1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
3 @setfilename xboard.info
11 INFO-DIR-SECTION Games
13 * xboard: (xboard). An X Window System graphical chessboard.
22 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
23 @include copyright.texi
27 .TH xboard 6 "$Date: " "GNU"
30 xboard @- X graphical user interface for chess
35 .B xboard -ics -icshost hostname [options]
37 .B xboard -ncp [options]
52 XBoard is a graphical chessboard that can serve as a
53 user interface to chess engines (such as GNU Chess), the
54 Internet Chess Servers,
55 electronic mail correspondence chess, or your own collection of saved games.
57 This manual documents version @value{VERSION} of XBoard.
60 * Major modes:: The main things XBoard can do.
61 * Menus:: Menus, buttons, and keys.
62 * Options:: Command options supported by XBoard.
63 * Chess Servers:: Using XBoard with an Internet Chess Server (ICS).
64 * Firewalls:: Connecting to a chess server through a firewall.
65 * Environment:: Environment variables.
66 * Limitations:: Known limitations and/or bugs.
67 * Problems:: How and where to report any problems you run into.
68 * Contributors:: People who have helped developing XBoard.
69 * CMail:: Using XBoard for electronic correspondence chess.
70 * Other programs:: Other programs you can use with XBoard.
72 * Copyright:: Copyright notice for this manual.
74 * Copying:: The GNU General Public License.
76 * Index:: Index of concepts and symbol names.
83 XBoard always runs in one of four major modes. You select the
84 major mode from the command line when you start up XBoard.
87 @item xboard [options]
88 As an interface to GNU Chess or another chess engine running on your
89 machine, XBoard lets you play a game against the machine,
90 set up arbitrary positions, force variations, watch a game between two
91 chess engines, interactively analyze your stored games or set up and
92 analyze arbitrary positions. (Note: Not all chess engines support
94 @item xboard -ics -icshost hostname [options]
95 As Internet Chess Server (ICS) interface, XBoard
96 lets you play against other ICS users, observe games
97 they are playing, or review games that have recently finished. Most
98 of the ICS "wild" chess variants are supported, including bughouse.
99 @item xboard -ncp [options]
100 XBoard can also be used simply
101 as an electronic chessboard to play through games. It will read and
102 write game files and allow you to play through variations
103 manually. You can use it to browse games off the net or review games
104 you have saved. These features are also available in the other modes.
106 If you want to pipe games into XBoard, use the supplied shell
107 script @file{pxboard}. For example, from the news reader @file{xrn},
108 find a message with one or more games in it, click the Save button,
109 and type @samp{|pxboard} as the file name.
110 @item cmail [options]
111 As an interface to electronic mail correspondence chess, XBoard
112 works with the cmail program. See @ref{CMail} below for
117 @chapter Menus, buttons, and keys
120 To move a piece, you can drag it with the left mouse button, or you
121 can click the left mouse button once on the piece, then once more on
122 the destination square. To drop a new piece on a square (when
123 applicable), press the middle or the right mouse button over the
124 square and select from the pop-up menu. In cases where you can drop
125 either a white or black piece, use the middle button (or shift+right)
126 for white and the right button (or shift+middle) for black. When you
127 are playing a bughouse game on an Internet Chess Server, a list of the
128 off-board pieces that each player has available is shown in the window
129 title after the player's name; in addition, the piece menus show the
130 number of pieces available of each type. From version 4.3.14 on, it is
131 also possible in crazyhouse, bughouse or shogi to drag and drop pieces
132 to the board from the holdings squares displayed next to the board.
133 This latter method for dropping pieces during a game is preferred,
134 and the piece-drop menu is now deprecated (except for editing a position).
135 Although the old behavior can still be selected through a command-line
136 option, the default function of the right mouse button is to display
137 the position the chess program thinks it will end up in,
138 while moving the mouse vertically with this button pressed will step
139 through the principal variation to show how this position will be
141 Lines of play displayed in the engine-output window an similarly
142 be played out on the board, by right-clicking on them.
144 When connected to an ICS, it is possible to call up a graphical
145 representation of players seeking a game in stead of the chess board,
146 when the latter is not in use
147 (i.e. when you are not playing or observing).
148 Left-clicking the display area will switch between this 'seek graph'
150 Hovering the mouse pointer over a dot will show the details of the
151 seek ad in the message field above the board.
152 Left-clicking the dot will challenge that player.
153 Right-clicking a dot will 'push it to the back',
154 to reveal any dots that were hidden behind it.
155 Right-clicking off dots will refresh the graph.
157 Most other XBoard commands are available from the menu bar. The most
158 frequently used commands also have shortcut keys or on-screen buttons.
159 Some rarely used parameters can only be set through options on the
160 command line used to invoke XBoard.
162 XBoard uses a settings file, in which it can remember any changes to
163 the settings that are made through menus or command-line options,
164 so they will still apply when you restart XBoard for another session.
165 The settings can be saved into this file automatically when XBoard exits,
166 or on explicit request of the user.
167 The default name for the settings file is /etc/xboard/xboard.conf,
168 but in a standard install this file is only used as a master settings
169 file that determines the system-wide default settings,
170 and defers reading and writing of user settings to a user-specific
171 file like ~/.xboardrc in the user's home directory.
173 When XBoard is iconized, its graphical icon is a white knight if
174 it is White's turn to move, a black knight if it is Black's turn. See
175 Iconize in @ref{Keys} below if you have problems getting this
179 * File Menu:: Accessing external games and positions.
180 * Edit Menu:: Altering games, positions, PGN tags or comments.
181 * View Menu:: Controlling XBoard's shape and looks.
182 * Mode Menu:: Selecting XBoard's mode.
183 * Action Menu:: Talking to the chess engine or ICS opponents.
184 * Engine Menu:: Controlling settings and actions of the engine(s).
185 * Options Menu:: User preferences.
186 * Help Menu:: Getting help.
187 * Keys:: Other shortcut keys.
196 @cindex New Game, Menu Item
197 Resets XBoard and the chess engine to the beginning of a new chess
198 game. The @kbd{Ctrl-N} key is a keyboard equivalent. In Internet Chess
199 Server mode, clears the current state of XBoard, then
200 resynchronizes with the ICS by sending a refresh command. If you want to
201 stop playing, observing, or examining an ICS game, use an
202 appropriate command from the Action menu, not @samp{New Game}.
204 @item New Shuffle Game
205 @cindex New Shuffle Game, Menu Item
206 Similar to @samp{New Game}, but allows you to specify a particular initial position
207 (according to a standardized numbering system)
208 in chess variants which use randomized opening positions (e.g. Chess960).
209 The selected opening position will persistently be chosen on any following
210 New Game command until you use this menu to select another. Selecting
211 position number -1 will produce a newly randomized position on any new game.
212 Using this menu item in variants that normally do not shuffle their opening position
213 does cause these variants to become shuffle variants until you use the
214 @samp{New Shuffle Game} menu to explicitly switch the randomization off,
215 or select a new variant.
217 @cindex New variant, Menu Item
218 Allows you to select a new chess variant in non-ICS mode.
219 (In ICS play, the ICS is responsible for deciding which variant will be played,
220 and XBoard adapts automatically.) The shifted @kbd{Alt+V} key is a
221 keyboard equivalent. If you play with an engine, the engine must
222 be able to play the selected variant, or the command will be ignored.
223 XBoard supports all major variants, such as xiangqi, shogi, chess, chess960,
224 Capablanca Chess, shatranj, crazyhouse, bughouse.
225 (But not every board size has built-in bitmaps for un-orthodox pieces!)
227 @cindex Load Game, Menu Item
228 Plays a game from a record file. The @kbd{Ctrl-O} key is a keyboard equivalent.
229 A pop-up dialog prompts you for the file name. If the file contains more
230 than one game, a second pop-up dialog
231 displays a list of games (with information drawn from their PGN tags, if
232 any), and you can select the one you want. Alternatively, you can load the
233 Nth game in the file directly, by typing the number @kbd{N} after the
234 file name, separated by a space.
236 The game file parser will accept PGN (portable game notation),
237 or in fact almost any file that contains moves in algebraic
239 Notation of the form @samp{P@@f7}
240 is accepted for piece-drops in bughouse games;
241 this is a nonstandard extension to PGN.
242 If the file includes a PGN position (FEN tag), or an old-style
243 XBoard position diagram bracketed by @samp{[--} and @samp{--]}
244 before the first move, the game starts from that position. Text
245 enclosed in parentheses, square brackets, or curly braces is assumed to
246 be commentary and is displayed in a pop-up window. Any other
247 text in the file is ignored. PGN variations (enclosed in
248 parentheses) also are treated as comments;
249 however, if you rights-click them in the comment window,
250 XBoard will shelve the current line, and load the the selected variation,
251 so you can step through it.
252 You can later revert to the previous line with the @samp{Revert} command.
253 This way you can walk quite complex varation trees with XBoard.
254 The nonstandard PGN tag [Variant "varname"] functions similarly to
255 the -variant command-line option (see below), allowing games in certain chess
256 variants to be loaded.
257 Note that it must appear before any FEN tag for XBoard to recognize
258 variant FENs appropriately.
259 There is also a heuristic to
260 recognize chess variants from the Event tag, by looking for the strings
261 that the Internet Chess Servers put there when saving variant ("wild") games.
263 @cindex Load Position, Menu Item
264 Sets up a position from a position file. A pop-up dialog prompts
265 you for the file name. The shifted @kbd{Ctrl-O} key is a keyboard
266 equivalent. If the file contains more than one saved
267 position, and you want to load the Nth one, type the number N
268 after the file name, separated by a space. Position files must
269 be in FEN (Forsythe-Edwards notation), or in the format that the
270 Save Position command writes when oldSaveStyle is turned on.
271 @item Load Next Position
272 @cindex Load Next Position, Menu Item
273 Loads the next position from the last position file you loaded.
274 The shifted @kbd{PgDn} key is a keyboard equivalent.
275 @item Load Previous Position
276 @cindex Load Previous Position, Menu Item
277 Loads the previous position from the last position file you
278 loaded. The shifted @kbd{PgUp} key is a keyboard equivalent.
279 Not available if the last position was loaded from a pipe.
281 @cindex Save Game, Menu Item
282 Appends a record of the current game to a file.
283 The @kbd{Ctrl-S} key is a keyboard equivalent.
285 prompts you for the file name. If the game did not begin with
286 the standard starting position, the game file includes the
287 starting position used. Games are saved in the PGN (portable
288 game notation) format, unless the oldSaveStyle option is true,
289 in which case they are saved in an older format that is specific
290 to XBoard. Both formats are human-readable, and both can be
291 read back by the @samp{Load Game} command.
292 Notation of the form @samp{P@@f7}
293 is accepted for piece-drops in bughouse games;
294 this is a nonstandard extension to PGN.
296 @cindex Save Position, Menu Item
297 Appends a diagram of the current position to a file.
298 The shifted @kbd{Ctrl+S} key is a keyboard equivalent.
299 A pop-up dialog prompts you for the file name. Positions are saved in
300 FEN (Forsythe-Edwards notation) format unless the @code{oldSaveStyle}
301 option is true, in which case they are saved in an older,
302 human-readable format that is specific to XBoard. Both formats
303 can be read back by the @samp{Load Position} command.
305 @itemx Reload CMail Message
306 @cindex Mail Move, Menu Item
307 @cindex Reload CMail Message, Menu Item
310 @cindex Exit, Menu Item
311 Exits from XBoard. The @kbd{Ctrl-Q} key is a keyboard equivalent.
320 @cindex Copy Game, Menu Item
321 Copies a record of the current game to an internal clipboard in PGN
322 format and sets the X selection to the game text. The @kbd{Ctrl-C}
323 key is a keyboard equivalent. The game can be
324 pasted to another application (such as a text editor or another copy
325 of XBoard) using that application's paste command. In many X
326 applications, such as xterm and emacs, the middle mouse button can be
327 used for pasting; in XBoard, you must use the Paste Game command.
329 @cindex Copy Position, Menu Item
330 Copies the current position to an internal clipboard in FEN format and
331 sets the X selection to the position text. The shifted @kbd{Ctrl-C} key
332 is a keyboard equivalent. The position can be pasted
333 to another application (such as a text editor or another copy of
334 XBoard) using that application's paste command. In many X
335 applications, such as xterm and emacs, the middle mouse button can be
336 used for pasting; in XBoard, you must use the Paste Position command.
338 @cindex Paste Game, Menu Item
339 Interprets the current X selection as a game record and loads it, as
340 with Load Game. The @kbd{Ctrl-V} key is a keyboard equivalent.
342 @cindex Paste Position, Menu Item
343 Interprets the current X selection as a FEN position and loads it, as
344 with Load Position. The shifted @kbd{Ctrl-V} key is a keyboard equivalent.
346 @cindex Edit Game, Menu Item
347 Allows you to make moves for both Black and White, and to change
348 moves after backing up with the @samp{Backward} command. The clocks do
349 not run. The @kbd{Ctrl-E} key is a keyboard equivalent.
351 In chess engine mode, the chess engine continues to check moves for legality
352 but does not participate in the game. You can bring the chess engine
353 into the game by selecting @samp{Machine White}, @samp{Machine Black},
354 or @samp{Two Machines}.
356 In ICS mode, the moves are not sent to the ICS: @samp{Edit Game} takes
357 XBoard out of ICS Client mode and lets you edit games locally.
358 If you want to edit games on ICS in a way that other ICS users
359 can see, use the ICS @kbd{examine} command or start an ICS match
362 @cindex Edit Position, Menu Item
363 Lets you set up an arbitrary board position.
364 The shifted @kbd{Ctrl-E} key is a keyboard equivalent.
365 Use mouse button 1 to drag pieces to new squares, or to delete a piece
366 by dragging it off the board or dragging an empty square on top of it.
367 To drop a new piece on a square, press mouse button 2 or 3 over the
368 square. This brings up a menu of white pieces (button 2) or
369 black pieces (button 3). Additional menu choices let you empty the
370 square or clear the board. You can set the side to play next by
371 clicking on the word White or Black at the top of the screen.
372 Selecting @samp{Edit Position} causes XBoard to discard
373 all remembered moves in the current game.
375 In ICS mode, changes made to the position by @samp{Edit Position} are
376 not sent to the ICS: @samp{Edit Position} takes XBoard out of
377 @samp{ICS Client} mode and lets you edit positions locally. If you want to
378 edit positions on ICS in a way that other ICS users can see, use
379 the ICS @kbd{examine} command, or start an ICS match against yourself.
380 (See also the ICS Client topic above.)
382 @cindex Edit Tags, Menu Item
383 Lets you edit the PGN (portable game notation)
384 tags for the current game. After editing, the tags must still conform to
388 <tag-section> ::= <tag-pair> <tag-section>
390 <tag-pair> ::= [ <tag-name> <tag-value> ]
391 <tag-name> ::= <identifier>
392 <tag-value> ::= <string>
395 See the PGN Standard for full details. Here is an example:
398 [Event "Portoroz Interzonal"]
399 [Site "Portoroz, Yugoslavia"]
402 [White "Robert J. Fischer"]
403 [Black "Bent Larsen"]
407 Any characters that do not match this syntax are silently ignored. Note that
408 the PGN standard requires all games to have at least the seven tags shown
409 above. Any that you omit will be filled in by XBoard
410 with @samp{?} (unknown value), or @samp{-} (inapplicable value).
412 @cindex Edit Comment, Menu Item
413 Adds or modifies a comment on the current position. Comments are
414 saved by @samp{Save Game} and are displayed by @samp{Load Game},
415 @samp{Forward}, and @samp{Backward}.
