PocketBook chess

[sergeyvl12]

Hi, berpdreyfuss,

Thanks for important notes!

Originally Posted by berpdreyfuss

Thanks for the new version! Three minor things: If you have loaded a puzzle and you start a new game, it is not possible to get back to the puzzle.

Possible

1. Load base with puzzles;
2. Start a new game; A new game will be created at the end of the current base with puzzles;
3. To return to the puzzle select: Base/Find unsolved puzzle;
4. The first unsolved puzzle in the current base will be selected;

This is the single (not perfect!) way for now.

But don't start a new game in the base with puzzles It's not a good practice to store games and puzzles in one base (the program will work good, but you'll confuse youself). For playing the game better open the "game.pgn" base (through the last 10 opened books, see below). In this case your game will be stored in the game.pgn - default base for games.

Originally Posted by berpdreyfuss

If you load the puzzle again, you get the new game.

You'll see the last (selected before exit) game/puzzle if you load the base again. Again, don't store games in the puzzle base. Better solution for now:
1. Open game.pgn once (in order it appear in the recent books);
2. If you want to play the game after solving puzzle, just switch to the "game.pgn" base (through 10 last opened books) and start a new game here.
3. If you want to solve the puzzle after playing game - switch to the puzzles base again and you'll see the last puzzle you worked with

Originally Posted by berpdreyfuss

I would like the possibility to turn the screen while playing, right now I have to go back to the main menu.

What do you mean "turn the screen"? Select another game? Starting from 1.2.1.1, you can use +/- keys for that (but it should be configured, see user manual)

I tried to load a pgn file which didn't work. It has commentary in it, so maybe this will be resolved later.

1.2.1.1 contains fix. pbchess didn't understand windows new line format (CRLF). Try to open this PGN again with 1.2.1.1. And send it to me if fail.

I will send you the translations for the new features next week.

Thanks!

[berpdreyfuss]

I understand how it works now. I think it might be good that the program itself changes to the game.pgn if you select "new game" because it doesn't really make sense to start a new game in a puzzle file.

I was talking about the orientation of the pocketbook, I sometimes set it to landscape mode which doesn't work well with pbchess.

I will send you the file which doesn't work!

[sergeyvl12]

Originally Posted by berpdreyfuss

I understand how it works now. I think it might be good that the program itself changes to the game.pgn if you select "new game" because it doesn't really make sense to start a new game in a puzzle file.

Agree

Originally Posted by berpdreyfuss

I was talking about the orientation of the pocketbook, I sometimes set it to landscape mode which doesn't work well with pbchess.

I will implement the landscape orientation. Of course this is not the first priority task like support variation and comments in PGN, but it will be done (probably in the version 1.2.3).

Originally Posted by berpdreyfuss

I will send you the file which doesn't work!

Thanks for file, I'll investigate and fix soon.

[sergeyvl12]

Originally Posted by sergeyvl12

Thanks for file, I'll investigate and fix soon.

Hi!

There are 3 reasons why pbchess is failed to read this PGN file:

1. Wrong file encoding. Pocketbook works with the UTF-8 encoding, but this file uses WINDOWS-1250 encoding. It should be converted to UTF-8. I've described one way how to convert text file to UTF-8: http://pbchess.vlasovsoft.net/en/manual.html (Working with PGN bases);

2. Wrong file format. The PGN tag "FEN" describes an initial position on the chess board. This file has wrong "FEN" tag format. FEN should have 6 fields, as described here: http://www.chessclub.com/help/PGN-spec

"A FEN description has six fields. Each field is composed only of non-blank
printing ASCII characters. Adjacent fields are separated by a single ASCII
space character."

... and here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forsyth...wards_Notation

But the games exist in this file that have illegal FEN, for example:

[FEN "4k3/8/4K3/8/8/7R/8/8 w - 0 1"]

it should be:

[FEN "4k3/8/4K3/8/8/7R/8/8 w - - 0 1"]

It's simple to fix this format in any text editor, using find/replace
"w -" -> "w - -"
"b -" -> "b - -"

3. pbchess supposes that the interval between 2 games should be 1 empty line. But in this file the intervals with 3 empty lines are met. I'll fix the PGN parser to support arbitrary intervals and release the 1.2.1.2 version on Friday (see my roadmap).

