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Text File | 1996-08-07 | 20KB | 462 lines

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS =================== YChess requires a 386 processor, or higher, as well as a VGA or SVGA graphics card. COPYRIGHT NOTICE ================ YCHESS 1.09 is copyright (C) 1995 Roman Antonczyk. All rights are reserved, with the only exception that YCHESS 1.09 may be copied and distributed by anyone if (and only if) the archive is kept together and no fee is involved. DISCLAIMER ========== YCHESS1.09 comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY. No author or distributor accepts responsibility to anyone for the consequences of using it. STARTUP / INSTALL ================= The directory from which 'chess' is started should contain the files 'chess.exe' and 'book.cbk'. Upon termination of the program, the file 'chess.sav' will be created in this directory. This file saves the state of the program on exit. When the program is restarted, the previous settings will be restored from this file with one exception: * It is 'your move' after reload, even if the program was aborted while the computer was 'thinking'. IF YOU ARE INSTALLING OVER A PREVIOUS RELEASE OF YCHESS, THEN YOU SHOULD DELETE THE FILE "CHESS.SAV" CREATED BY THE PREVIOUS RELEASE! ENTERING MOVES ============== Type in the coordinates (e.g. E2E4) or select two squares using either the cursor-keys with ENTER, or the mouse and the left mouse button. Use BACKSPACE or DELETE to rub out characters typed using the keyboard. It does not matter if the destination coordinate or origin coordinate is typed first, either will do. CHANGING YOUR MIND ABOUT THE MOVE ================================= Let's assume that you are using the mouse or cursor-keys to enter moves and that you have typed in one coordinate (either origin or destination of the piece being moved). If you change your mind, there are two ways to 'undo' the first coordinate typed, without getting the annoying 'Illegal Move' message. (i) Click on the same square again. This will delete the previous entry. (ii) If you entered an 'origin' coordinate, select a different origin. Similarly, if you chose a 'destination' square, choose a different destination square. The program assumes that all squares containing friendly pieces (pieces of the side to move) are 'origin' squares and that all other squares are valid destinations (empty squares and squares containing enemy pieces). THE CLOCKS ========== The clocks show the total time used up by each player. In addition, there is an arrow pointing to the clock of the side-to-move. This arrow points to the top clock when white is to move, else it points to the bottom clock. The number of moves played are displayed above the clock and the status is displayed below (Your move / Computing / Demo Mode). The clocks will usually count up. However, when the level "Minutes for Game" is selected, the clocks will count down. In this case, a message is displayed when one side exceeds the allowed time. The message 'White (or Black) has exceeded the time limit' is then displayed when the clock wraps 'round. A time-out-flag (an arrow pointing downwards) appears next to the corresponding clock in this case. LAST MOVE PLAYED ================ The last move played is displayed below the clocks. Note that "Check" will not be indicated when "Pseudo Legal" has been selected (See there). The Menu-Bar ============ Commands (like 'New Game', 'Exit') are entered using the Menu-Bar. Its operation should be familiar from other applications. If not, here's a brief summary of how to use the menu-bar: Method 1: Activate the menu using the 'TAB' key. You should see the (Keyboard) first item ("File") light up. Select the item you want using the left and right cursor-keys. Then press either ENTER or UP (DOWN) to open the menu you want. Select the required item using the UP and DOWN cursor keys, then activate the item using 'ENTER'. Method 2: Similar to above. Open the menu you want using 'Alt' (Keyboard) together with the first letter of the required menu on the menu-bar. Method 3: Click on the menu-bar item, then on the item in the pop-up (Mouse) menu which you want to select. Use the left mouse key. Accelerator Keys ================ Several menu items allow the use of accelerator keys. With accelerator keys, you can select an option without opening the corresponding menu. The accelerator-key for an option is indicated by the green right-aligned text in the corresponding menu. For example, to quit the program you can select the item 'Exit' from the file-menu, but you can also use the accelerator-key 'Alt-X'. With most chess programs, the menu-bar is inactive when it is the computer's turn to move. This is not so for 'chess'. You can issue any command any time, irrespective of weather the computer is to move or not. Menu Options (Summary) ======================= File ==== Exit: Quits the program. The current position and options are ===== saved in the file 'CHESS.SAV', which is reloaded when the program is restarted. About: Displays brief