418 @cindex Revert, Menu Item
419 @cindex Annotate, Menu Item
420 If you are examining an ICS game and Pause mode is off,
421 Revert issues the ICS command @samp{revert}.
422 In local mode, when you were editing or analyzing a game,
423 and the @code{-variations} command-line option is switched on,
424 you can start a new variation by holding the Shift key down while
425 entering a move not at the end of the game.
426 Variations can also become the currently displayed line by
427 clicking a PGN variation displayed in the Comment window.
428 This can be applied recursively,
429 so that you can analyze variations on variations;
430 each time you create a new variation by entering an alternative move
431 with Shift pressed, or select a new one from the Comment window,
432 the current variation will be shelved.
433 @samp{Revert} allows you to return to the most recently shelved variation.
434 The difference between @samp{Revert} and @samp{Annotate}
435 is that with the latter,
436 the variation you are now abandoning will be added as a comment
437 (in PGN variation syntax, i.e. between parentheses)
438 to the original move where you deviated, for later recalling.
439 The @kbd{Home} key is a keyboard equivalent to @samp{Revert}.
441 @cindex Truncate Game, Menu Item
442 Discards all remembered moves of the game beyond the current
443 position. Puts XBoard into @samp{Edit Game} mode if it was not there
445 The @kbd{End} key is a keyboard equivalent.
447 @cindex Backward, Menu Item
449 Steps backward through a series of remembered moves.
450 The @samp{[<]} button and the @kbd{Alt+LeftArrow} key are equivalents,
451 as is turning the mouse wheel towards you.
452 In addition, pressing the Control key steps back one move, and releasing
453 it steps forward again.
455 In most modes, @samp{Backward} only lets you look back at old positions;
456 it does not retract moves. This is the case if you are playing against
457 a chess engine, playing or observing a game on an ICS, or loading a game.
458 If you select @samp{Backward} in any of these situations, you will not
459 be allowed to make a different move. Use @samp{Retract Move} or
460 @samp{Edit Game} if you want to change past moves.
462 If you are examining an ICS game, the behavior of @samp{Backward}
463 depends on whether XBoard is in Pause mode. If Pause mode is
464 off, @samp{Backward} issues the ICS backward command, which backs up
465 everyone's view of the game and allows you to make a different
466 move. If Pause mode is on, @samp{Backward} only backs up your local
469 @cindex Forward, Menu Item
471 Steps forward through a series of remembered moves (undoing the
472 effect of @samp{Backward}) or forward through a game file. The
473 @samp{[>]} button and the @kbd{Alt+RightArrow} key are equivalents,
474 as is turning the mouse wheel away from you.
476 If you are examining an ICS game, the behavior of Forward
477 depends on whether XBoard is in Pause mode. If Pause mode is
478 off, @samp{Forward} issues the ICS forward command, which moves
479 everyone's view of the game forward along the current line. If
480 Pause mode is on, @samp{Forward} only moves your local view forward,
481 and it will not go past the position that the game was in when
484 @cindex Back to Start, Menu Item
486 Jumps backward to the first remembered position in the game.
487 The @samp{[<<]} button and the @kbd{Alt+Home} key are equivalents.
489 In most modes, Back to Start only lets you look back at old
490 positions; it does not retract moves. This is the case if you
491 are playing against a local chess engine, playing or observing a game on
492 a chess server, or loading a game. If you select @samp{Back to Start} in any
493 of these situations, you will not be allowed to make different
494 moves. Use @samp{Retract Move} or @samp{Edit Game} if you want to change past
495 moves; or use Reset to start a new game.
497 If you are examining an ICS game, the behavior of @samp{Back to
498 Start} depends on whether XBoard is in Pause mode. If Pause mode
499 is off, @samp{Back to Start} issues the ICS @samp{backward 999999}
500 command, which backs up everyone's view of the game to the start and
501 allows you to make different moves. If Pause mode is on, @samp{Back
502 to Start} only backs up your local view.
504 @cindex Forward to End, Menu Item
506 Jumps forward to the last remembered position in the game. The
507 @samp{[>>]} button and the @kbd{Alt+End} key are equivalents.
509 If you are examining an ICS game, the behavior of @samp{Forward to
510 End} depends on whether XBoard is in Pause mode. If Pause mode
511 is off, @samp{Forward to End} issues the ICS @samp{forward 999999}
512 command, which moves everyone's view of the game forward to the end of
513 the current line. If Pause mode is on, @samp{Forward to End} only moves
514 your local view forward, and it will not go past the position
515 that the game was in when you paused.
524 @cindex Flip View, Menu Item
525 Inverts your view of the chess board for the duration of the
526 current game. Starting a new game returns the board to normal.
527 The @kbd{F2} key is a keyboard equivalent.
528 @item Show Engine Output
529 @cindex Show Engine Output, Menu Item
530 Shows or hides a window in which the thinking output of any loaded engines
531 is displayed. The shifted @kbd{Alt+O} key is a keyboard equivalent.
532 XBoard will display lines of thinking output of the same depth ordered by score,
533 (highest score on top), rather than in the order the engine produced them.
534 Usually this amounts to the same, as a normal engine search will only find new PV
535 (and emit it as thinking output)
536 when it searches a move with a higher score than the previous variation.
537 But when the engine is in multi-variation mode this needs not always be true,
538 and it is more convenient for someone analyzing games to see the moves sorted by score.
539 The order in which the engine found them is only of interest to the engine author,
540 and can still be deduced from the time or node count printed with the line.
541 @item Show Move History
542 @cindex Show Move History, Menu Item
543 Shows or hides a list of moves of the current game.
544 The shifted @kbd{Alt+H} key is a keyboard equivalent.
545 This list allows you to move the display to any earlier position in the game
546 by clicking on the corresponding move.
547 @item Show Evaluation Graph
548 @cindex Show Evaluation Graph, Menu Item
549 Shows or hides a window which displays a graph of how the engine score(s)
550 evolved as a function of the move number.
551 The shifted @kbd{Alt+E} key is a keyboard equivalent.
552 Clicking on the graph will bring
553 the corresponding position in the board display.
555 @cindex Show Game List, Menu Item
556 Shows or hides the list of games generated by the last @samp{Load Game}
557 command. The shifted @kbd{Alt+G} key is a keyboard equivalent.
559 @cindex Tags, Menu Item
560 Pops up a window which shows the PGN (portable game notation)
561 tags for the current game.
562 For now this is a duplicate of the @samp{Edit Tags} item in the @samp{Edit} menu.
564 @cindex Comments, Menu Item
565 Pops up a window which shows any comments to or variations on the current move.
566 For now this is a duplicate of the @samp{Edit Comment} item in the @samp{Edit} menu.
568 @cindex ICS Input Box, Menu Item
569 If this option is set in ICS mode,
571 creates an extra window that you can use for typing in ICS commands.
572 The input box is especially useful if you want to type in something long or do
573 some editing on your input, because output from ICS doesn't get mixed
574 in with your typing as it would in the main terminal window.
583 @cindex Machine White, Menu Item
584 Tells the chess engine to play White.
585 The @kbd{Ctrl-W} key is a keyboard equivalent.
587 @cindex Machine Black, Menu Item
588 Tells the chess engine to play Black.
589 The @kbd{Ctrl-B} key is a keyboard equivalent.
591 @cindex Two Machines, Menu Item
592 Plays a game between two chess engines.
593 The @kbd{Ctrl-T} key is a keyboard equivalent.
595 @cindex Analysis Mode, Menu Item
596 XBoard tells the chess engine to start analyzing the current game/position
597 and shows you the analysis as you move pieces around.
598 The @kbd{Ctrl-A} key is a keyboard equivalent.
599 Note: Some chess engines do not support Analysis mode.
601 To set up a position to analyze, you do the following:
603 1. Select Edit Position from the Mode Menu
605 2. Set up the position. Use the middle and right buttons to
606 bring up the white and black piece menus.
608 3. When you are finished, click on either the Black or White
609 clock to tell XBoard which side moves first.
611 4. Select Analysis Mode from the Mode Menu to start the analysis.
613 The analysis function can also be used when observing games on an ICS
614 with an engine loaded (zippy mode); the engine then will analyse
615 the positions as they occur in the observed game.
617 @cindex Analyze File, Menu Item
618 This option lets you load a game from a file (PGN, XBoard format, etc.)
619 and analyze it. The @kbd{Ctrl-F} key is a keyboard equivalent.
620 When you select this menu item, a pop-up window appears
621 and asks for a file name to load.
622 If the file contains multiple games, another pop up appears that lets
623 you select which game you wish to analyze.
624 After a game is loaded, XBoard will start auto-playing the game,
625 while the engine is analyzing the current position.
626 The game will be annotated with the results of these analyses.
627 In particlar, the score and depth will be added as a comment,
628 and the PV will be added as a variation.
629 The time the engine spends on analyzing each move can be controlled
630 through the command-line option @samp{-timeDelay}.
631 Note: Some chess engines do not support Analysis mode.
633 Duplicate of the item in the Edit menu.
634 Note that @samp{Edit Game} is the idle mode of XBoard, and can be used
635 to get you out of other modes. E.g. to stop analyzing, stop a game
636 between two engines or stop editing a position.
638 Duplicate of the item in the Edit menu.
640 @cindex Training, Menu Item
641 Training mode lets you interactively guess the moves of a game for one
642 of the players. You guess the next move of the game by playing the
643 move on the board. If the move played matches the next move of the
644 game, the move is accepted and the opponent's response is auto-played.
645 If the move played is incorrect, an error message is displayed. You
646 can select this mode only while loading a game (that is, after
647 selecting @samp{Load Game} from the File menu). While XBoard is in
648 @samp{Training} mode, the navigation buttons are disabled.
650 @cindex ICS Client, Menu Item
651 This is the normal mode when XBoard
652 is connected to a chess server. If you have moved into
653 Edit Game or Edit Position mode, you can select this option to get out.
655 To use xboard in ICS mode, run it in the foreground with the -ics
656 option, and use the terminal you started it from to type commands and
657 receive text responses from the chess server. See
658 @ref{Chess Servers} below for more information.
660 XBoard activates some special position/game editing features when you
661 use the @kbd{examine} or @kbd{bsetup} commands on ICS and you have
662 @samp{ICS Client} selected on the Mode menu. First, you can issue the
663 ICS position-editing commands with the mouse. Move pieces by dragging
664 with mouse button 1. To drop a new piece on a square, press mouse
665 button 2 or 3 over the square. This brings up a menu of white pieces
666 (button 2) or black pieces (button 3). Additional menu choices let
667 you empty the square or clear the board. Click on the White or Black
668 clock to set the side to play. You cannot set the side to play or
669 drag pieces to arbitrary squares while examining on ICC, but you can
670 do so in @kbd{bsetup} mode on FICS. In addition, the menu commands
671 @samp{Forward}, @samp{Backward}, @samp{Pause}, and @samp{Stop Examining}
672 have special functions in this mode; see below.
674 @cindex Pause, Menu Item
675 Pauses updates to the board, and if you are playing against a chess engine,
676 also pauses your clock. To continue, select @samp{Pause} again, and the
677 display will automatically update to the latest position.
678 The @samp{P} button and keyboard @kbd{Pause} key are equivalents.
680 If you select Pause when you are playing against a chess engine and
681 it is not your move, the chess engine's clock
682 will continue to run and it will eventually make a move, at which point
683 both clocks will stop. Since board updates are paused, however,
684 you will not see the move until you exit from Pause mode (or select Forward).
685 This behavior is meant to simulate adjournment with a sealed move.
687 If you select Pause while you are observing or examining a game on a
688 chess server, you can step backward and forward in the current history
689 of the examined game without affecting the other observers and
690 examiners, and without having your display jump forward to the latest
691 position each time a move is made. Select Pause again to reconnect
692 yourself to the current state of the game on ICS.
694 If you select @samp{Pause} while you are loading a game, the game stops
695 loading. You can load more moves manually by selecting @samp{Forward}, or
696 resume automatic loading by selecting @samp{Pause} again.
705 @cindex Accept, Menu Item
706 Accepts a pending match offer.
707 The @kbd{F3} key is a keyboard equivalent.
708 If there is more than one offer
709 pending, you will have to type in a more specific command
710 instead of using this menu choice.
712 @cindex Decline, Menu Item
713 Declines a pending offer (match, draw, adjourn, etc.).
714 The @kbd{F4} key is a keyboard equivalent. If there
715 is more than one offer pending, you will have to type in a more
716 specific command instead of using this menu choice.
718 @cindex Call Flag, Menu Item
719 Calls your opponent's flag, claiming a win on time, or claiming
720 a draw if you are both out of time.
721 The @kbd{F5} key is a keyboard equivalent.
722 You can also call your
723 opponent's flag by clicking on his clock.
725 @cindex Draw, Menu Item
726 Offers a draw to your opponent, accepts a pending draw offer
727 from your opponent, or claims a draw by repetition or the 50-move
728 rule, as appropriate. The @kbd{F6} key is a keyboard equivalent.
730 @cindex Adjourn, Menu Item
731 Asks your opponent to agree to adjourning the current game, or
732 agrees to a pending adjournment offer from your opponent.
733 The @kbd{F7} key is a keyboard equivalent.
735 @cindex Abort, Menu Item
736 Asks your opponent to agree to aborting the current game, or
737 agrees to a pending abort offer from your opponent.
738 The @kbd{F8} key is a keyboard equivalent. An aborted
739 game ends immediately without affecting either player's rating.
741 @cindex Resign, Menu Item
742 Resigns the game to your opponent. The @kbd{F9} key is a
745 @cindex Stop Observing, Menu Item
746 Ends your participation in observing a game, by issuing the ICS
747 observe command with no arguments. ICS mode only.
748 The @kbd{F10} key is a keyboard equivalent.
750 @cindex Stop Examining, Menu Item
751 Ends your participation in examining a game, by issuing the ICS
752 unexamine command. ICS mode only.
753 The @kbd{F11} key is a keyboard equivalent.
754 @item Upload to Examine
755 @cindex Upload to Examine, Menu Item
756 Create an examined game of the proper variant on the ICS,
757 and send the game there that is currenty loaded in XBoard
758 (e.g. through pasting or loading from file).
759 You must be connected to an ICS for this to work.
760 @item Adjudicate to White
761 @itemx Adjudicate to Black
762 @itemx Adjudicate Draw
763 @cindex Adjudicate to White, Menu Item
764 @cindex Adjudicate to Black, Menu Item
765 @cindex Adjudicate Draw, Menu Item
766 Terminate an ongoing game in Two-Machines mode (including match mode),
767 with as result a win for white, for black, or a draw, respectively.
768 The PGN file of the game will accompany the result string
769 by the comment "user adjudication".
777 @item Engine #N Settings
778 @cindex Engine Settings, Menu Item
779 @cindex Engine #1 Settings, Menu Item
780 @cindex Engine #2 Settings, Menu Item
781 Pop up a menu dialog to alter the settings specific to the applicable engine.
782 (The second engine is only accessible once it has been used in Two-Machines mode.)
783 For each parameter the engine allows to be set,
784 a control element will appear in this dialog that can be used to alter the value.
785 Depending on the type of parameter (text string, number, multiple choice,
786 on/off switch, instantaneous signal) the appropriate control will appear,
787 with a description next to it.
788 XBoard has no idea what these values mean; it just passes them on to the engine.
789 How this dialog looks is completely determined by the engine,
790 and XBoard just passes it on to the user.
791 Many engines do not have any parameters that can be set by the user,
792 and in that case the dialog will be empty (except for the OK and cancel buttons).
