Tag: chess

Categories
android chessmoves ios

Chess Moves – Resume your game and with Spanish translations especially for the blind!


Chess Moves v2.6 was released and with this we bring two important changes to enhance your App experience while playing against the AI.

WHATS NEW


♟ Resume AI Game

Earlier, you could not resume an AI game and had to either abandon it or resign. Now you can simply leave the game. The App is smart to know and will present the same game the next time you choose to play vs AI so you can continue where you left off!
We have also added the ability to abort an AI game, provided you do so in the first few moves.

♟ Translations

Our aim is for everybody to play chess and have fun, irrespective of language and whether you can see the App or not. Thats why our Apps (the only Chess apps?) are 100% blind friendly.
A blind user from Spain requested us that the App be available in Spanish. And thanks to my good old friend Carlos Granados, the App is now translated to Spanish!
As always, your feedback is most welcome. (You can do so via the App – Menu – About – Feedback)

Goodbye Chess, Hello Future!

It started in 2007/8 when I started working on simple Chess apps. Back then, apart from a couple of Apps, there was nothing much. So for my personal amusement and training, I started developing Apps! These personal projects because a passion, and passion my business! Fast forward, 2018, and there are so many Chess Apps out there.

When I started this journey, I didn’t know what to expect. But one by one, we ended up building some amazing products! From the World Champion to newcomers, everybody loves and uses the Apps we have built with so much passion and dedication. It feels good!

From being awestruck with my first face to face meeting with a Chess world champion, to receiving emails and talking to popular Grandmasters; it was any chess player’s dream. Along the way I got a chance to meet so many amazing people and experience life in a very different way, than a regular salaried IT guy!

But now, Chess no longer interests me. I hardly play OTB events. I don’t follow much of live games of my favorite players or events. And me playing online or studying Chess with a book has become as rare as a blood moon. Its usually a sign that its probably time to look for something different, something more exciting, something that solves a bigger problem! And really, there is so much that mankind needs!

So I am looking to the future, looking to solve bigger problems. Looking to use these God-given gifts and abilities for something better! You will continue to hear from me. Thanks for all your support!

Hello Future!

Categories
android ios yourmove

Your Move correspondence chess app for iPhone/iPad!

Your Move Android was the only mobile App for correspondence chess on the official Chess Servers (ICCF, SchemingMind, AICCF, ChessMoon, MyChess.de, ChessOK)
Now, Your Move app is also on iOS (for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch…)! This is our 7th Chess App on iOS and we couldn’t be more proud!
  1. You can make your moves in your games on any of the aforementioned chess web servers. Please note that ICCF is the official chess body for correspondence chess, which entitles you to official rating, Titles etc.
  2. Multi-login. The App supports multiple logins, especially for those who play simultaneously on different servers
  3. One tap position analysis with Analyze This iOS App (PRO only)
NOTE : The App only serves as a conduit/client app to get list of your games and make moves in your ongoing games. The App currently does not have any API (from the servers) to get list of users or issue challenges. Who knows, maybe in the future!

Check out all the other iOS Chess Apps from us!

Categories
analyzethis

Analyze This – Understanding the Chess Engine

What is Critter, Stockfish?

Critter & Stockfish are the Top free Chess engines (aka mini Computers) that come pre-installed with Analyze This.
They are like the commercial engines Fritz, Houdini albeit free.
As of May 2013, Critter has an estimated ELO strength of 3175 while Stockfish is rated at 3164! (Carlsen is 2868!)
Newer versions of Critter and Stockfish can be downloaded from their respective sites:
http://www.vlasak.biz/critter/
http://stockfishchess.org/download/

What are the three buttons next to the Engine?

“Start/Stop”
Start or stop the engine.
 
“+”
Increase the number of “lines” that the engine shows. By default, the engine only shows the first best move it has calculated. You can press “+” to ask the engine to show the 2nd, 3rd etc “best” moves. 1st move is always the best move. More engine lines mean that the engine has to use lot of CPU power and also spend equal time analyzing the other “best” moves that it considers. The quality can degrade with too many lines.
 
“-“
Decrease the number of lines. Lesser the lines, the efficient is the engine.

What do those numbers and symbols shown by the Engine mean?

+/= (=/+)
Slight advantage: White (Black) has slightly better chances.

+/− (−/+)
Advantage: White (Black) has much better chances. It is also written as ± for White advantage, ∓ for
Black advantage; the other similar symbols can be written in this style as well.

+− (−+)
Decisive advantage: White (Black) has a clear advantage.