copyright message and version number ====== Board ===== Coordinates: Toggles the presence of the coordinate-grid on ============ the chess-board Turn Board: Turns the chess board by 180°. =========== Setup Position: Allows placing pieces on the chess-board. Note that =============== on exit from setup, the side to move will be the side currently selected in setup. The key 'L' is used to place bishops (not 'B'). This is to allow selecting squares by typing the coordinate (e.g. type 'B3' to select the square B3). It is assumed that the king may castle when the king and the respective rook(s) are on their home squares. New Game: Starts a new game. If the previous game originated ========= from the starting position (it wasn't entered/changed using 'Setup'), then the game may be replayed using the 'Take Forward' and 'Take Back' keys. Move ==== Hint: Recommends a move. If it is the computer's turn, ===== then this is the move which is currently considered best by the machine. Otherwise it is the move which the computer 'thinks' to be the best reply. When the position is found in the opening library, then the computer will display all available opening moves one by one, the most likely being shown first (the move with the most descendants) - This feature is especially useful for beginners. Play: When it is 'your turn', this forces the computer ===== to play the next move. When it is the computer's turn, it forces the machine to play the move which it currently considers best. Demo: Enters selfplay mode ('Esc' or menu-option to abort). ===== At the end of a game, a new game will be started automatically after a couple of seconds if no key is pressed and the option "Continuous Demo" has been selected. Undo Move: Undo last move played. It is then 'Your turn', even ========== if the computer was to move Redo Move: Redo move undone. This feature can also be used after ========== 'New Game' (see there). Note that the redo feature remains enabled while matching moves are played. Example: The moves E2E4-E7E5, G1F3 were played and then taken back. E2E4 was now played again. You can still press 'Redo Move' to redo 'E7E5' (and again for 'G1F3'). Go to Move: Go to move specified. Example: Enter "10" or "10w" =========== to go to the 10th move with white-to-move. Enter "10b" to go to the 10th move with black-to-move. Options: ======== Auto Reply: When disabled, the computer will not automatically =========== respond with its own move. Analysis: Select this option to show the analysis window ========= at the bottom of the display. This shows certain statistics about the move being searched. Don't worry if you do not understand some of the terms used in the below description, they are specific to computer chess. Score: The computer's evaluation of the best move in pawn units, positive when the computer 'believes' to be ahead. 'Book Move' is displayed when the move came from the opening book. 'Chopper' is displayed when the computer only had one legal move (which is played immediately). Depth: The number of ply searched full width. Move: The move being searched, together with the position of the move in the 'list of all moves', as well as the number of legal moves available. Time: The time spent searching to find the currently best move. This includes any time which the computer spent searching while it was your turn (if the computer correctly predicted your move). Sound: Toggles between 'Sound on' and 'Sound off'. ====== Animation Speed: ================ Allows selecting the speed at which pieces travel across the board. Various: ======== Continuous Demo: If this option is checked, then the machine ---------------- will start a new game five seconds after completing the previous game, when in selfplay mode. Permanent Analysis: If this option is checked, then the analysis ------------------- window will inform you about the position currently being searched by the computer. Otherwise, "Analysis" will show the position searched the last time the computer was to move. Paper/Ink Colour Allows changing the colours of the board ================ and pieces using sliders to adjust the three RGB colours. Use the (Ctrl)-Left and (Ctrl)-Right cursor keys for adjustment (or use the mouse). Level ===== Seconds per Move: On average, the computer will spend this ================= amount of time per move. Minutes for Game: In this level, the clocks count ================= downwards (Blitz/Speed chess), Each side should complete the game in the time shown. When the clock has counted down, a 'time-out' message will be displayed once the current side has moved. Nevertheless, you may still play on. Moves in Minutes: The computer will play 'x' moves in 'y' ================= minutes (x and y as shown on the menu). Mate in N: Solves mating problems. Multiple solutions ========== are found by using the 'Take Back' feature and then pressing 'Play' again. The next alternative solution will be found. When there are no further solutions, then the first solution found will be found again. Note: YChess is significantly faster at solving mate problems compared to