793 UCI engines usually have many parameters. (But these are only visible with
794 a sufficiently modern version of the Polyglot adapter needed to run UCI engines,
795 e.g. Polyglot 1.4.55b.) For native XBoard engines this is less common.
797 @cindex Hint, Menu Item
798 Displays a move hint from the chess engine.
800 @cindex Book, Menu Item
801 Displays a list of possible moves from the chess engine's opening
802 book. The exact format depends on what chess engine you are using.
803 With GNU Chess 4, the first column gives moves, the second column
804 gives one possible response for each move, and the third column shows
805 the number of lines in the book that include the move from the first
806 column. If you select this option and nothing happens, the chess
807 engine is out of its book or does not support this feature.
809 @cindex Move Now, Menu Item
810 Forces the chess engine to move immediately. Chess engine mode only.
811 The @kbd{Ctrl-M} key is a keyboard equivalent.
813 @cindex Retract Move, Menu Item
814 Retracts your last move. In chess engine mode, you can do this only
815 after the chess engine has replied to your move; if the chess engine is still
816 thinking, use @samp{Move Now} first. In ICS mode, @samp{Retract Move}
817 issues the command @samp{takeback 1} or @samp{takeback 2}
818 depending on whether it is your opponent's move or yours.
819 The @kbd{Ctrl-X} key is a keyboard equivalent.
823 @section Options Menu
824 @cindex Menu, Options
828 @cindex Time Control, Menu Item
829 Pops up a sub-menu where you can set the time-control parameters interactively.
830 Allows you to select classical or incremental time controls,
831 set the moves per session, session duration, and time increment.
832 Also allows specification of time-odds factors for one or both engines.
833 If an engine is given a time-odds factor N, all time quota it gets,
834 be it at the beginning of a session or through the time increment or
835 fixed time per move, will be divided by N.
836 The shifted @kbd{Alt+T} key is a keyboard equivalent.
838 @cindex Common Engine, Menu Item
839 Pops up a sub-menu where you can set some engine parameters common to most engines,
840 such as hash-table size, tablebase cache size, maximum number of processors
841 that SMP engines can use, and where to find the Polyglot adapter needed
842 to run UCI engines under XBoard. The feature that allows setting of these parameters on
843 engines is new since XBoard 4.3.15, so not many XBoard/WinBoard engines respond
844 to it yet, but UCI engines should.
845 It is also possible to specify a GUI opening book here, i.e. an opening
846 book that XBoard consults for any position a playing engine gets in.
847 It then forces the engine to play the book move, rather than to think up its own,
848 if that position is found in the book.
849 The book can switched on and off independently for either engine.
850 The shifted @kbd{Alt+U} key is a keyboard equivalent.
852 @cindex Adjudications, Menu Item
853 Pops up a sub-menu where you can enable or disable various adjudications
854 that XBoard can perform in engine-engine games.
855 The shifted @kbd{Alt+J} key is a keyboard equivalent.
856 You can instruct XBoard to detect and terminate the game on checkmate
857 or stalemate, even if the engines would not do so, to verify engine
858 result claims (forfeiting engines that make false claims), rather than
859 naively following the engine, to declare draw on positions
860 which can never be won for lack of mating material, (e.g. KBK),
861 or which are impossible to win unless the opponent seeks its own demise
863 For these adjudications to work, @samp{Test Legality} should be switched on.
864 It is also possible to instruct XBoard to enforce a 50-move or 3-fold-repeat
865 rule and automatically declare draw (after a user-adjustable number of moves
866 or repeats) even if the engines are prepared to go on.
867 It is also possible to have XBoard declare draw on games that seem to drag on
868 forever, or adjudicate a loss if both engines agree (for 3 consecutive moves) that one
869 of them is behind more than a user-adjustable score threshold.
870 For the latter adjudication to work, XBoard should be able to properly understand
871 the engine's scores. To facilitate the latter, you can inform xboard here if
872 the engines report scores from the viewpoint of white, or from that of their own color.
874 @cindex Game List Tags, Menu Item
875 Pops up a dialog where you can select the PGN tags that should appear
876 on the lines in the game list, and their order.
878 @cindex Always Queen, Menu Item
879 If this option is off, XBoard brings up a dialog
880 box whenever you move a pawn to the last rank, asking what piece
881 you want to promote it to. If the option is true, your pawns are
882 always promoted to queens. Your opponent can still under-promote.
883 The shifted @kbd{Ctrl-Q} key is a keyboard equivalent.
884 @item Animate Dragging
885 @cindex Animate Dragging, Menu Item
886 If Animate Dragging is on, while you are dragging a piece with the
887 mouse, an image of the piece follows the mouse cursor.
888 If Animate Dragging is off, there is no visual feedback while you are
889 dragging a piece, but if Animate Moving is on, the move will be
890 animated when it is complete.
892 @cindex Animate Moving, Menu Item
893 If Animate Moving is on, all piece moves are animated. An image of the
894 piece is shown moving from the old square to the new square when the
895 move is completed (unless the move was already animated by Animate Dragging).
896 If Animate Moving is off, a moved piece instantly disappears from its
897 old square and reappears on its new square when the move is complete.
898 The shifted @kbd{Ctrl-A} key is a keyboard equivalent.
900 @cindex Auto Comment, Menu Item
901 If this option is on, any remarks made on ICS while you are observing or
902 playing a game are recorded as a comment on the current move. This includes
903 remarks made with the ICS commands @kbd{say}, @kbd{tell}, @kbd{whisper},
905 Limitation: remarks that you type yourself are not recognized;
906 XBoard scans only the output from ICS, not the input you type to it.
908 @cindex Auto Flag, Menu Item
909 If this option is on and one player runs out of time
912 will automatically call his flag, claiming a win on time.
913 The shifted @kbd{Ctrl-F} key is a keyboard equivalent.
914 In ICS mode, Auto Flag will only call your opponent's flag, not yours,
915 and the ICS may award you a draw instead of a win if you have
916 insufficient mating material. In local chess engine mode,
918 may call either player's flag and will not take material into account (?).
920 @cindex Auto Flip View, Menu Item
921 If the Auto Flip View option is on when you start a game, the board
922 will be automatically oriented so that your pawns move from the bottom
923 of the window towards the top.
925 @cindex Auto Observe, Menu Item
926 If this option is on and you add a player to your @code{gnotify}
927 list on ICS, XBoard will automatically observe all of that
928 player's games, unless you are doing something else (such as
929 observing or playing a game of your own) when one starts.
930 The games are displayed
931 from the point of view of the player on your gnotify list; that is, his
932 pawns move from the bottom of the window towards the top.
933 Exceptions: If both players in a game are on your gnotify list, if
936 variable is set to 0, or if the ICS you are using does not
937 properly support observing from Black's point of view,
938 you will see the game from White's point of view.
939 @item Auto Raise Board
940 @cindex Auto Raise Board, Menu Item
941 If this option is on, whenever a new game begins, the chessboard window
942 is deiconized (if necessary) and raised to the top of the stack of windows.
944 @cindex Auto Save, Menu Item
945 If this option is true, at the end of every game XBoard prompts
946 you for a file name and appends a record of the game to the file
948 Disabled if the @code{saveGameFile} command-line
949 option is set, as in that case all games are saved to the specified file.
950 @xref{Load and Save options}.
952 @cindex Blindfold, Menu Item
953 If this option is on, XBoard displays the board as usual but does
954 not display pieces or move highlights. You can still move in the
955 usual way (with the mouse or by typing moves in ICS mode), even though
956 the pieces are invisible.
958 @cindex Flash Moves, Menu Item
959 If this option is on, whenever a move is completed, the moved piece flashes.
960 The number of times to flash is set by the flashCount command-line
961 option; it defaults to 3 if Flash Moves is first turned on from the menu.
963 If you are playing a game on an ICS, the board is always
964 oriented at the start of the game so that your pawns move from
965 the bottom of the window towards the top. Otherwise, the starting
966 orientation is determined by the @code{flipView} command line option;
967 if it is false (the default), White's pawns move from bottom to top
968 at the start of each game; if it is true, Black's pawns move from
969 bottom to top. @xref{User interface options}.
971 @cindex Get Move List, Menu Item
972 If this option is on, whenever XBoard
973 receives the first board of a new ICS game (or a different game from
974 the one it is currently displaying), it
975 retrieves the list of past moves from the ICS.
976 You can then review the moves with the @samp{Forward} and @samp{Backward}
978 or save them with @samp{Save Game}. You might want to
979 turn off this option if you are observing several blitz games at once,
980 to keep from wasting time and network bandwidth fetching the move lists over
982 When you turn this option on from the menu, XBoard
983 immediately fetches the move list of the current game (if any).
984 @item Highlight Dragging
985 @cindex Highlight Dragging, Menu Item
986 If Highlight Dragging is on, and the option -showTargetSquares is also on
987 in the settings file, all squares a piece that is 'picked up' with the mouse
988 can legally move to are highighted with a fat colored dot in the
989 highlightColor (non-captures) or premoveHighlightColor (captures).
990 Legality testing must be on for XBoard to know how the piece moves.
991 @item Highlight Last Move
992 @cindex Highlight Last Move, Menu Item
993 If Highlight Last Move is on, after a move is made, the starting and
994 ending squares remain highlighted. In addition, after you use Backward
995 or Back to Start, the starting and ending squares of the last move to
996 be unmade are highlighted.
997 @item Highlight with Arrow
998 @cindex Highlight with Arrow, Menu Item
999 Causes the highlighting described in Highlight Last Move to be done
1000 by drawing an arrow between the highlighted squares,
1001 so that it is visible even when the width of the grid lines is set to zero.
1003 @cindex Move Sound, Menu Item
1004 If this option is on, XBoard alerts you by playing a sound
1005 after each of your opponent's moves (or after every
1006 move if you are observing a game on the Internet Chess Server).
1007 The sound is not played after moves you make or moves read from a
1008 saved game file. By default, the
1009 sound is the terminal bell, but on some systems you can change it
1010 to a sound file using the soundMove option; see below.
1012 If you turn on this option when using XBoard with the Internet
1013 Chess Server, you will probably want to give the
1015 command to the ICS, since otherwise the ICS will ring the terminal bell
1016 after every move (not just yours). (The @file{.icsrc} file
1017 is a good place for this; see @ref{ICS options}.)
1019 @cindex ICS Alarm, Menu Item
1020 When this option is on, an alarm sound is played when your clock
1021 counts down to the icsAlarmTime (by default, 5 seconds) in an ICS
1022 game. For games with time controls that include an increment, the
1023 alarm will sound each time the clock counts down to the icsAlarmTime.
1024 By default, the alarm sound is the terminal bell, but on some systems
1025 you can change it to a sound file using the soundIcsAlarm option; see
1027 @item One-Click Moving
1028 @cindex One-Click Moving, Menu Item
1029 If this option is on, XBoard does not wait for you to click both the
1030 from- and the to-square, or drag the piece, but performs a move as soon
1031 as it is uniqely specified.
1032 This applies to clicking an own piece that only has a single legal move,
1033 clicking an empty square or opponent piece where only one of your pieces
1034 can move (or capture) to.
1035 Furthermore, a double-click on a piece that can only make a single capture
1036 will cause that capture to be made.
1037 Promoting a Pawn by clicking its to-square will suppress the promotion
1038 popup, and make it promote to Queen.
1039 @item Periodic Updates
1040 @cindex Periodic Updates, Menu Item
1041 If this option is off (or if
1042 you are using a chess engine that does not support periodic updates),
1044 will only be updated when the analysis changes. If this option is
1045 on, the Analysis Window will be updated every two seconds.
1046 @item Ponder Next Move
1047 @cindex Ponder Next Move, Menu Item
1048 If this option is off, the chess engine will think only when it is on
1049 move. If the option is on, the engine will also think while waiting
1050 for you to make your move.
1051 The shifted @kbd{Ctrl-P} key is a keyboard equivalent.
1052 @item Popup Exit Message
1053 @cindex Popup Exit Message, Menu Item
1054 If this option is on, when XBoard wants to display a message just
1055 before exiting, it brings up a modal dialog box and waits for you to
1056 click OK before exiting. If the option is off, XBoard prints the
1057 message to standard error (the terminal) and exits immediately.
1058 @item Popup Move Errors
1059 @cindex Popup Move Errors, Menu Item
1060 If this option is off, when you make an error in moving (such as
1061 attempting an illegal move or moving the wrong color piece), the
1062 error message is displayed in the message area. If the option is
1063 on, move errors are displayed in small pop-up windows like other errors.
1064 You can dismiss an error pop-up either by clicking its OK button or by
1065 clicking anywhere on the board, including down-clicking to start a move.
1067 @cindex Premove, Menu Item
1068 If this option is on while playing a game on an ICS, you can register
1069 your next planned move before it is your turn. Move the piece with
1070 the mouse in the ordinary way, and the starting and ending squares
1071 will be highlighted with a special color (red by default). When it is
1072 your turn, if your registered move is legal, XBoard will send it to
1073 ICS immediately; if not, it will be ignored and you can make a
1074 different move. If you change your mind about your premove, either
1075 make a different move, or double-click on any piece to cancel the move
1078 @cindex Quiet Play, Menu Item
1079 If this option is on, XBoard will automatically issue an ICS
1081 command whenever you start a game and a
1083 command whenever you finish one. Thus, you will not be distracted
1084 by shouts from other ICS users while playing.
1086 @cindex Show Coords, Menu Item
1087 If this option is on, XBoard displays algebraic coordinates
1088 along the board's left and bottom edges.
1090 @cindex Hide Thinking, Menu Item
1091 If this option is off, the chess engine's notion of the score and best
1092 line of play from the current position is displayed as it is
1093 thinking. The score indicates how many pawns ahead (or if negative,
1094 behind) the chess engine thinks it is. In matches between two
1095 machines, the score is prefixed by @samp{W} or @samp{B} to indicate
1096 whether it is showing White's thinking or Black's, and only the thinking
1097 of the engine that is on move is shown.
1098 The shifted @kbd{Ctrl-H} key is a keyboard equivalent.
1100 @cindex Test Legality, Menu Item
1101 If this option is on, XBoard tests whether the moves you try to make
1102 with the mouse are legal and refuses to let you make an illegal move.
1103 The shifted @kbd{Ctrl-L} key is a keyboard equivalent.
1104 Moves loaded from a file with @samp{Load Game} are also checked. If
1105 the option is off, all moves are accepted, but if a local chess engine
1106 or the ICS is active, they will still reject illegal moves. Turning
1107 off this option is useful if you are playing a chess variant with
1108 rules that XBoard does not understand. (Bughouse, suicide, and wild
1109 variants where the king may castle after starting on the d file are
1110 generally supported with Test Legality on.)
1111 @item Save Settings Now
1112 @cindex Save Settings Now, Menu Item
1113 Selecting this menu item causes the current XBoard settings to be
1114 written to the settings file, so they will also apply in future sessions.
1115 Note that some settings are 'volatile', and are not saved,
1116 because XBoard considers it too unlikely that you want those to apply
1118 In particular this applies to the Chess program names, and all options
1119 giving information on those Chess programs (such as their directory,
1120 if they have their own opening book, if they are UCI or native XBoard),
1121 or the variant you are playing.
1122 Such options would still be understood when they appear in the settings
1123 file in case they were put there with the aid of a text editor, but they
1124 would disappear from the file as soon as you save the settings.
