Queen

The Queen is the most powerful piece on the board. She can move any number of squares in a straight line in any direction: horizontal, vertical, or diagonal (if she is not blocked by another piece). The Queen has the powers of a Rook and a Bishop combined.


Rooks Movement
Rook

The Rook is the second most powerful piece. It can move any number of squares in a straight line either horizontally or vertically, as long as it is not blocked.


Bishops Movement
Bishop

The Bishop can move any number of squares in a straight diagonal line if it is not blocked by another piece. Since each player has two bishops and each starts on a different colored square, each bishop stays on its own color squares for the duration of the game. Sometimes they are called white and black bishops based on their square color, regardless of the color of the piece.


Knights Movement
Knight

The Knight has a very special move. It moves two squares either horizontally or vertically and then makes a right angle turn and moves one more square. Unlike other pieces, the Knight is the only piece that can jump over other pieces between its old and new squares.


Pawns Movement
Pawn

The Pawn is the weakest piece on the board. It moves straight ahead and can never move backward. However, it captures diagonally. It can only move one square at a time, but on its first move it has the option of moving forward one or two squares.


Special Moves

Along with the regular moves of each piece already described, there are three special kinds of moves you should know about. Many beginners are often confused and upset when one of these moves are used by a more experienced opponent; especially en passant.

Castling - Protect your King and activate a Rook in one move!

En Passant - A special way that pawns capture other pawns.

Pawn Promotion - What happens when a pawn reaches the last rank?


Winning the Game

To win the game you must checkmate your opponent's King. It is not necessary to actually capture and remove the King from the board. A King is checkmated when he is being attacked by an opponent's piece ("check") and has no way to get out of it.

You can never move into check, either directly (by moving the King into an attacking square of an opponent's piece) or indirectly (by moving one of your pieces that exposes your King to attack by an opponent's piece).

If you are in check, you must get out of check immediately. You can either move your King out of range, capture the attacking piece, or place another one of your own pieces in-between your King and the attacking piece (this last method will not work if the attacking piece is a Knight.) If you cannot do any of these things, then you are checkmated and have lost the game.

Another situation is when a King is not in check but has no legal move. This situation is called stalemate and results in a tie.


Playing WinChess

You use the mouse to pick up pieces and move them. To move a piece, point the mouse cursor at a piece and press the left mouse button to "grab" the piece. Drag the piece using the mouse to the desired square and let go of the mouse button.  If the move is valid, the piece will be plopped on that square (any captured piece being removed first!) and WinChess will start thinking about its move. You can tell WinChess is thinking because the mouse cursor turns into an hour glass. If your move is invalid, the piece is placed back where it started and you must make another move.


Chess Notation

There are two major forms of chess notation in use today; descriptive and algebraic. In descriptive notation, a move is written using a letter for the piece followed by the destination square. The piece letters used are the first letters of the piece name, except for the Knight, which uses 'N' to distinguish it from the King ('K'). For example, a common first move is to move the pawn directly in front of the King forward two squares. This would be represented as "P-K4", implying a pawn has moved to the fourth rank of the King's file.

WinChess uses algebraic notation, which is more accurate than descriptive notation. This is because it gives exact start and end squares, where descriptive notation may be ambiguous.  The board is numbered by rank (1-8)and alphabetized by file (A-H). In the above example, "P-K4" would be represented as "E2-E4". Sometimes a shorthand version of algebraic notation is used for pawns, so that only the destination square is given when it is clear which pawn is moving: "e4".

Chess Abbreviations

In the above examples, a dash '-' is used to indicate movement from one square to another. There are other abbreviations:

x	captures (for example, e4xd5)

O-O	King side castle

O-O-O	Queen side castle

ep	captures en passant (for example, e5xd6 ep)

+	check

!	good move

!!	excellent move

?	bad move

??	blunder


Chess Strategy

Every chess game can be divided into three main phases: the opening, the middle game, and the end game.

The opening game lasts until around the 10th move. The goal of the opening game is to organize your pieces around a particular attack or defense. In the opening, you should try to memorize at least one or two standard opening lines (your opening "book") and use them when you play. Castle early if you can, and develop bishops and knights before your Queen and Rooks.

The middle game follows the opening, and generally is a series of positional moves combined with piece trades to create an advantage when entering the end game. Try to trade pieces when you are ahead, and find combinations that will win exchanges of pieces.

The end game is where there are few pieces left on the board, and often the King takes an active role in an attempt to Queen a Pawn. Put Rooks behind "passed" pawns (pawns that have passed enemy pawns).