other programs which I have tested. Fixed Depth: Searches to the depth specified. This is the ============ minimum depth searched, certain lines of play are always searched to greater depth. Infinite: The computer will keep searching until 'Play' ========= is pressed. Under certain conditions, the computer will nevertheless play its move: * Maximum depth reached: May happen in the end-game (highly unlikely). The program has reached the maximum number of moves which it can 'think ahead'. * Best move: No better move is possible. For example, all other moves lead to immediate checkmate. Randomizer: When this option is enabled, then the computer =========== will add a few random points to each move. This ensures that there is considerable variation in the games played. Easy: When enabled, the computer will "forget" ===== any previous computations before computing its move (the Hash-Table is cleared and the search is restarted, even if the "permanent brain" correctly predicted your move). Book Move: When disabled, the computer has no clue ========== about opening moves (this also applies to the 'Hint' function - see there). Pseudo Legal: Some chess players do not announce ============= 'check' when playing speed chess. In this case, if you fail to move your king out of check, then your monarch is taken and you loose the game. When this option is selected, the computer will do just that: * Check is not announced. * Moves leaving the king in check, or moving the king into check, may be entered. If you do leave your king in check, it will be captured. Specify: In addition to the predefined set of choices, the ======== levels allow the user to enter values for the precise level he wants. A dialog-box is opened for this purpose. Note that clicking outside the area of the dialog-box closes the dialog. In this case, the levels which were entered will be used if they are acceptable, else they will be ignored. When a time is required, it can be entered using one of the following formats: * No units specified, (example: "59"). In this case, the default units are assumed. They are minutes for the levels "Moves in Minutes" and "Minutes for Game", but seconds for the level "second per move". * Units are specified, (example: "73m"). This will set the time to 73 minutes. Allowed units are "h", "m", "s" for hours, minutes and seconds respectively. You can specify a time using combined units, "1h90m" will set the time to one hour and 90 minutes, "1h30s" will set the time to one hour and 30 seconds and finally, "10h5m17s" will set the level to ten hours, five minutes and seventeen seconds. You must specify hours before minutes and minutes before seconds, for example "10m5h" is not allowed. Finally, "50h10" can be entered instead of "50h10m", "50m10" can be entered instead of "50m10s". An error-box "Illegal time" will be displayed if you enter an illegal time. "Overflow" will be displayed if one of the values entered is too large. ------------------------ ESCAPE ====== The 'Escape' key aborts any computation being made. It will then be your move. BOOK MOVES ========== Here are some brief notes on the book move module: * Any book position is recognized irrespective of the moves leading to that position. * When white wastes a tempo, the computer may play the opening usually played by white using the black pieces. Example (computer is black): 1) E2E3 E7E5 2) E3E4 ? By symmetry, this is the same as 'E2E4,E7E5' and hence the computer will continue playing any opening usually played by white using the black pieces. CHOPPER ======= When there is only one legal move, then the computer will play this move immediately, without conducting any search. However, the move will be searched nevertheless when the level "Mate in N" has been selected, or when the position is a known endgame position. ENDGAME POSITIONS ================= The endgames "King+Rook vs. King" and "King+Queen vs. King" are known to the program. These are played and scored perfectly. Multiple solutions to mating problems and endgame positions =========================================================== To get an alternative solution, press "Take-Back" and then press "Play". The computer will sort the moves in such a way that the move stored in the "Take-Back" list will be searched last, therefore finding any alternative solution before investigating this move. PAUSING THE GAME ================ The game is paused while the menu-bar is active, or when one of the menus has been opened. No computations are done during that time. COMMAND LINE OPTIONS ==================== The following command-line options have been included: /h0 /h1 /h2 /h3: Set size of hash-table to 4K, 8K, 16K or 32K entries respectively (default: /h3). Use this option if YChess does not have enough memory to start or to load the opening book. /d: When this option is specified, then YChess won't restore the settings from the file 'CHESS.SAV' on startup. Therefore, the default settings will be restored. CREDITS ======= Dimiter I. Kurtev for managing the YChess homepage. Christina Antonczyk for designing the chess pieces.