1125 @item Save Settings on Exit
1126 @cindex Save Settings on Exit, Menu Item
1127 Setting this option has no immediate effect, but causes the settings
1128 to be saved when you quit XBoard. What happens then is otherwise
1129 identical to what happens when you use select "Save Settings Now",
1139 @cindex Info XBoard, Menu Item
1140 Displays the XBoard documentation in info format. For this feature to
1141 work, you must have the GNU info program installed on your system, and
1142 the file @file{xboard.info} must either be present in the current
1143 working directory, or have been installed by the @samp{make install}
1144 command when you built XBoard.
1146 @cindex Man XBoard, Menu Item
1147 Displays the XBoard documentation in man page format.
1148 The @kbd{F1} key is a keyboard equivalent. For this
1149 feature to work, the file @file{xboard.6} must have been installed by
1150 the @samp{make install} command when you built XBoard, and the
1151 directory it was placed in must be on the search path for your
1152 system's @samp{man} command.
1154 @cindex About XBoard, Menu Item
1155 Shows the current XBoard version number.
1159 @section Other Shortcut Keys
1161 @cindex Shortcut keys
1164 Pressing the @kbd{-} key iconizes XBoard. The graphical
1165 icon displays a white knight if it is White's move, or a black knight
1166 if it is Black's move. If your X window manager displays only text
1167 icons, not graphical ones, check its documentation; there is probably
1168 a way to enable graphical icons. If you get black and white reversed,
1169 we would like to hear about it; see @ref{Problems} below for
1170 instructions on how to report this problem.
1171 @item Load Next Game
1172 @cindex Load Next Game, Menu Item
1173 Loads the next game from the last game record file you loaded.
1174 The @kbd{Alt+PgDn} key is a keyboard equivalent.
1175 @item Load Previous Game
1176 @cindex Load Previous Game, Menu Item
1177 Loads the previous game from the last game record file you
1178 loaded. The @kbd{Alt+PgUp} key is a keyboard equivalent.
1179 Not available if the last game was loaded from a pipe.
1180 @item Reload Same Game
1181 @cindex Reload Same Game, Menu Item
1182 Reloads the last game you loaded.
1183 Not available if the last game was loaded from a pipe.
1184 @item Reload Same Position
1185 @cindex Reload Same Position, Menu Item
1186 Reloads the last position you loaded.
1187 Not available if the last position was loaded from a pipe.
1190 You can add or remove shortcut keys using the X resources
1191 @code{form.translations}. Here is an example of what would go in your
1192 @file{.Xresources} file:
1195 XBoard*form.translations: \
1196 Shift<Key>?: AboutGameProc() \n\
1197 <Key>y: AcceptProc() \n\
1198 <Key>n: DeclineProc() \n\
1199 <Key>i: NothingProc()
1202 Binding a key to @code{NothingProc} makes it do nothing, thus removing
1203 it as a shortcut key. The XBoard commands that can be bound to keys
1207 AbortProc, AboutGameProc, AboutProc, AcceptProc, AdjournProc,
1208 AlwaysQueenProc, AnalysisModeProc, AnalyzeFileProc,
1209 AnimateDraggingProc, AnimateMovingProc, AutobsProc, AutoflagProc,
1210 AutoflipProc, AutoraiseProc, AutosaveProc, BackwardProc,
1211 BlindfoldProc, BookProc, CallFlagProc, CopyGameProc, CopyPositionProc,
1212 DebugProc, DeclineProc, DrawProc, EditCommentProc, EditGameProc,
1213 EditPositionProc, EditTagsProc, EnterKeyProc, FlashMovesProc,
1214 FlipViewProc, ForwardProc, GetMoveListProc, HighlightLastMoveProc,
1215 HintProc, Iconify, IcsAlarmProc, IcsClientProc, IcsInputBoxProc,
1216 InfoProc, LoadGameProc, LoadNextGameProc, LoadNextPositionProc,
1217 LoadPositionProc, LoadPrevGameProc, LoadPrevPositionProc,
1218 LoadSelectedProc, MachineBlackProc, MachineWhiteProc, MailMoveProc,
1219 ManProc, MoveNowProc, MoveSoundProc, NothingProc, OldSaveStyleProc,
1220 PasteGameProc, PastePositionProc, PauseProc, PeriodicUpdatesProc,
1221 PonderNextMoveProc, PopupExitMessageProc, PopupMoveErrorsProc,
1222 PremoveProc, QuietPlayProc, QuitProc, ReloadCmailMsgProc,
1223 ReloadGameProc, ReloadPositionProc, RematchProc, ResetProc,
1224 ResignProc, RetractMoveProc, RevertProc, SaveGameProc,
1225 SavePositionProc, ShowCoordsProc, ShowGameListProc, ShowThinkingProc,
1226 StopExaminingProc, StopObservingProc, TestLegalityProc, ToEndProc,
1227 ToStartProc, TrainingProc, TruncateGameProc, and TwoMachinesProc.
1235 This section documents the command-line options to XBoard. You can
1236 set these options in two ways: by typing them on the shell command
1237 line you use to start XBoard, or by setting them as X resources
1238 (typically in your @file{.Xresources} file). Many of the options
1239 cannot be changed while XBoard is running; others set the initial
1240 state of items that can be changed with the @ref{Options} menu.
1242 Most of the options have both a long name and a short name. To turn a
1243 boolean option on or off from the command line, either give its long
1244 name followed by the value true or false
1245 (@samp{-longOptionName true}), or give just the short name to turn the
1246 option on (@samp{-opt}), or the short name preceded by @samp{x} to
1247 turn the option off (@samp{-xopt}). For options that take strings or
1248 numbers as values, you can use the long or short option names
1251 Each option corresponds to an X resource with the same name, so
1252 if you like, you can set options in your @file{.Xresources} file
1253 or in a file named @file{XBoard} in your home directory.
1254 For options that have two names, the longer one is the name of
1255 the corresponding X resource; the short name is not recognized.
1256 To turn a boolean option on or off as an
1257 X resource, give its long name followed by the value
1258 true or false (@samp{XBoard*longOptionName: true}).
1261 * Chess engine options:: Controlling the chess engine.
1262 * UCI + WB Engine Settings:: Setting some very common engine parameters
1263 * ICS options:: Connecting to and using ICS.
1264 * Load and Save options:: Input/output options.
1265 * User interface options:: Look and feel options.
1266 * Adjudication Options:: Control adjudication of engine-engine games.
1267 * Other options:: Miscellaneous.
1270 @node Chess engine options
1271 @section Chess Engine Options
1272 @cindex options, Chess engine
1273 @cindex Chess engine options
1275 @item -tc or -timeControl minutes[:seconds]
1277 @cindex timeControl, option
1278 Each player begins with his clock set to the @code{timeControl} period.
1280 The additional options @code{movesPerSession} and @code{timeIncrement}
1281 are mutually exclusive.
1282 @item -mps or -movesPerSession moves
1284 @cindex movesPerSession, option
1285 When both players have made @code{movesPerSession} moves, a
1286 new @code{timeControl} period is added to both clocks. Default: 40 moves.
1287 @item -inc or -timeIncrement seconds
1289 @cindex timeIncrement, option
1290 If this option is specified, @code{movesPerSession} is ignored.
1291 Instead, after each player's move, @code{timeIncrement} seconds are
1293 Use @samp{-inc 0} if you want to require the entire
1294 game to be played in one @code{timeControl} period, with no increment.
1295 Default: -1, which specifies @code{movesPerSession} mode.
1296 @item -clock/-xclock or -clockMode true/false
1297 @cindex clock, option
1298 @cindex clockMode, option
1299 Determines whether or not to display the chess clocks. If clockMode is
1300 false, the clocks are not shown, but the side that is to play next
1301 is still highlighted. Also, unless @code{searchTime}
1302 is set, the chess engine still keeps track of the clock time and uses it to
1303 determine how fast to make its moves.
1304 @item -st or -searchTime minutes[:seconds]
1306 @cindex searchTime, option
1307 Tells the chess engine to spend at most the given amount of time
1308 searching for each of its moves. Without this option, the chess engine
1309 chooses its search time based on the number of moves and amount
1310 of time remaining until the next time control.
1311 Setting this option also sets clockMode to false.
1312 @item -depth or -searchDepth number
1314 @cindex searchDepth, option
1315 Tells the chess engine to look ahead at most the given number of moves
1316 when searching for a move to make. Without this option, the chess
1317 engine chooses its search depth based on the number of moves and
1318 amount of time remaining until the next time control. With the option,
1319 the engine will cut off its search early if it reaches the specified depth.
1320 @item -firstNPS number
1321 @itemx -secondNPS number
1322 @cindex firstNPS, option
1323 @cindex secondNPS, option
1324 Tells the chess engine to use an internal time standard based on its node count,
1325 rather then wall-clock time, to make its timing decisions.
1326 The time in virtual seconds should be obtained by dividing the node count
1327 through the given number, like the number was a rate in nodes per second.
1328 Xboard will manage the clocks in accordance with this, relying on the number
1329 of nodes reported by the engine in its thinking output. If the given number equals zero,
1330 it can obviously not be used to convert nodes to seconds, and the time reported
1331 by the engine is used to decrement the XBoard clock in stead. The engine is supposed to
1332 report in CPU time it uses, rather than wall-clock time, in this mode. This option
1333 can provide fairer conditions for engine-engine matches on heavily loaded machines,
1334 or with very fast games (where the wall clock is too inaccurate).
1335 @code{showThinking} must be on for this option to work. Default: -1 (off).
1336 Not many engines might support this yet!
1337 @item -firstTimeOdds factor
1338 @itemx -secondTimeOdds factor
1339 @cindex firstTimeOdds, option
1340 @cindex secondTimeOdds, option
1341 Reduces the time given to the mentioned engine by the given factor.
1342 If pondering is off, the effect is indistinguishable from what would happen
1343 if the engine was running on an n-times slower machine. Default: 1.
1344 @item -timeOddsMode mode
1345 @cindex timeOddsMode, option
1346 This option determines how the case is handled where both engines have a time-odds handicap.
1347 If mode=1, the engine that gets the most time will always get the nominal time,
1348 as specified by the time-control options, and its opponent's time is renormalized accordingly.
1349 If mode=0, both play with reduced time. Default: 0.
1350 @item -hideThinkingFromHuman true/false
1351 Controls the Hide Thinking option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
1352 (Replaces the Show-Thinking option of older xboard versions.)
1353 @item -thinking/-xthinking or -showThinking true/false
1354 @cindex thinking, option
1355 @cindex showThinking, option
1356 Forces the engine to send thinking output to xboard.
1357 Used to be the only way to control if thinking output was displayed
1358 in older xboard versions,
1359 but as the thinking output in xboard 4.3 is also used for several other
1360 purposes (adjudication, storing in PGN file) the display of it is now controlled
1361 by the new option Hide Thinking. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
1362 (But if xboard needs the thinking output for some purpose,
1363 it makes the engine send it despite the setting of this option.)
1364 @item -ponder/-xponder or -ponderNextMove true/false
1365 @cindex ponder, option
1366 @cindex ponderNextMove, option
1367 Sets the Ponder Next Move menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
1368 @item -smpCores number
1369 Specifies the maximum number of CPUs an SMP engine is allowed to use.
1370 Only works for engines that support the XBoard/WinBoard-protocol cores feature.
1371 @item -mg or -matchGames n
1373 @cindex matchGames, option
1374 Automatically runs an n-game match between two chess engines,
1375 with alternating colors.
1376 If the @code{loadGameFile} or @code{loadPositionFile} option is set,
1378 starts each game with the given opening moves or the given position;
1379 otherwise, the games start with the standard initial chess position.
1380 If the @code{saveGameFile} option is set, a move record for the
1381 match is appended to the specified file. If the @code{savePositionFile}
1382 option is set, the final position reached in each game of the match is appended
1383 to the specified file. When the match is over, XBoard
1384 displays the match score and exits. Default: 0 (do not run a match).
1385 @item -mm/-xmm or -matchMode true/false
1387 @cindex matchMode, option
1388 Setting @code{matchMode} to true is equivalent to setting
1389 @code{matchGames} to 1.
1390 @item -sameColorGames n
1391 @cindex sameColorGames, option
1392 Automatically runs an n-game match between two chess engines,
1393 without alternating colors.
1394 Otherwise the same applies as for the @samp{-matchGames} option,
1395 over which it takes precedence if both are specified. (See there.)
1396 Default: 0 (do not run a match).
1397 @item -fcp or -firstChessProgram program
1399 @cindex firstChessProgram, option
1400 Name of first chess engine.
1401 Default: @file{Fairy-Max}.
1402 @item -scp or -secondChessProgram program
1404 @cindex secondChessProgram, option
1405 Name of second chess engine, if needed.
1406 A second chess engine is started only in Two Machines (match) mode.
1407 Default: @file{Fairy-Max}.
1408 @item -fb/-xfb or -firstPlaysBlack true/false
1410 @cindex firstPlaysBlack, option
1411 In games between two chess engines, firstChessProgram normally plays
1412 white. If this option is true, firstChessProgram plays black. In a
1413 multi-game match, this option affects the colors only for the first
1414 game; they still alternate in subsequent games.
1415 @item -fh or -firstHost host
1416 @itemx -sh or -secondHost host
1418 @cindex firstHost, option
1420 @cindex secondHost, option
1421 Hosts on which the chess engines are to run. The default for
1422 each is @file{localhost}. If you specify another host, XBoard
1423 uses @file{rsh} to run the chess engine there. (You can substitute a
1424 different remote shell program for rsh using the @code{remoteShell}
1425 option described below.)
1426 @item -fd or -firstDirectory dir
1427 @itemx -sd or -secondDirectory dir
1429 @cindex firstDirectory, option
1431 @cindex secondDirectory, option
1432 Working directories in which the chess engines are to be run.
1433 The default is "", which means to run the chess engine
1434 in the same working directory as XBoard
1435 itself. (See the CHESSDIR environment variable.)
1436 This option is effective only when the chess engine is being run
1437 on the local host; it does not work if the engine is run remotely
1438 using the -fh or -sh option.
1439 @item -initString string
1440 @itemx -secondInitString string
1441 @cindex initString, option
1442 @cindex secondInitString, option
1443 The string that is sent to initialize each chess engine for a new game.
1451 Setting this option from the command line is tricky, because you must
1452 type in real newline characters, including one at the very end.
1453 In most shells you can do this by
1454 entering a @samp{\} character followed by a newline. It is easier to set
1455 the option from your @file{.Xresources} file; in that case you can
1456 include the character sequence @samp{\n} in the string, and it will
1457 be converted to a newline.
1459 If you change this option, don't remove the @samp{new}
1460 command; it is required by all chess engines to
1463 You can remove the @samp{random} command if you like; including it
1464 causes GNU Chess 4 to randomize its move selection slightly so that it
1465 doesn't play the same moves in every game. Even without
1466 @samp{random}, GNU Chess 4 randomizes its choice of moves from its
1467 opening book. Many other chess engines ignore this command entirely
1468 and always (or never) randomize.
1470 You can also try adding other commands to the initString; see the
1471 documentation of the chess engine you are using for details.
1472 @item -firstComputerString string
1473 @itemx -secondComputerString string
1474 @cindex firstComputerString, option
1475 @cindex secondComputerString, option
1476 The string that is sent to the chess engine if its opponent is another
1477 computer chess engine. The default is @samp{computer\n}. Probably the
1478 only useful alternative is the empty string (@samp{}), which keeps the
1479 engine from knowing that it is playing another computer.