Good Chess Guidelines

First, a quick primer on the relative values of the pieces.  These values only have meaning when deciding whether or not to trade pieces.  One is not necessarily winning just because one has more material.  Having said that, here it is:

     Pawn = 1   Knight = 3    Bishop = 3.25    Rook = 5    Queen = 9

When exchanging pieces, keep in mind the relative value of each piece. For example, you usually do not want to trade your Rook for an opponents Bishop.

The King is never actually captured, and thus is not listed. The Bishop, while slightly more valuable than a Knight in most cases, is often traded on an equal basis with the Knight. Two Bishops, however, is almost always better than Two Knights, as the advantage of the Bishops is additive. In fact, one place they are definitely superior is in the endgame. You can force checkmate with Two Bishops vs. a lone King, but cannot force checkmate with two Knights vs. a lone king. Also, in chess parlance, the Pawn is not considered a "piece" - Pawns and pieces are usually referred to as separate things. Knights and Bishops are considered minor pieces, Rooks and Queens major pieces. If you hear someone say he is "a piece up", that generally means he is a minor piece ahead in material. If he were a Rook or Queen up, he would usually specify which. If you've managed to trade your Knight or Bishop for a Rook, you are said to be up the Exchange. Trading a Bishop for a Rook is called being up the minor Exchange, and trading a Knight for a Rook is called being up the major Exchange, though most often no distinction is made between the two, as the difference is small. Having defined a few terms, on to the guidelines.

1.	Start with moving a center pawn 2 squares forward. This occupies and controls the center, meanwhile opening lines for your pieces to get into play (in chess parlance, we say the pieces are "developed" when brought into play). This also allows you to keep the side (or "wing") pawns intact so your King has a safe place to castle later. This rule is here because center-pawn openings are both the easiest to play and to understand.

2.	Make only as many Pawn moves as is necessary in the opening to effectively develop the rest of your pieces or as necessary for defense. This is usually no more than four in the early opening phase of the game. The end of the opening phase is generally considered to be reached when all the pieces have been developed and the King has castled.

3.	Don't be too anxious to move your Queen and Rooks out too early. The Rooks especially are more endgame pieces, and the Queen is easily chased around the board by the opponents bishops and knights. Move your Knights and Bishops out first.

4.	Get all your pieces developed as quickly as possible. One piece will not accomplish anything by itself, and you basically can't do anything until you do this first.

5.	Develop Knights before Bishops. The reason is that Knights move more slowly than Bishops, and take longer to get where they're going. A Bishop can travel long range and be developed almost instantly to the desired square.

6.	Develop Knights toward the center (not the edges). Remember, "A Knight on the rim is dim." This is because it only has half the scope there as in the center. You can prove this by putting a Knight in the center of the board, and counting the squares it attacks (you should get eight), and then putting it on the side, and counting how many squares it covers (four). Since this placement has a larger effect percentage-wise on the Knight than any other piece (try it - and notice what happens to the Rook!), and the Knight is also a slow moving piece, this rule actually applies to almost all pieces, but especially the Knight.

7.	Castle early for King safety and to develop the Rooks, usually immediately after the development of Knights and Bishops, sometimes even before both Knights and both Bishops have come into play, depending on necessity. If you can wait until the Knights and Bishops are in play, however, this gives you the choice of deciding on which side to castle, though sometimes there is only one good choice, as one wing or the other may already be weakened, in which case delaying would give no benefit. See items #1 and #22.

8.	Do not move a piece twice in the opening. Doing so delays getting your other pieces developed and delays castling.

9.	Do not bring the Queen out too early. It is a valuable piece, and therefore an easy target for lesser pieces. If you bring it out too early, you are likely to find yourself moving the Queen over and over to get it to safety (repeatedly violating guideline #8), and delaying the development of your pieces while your opponent essentially takes one free turn after another, developing his. If you need to move it so your King can castle queenside, generally moving it up to the second rank just to get it out of the way is okay. Moving it farther than this before you've finished development is usually inviting trouble.

10.	Control the center squares. Traffic generally has to run through the center of the board in one way or another. Control the center of the board, and you usually will have more freedom to put your plans into effect than your opponent, as your pieces will have more scope & power from the center of the board, being able to get to any spot on the board relatively quickly.

11.	Keep one or more Pawns in the center. This helps you achieve #11 above, as one way to control the center is by occupying it, and Pawns are the most difficult piece to budge.

12.	Place your pieces on open lines (open lines are lines of movement that are unobstructed by pawns). Place Bishops on open diagonals, Rooks on open files (files are columns, ranks are rows).