[berpdreyfuss]

Thank you! I'll fix these things in the file and wait for the next version

[sergeyvl12]

pbchess-1.2.1.2 is released.

Changed files: system/bin/pbchess.app.

Fixed problems:

http://mantis.vlasovsoft.net/roadmap_page.php

[sergeyvl12]

Hi!

pbchess has been ported to Amazon Kindle!

Thread: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=151727

From now the both versions are in development

[sergeyvl12]

2011-10-20 pbchess 1.2.2 will be released.

The main features will be:
1. Full support of the comments and variations in the moves history/PGN;
2. Moves history - stylus support;
3. Board and moves history representation can be tuned (position, fonts, etc)

Also the different bug-fixes for the PocketBook and Kindle versions.

The working screenshots of the 1.2.2 version

Spoiler:

P.S. Comments in PGN file can be in any language (UTF8 encoding). Russian comments are shown in the examples.

[sergeyvl12]

This version - a huge leap forward compared to 1.2.1.2.

What's new:

1. Added support for comments and variations. A comfortable view of the games with comments and variations! (Examples of games in PGN-format will soon appear on my site), screenshots - here.
2. A dialog will customize the appearance of a large number of settings (display coordinates boards, borders, header, etc.);
3. Implemented easy moves history stylus navigation (with support for gestures "forward", "backward", "up" and "down");
4. Opportunity to enter "My name" in the settings;
5. Support for problems with a fixed solution allows you to create and solve a large number of tactical puzzles with the local goal (e.g. to capture a piece).
6. Support for chess books in PGN-format. At present there is a translation of A. Nimzovich, "My System" in PGN-format (in Russian). This book will be very useful for beginners chess.

All the puzzles that are supported by version 1.2.1.2, and supported by this release. Starting with this version of the problem will be posted separately on the site and will not be included in the install.

All available data for the software (games with comments, problems, the book) will be posted on my website soon!

Need help with preparing content for pbchess (puzzles, commented games, books in PGN format).

For those who helped this program will be free.

[berpdreyfuss]

I offer my help, I don't know how much spare time I'll have, but if there's anything I can do... What kind of things have to be done?

[sergeyvl12]

Originally Posted by berpdreyfuss

I offer my help, I don't know how much spare time I'll have, but if there's anything I can do... What kind of things have to be done?

Hi!

Thanks for your offer! Of cause you can

1. German translation for 1.2.2 (you can translate part by part and send me intermediate versions);
2. Remember, you've sent me a chess book in German? (Tarrash as I remenber...). I think It can be adapted to pbchess. I've lost it Can you send me the link to it again? I think it will looks good in 1.2.2.

Now pbchess 1.2.2 allows to work with books in PGN format, I'm working on "My System (A. Nimcovich)" in Russian now.

[sergeyvl12]

Sorry, I didn't updated the download links on English page from pbchess-1.2.1.2 to pbchess-1.2.2.

Done!

Now you can download pbchess-1.2.2

[sergeyvl12]

pbchess educational project started! http://pbchess.vlasovsoft.net/en/content.html

[berpdreyfuss]

Hello, here is the updated messages file with the german translation. I changed a little bit in the old translations as well. I was not sure about "Base" which I translated to "PGN Navigation" and "pieces set". Does it refer to setting the pieces to a position?

[sergeyvl12]

Originally Posted by berpdreyfuss

Hello, here is the updated messages file with the german translation. I changed a little bit in the old translations as well. I was not sure about "Base" which I translated to "PGN Navigation" and "pieces set". Does it refer to setting the pieces to a position?

berpdreyfuss,

Thanks a lot!

German and Hungarian translations will be available in a week in pbchess 1.2.3 (http://mantis.vlasovsoft.net/roadmap_page.php). Also, the serious feature will be added - support ChessBase PGN extension ( "--" move ) that will allow to open more PGNs (especially Tarrasch_Moderne_Schachpartie). Also the raster chess sets will be supported.

PS
1. PGN Navigation is ok!
2. "pieces set" is the font or bitmaps that are used to draw the chess pieces (chess pieces visual representation).