1480 @item -reuse/-xreuse or -reuseFirst true/false
1481 @itemx -reuse2/-xreuse2 or -reuseSecond true/false
1482 @cindex reuse, option
1483 @cindex reuseFirst, option
1484 @cindex reuse2, option
1485 @cindex reuseSecond, option
1486 If the option is false,
1487 XBoard kills off the chess engine after every game and starts
1488 it again for the next game.
1489 If the option is true (the default),
1490 XBoard starts the chess engine only once
1491 and uses it repeatedly to play multiple games.
1492 Some old chess engines may not work properly when
1493 reuse is turned on, but otherwise games will start faster if it is left on.
1494 @item -firstProtocolVersion version-number
1495 @itemx -secondProtocolVersion version-number
1496 @cindex firstProtocolVersion, option
1497 @cindex secondProtocolVersion, option
1498 This option specifies which version of the chess engine communication
1499 protocol to use. By default, version-number is 2. In version 1, the
1500 "protover" command is not sent to the engine; since version 1 is a
1501 subset of version 2, nothing else changes. Other values for
1502 version-number are not supported.
1503 @item -firstScoreAbs true/false
1504 @itemx -secondScoreAbs true/false
1505 @cindex firstScoreAbs, option
1506 @cindex secondScoreAbs, option
1507 If this option is set, the score reported by the engine is taken to be
1508 that in favor of white, even when the engine plays black.
1509 Important when XBoard uses the score for adjudications, or in PGN reporting.
1510 @item -niceEngines priority
1511 @cindex niceEngines, option
1512 This option allows you to lower the priority of the engine processes,
1513 so that the generally insatiable hunger for CPU time of chess engines does not interfere so much
1514 with smooth operation of XBoard (or the rest of your system).
1515 Negative values could increase the engine priority, which is not recommended.
1516 @item -firstOptions string
1517 @itemx -secondOptions string
1518 @cindex firstOptions, option
1519 @cindex secondOptions, option
1520 The given string is a comma-separated list of (option name=option value) pairs,
1521 like the following example: "style=Karpov,blunder rate=0".
1522 If an option announced by the engine at startup through the feature commands of the XBoard/WinBoard protocol
1523 matches one of the option names (i.e. "style" or "blunder rate"),
1524 it would be set to the given value (i.e. "Karpov" or 0)
1525 through a corresponding option command to the engine.
1526 This provided that the type of the value (text or numeric) matches as well.
1527 @item -firstNeedsNoncompliantFEN string
1528 @itemx -secondNeedsNoncompliantFEN string
1529 @cindex firstNeedsNoncompliantFEN, option
1530 @cindex secondNeedsNoncompliantFEN, option
1531 The castling rights and e.p. fields of the FEN sent to the mentioned engine
1532 with the setboard command will be replaced by the given string. This can for
1533 instance be used to run engines that do not understand Chess960 FENs in
1534 variant fischerandom, to make them at least understand the opening position,
1535 through setting the string to "KQkq -". (Note you also have to give the e.p. field!)
1536 Other possible applications are to provide work-arounds for engines that want to see
1537 castling and e.p. fields in variants that do not have castling or e.p.
1538 (shatranj, courier, xiangqi, shogi) so that XBoard would normally omit them
1539 (string = "- -"), or to add variant-specific fields that are not yet supported by XBoard
1540 (e.g. to indicate the number of checks in 3check).
1541 @item -shuffleOpenings
1542 @cindex shuffleOpenings, option
1543 Forces shuffling of the opening setup in variants that normally have a fixed initial position.
1544 Shufflings are symmetric for black and white, and exempt King and Rooks in variants
1545 with normal castling.
1546 Remains in force until a new variant is selected.
1549 @node UCI + WB Engine Settings
1550 @section UCI + WB Engine Settings
1551 @cindex Engine Settings
1552 @cindex Settings, Engine
1554 @item -fUCI or -firstIsUCI true/false
1555 @itemx -sUCI or -secondIsUCI true/false
1556 @cindex fUCI, option
1557 @cindex sUCI, option
1558 @cindex firstIsUCI, option
1559 @cindex secondIsUCI, option
1560 Indicates if the mentioned engine executable file is an UCI engine,
1561 and should be run with the aid of the Polyglot adapter rather than directly.
1562 Xboard will then pass the other UCI options and engine name to Polyglot
1563 through a .ini temporary file created for the purpose.
1564 @item -PolyglotDir filename
1565 @cindex PolyglotDir, option
1566 Gives the name of the directory in which the Polyglot adapter for UCI engines expects its files.
1567 Default: "/usr/local/share/polyglot".
1568 @item -usePolyglotBook true/false
1569 @cindex usePolyglotBook, option
1570 Specifies if the Polyglot book should be used.
1571 @item -PolyglotBook filename
1572 @cindex PolyglotBook, option
1573 Gives the filename of the opening book that Polyglot should use.
1574 From XBoard 4.3.15 on, native XBoard/WinBoard engines will also use the opening book specified here,
1575 provided the @code{usePolyglotBook} option is set to true,
1576 and the option @code{firstHasOwnBookUCI} or @code{secondHasOwnBookUCI} applying to the engine
1578 The engine will be kept in force mode as long as the current position is in book,
1579 and XBoard will select the book moves for it. Default "".
1580 @item -fNoOwnBookUCI or -firstXBook or -firstHasOwnBookUCI true/false
1581 @itemx -sNoOwnBookUCI or -secondXBook or -secondHasOwnBookUCI true/false
1582 @cindex fNoOwnBookUCI, option
1583 @cindex sNoOwnBookUCI, option
1584 @cindex firstHasOwnBookUCI, option
1585 @cindex secondHasOwnBookUCI, option
1586 @cindex firstXBook, option
1587 @cindex secondXBook, option
1588 Indicates if the mentioned engine has its own opening book it should play from,
1589 rather than using the external book through XBoard. Default: false.
1590 @item -defaultHashSize n
1591 @cindex defaultHashSize, option
1592 Sets the size of the hash table to n MegaBytes. Together with the EGTB cache size
1593 this number is also used to calculate the memory setting of XBoard/WinBoard engines,
1594 for those that support the memory feature of the XBoard/WinBoard protocol. Default: 64.
1595 @item -defaultCacheSizeEGTB n
1596 @cindex defaultCacheSizeEGTB, option
1597 Sets the size of the EGTB cache to n MegaBytes. Together with the hash-table size
1598 this number is also used to calculate the memory setting of XBoard/WinBoard engines,
1599 for those that support the memory feature of the XBoard/WinBoard protocol. Default: 4.
1600 @item -defaultPathEGTB filename
1601 @cindex defaultPathEGTB, option
1602 Gives the name of the directory where the end-game tablebases are installed, for UCI engines.
1603 Default: "/usr/local/share/egtb".
1604 @item -egtFormats string
1605 @cindex egtFormats, option
1606 Specifies which end-game tables are installed on the computer, and where.
1607 The argument is a comma-separated list of format specifications,
1608 each specification consisting of a format name, a colon, and a directory path name,
1609 e.g. "nalimov:/usr/local/share/egtb".
1610 If the name part matches that of a format that the engine requests through a feature command,
1611 xboard will relay the path name for this format to the engine through an egtpath command.
1612 One egtpath command for each matching format will be sent.
1613 Popular formats are "nalimov" DTM tablebases and "scorpio" bitbases.
1618 @section ICS options
1620 @cindex Options, ICS
1622 @item -ics/-xics or -internetChessServerMode true/false
1624 @cindex internetChessServerMode, option
1625 Connect with an Internet Chess Server to play chess against its
1626 other users, observe games they are playing, or review games
1627 that have recently finished. Default: false.
1628 @item -icshost or -internetChessServerHost host
1629 @cindex icshost, option
1630 @cindex internetChessServerHost, option
1631 The Internet host name or address of the chess server to connect
1632 to when in ICS mode. Default: @code{chessclub.com}.
1633 Another popular chess server to try is @code{freechess.org}.
1634 If your site doesn't have a working Internet name server, try
1635 specifying the host address in numeric form.
1637 to specify the numeric address when using the icshelper option
1638 with timestamp or timeseal (see below).
1639 @item -icsport or -internetChessServerPort port-number
1640 @cindex icsport, option
1641 @cindex internetChessServerPort, option
1642 The port number to use when connecting to a chess server in ICS
1643 mode. Default: 5000.
1644 @item -icshelper or -internetChessServerHelper prog-name
1645 @cindex icshelper, option
1646 @cindex internetChessServerHelper, option
1647 An external helper program used to communicate with the chess server.
1648 You would set it to "timestamp" for ICC (chessclub.com) or
1649 "timeseal" for FICS (freechess.org), after
1650 obtaining the correct version of timestamp or timeseal for your
1651 computer. See "help timestamp" on ICC and "help timeseal" on FICS.
1652 This option is shorthand for @code{-useTelnet -telnetProgram program}.
1653 @item -telnet/-xtelnet or -useTelnet true/false
1654 @cindex telnet, option
1655 @cindex useTelnet, option
1656 This option is poorly named; it should be called useHelper.
1657 If set to true, it instructs XBoard to run an external
1658 program to communicate with the Internet Chess Server.
1659 The program to use is given by the telnetProgram option.
1661 false (the default), XBoard opens a TCP socket and uses its own
1662 internal implementation of the telnet protocol to communicate with the
1663 ICS. @xref{Firewalls}.
1664 @item -telnetProgram prog-name
1665 @cindex telnetProgram, option
1666 This option is poorly named; it should be called helperProgram.
1667 It gives the name of the telnet program to be used with
1668 the @code{gateway} and @code{useTelnet} options. The default is
1669 @file{telnet}. The telnet program is invoked with the value of
1670 @code{internetChessServerHost} as its first argument and the value
1671 of @code{internetChessServerPort} as its second argument.
1673 @item -gateway host-name
1674 @cindex gateway, option
1675 If this option is set to a host name, XBoard communicates with the
1676 Internet Chess Server by using @file{rsh} to run
1677 the @code{telnetProgram} on the given host,
1678 instead of using its own internal implementation
1679 of the telnet protocol. You can substitute a different remote shell
1680 program for @file{rsh} using the @code{remoteShell} option described below.
1682 @item -internetChessServerCommPort or -icscomm dev-name
1683 @cindex internetChessServerCommPort, option
1684 @cindex icscomm, option
1685 If this option is set, XBoard communicates with the ICS through
1686 the given character I/O device instead of opening a TCP connection.
1687 Use this option if your system does not have any kind of
1688 Internet connection itself (not even a SLIP or PPP connection),
1689 but you do have dial-up access (or a hardwired terminal line) to
1690 an Internet service provider from which you can telnet to the ICS.
1692 The support for this option in XBoard is minimal. You need to
1693 set all communication parameters and tty modes before you enter
1696 Use a script something like this:
1699 stty raw -echo 9600 > /dev/tty00
1700 xboard -ics -icscomm /dev/tty00
1703 Here replace @samp{/dev/tty00} with the name of the device that your
1704 modem is connected to. You might have to add several more
1705 options to these stty commands. See the man pages for @file{stty}
1706 and @code{tty} if you run into problems. Also, on many systems stty
1707 works on its standard input instead of standard output, so you
1708 have to use @samp{<} instead of @samp{>}.
1710 If you are using linux, try starting with the script below.
1711 Change it as necessary for your installation.
1715 # configure modem and fire up XBoard
1719 stty 2400 ; stty raw ; stty hupcl ; stty -clocal
1720 stty ignbrk ; stty ignpar ; stty ixon ; stty ixoff
1721 stty -iexten ; stty -echo
1723 xboard -ics -icscomm /dev/modem
1726 After you start XBoard in this way, type whatever commands are
1727 necessary to dial out to your Internet provider and log in.
1728 Then telnet to ICS, using a command like
1729 @kbd{telnet chessclub.com 5000}.
1730 Important: See the paragraph below about extra echoes,
1731 in @ref{Limitations}.
1732 @item -icslogon or -internetChessServerLogonScript file-name
1733 @cindex icslogon, option
1734 @cindex internetChessServerLogonScript, option
1736 Whenever XBoard connects to the Internet Chess Server,
1737 if it finds a file with the name given in this option, it feeds the
1738 file's contents to the ICS as commands. The default file name
1740 Usually the first two lines of the file should be
1741 your ICS user name and password.
1742 The file can be either in $CHESSDIR, in XBoard's working
1743 directory if CHESSDIR is not set, or in your home directory.
1744 @item -msLoginDelay delay
1745 @cindex msLoginDelay, option
1746 If you experience trouble logging on to an ICS when using the
1747 @code{-icslogon} option, inserting some delay between characters
1748 of the logon script may help. This option adds @code{delay}
1749 milliseconds of delay between characters. Good values to try
1751 @item -icsinput/-xicsinput or -internetChessServerInputBox true/false
1752 @cindex icsinput, option
1753 @cindex internetChessServerInputBox, option
1754 Sets the ICS Input Box menu option. @xref{Mode Menu}. Default: false.
1755 @item -autocomm/-xautocomm or -autoComment true/false
1756 @cindex autocomm, option
1757 @cindex autoComment, option
1758 Sets the Auto Comment menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
1759 @item -autoflag/-xautoflag or -autoCallFlag true/false
1760 @cindex autoflag, option
1761 @cindex autoCallFlag, option
1762 Sets the Auto Flag menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
1763 @item -autobs/-xautobs or -autoObserve true/false
1764 @cindex autobs, option
1765 @cindex autoObserve, option
1766 Sets the Auto Observe menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
1768 @cindex autoKibitz, option
1769 Enables kibitzing of the engines last thinking output (depth, score, time, speed, PV)
1771 to the ICS, in zippy mode. The option @code{showThinking} must be switched on for
1772 this option to work.
1773 Also diverts similar kibitz information of an opponent engine that is playing you
1774 through the ICS to the engine-output window, as if the engine was playing locally.
1775 @item -seekGraph true/false or -sg
1776 @cindex seekGraph, option
1778 Enables displaying of the seek graph by left-clicking the board when
1779 you are logged on to an ICS and currently idle.
1780 The seek graph show all players currently seeking games on the ICS,
1781 plotted according to their rating and the time control of the game they seek,
1782 in three different colors (for rated, unrated and wild games).
1783 Computer ads are displayed as squares, human ads are dots.
1785 @item -autoRefresh true/false
1786 @cindex autoRefresh, option
1787 Enables automatic updating of the seek graph,
1788 by having the ICS send a running update of all newly placed
1789 and removed seek ads.
1790 This consumes a substantial amount of communication bandwidth,
1791 and is only supported for FICS and ICC.
1793 @item -backgroundObserve true/false
1794 @cindex backgroundObserve, option
1795 When true, boards sent to you by the ICS from other games while you are playing
1796 (e.g. because you are observing them)
1797 will not be automatically displayed.
1798 Only a summary of time left and material of both players will appear
1799 in the message field above the board.
1800 XBoard will remember the last board it has received this way,
1801 and will display it in stead of the position in your own game
1802 when you press the right mouse button.
1803 No other information is stored on such games observed in the background;
1804 you cannot save such a game later, or step through its moves.
1805 This feature is provided solely for the benefit of bughouse players,
1806 to enable them to peek at their partner's game without the need
1809 @item -dualBoard true/false
1810 @cindex dualBoard, option
1811 In combination with -backgroundObserve true, this option will display
1812 the board of the background game side by side with that of your own game,
1813 so you can have it in view permanently.
1814 Any board or holdings info coming in will be displayed on the secondary
1816 This feature is still experimental and largely unfinished.
1817 There is no animation or highlighting of moves on the secondary board.
1819 @item -oneClickMove true/false
1820 @cindex oneClickMove, option
1821 When set, this option allows you to enter moves by only clicking the to-
1822 or from-square, when only a single legal move to or from that square
1824 Double-clicking a piece (or clicking an already selected piece)
1825 will instruct that piece to make the only capture it can legally do.