13.	Coordinate your pieces to work together. One common way to do this is to double pieces up, such as putting a Queen and Bishop on the same diagonal, or putting two Rooks on the same file or rank. They support each other's movement along the diagonal, file, or rank in question, and are essentially twice as powerful this way.

14.	When protecting a piece, use the least valuable piece available to do so. Especially, protect Pawns with Pawns (forming a Pawn chain). Why tie up a valuable piece to protect a Pawn if it's not necessary? Not only does using less valuable pieces for protection free up the more powerful pieces, but the less valuable pieces are less likely to be scared away or dislodged from their defensive posts.

15.	Avoid isolated Pawns if possible. Isolated pawns are those that can no longer be protected by an adjacent pawn (because there are no pawns on the adjacent files). Isolated pawns generally occur as a result of Pawn captures being made, so carefully look at the resulting Pawn structure when you have the choice of capturing with a Pawn or another piece. Isolated pawns are weak because they are subject to attack and must be defended by other pieces.

16.	Especially avoid doubled isolated Pawns. Doubled Pawns are two pawns of the same color on the same file. The Pawn in back is weak because its movement is inhibited by the Pawn in front. This is not terribly weak by itself. However, doubled isolated Pawns are very weak, as they both cannot be supported by other pawns and cannot move freely, a bad combination.

17.	Make moves that threaten, when possible. These moves limit your opponent's choices, and basically allow you to call the shots, as your opponent usually must respond to your threat before proceeding with his own threats. Alternately, do not get carried away with making your own threats to the point that you overlook your opponent's threats. Being the one who is calling the shots is called having the initiative.

18.	Don't make pointless threats. This includes checks. Checking or attacking something simply for the sake of doing so has no value. If the threatened piece can simply move away with no detrimental consequences, and there is no advantage to you in making the move in the first place, then the threat is pointless. Doing this can even force your opponent to make a good move. Pointlessly threatening a Knight on the rim just forces your opponent to move it back towards the center of the board, for example. However, if the Knight is trapped there, then attacking it would allow you to win the piece.

19.	When ahead in material, exchange pieces. For example, if the total value of your pieces on the board (see relative values listed above) is 16, and the total value of your opponents pieces is 11, this is roughly a 3 to 2 edge. Trade Rooks, however, and now the total value of your pieces is 11, your opponent's pieces have a total value of 6. This is almost a 2 to 1 edge, which is obviously better.

20.	When behind in material, don't exchange pieces. This is essentially #19 looked at from the other side of the coin.

21.	When you are attacked, try to exchange the attacking pieces to reduce the power of the attack. This takes precedence over #19 & #20, as the safety of the King is more important than anything else.

22.	Don't weaken Pawns in front of your castled King. Generally this means don't move them unless you absolutely have to. Once moved forward they become easier targets for attack.

23.	Try not to leave your pieces in positions where they are loose (undefended). Loose pieces become targets for attack, and are more likely to be lost than pieces that are defended.

24.	Avoid creating holes in your position. A hole is a square that can no longer be defended by a Pawn. Since a Pawn is the most useful piece when it comes to threatening another piece to make it move away from a particular spot, this would mean a piece can lodge itself in this hole and be extremely hard to drive away. This is especially bad if the hole is near where your king is hiding out.

25.	Bring your King into action in the endgame. Once the danger of the middle game is over and there are very few pieces on the board, the King need not cower in the corner anymore. He instead becomes a powerful attacking piece.

26.	Find your opponent's weaknesses and exploit them. This may be anything from a set of doubled or isolated pawns to a vulnerable King position to something as esoteric (and beyond the scope of this file) as a weak square or a lack of development. To understand how to exploit these weaknesses, play over master games, and watch how they do it. Games of the old masters (Morphy, Tarrasch, Nimzovitch, Lasker, & Capablanca, for example) often illustrate these concepts better than modern games, as they are simply easier to follow and more straightforward in their style of play.

27.	Don't sacrifice a piece without a clear reason, like a DEFINITE checkmate. Only masters are justified in making speculative sacrifices, and even they will not generally do so. Speculative sacrifices fail much more often than they succeed.

28.	Always assume your opponent will make the best move. Assume he will be fooled, and you will eventually set yourself up for trouble. Only by determining the best moves for both sides can accurate analysis be done.

29.	Do not follow any of these preceding guidelines blindly or mechanically. Analysis always supersedes these guidelines. If your analysis says you have checkmate in three moves no matter how your opponent replies (you are said to "have mate in three"), then all the guidelines go out the window. Obviously, it doesn't matter if you have to put your Knight on the rim to deliver checkmate. If you see a specific reason to break a guideline, such as mate or the win of material, particularly of a piece or more, and you believe your analysis is sound and the benefits outweigh the negatives of breaking that guideline, then by all means break it. These guidelines are simply to help you win, and are not hard and fast rules for every situation.