(6.31) Centi pawn evaluation
The engine considers the position to be equal to 6.31 pawns (winning). Negative value means the position is losing for Black by those many pawns.
In other words, the evaluation of the position in terms of pawns (where pawn = 1pt)

ex: +3.2 means white is winning with score of 3.2 pawns. -0.5 means black is slightly ahead by 0.5 pawns.

d=16 (Engine depth)
The half-moves that the engine is currently thinking ahead. Typically means that the engine is thinking 8 moves ahead (8 for White, 8 for Black). As you give more time for the engine to chew on that position, the depth will keep increasing gradually.

For more details, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_annotation_symbols

NOTE: Running more engines simultaneously or with multiple lines can severely drain device battery.

Categories
followchess

What’s new in Follow Chess App!?

In the month of August, Follow Chess App got few nice updates:

All Games | Tournament Standings | Follow your country-men!

Tap on the arrow at the right, to see these hidden goodies!


ALL GAMES
Missed games from the earlier rounds? No problem! You can check out All Games from previous rounds too!
PS. Pro users can view ALL these games. Free users can view only some of them.

TOURNAMENT STANDINGS
View tournament standings after every round!


FOLLOW YOUR COUNTRY-MEN
Follow Chess makes it easy to follow games and progress of your country-men. Simply set your country and Follow Chess will highlight their Standings. Also their live games will be shown at the very top for quick access!
(You may have been asked to choose your country the very first time you launched the App. Or you can set it from the Settings too!)

As promised, more goodies are coming!!

DOWNLOAD : Follow Chess App

Categories
yourmove

Your Move App updated – now make your move on ChessOK and mychess!

What’s new in Your Move 1.2.1

DOWNLOAD

* Added support for mychess.de and ChessOk correspondence servers

* Multiple Logins – Now you can login to your ICCF, Scheming Mind, ChessOK & mychess.de accounts, all on a single device, using a single App!

* [PRO] Export the game (ongoing or finished) via Email/FB/Twitter or send it to other Chess Apps installed on your device

* Minor enhancements and bug fixes

Categories
android yourmove

Your Move – Android app for Correspondence Chess players

It gives me immense pleasure to announce ‘Your Move‘, my new Android app for Correspondence Chess players of ICCF & SchemingMind.

I joined ICCF in 2012 with the aim of improving my Chess skills. But not having an easy way to make moves from my Phone/Tablet was bit discomforting, especially to the developer in me!
So I developed one!

Now, you can easily make your move!

VIEW IN PLAY STORE

Features
♟ Make move, Offer/Accept draw, Resign (See menu), Message your opponent and do all the important stuff
♟ Bring up the position and analyze it even while on the road or on train with no Internet
♟ Analyze your finished games with the power of two Chess engines and save to database (uses Analyze This app)
♟ Supports standard Chess (does not support Chess 960 or variants, yet)
♟ Launch app directly by clicking the hyperlink in the email you receive from ICCF/SM

Your Move is supported with Ads and they can be permanently removed for $0.99, right from the app. (See Menu in the Board window)

VIEW IN PLAY STORE

Categories
analyzethis

Analyze This in Action [Video]

Here is a video of Analyze This app in action.

Categories
analyzethis android

Analyze This v2.0 released – your Android Chess experience just got better

I am very excited and proud to release v2.0 of Analyze This. This is my first major release after quitting my day job and going full-time and I am personally very happy with this release.

    What’s new?

    • New innovative feature: Simply tilt your device (left edge up or down) to move forward/backward through the moves! Now give your fingers some rest! See Settings to enable/disable. Or you can even use the Volume button/keys of your device
    • Install UCI engine of your choice! Hide some or all engines
    • Load and Save PGN games including variations. Touch and hold move in the notation view for more options
    • Refreshing new look, smoother interface plus board colors
    • Share game/position with other Chess apps or via email/twitter. Can even share the current board position as image!
    • Tap engine analysis to play the first move on the board
    • Stockfish upgraded to latest 3.0 version
    • Delete and Share your PGN files right from within the app
    • Many bug fixes and improvements

    THIS upgrade was made possible by the kind feedback and suggestions from many invisible friends! (whom I have never met and may never get a chance to meet!)

    Arne | Artem | Benzi | Carlos | David | Dom | Joseph | Justin | Kevin | Mehmet | Raymond

    IMPORTANT
    Both free and paid apps have Critter and Stockfish by default. If you only see one engine, then please re-install the app and start the app once. 
    Edit: Issue fixed in v2.0.1

    Whatt a “Knightmare”

    So I had the worst nightmare a Chess programmer and fan could ever have.

    Me and Vishy Anand were at some tourney (he was probably giving a simul)
    I thought of showing him the latest features that I had added to my Android Chess apps.
    But my phone would simply not respond. It had become terribly slow.
    Even my Nexus 7 tablet refused to oblige.
    In the end I could not show him anything!

    Luckily I woke up then…lol

    A programmer’s nightmare..demos never go without hiccups!!