1827 @item -moves/-xmoves or -getMoveList true/false
1828 @cindex moves, option
1829 @cindex getMoveList, option
1830 Sets the Get Move List menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
1831 @item -alarm/-xalarm or -icsAlarm true/false
1832 @cindex alarm, option
1833 @cindex icsAlarm, option
1834 Sets the ICS Alarm menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
1835 @item -icsAlarmTime ms
1836 @cindex icsAlarmTime, option
1837 Sets the time in milliseconds for the ICS Alarm menu option.
1838 @xref{Options Menu}. Default: 5000.
1839 @item lowTimeWarning true/false
1840 @cindex lowTimeWarning, option
1841 Controls a color change of the board as a warning your time is running out.
1842 @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
1843 @item -pre/-xpre \fRor\fB -premove true/false
1845 @cindex premove, option
1846 Sets the Premove menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
1847 @item -quiet/-xquiet or -quietPlay true/false
1848 @cindex quiet, option
1849 @cindex quietPlay, option
1850 Sets the Quiet Play menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
1851 @item -colorizeMessages or -colorize
1853 @cindex colorize, option
1854 Setting colorizeMessages
1855 to true tells XBoard to colorize the messages received from
1856 the ICS. Colorization works only if your xterm
1857 supports ISO 6429 escape sequences for changing text colors.
1858 @item -colorShout foreground,background,bold
1859 @itemx -colorSShout foreground,background,bold
1860 @itemx -colorChannel1 foreground,background,bold
1861 @itemx -colorChannel foreground,background,bold
1862 @itemx -colorKibitz foreground,background,bold
1863 @itemx -colorTell foreground,background,bold
1864 @itemx -colorChallege foreground,background,bold
1865 @itemx -colorRequest foreground,background,bold
1866 @itemx -colorSeek foreground,background,bold
1867 @itemx -colorNormal foreground,background,bold
1869 @cindex colorShout, option
1870 @cindex colorSShout, option
1871 @cindex colorChannel1, option
1872 @cindex colorChannel, option
1873 @cindex colorKibitz, option
1874 @cindex colorTell, option
1875 @cindex colorChallenge, option
1876 @cindex colorRequest, option
1877 @cindex colorSeek, option
1878 @cindex colorNormal, option
1879 These options set the colors used when colorizing ICS messages.
1880 All ICS messages are grouped into one of these categories:
1881 shout, sshout, channel 1, other channel, kibitz, tell, challenge,
1882 request (including abort, adjourn, draw, pause, and takeback), or
1883 normal (all other messages).
1885 Each foreground or background argument can be one of the following:
1886 black, red, green, yellow, blue, magenta, cyan, white, or default.
1887 Here ``default'' means the default foreground or background color of
1888 your xterm. Bold can be 1 or 0. If background is omitted, ``default''
1889 is assumed; if bold is omitted, 0 is assumed.
1891 Here is an example of how to set the colors in your @file{.Xresources} file.
1892 The colors shown here are the default values; you will get
1893 them if you turn @code{-colorize} on without specifying your own colors.
1896 xboard*colorizeMessages: true
1897 xboard*colorShout: green
1898 xboard*colorSShout: green, black, 1
1899 xboard*colorChannel1: cyan
1900 xboard*colorChannel: cyan, black, 1
1901 xboard*colorKibitz: magenta, black, 1
1902 xboard*colorTell: yellow, black, 1
1903 xboard*colorChallenge: red, black, 1
1904 xboard*colorRequest: red
1905 xboard*colorSeek: blue
1906 xboard*colorNormal: default
1908 @item -soundProgram progname
1909 @cindex soundProgram, option
1911 If this option is set to a sound-playing program that is installed and
1912 working on your system, XBoard can play sound files when certain
1913 events occur, listed below. The default program name is "play". If
1914 any of the sound options is set to "$", the event rings the terminal
1915 bell by sending a ^G character to standard output, instead of playing
1916 a sound file. If an option is set to the empty string "", no sound is
1917 played for that event.
1918 @item -soundShout filename
1919 @itemx -soundSShout filename
1920 @itemx -soundChannel filename
1921 @itemx -soundKibitz filename
1922 @itemx -soundTell filename
1923 @itemx -soundChallenge filename
1924 @itemx -soundRequest filename
1925 @itemx -soundSeek filename
1926 @cindex soundShout, option
1927 @cindex soundSShout, option
1928 @cindex soundChannel, option
1929 @cindex soundKibitz, option
1930 @cindex soundTell, option
1931 @cindex soundChallenge, option
1932 @cindex soundRequest, option
1933 @cindex soundSeek, option
1934 These sounds are triggered in the same way as the colorization events
1935 described above. They all default to "", no sound. They are played
1936 only if the colorizeMessages is on.
1937 @item -soundMove filename
1938 @cindex soundMove, option
1939 This sound is used by the Move Sound menu option. Default: "$".
1940 @item -soundIcsAlarm filename
1941 @cindex soundIcsAlarm, option
1942 This sound is used by the ICS Alarm menu option. Default: "$".
1943 @item -soundIcsWin filename
1944 @cindex soundIcsWin, option
1945 This sound is played when you win an ICS game. Default: "" (no sound).
1946 @item -soundIcsLoss filename
1947 @cindex soundIcsLoss, option
1948 This sound is played when you lose an ICS game. Default: "" (no sound).
1949 @item -soundIcsDraw filename
1950 @cindex soundIcsDraw, option
1951 This sound is played when you draw an ICS game. Default: "" (no sound).
1952 @item -soundIcsUnfinished filename
1953 @cindex soundIcsUnfinished, option
1954 This sound is played when an ICS game that you are participating in is
1955 aborted, adjourned, or otherwise ends inconclusively. Default: "" (no
1958 Here is an example of how to set the sounds in your @file{.Xresources} file:
1961 xboard*soundShout: shout.wav
1962 xboard*soundSShout: sshout.wav
1963 xboard*soundChannel1: channel1.wav
1964 xboard*soundChannel: channel.wav
1965 xboard*soundKibitz: kibitz.wav
1966 xboard*soundTell: tell.wav
1967 xboard*soundChallenge: challenge.wav
1968 xboard*soundRequest: request.wav
1969 xboard*soundSeek: seek.wav
1970 xboard*soundMove: move.wav
1971 xboard*soundIcsWin: win.wav
1972 xboard*soundIcsLoss: lose.wav
1973 xboard*soundIcsDraw: draw.wav
1974 xboard*soundIcsUnfinished: unfinished.wav
1975 xboard*soundIcsAlarm: alarm.wav
1977 @item -dropMenu true|false
1978 @cindex dropMenu, option
1979 This option allows you to emulate old behavior,
1980 where the right mouse button brings up the (now deprecated) drop menu
1981 rather than displaying the position at the end of the principal variation.
1983 @item -variations true|false
1984 @cindex variations, option
1985 When this option is on, you can start new variations in Edit Game or
1986 Analyze mode by holding the Shift key down while entering a move.
1987 When it is off, the Shift key will be ignored.
1991 @node Load and Save options
1992 @section Load and Save options
1993 @cindex Options, Load and Save
1994 @cindex Load and Save options
1996 @item -lgf or -loadGameFile file
1997 @itemx -lgi or -loadGameIndex index
1999 @cindex loadGameFile, option
2001 @cindex loadGameIndex, option
2002 If the @code{loadGameFile} option is set, XBoard loads the specified
2003 game file at startup. The file name @file{-} specifies the standard
2004 input. If there is more than one game in the file, XBoard
2005 pops up a menu of the available games, with entries based on their PGN
2006 (Portable Game Notation) tags.
2007 If the @code{loadGameIndex} option is set to @samp{N}, the menu is suppressed
2008 and the N th game found in the file is loaded immediately.
2009 The menu is also suppressed if @code{matchMode} is enabled or if the game file
2010 is a pipe; in these cases the first game in the file is loaded immediately.
2011 Use the @file{pxboard} shell script provided with XBoard if you
2012 want to pipe in files containing multiple games and still see the menu.
2013 If the loadGameIndex specifies an index -1, this triggers auto-increment
2014 of the index in @code{matchMode}, which means that after every game the
2015 index is incremented by one, causing each game of the match to be played
2016 from the next game in the file. Similarly, specifying an index value of -2
2017 causes the index to be incremented every two games, so that each game
2018 in the file is used twice (with reversed colors).
2019 The @code{rewindIndex} option causes the index to be reset to the
2020 first game of the file when it has reached a specified value.
2021 @item -rewindIndex n
2022 Causes a position file or game file to be rewound to its beginning after n
2023 positions or games in auto-increment @code{matchMode}.
2024 See @code{loadPositionIndex} and @code{loadGameIndex}.
2025 default: 0 (no rewind).
2026 @item -td or -timeDelay seconds
2028 @cindex timeDelay, option
2029 Time delay between moves during @samp{Load Game} or @samp{Analyze File}.
2030 Fractional seconds are allowed; try @samp{-td 0.4}.
2031 A time delay value of -1 tells
2032 XBoard not to step through game files automatically. Default: 1 second.
2033 @item -sgf or -saveGameFile file
2035 @cindex saveGameFile, option
2036 If this option is set, XBoard appends a record of every game
2037 played to the specified file. The file name @file{-} specifies the
2039 @item -autosave/-xautosave or -autoSaveGames true/false
2040 @cindex autosave, option
2041 @cindex autoSaveGames, option
2042 Sets the Auto Save menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
2043 Ignored if @code{saveGameFile} is set.
2044 @item -lpf or -loadPositionFile file
2045 @itemx -lpi or -loadPositionIndex index
2047 @cindex loadPositionFile, option
2049 @cindex loadPositionIndex, option
2050 If the @code{loadPositionFile} option is set, XBoard loads the
2051 specified position file at startup. The file name @file{-} specifies the
2052 standard input. If the @code{loadPositionIndex} option is set to N,
2053 the Nth position found in the file is loaded; otherwise the
2054 first position is loaded.
2055 If the loadPositionIndex specifies an index -1, this triggers auto-increment
2056 of the index in @code{matchMode}, which means that after every game the
2057 index is incremented by one, causing each game of the match to be played
2058 from the next position in the file. Similarly, specifying an index value of -2
2059 causes the index to be incremented every two games, so that each position
2060 in the file is used twice (with the engines playing opposite colors).
2061 The @code{rewindIndex} option causes the index to be reset to the
2062 first position of the file when it has reached a specified value.
2063 @item -spf or -savePositionFile file
2065 @cindex savePositionFile, option
2066 If this option is set, XBoard appends the final position reached
2067 in every game played to the specified file. The file name @file{-}
2068 specifies the standard output.
2069 @item -pgnExtendedInfo true/false
2070 @cindex pgnExtendedInfo, option`
2071 If this option is set, XBoard saves depth, score and time used for each
2072 move that the engine found as a comment in the PGN file.
2074 @item -pgnEventHeader string
2075 @cindex pgnEventHeader, option`
2076 Sets the name used in the PGN event tag to string.
2077 Default: "Computer Chess Game".
2078 @item -saveOutOfBookInfo true/false
2079 @cindex saveOutOfBookInfo, option`
2080 Include the information on how the engine(s) game out of its opening book
2081 in a special 'annotator' tag with the PGN file.
2082 @item -oldsave/-xoldsave or -oldSaveStyle true/false
2083 @cindex oldsave, option
2084 @cindex oldSaveStyle, option
2085 Sets the Old Save Style menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
2086 @item -gameListTags string
2087 @cindex gameListTags, option
2088 The character string lists the PGN tags that should be printed in the
2089 Game List, and their order. The meaning of the codes is e=event,
2090 s=site, d=date, o=round, p=players, r=result, w=white Elo, b=black Elo,
2091 t=time control, v=variant, a=out-of-book info, c=result comment.
2093 @item -ini or -settingsFile filename
2094 @itemx -saveSettingsFile filename
2096 @cindex saveSettingsFile, option
2097 @cindex SettingsFile, option
2098 @cindex init, option
2099 @cindex at sign, option
2100 When XBoard encounters an option -settingsFile (or -ini for short),
2101 or @@filename, it tries to read the mentioned file,
2102 and substitutes the contents of it (presumaby more command-line options)
2103 in place of the option.
2104 In the case of -ini or -settingsFile, the name of a successfully read
2105 settings file is also remembered as the file to use for saving settings
2106 (automatically on exit, or on user command).
2107 An option of the form @@filename does not affect saving.
2108 The option -saveSettingsFile does specify a name of the file to use
2109 for saving, without reading any options from it, and is thus also effective
2110 when the file did not exist yet.
2111 So the settings will be saved to the file specified in the last
2112 -saveSettingsFile or succesfull -settingsFile / -ini command,
2113 if any, and in /etc/xboard/xboard.conf otherwise.
2114 Usualy the latter is only accessible for the system administrator, though,
2115 and will be used to contain system-wide default setings, amongst which
2116 a -saveSettingsFile and -settingsFile options to specify a settings file
2117 accessible to the individual user, such as ~/.xboardrc in the user's
2121 @node User interface options
2122 @section User interface options
2123 @cindex User interface options
2124 @cindex Options, User interface
2129 @cindex display, option
2130 @cindex geometry, option
2131 @cindex iconic, option
2132 These and most other standard Xt options are accepted.
2134 @cindex noGUI, option
2135 Suppresses all GUI functions of XBoard
2136 (to speed up automated ultra-fast engine-engine games, which you donÂ’t want to watch).
2137 There will be no board or clock updates, no printing of moves,
2138 and no update of the icon on the task bar in this mode.
2139 @item -movesound/-xmovesound or -ringBellAfterMoves true/false
2140 @cindex movesound, option
2141 @cindex bell, option
2142 @cindex ringBellAfterMoves, option
2143 Sets the Move Sound menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
2144 For compatibility with old XBoard versions, -bell/-xbell are also
2145 accepted as abbreviations for this option.
2146 @item -exit/-xexit or -popupExitMessage true/false
2147 @cindex exit, option
2148 @cindex popupExitMessage, option
2149 Sets the Popup Exit Message menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
2150 @item -popup/-xpopup or -popupMoveErrors true/false
2151 @cindex popup, option
2152 @cindex popupMoveErrors, option
2153 Sets the Popup Move Errors menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
2154 @item -queen/-xqueen or -alwaysPromoteToQueen true/false
2155 @cindex queen, option
2156 @cindex alwaysPromoteToQueen, option
2157 Sets the Always Queen menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
2158 @item -legal/-xlegal or -testLegality true/false
2159 @cindex legal, option
2160 @cindex testLegality, option
2161 Sets the Test Legality menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
2162 @item -size or -boardSize (sizeName | n1,n2,n3,n4,n5,n6,n7)
2163 @cindex size, option
2164 @cindex boardSize, option
2166 Determines how large the board will be, by selecting the pixel size
2167 of the pieces and setting a few related parameters.
2168 The sizeName can be one of: Titanic, giving 129x129 pixel pieces,
2169 Colossal 116x116, Giant 108x108, Huge 95x95, Big 87x87, Large 80x80, Bulky 72x72,
2170 Medium 64x64, Moderate 58x58, Average 54x54, Middling 49x49, Mediocre
2171 45x45, Small 40x40, Slim 37x37, Petite 33x33, Dinky 29x29, Teeny 25x25,
2173 Orthodox pieces of all these sizes are built into XBoard.
2175 be used if you have them; see the pixmapDirectory and bitmapDirectory
2177 Complete sets of un-orthodox pieces are only provided in sizes
2178 Bulky, Middling and (to a lesser extent) Petite;
2179 Archbishop, Marshall and Amazon are also available in all sizes between
2181 When no bitmap is available, the piece will be displayed as Amazon or King.
2182 The default depends on the size of your screen; it is approximately the
2183 largest size that will fit without clipping.