30.	Be careful when grabbing material, as it can be used as a way of luring your pieces into positions where they will be useless to prevent an onslaught against your King, or even in preventing your pieces from ever developing and getting into the game. But as Bobby Fischer once said (paraphrased), "If you can't see a good reason not to take a piece, then take it." Simply put, don't get greedy over material at the expense of the safety of your King, but don't refuse outright gifts, either.

31.	And fittingly last, if you are playing a game and are a Rook down or more, with no attack, passed pawn (a Pawn whose passage is unopposed by other pawns and thus is a serious threat to promote to a queen), or other significant compensation, against a knowledgeable player who is not likely to blunder badly enough for you to get back in the game, graciously resign and get on with the next game. There are exceptions to this, especially with timed play and/or when tournament prize money is on the line at the amateur level, but it is generally a sign of good sportsmanship to admit when you've been defeated and congratulate your opponent. This almost always occurs at the master level, regardless of circumstance - few would be caught dead playing drearily on until the inevitable mate is delivered. It should always occur when the games are friendly. Also, if you are the victor, be gracious about winning, don't gloat, and compliment your opponent on the things he did right.


Castling

Each player can "castle" once during the game if and only if:

•	Neither the King or the Rook may have moved before.

•	The King cannot be in check, or castle into or through check.

•	The spaces between the King and Rook must be clear.

You can castle using either Rook. To castle, move the King two spaces to the left or right, and then move the Rook to the opposite side of the King toward the center of the board.


En Passant

This is a French term that means "in passing."  When one player moves a pawn two squares forward, the opponent can capture the pawn just as if it had moved only one square forward.  Note that the opportunity for capturing such a pawn is lost if it is not taken immediately.


Pawn Promotions

If a Pawn advances all the way to the opposite end of the board, it is immediately promoted to another piece. Usually this is a Queen, but the player may also select a Rook, Bishop or Knight (it is illegal to have more than one King, and silly to leave the pawn where it is!)


Game Menu

New - Start a new game.

Open - Open a saved game.

Save - Save current game.

Save As - Save the current game under a new name.

Hint - Gives a hint on what and where to move.

Pass - Pass a turn.

Exit - Exits WinChess.


Edit Menu

Undo - Undo a previous move.

Redo - Redo an undone move.

Arrange - Re-arrange the Chess Pieces.


Level Options

Time Limit Game - Time limit the game.

Time Limit Move - Time limit each move.

Match Users Time - Match users move time.

Novice - Easy game.

Intermediate - Intermediate game.

Advance - Hard game.

Custom Search Depth - Set computers search depth.


Custom Search Depth

Sets the computer search depth value by scrolling left or right.


Time Limit

Sets the time limit of the game or time limit of each move.


Options Menu

Demo Mode - Enable demo mode.

Reverse Board - Reverse chess board.

Defensive|Offensive Mode - Allows player to play either in offensive or defensive mode.

Level Options - Opens Level Options dialog.

Game Options - Opens Game Options dialog.


Movements

Drag - Allows you to move the chess pieces by dragging and dropping.

Select - Allows you to move the chess pieces by selection.


Colors

Changes the colors of the chess board and the background.


Modes

Changes the mode to one player(human versus computer) or two players(human versus human).


Bestline

Enable or disable the displaying of best lines.


Level Options Dialog


Game Options Dialog


CTL3DV2.DLL Error

Problem:

When WinChess starts, a dialog pops-up with the following message:

This application uses CTL3DV2.DLL, which has not been correctly installed.

Solution:

Make sure that CTL3DV2.DLL is moved from WinChess directory to WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. If there is already a copy of CTL3DV2.DLL in WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory then just delete CTL3DV2.DLL from WinChess directory.


BWCC.DLL Error

Problem:

When WinChess starts, a dialog pops-up with the following message:

This program requires BWCC.DLL 2.0 or higher.

Solution:

Make sure that the latest version of BWCC.DLL is either in the WINDOWS or WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. If there is a copy of BWCC.DLL in both the WINDOWS and the WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory, delete the older version.


Distribution Policy

Shareware vendors have permission to copy and redistribute this program on the following conditions:

•	The product is distributed in its entirety without modification. Loader programs and documentation files may be added, and the product may be bundled with catalogs or other Shareware titles.