2185 You can select other sizes or vary other layout parameters by providing
2186 a list of comma-separated values (with no spaces) as the argument.
2187 You do not need to provide all the values; for any you omit from the
2188 end of the list, defaults are taken from the nearest built-in size.
2189 The value @code{n1} gives the piece size, @code{n2} the width of the
2191 between squares, @code{n3} the desired size for the
2192 clockFont, @code{n4} the desired size for the coordFont,
2193 @code{n5} the desired size for the default font,
2194 @code{n6} the smallLayout flag (0 or 1),
2195 and @code{n7} the tinyLayout flag (0 or 1).
2196 All dimensions are in pixels.
2197 If the border between squares is eliminated (0 width), the various
2198 highlight options will not work, as there is nowhere to draw the highlight.
2199 If smallLayout is 1 and @code{titleInWindow} is true,
2200 the window layout is rearranged to make more room for the title.
2201 If tinyLayout is 1, the labels on the menu bar are abbreviated
2202 to one character each and the buttons in the button bar are made narrower.
2203 @item -coords/-xcoords or -showCoords true/false
2204 @cindex coords, option
2205 @cindex showCoords, option
2206 Sets the Show Coords menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
2207 The @code{coordFont} option specifies what font to use.
2208 @item -autoraise/-xautoraise or -autoRaiseBoard true/false
2209 @cindex autoraise, option
2210 @cindex autoRaiseBoard, option
2211 Sets the Auto Raise Board menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
2212 @item -autoflip/-xautoflip or -autoFlipView true/false
2213 @cindex autoflip, option
2214 @cindex autoFlipView, option
2215 Sets the Auto Flip View menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
2216 @item -flip/-xflip or -flipView true/false
2217 @cindex flip, option
2218 @cindex flipView, option
2219 If Auto Flip View is not set, or if you are observing but not participating
2220 in a game, then the positioning of the board at the start of each game
2221 depends on the flipView option. If flipView is false (the default),
2222 the board is positioned so that the white pawns move from the bottom to the
2223 top; if true, the black pawns move from the bottom to the top.
2224 In any case, the Flip menu option (see @ref{Options Menu})
2225 can be used to flip the board after
2227 @item -title/-xtitle or -titleInWindow true/false
2228 @cindex title, option
2229 @cindex titleInWindow, option
2230 If this option is true, XBoard displays player names (for ICS
2231 games) and game file names (for @samp{Load Game}) inside its main
2232 window. If the option is false (the default), this information is
2233 displayed only in the window banner. You probably won't want to
2234 set this option unless the information is not showing up in the
2235 banner, as happens with a few X window managers.
2236 @item -buttons/-xbuttons or -showButtonBar True/False
2237 @cindex buttons, option
2238 @cindex showButtonBar, option
2239 If this option is False, xboard omits the [<<] [<] [P] [>] [>>] button
2240 bar from the window, allowing the message line to be wider. You can
2241 still get the functions of these buttons using the menus or their keyboard
2242 shortcuts. Default: true.
2243 @item -mono/-xmono or -monoMode true/false
2244 @cindex mono, option
2245 @cindex monoMode, option
2246 Determines whether XBoard displays its pieces and squares with
2247 two colors (true) or four (false). You shouldn't have to
2248 specify @code{monoMode}; XBoard will determine if it is necessary.
2249 @item -showTargetSquares true/false
2250 @cindex showTargetSquares, option
2251 Determines whether XBoard can highlight the squares a piece has
2252 legal moves to, when you grab that piece with the mouse.
2253 If this option is set, this feature can be controlled through
2254 the Highlight Dragging menu item.
2255 @item -flashCount count
2256 @itemx -flashRate rate
2257 @itemx -flash/-xflash
2258 @cindex flashCount, option
2259 @cindex flashRate, option
2260 @cindex flash, option
2261 @cindex xflash, option
2262 These options enable flashing of pieces when they
2263 land on their destination square.
2265 tells XBoard how many times to flash a piece after it
2266 lands on its destination square.
2268 controls the rate of flashing (flashes/sec).
2271 sets flashCount to 3.
2273 sets flashCount to 0.
2274 Defaults: flashCount=0 (no flashing), flashRate=5.
2275 @item -highlight/-xhighlight or -highlightLastMove true/false
2276 @cindex highlight, option
2277 @cindex highlightLastMove, option
2278 Sets the Highlight Last Move menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
2279 @item -highlightMoveWithArrow true/false
2280 @cindex highlight Arrow, option
2281 @cindex highlightMoveWithArrow, option
2282 Sets the Highlight with Arrow menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
2283 @item -blind/-xblind or -blindfold true/false
2284 @cindex blind, option
2285 @cindex blindfold, option
2286 Sets the Blindfold menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: false.
2287 @item -clockFont font
2288 @cindex clockFont, option
2290 The font used for the clocks. If the option value is a pattern
2291 that does not specify the font size, XBoard tries to choose an
2292 appropriate font for the board size being used.
2293 Default: -*-helvetica-bold-r-normal--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*.
2294 @item -coordFont font
2295 @cindex coordFont, option
2296 @cindex Font, coordinates
2297 The font used for rank and file coordinate labels if @code{showCoords}
2298 is true. If the option value is a pattern that does not specify
2299 the font size, XBoard tries to choose an appropriate font for
2300 the board size being used.
2301 Default: -*-helvetica-bold-r-normal--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*.
2303 @cindex font, option
2305 The font used for popup dialogs, menus, comments, etc.
2306 If the option value is a pattern that does not specify
2307 the font size, XBoard tries to choose an appropriate font for
2308 the board size being used.
2309 Default: -*-helvetica-medium-r-normal--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*.
2310 @item -fontSizeTolerance tol
2311 @cindex fontSizeTolerance, option
2312 In the font selection algorithm, a nonscalable font will be preferred
2313 over a scalable font if the nonscalable font's size differs
2314 by @code{tol} pixels
2315 or less from the desired size. A value of -1 will force
2316 a scalable font to always be used if available; a value of 0 will
2317 use a nonscalable font only if it is exactly the right size;
2318 a large value (say 1000) will force a nonscalable font to always be
2319 used if available. Default: 4.
2320 @item -bm or -bitmapDirectory dir
2321 @itemx -pixmap or -pixmapDirectory dir
2323 @cindex bitmapDirectory, option
2324 @cindex pixmap, option
2325 @cindex pixmapDirectory, option
2326 These options control what piece images xboard uses. The XBoard
2327 distribution includes one set of pixmap pieces in xpm format, in the
2328 directory @file{pixmaps}, and one set of bitmap pieces in xbm format,
2329 in the directory @file{bitmaps}. Pixmap
2330 pieces give a better appearance on the screen: the white pieces have
2331 dark borders, and the black pieces have opaque internal details. With
2332 bitmaps, neither piece color has a border, and the internal details
2333 are transparent; you see the square color or other background color
2336 If XBoard is configured and compiled on a system that includes libXpm,
2337 the X pixmap library, the xpm pixmap pieces are compiled in as the
2338 default. A different xpm piece set can be selected at runtime with
2339 the @code{pixmapDirectory} option, or a bitmap piece set can be selected
2340 with the @code{bitmapDirectory} option.
2342 If XBoard is configured and compiled on a system that does not include
2343 libXpm (or the @code{--disable-xpm} option is given to the configure
2344 program), the bitmap pieces are compiled in as the default. It is not
2345 possible to use xpm pieces in this case, but pixmap pieces in another
2346 format called "xim" can be used by giving the @code{pixmapDirectory} option.
2347 Or again, a different bitmap piece set can be selected with the
2348 @code{bitmapDirectory} option.
2350 Files in the @code{bitmapDirectory} must be named as follows:
2351 The first character of a piece bitmap name gives the piece it
2352 represents (@samp{p}, @samp{n}, @samp{b}, @samp{r}, @samp{q}, or @samp{k}),
2353 the next characters give the size in pixels, the
2354 following character indicates whether the piece is
2355 solid or outline (@samp{s} or @samp{o}),
2356 and the extension is @samp{.bm}.
2357 For example, a solid 80x80 knight would be named @file{n80s.bm}.
2358 The outline bitmaps are used only in monochrome mode.
2359 If bitmap pieces are compiled in and the bitmapDirectory is missing
2360 some files, the compiled in pieces are used instead.
2362 If the bitmapDirectory option is given,
2363 it is also possible to replace xboard's icons and menu checkmark,
2364 by supplying files named @file{icon_white.bm}, @file{icon_black.bm}, and
2365 @file{checkmark.bm}.
2367 For more information about pixmap pieces and how to get additional
2368 sets, see @ref{zic2xpm} below.
2369 @item -whitePieceColor color
2370 @itemx -blackPieceColor color
2371 @itemx -lightSquareColor color
2372 @itemx -darkSquareColor color
2373 @itemx -highlightSquareColor color
2374 @itemx -lowTimeWarningColor color
2376 @cindex whitePieceColor, option
2377 @cindex blackPieceColor, option
2378 @cindex lightSquareColor, option
2379 @cindex darkSquareColor, option
2380 @cindex highlightSquareColor, option
2381 @cindex lowTimeWarningColor, option
2382 Colors to use for the pieces, squares, and square highlights.
2386 -whitePieceColor #FFFFCC
2387 -blackPieceColor #202020
2388 -lightSquareColor #C8C365
2389 -darkSquareColor #77A26D
2390 -highlightSquareColor #FFFF00
2391 -premoveHighlightColor #FF0000
2392 -lowTimeWarningColor #FF0000
2395 On a grayscale monitor you might prefer:
2398 -whitePieceColor gray100
2399 -blackPieceColor gray0
2400 -lightSquareColor gray80
2401 -darkSquareColor gray60
2402 -highlightSquareColor gray100
2403 -premoveHighlightColor gray70
2404 -lowTimeWarningColor gray70
2406 @item -drag/-xdrag or -animateDragging true/false
2407 @cindex drag, option
2408 @cindex animateDragging, option
2409 Sets the Animate Dragging menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
2410 @item -animate/-xanimate or -animateMoving true/false
2411 @cindex animate, option
2412 @cindex animateMoving, option
2413 Sets the Animate Moving menu option. @xref{Options Menu}. Default: true.
2414 @item -animateSpeed n
2415 @cindex -animateSpeed, option
2416 Number of milliseconds delay between each animation frame when Animate
2418 @item -autoDisplayComment true/false
2419 @itemx -autoDisplayTags true/false
2420 @cindex -autoDisplayComment, option
2421 @cindex -autoDisplayTags, option
2422 If set to true, these options cause the window with the move comments,
2423 and the window with PGN tags, respectively, to pop up automatically when
2424 such tags or comments are encountered during the replaying a stored or
2425 loaded game. Default: true.
2426 @item -pasteSelection true/false
2427 @cindex -pasteSelection, option
2428 If this option is set to true, the Paste Position and Paste Game
2429 options paste from the currently selected text. If false, they paste
2430 from the clipboard. Default: false.
2433 @node Adjudication Options
2434 @section Adjudication Options
2435 @cindex Options, adjudication
2437 @item -adjudicateLossThreshold n
2438 @cindex adjudicateLossThreshold, option
2439 If the given value is non-zero, XBoard adjudicates the game as a loss
2440 if both engines agree for a duration of 6 consecutive ply that the score
2441 is below the given score threshold for that engine. Make sure the score
2442 is interpreted properly by XBoard,
2443 using @code{-firstScoreAbs} and @code{-secondScoreAbs} if needed.
2444 Default: 0 (no adjudication)
2445 @item -adjudicateDrawMoves n
2446 @cindex adjudicateDrawMoves, option
2447 If the given value is non-zero, XBoard adjudicates the game as a draw
2448 if after the given number of moves it was not yet decided. Default: 0 (no adjudication)
2449 @item -checkMates true/false
2450 @cindex checkMates, option
2451 If this option is set, XBoard detects all checkmates and stalemates,
2452 and ends the game as soon as they occur.
2453 Legality-testing must be switched on for this option to work.
2455 @item -testClaims true/false
2456 @cindex testClaims, option
2457 If this option is set, XBoard verifies all result claims made by engines,
2458 and those who send false claims will forfeit the game because of it.
2459 Legality-testing must be switched on for this option to work. Default: true
2460 @item -materialDraws true/false
2461 @cindex materialDraws, option
2462 If this option is set, XBoard adjudicates games as draws when there is
2463 no sufficient material left to inflict a checkmate.
2464 This applies to KBKB with like bishops (any number, actually), and to KBK, KNK and KK.
2465 Legality-testing must be switched on for this option to work. Default: true
2466 @item -trivialDraws true/false
2467 @cindex trivialDraws, option
2468 If this option is set, XBoard adjudicates games as draws that cannot be
2469 usually won without opponent cooperation. This applies to KBKB with unlike bishops,
2470 and to KBKN, KNKN, KNNK, KRKR and KQKQ. The draw is called after 6 ply into these end-games,
2471 to allow quick mates that can occur in some exceptional positions to be found by the engines.
2472 KQKQ does not really belong in this category, and might be taken out in the future.
2473 (When bitbase-based adjudications are implemented.)
2474 Legality-testing must be on for this option to work. Default: false
2476 @cindex ruleMoves, option
2477 If the given value is non-zero, XBoard adjudicates the game as a draw after the given
2478 number of consecutive reversible moves. Engine draw claims are always accepted after 50 moves,
2479 irrespective of the given value of n.
2480 @item -repeatsToDraw n
2481 If the given value is non-zero, xboard adjudicates the game as a draw if a position
2482 is repeated the given number of times. Engines draw claims are always accepted after 3 repeats,
2483 (on the 3rd occurrence, actually), irrespective of the value of n.
2484 Beware that positions that have different castling or en-passant rights do not count
2485 as repeats, XBoard is fully e.p. and castling aware!
2489 @section Other options
2490 @cindex Options, miscellaneous
2492 @item -ncp/-xncp or -noChessProgram true/false
2494 @cindex noChessProgram, option
2495 If this option is true, XBoard acts as a passive chessboard; it
2496 does not start a chess engine at all. Turning on this option
2497 also turns off clockMode. Default: false.
2498 @item -mode or -initialMode modename
2499 @cindex mode, option
2500 @cindex initalMode, option
2501 If this option is given, XBoard selects the given modename
2502 from the Mode menu after starting and (if applicable) processing the
2503 loadGameFile or loadPositionFile option. Default: "" (no selection).