•	The product is identified as Shareware in all catalogs and labeling. The recipients must be informed that the program requires further payment to the author for use beyond the 30 day evaluation period;

•	Only a reasonable copying and distribution fee of not more than $7.00 US dollars is charge.

Vendors who inform the author that they wish to distribute this product will be sent updates, periodically. Vendors are encouraged to notify the author by email of how and where the program is being distributed.

Electronic Distribution

Placing of this program on bulletin boards and the like is encouraged. All WinChess Files should be packed into a single file with a popular file archiving and compression program. The file should be called WCHSS25D.XXX where the 25D indicates version 2.50D, and XXX is the normal file extension associated with the compression program used.


WinChess Files

WinChess contains the following files. No copy of the program may be distributed unless all files are included and unmodified.

BWCC          .DLL    - Common controls dynamic link library

CTL3DV2     .DLL    - 3D-controls dynamic link library

WINCHESS  .DAT   - WinChess data file

WINCHESS  .EXE   - WinChess executable

WINCHESS  .HLP   - WinChess help

SETUP        .EXE   - Setup executable

SETUP        .BMP   - Setup bitmap

BCHNSTAL .BAT   - Batch files used by Setup

BCHNSTAL .PIF     - PIF files used by Setup

README     .TXT    - Product, installation, and support information

VENDOR     .TXT    - Vendor and distribution information

WHATSNEW.TXT   - Whats new in this version

REGISTER  .TXT    - Registration information

FILE_ID       .DIZ     - Description

DESC          .SDI     - Description


License; Warranty
License/Disclaimer of Warranty

Software License

This product is licensed, not sold. It may be freely copied and distributed subject to the conditions in the Distribution Policy. Unregistered users have a limited license to try out the program for up to 30 days without charge. Registration gives a license for the use of the program by one user or on one machine. Special licenses may also be available for multiple machines or users, for extended rights to copy.

Warranty

THIS SOFTWARE AND ACCOMPANYING MATERIALS ARE DISTRIBUTED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL ANYONE INVOLVED WITH THE CREATION AND PRODUCTION OF THIS PRODUCT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF ANY USE THEREOF OR BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY.


Registering WinChess

The Shareware Concept

Shareware is licensed commercial software which the authors make available on a try-before-you-buy basis.  Users may evaluate a shareware product for a period usually between 30 and 90 days, by the end of which they must either pay for the product (known as Registration) or stop using it.

Copying of Shareware, subject to the conditions described in the Distribution Policy, is not only allowed, it is encouraged.  Pass copies on to interested friends and colleagues. Shareware authors rely on the integrity of users to abide by the conditions of the license, and register the product if they want to continue using it.

Pricing

Single Registration is free for previous owners and $20.00 for everyone else. Registered users of previous versions can either at no charge or have it sent out via postal mail for a shipping and handling fee of $5.00. Single Registration gives a license for use of the program by one user or on one machine, and entitles you to all the benefits listed above. All prices are subject to change without notice.

Check or Money Orders

You may register with a check or money order in U.S. currency.

Send the check or money order of $20.00 payable to: Phe Meas, 6 Carol Ave, Brighton, MA 02135

Credit Card Orders

For your convenience we have contracted a company, AXXIS, to process any registrations you may wish to place with your Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. AXXIS can be easily contacted for orders only via any of the following methods:

Please provide or be prepared to provide the following information when ordering:

1. The program you are registering which is WinChess.

2. Your billing address.

3. Your mailing address (if different from billing)

4. Yur Visa, MasterCard, or American Express number and its expiration date.

5. Your phone number or E-Mail address if applicable

Online Orders:

To order online securely with a credit card:

All information sent this way is encrypted for your protection. This is the fastest way to order

E-Mailed Orders:

E-mail:

Phone Voice-Mail Orders:

Phone Voice-Mail: 801-523-8221 (Available 24 hours)

Faxed Orders:

FAX: 801-576-5663

A signature and date is required on faxed orders.

IMPORTANT: 1) AXXIS processes registration only, please contact the author for any questions, comments, or technical support. 2) Do not send any check or money order to AXXIS. They are allowed to process credit card orders only.


Author
Contacting the Author

Internet: pmeas@us1.channel1.com

Post Mail: Phe Meas, 6 Carol Ave, Brighton, MA 02135

The latest version is available from:

  http://www.channel1.com/users/pmeas/winchess

  ftp://ftp.channel1.com/pub/users/pmeas/winchess/

  Left Side of Normal BBS (847) 970-9839.

   Use WinChess as your username and Chess as your password.

  It can also be Crashmail FREQ'd from Left Side of Normal (1:115/949) with the magic name of WINCHESS.