2504 Other supported values are
2505 MachineWhite, MachineBlack, TwoMachines, Analysis,
2506 AnalyzeFile, EditGame, EditPosition, and Training.
2507 @item -variant varname
2508 @cindex variant, option
2509 Activates preliminary, partial support for playing chess variants
2510 against a local engine or editing variant games. This flag is not
2511 needed in ICS mode. Recognized variant names are:
2515 wildcastle Shuffle chess, king can castle from d file
2516 nocastle Shuffle chess, no castling allowed
2517 fischerandom Fischer Random shuffle chess
2518 bughouse Bughouse, ICC/FICS rules
2519 crazyhouse Crazyhouse, ICC/FICS rules
2520 losers Lose all pieces or get mated (ICC wild 17)
2521 suicide Lose all pieces including king (FICS)
2522 giveaway Try to have no legal moves (ICC wild 26)
2523 twokings Weird ICC wild 9
2524 kriegspiel Opponent's pieces are invisible
2525 atomic Capturing piece explodes (ICC wild 27)
2526 3check Win by giving check 3 times (ICC wild 25)
2527 shatranj An ancient precursor of chess (ICC wild 28)
2528 xiangqi Chinese Chess (on a 9x10 board)
2529 shogi Japanese Chess (on a 9x9 board & piece drops)
2530 capablanca Capablanca Chess (10x8 board, with Archbishop
2531 and Chancellor pieces)
2532 gothic similar, with a better initial position
2533 caparandom An FRC-like version of Capablanca Chess (10x8)
2534 janus A game with two Archbishops (10x8 board)
2535 courier Medieval intermediate between shatranj and
2536 modern Chess (on 12x8 board)
2537 falcon Patented 10x8 variant with two Falcon pieces
2538 berolina Pawns capture straight ahead, and move diagonal
2539 cylinder Pieces wrap around the board edge
2540 knightmate King moves as Knight, and vice versa
2541 super Superchess (shuffle variant with 4 exo-pieces)
2542 makruk Thai Chess (shatranj-like, P promotes on 6th rank)
2543 spartan Spartan Chess (black has unorthodox pieces)
2544 fairy A catchall variant in which all piece types
2545 known to XBoard can participate (8x8)
2546 unknown Catchall for other unknown variants
2549 NOT ALL BOARDSIZES PROVIDE A COMPLETE SET OF BUILT-IN BITMAPS FOR ALL
2550 UN-ORTHODOX PIECES, though. Only in @code{boardSize} middling and bulky
2551 all 22 piece types are provided, while -boardSize petite has most
2552 of them. Archbishop, Chancellor and Amazon are supported in every
2553 size from petite to bulky. Kings or Amazons are substituted for
2554 missing bitmaps. You can still play variants needing un-orthodox
2555 pieces in other board sizes providing your own bitmaps through the
2556 @code{bitmapDirectory} or @code{pixmapDirectory} options.
2558 In the shuffle variants, XBoard now does shuffle the pieces, although
2559 you can still do it by hand using Edit Position. Some variants are
2560 supported only in ICS mode, including bughouse, and
2561 kriegspiel. The winning/drawing conditions in crazyhouse (off-board
2562 interposition on mate) are not fully understood, but losers, suicide,
2563 giveaway, atomic, and 3check should be OK.
2564 Berolina and cylinder chess can only be played with legality testing off.
2565 In crazyhouse, XBoard now does keep
2566 track of off-board pieces. In shatranj it does implement the baring
2567 rule when mate detection is switched on.
2568 @item -boardHeight N
2569 @cindex boardHeight, option
2570 Allows you to set a non-standard number of board ranks in any variant.
2571 If the height is given as -1, the default height for the variant is used.
2574 @cindex boardWidth, option
2575 Allows you to set a non-standard number of board files in any variant.
2576 If the width is given as -1, the default width for the variant is used.
2577 With a non-standard width, the initial position will always be an empty board,
2578 as the usual opening array will not fit.
2580 @item -holdingsSize N
2581 @cindex holdingsSize, option
2582 Allows you to set a non-standard size for the holdings in any variant.
2583 If the size is given as -1, the default holdings size for the variant is used.
2584 The first N piece types will go into the holdings on capture, and you will be
2585 able to drop them on the board in stead of making a normal move. If size equals 0,
2586 there will be no holdings.
2588 @item -defaultFrcPosition N
2589 @cindex defaultFrcPosition, option
2590 Specifies the number of the opening position in shuffle games like Chess960.
2591 A value of -1 means the position is randomly generated by XBoard
2592 at the beginning of every game.
2594 @item -pieceToSquareTable string
2595 @cindex pieceToSquareTable, option
2596 The characters that are used to represent the piece types XBoard knows in FEN
2597 diagrams and SAN moves. The string argument has to have an even length
2598 (or it will be ignored), as white and black pieces have to be given separately
2599 (in that order). The last letter for each color will be the King.
2600 The letters before that will be PNBRQ and then a whole host of fairy pieces
2601 in an order that has not fully crystallized yet (currently FEACWMOHIJGDVSLU,
2602 F=Ferz, Elephant, A=Archbishop, C=Chancellor, W=Wazir, M=Commoner, O=Cannon,
2603 H=Nightrider). You should list at least all pieces that occur in the variant
2604 you are playing. If you have less than 44 characters in the string, the pieces
2605 not mentioned will get assigned a period, and you will not be able to distinguish
2606 them in FENs. You can also explicitly assign pieces a period, in which case they
2607 will not be counted in deciding which captured pieces can go into the holdings.
2608 A tilde '~' as a piece name does mean this piece is used to represent a promoted
2609 Pawn in crazyhouse-like games, i.e. on capture it turns back onto a Pawn.
2610 A '+' similarly indicates the piece is a shogi-style promoted piece, that should
2611 revert to its non-promoted version on capture (rather than to a Pawn).
2612 Note that promoted pieces are represented by pieces 11 further in the list.
2613 You should not have to use this option often: each variant has its own default
2614 setting for the piece representation in FEN, which should be sufficient in normal use.
2616 @item -debug/-xdebug or -debugMode true/false
2617 @cindex debug, option
2618 @cindex debugMode, option
2619 Turns on debugging printout.
2620 @item -debugFile filename or -nameOfDebugFile filename
2621 @cindex debugFile, option
2622 @cindex nameOfDebugFile, option
2623 Sets the name of the file to which XBoard saves debug information
2624 (including all communication to and from the engines).
2625 @item -engineDebugOutput number
2626 @cindex engineDebugOutput, option
2627 Specifies how XBoard should handle unsolicited output from the engine,
2628 with respect to saving it in the debug file.
2629 The output is further (hopefully) ignored.
2630 If number=0, XBoard refrains from writing such spurious output to the debug file.
2631 If number=1, all engine output is written faithfully to the debug file.
2632 If number=2, any protocol-violating line is prefixed with a '#' character,
2633 as the engine itself should have done if it wanted to submit info for inclusion in the debug file.
2634 This option is provided for the benefit of applications that use the debug file
2635 as a source of information, such as the broadcaster of live games TLCV / TLCS.
2636 Such applications can be protected from spurious engine output that might otherwise confuse them.
2637 @item -rsh or -remoteShell shell-name
2639 @cindex remoteShell, option
2640 Name of the command used to run programs remotely. The default
2641 is @file{rsh} or @file{remsh}, determined when XBoard is
2642 configured and compiled.
2643 @item -ruser or -remoteUser user-name
2644 @cindex ruser, option
2645 @cindex remoteUser, option
2646 User name on the remote system when running programs with the
2647 @code{remoteShell}. The default is your local user name.
2648 @item -userName username
2649 @cindex userName, option
2650 Name under which the Human player will be listed in the PGN file.
2651 Default is the login name on your local computer.
2652 @item -delayBeforeQuit number
2653 @itemx -delayAfterQuit number
2654 @cindex delayBeforeQuit, option
2655 @cindex delayAfterQuit, option
2656 These options specify how long XBoard has to wait before sending a termination signal to rogue engine processes, that do not want to react to the 'quit' command. The second one determines the pause after killing the engine, to make sure it dies.
2661 @chapter Chess Servers
2663 @cindex ICS, addresses
2664 @cindex Internet Chess Server
2665 An @dfn{Internet Chess Server}, or @dfn{ICS}, is a place on the
2666 Internet where people can get together to play chess, watch other
2667 people's games, or just chat. You can use either @code{telnet} or a
2668 client program like XBoard to connect to the server. There are
2669 thousands of registered users on the different ICS hosts, and it is
2670 not unusual to meet 200 on both chessclub.com and freechess.org.
2672 Most people can just type @kbd{xboard -ics} to start XBoard as an ICS
2673 client. Invoking XBoard in this way connects you to the Internet
2674 Chess Club (ICC), a commercial ICS. You can log in there as a guest
2675 even if you do not have a paid account. To connect to the largest
2676 Free ICS (FICS), use the command @kbd{xboard -ics -icshost freechess.org}
2677 instead, or substitute a different host name to connect to your
2679 For a full description of command-line options that control
2680 the connection to ICS and change the default values of ICS options, see
2683 While you are running XBoard as an ICS client,
2684 you use the terminal window that you started XBoard from
2685 as a place to type in commands and read information that is
2686 not available on the chessboard.
2688 The first time you need to use the terminal is to enter your login name
2689 and password, if you are a registered player. (You don't need to do
2690 this manually; the @code{icsLogon} option can do it for you.
2691 @pxref{ICS options}.) If you are not registered,
2692 enter @kbd{g} as your name, and the server will pick a
2693 unique guest name for you.
2695 Some useful ICS commands
2699 @cindex help, ICS command
2700 to get help on the given <topic>. To get a list of possible topics type
2701 @dfn{help} without topic. Try the help command before you ask other
2702 people on the server for help.
2704 For example @kbd{help register} tells you how to become a registered
2707 @cindex who, ICS command
2708 to see a list of people who are logged on. Administrators
2709 (people you should talk to if you have a problem) are marked
2710 with the character @samp{*}, an asterisk. The <flags> allow you to
2711 display only selected players: For example, @kbd{who of} shows a
2712 list of players who are interested in playing but do not have
2715 @cindex games, ICS command
2716 to see what games are being played
2717 @item match <player> [<mins>] [<inc>]
2718 to challenge another player to a game. Both opponents get <mins> minutes
2719 for the game, and <inc> seconds will be added after each move.
2720 If another player challenges you, the server asks if you want to
2721 accept the challenge; use the @kbd{accept} or @kbd{decline} commands
2725 @cindex accept, ICS command
2726 @cindex decline, ICS command
2727 to accept or decline another player's offer.
2728 The offer may be to start a new game, or to agree to a
2729 @kbd{draw}, @kbd{adjourn} or @kbd{abort} the current game. @xref{Action Menu}.
2731 If you have more than one pending offer (for example, if more than one player
2732 is challenging you, or if your opponent offers both a draw and to adjourn the
2733 game), you have to supply additional information, by typing something
2734 like @kbd{accept <player>}, @kbd{accept draw}, or @kbd{draw}.
2738 @cindex draw, ICS command
2739 @cindex adjourn, ICS command
2740 @cindex abort, ICS command
2741 asks your opponent to terminate a game by mutual agreement. Adjourned
2742 games can be continued later.
2743 Your opponent can either @kbd{decline} your offer or accept it (by typing the
2744 same command or typing @kbd{accept}). In some cases these commands work
2745 immediately, without asking your opponent to agree. For example, you can
2746 abort the game unilaterally if your opponent is out of time, and you can claim
2747 a draw by repetition or the 50-move rule if available simply by typing
2749 @item finger <player>
2750 @cindex finger, ICS command
2751 to get information about the given <player>. (Default: yourself.)
2753 @cindex vars, ICS command
2754 to get a list of personal settings
2755 @item set <var> <value>
2756 @cindex set, ICS command
2757 to modify these settings
2758 @item observe <player>
2759 @cindex observe, ICS command
2760 to observe an ongoing game of the given <player>.
2763 @cindex examine, ICS command
2764 @cindex oldmoves, ICS command
2765 to review a recently completed game
2768 Some special XBoard features are activated when you are
2769 in examine mode on ICS. See the descriptions of the menu commands
2770 @samp{Forward}, @samp{Backward}, @samp{Pause}, @samp{ICS Client},
2771 and @samp{Stop Examining} on the @ref{Edit Menu}, @ref{Mode Menu}, and
2776 By default, XBoard communicates with an Internet Chess Server
2777 by opening a TCP socket directly from the machine it is running on
2778 to the ICS. If there is a firewall between your machine and the ICS,
2779 this won't work. Here are some recipes for getting around common
2780 kinds of firewalls using special options to XBoard.
2781 Important: See the paragraph in the below about extra echoes, in
2784 Suppose that you can't telnet directly to ICS, but you can telnet
2785 to a firewall host, log in, and then telnet from there to ICS.
2786 Let's say the firewall is called @samp{firewall.example.com}. Set
2787 command-line options as follows:
2790 xboard -ics -icshost firewall.example.com -icsport 23
2793 Or in your @file{.Xresources} file:
2796 XBoard*internetChessServerHost: firewall.example.com
2797 XBoard*internetChessServerPort: 23
2800 Then when you run XBoard in ICS mode, you will be prompted
2801 to log in to the firewall host. This works because port 23 is the
2802 standard telnet login service. Do so, then telnet to ICS, using a
2803 command like @samp{telnet chessclub.com 5000}, or whatever command
2804 the firewall provides for telnetting to port 5000.
2806 If your firewall lets you telnet (or rlogin) to remote hosts but
2807 doesn't let you telnet to port 5000, you may be able to connect to the
2808 chess server on port 23 instead, which is the port the telnet program
2809 uses by default. Some chess servers support this (including
2810 chessclub.com and freechess.org), while some do not.
2812 If your chess server does not allow connections on port 23 and your
2813 firewall does not allow you to connect to other ports, you may be able
2814 to connect by hopping through another host outside the firewall that
2815 you have an account on. For instance, suppose you have a shell
2816 account at @samp{foo.edu}. Follow the recipe above, but instead of
2817 typing @samp{telnet chessclub.com 5000} to the firewall, type
2818 @samp{telnet foo.edu} (or @samp{rlogin foo.edu}), log in there, and
2819 then type @samp{telnet chessclub.com 5000}.
2821 Suppose that you can't telnet directly to ICS, but you can use rsh
2822 to run programs on a firewall host, and that host can telnet to ICS.
2823 Let's say the firewall is called @samp{rsh.example.com}. Set
2824 command-line options as follows:
2827 xboard -ics -gateway rsh.example.com -icshost chessclub.com
2831 Or in your @file{.Xresources} file:
2834 XBoard*gateway: rsh.example.com
2835 XBoard*internetChessServerHost: chessclub.com
2838 Then when you run XBoard in ICS mode, it will connect to
2839 the ICS by using @file{rsh} to run the command
2840 @samp{telnet chessclub.com 5000} on host @samp{rsh.example.com}.
2842 Suppose that you can telnet anywhere you want, but you have to
2843 run a special program called @file{ptelnet} to do so.
2845 First, we'll consider the easy case, in which
2846 @samp{ptelnet chessclub.com 5000} gets you to the chess server.
2847 In this case set command line options as follows:
2850 xboard -ics -telnet -telnetProgram ptelnet
2854 Or in your @file{.Xresources} file:
2857 XBoard*useTelnet: true
2858 XBoard*telnetProgram: ptelnet
2862 Then when you run XBoard in ICS mode, it will issue the
2863 command @samp{ptelnet chessclub.com 5000} to connect to the ICS.
2865 Next, suppose that @samp{ptelnet chessclub.com 5000} doesn't work;
2866 that is, your @file{ptelnet} program doesn't let you connect to
2867 alternative ports. As noted above, your chess server may allow you to
2868 connect on port 23 instead. In that case, just add the option
2869 @samp{-icsport ""} to the above command, or add
2870 @samp{XBoard*internetChessServerPort:} to your @file{.Xresources} file.
2871 But if your chess server doesn't let you connect on port 23, you will have
2872 to find some other host outside the firewall and hop through it. For
2873 instance, suppose you have a shell account at @samp{foo.edu}. Set
2874 command line options as follows:
2877 xboard -ics -telnet -telnetProgram ptelnet -icshost foo.edu -icsport ""
2881 Or in your @file{.Xresources} file:
2884 XBoard*useTelnet: true
2885 XBoard*telnetProgram: ptelnet
2886 XBoard*internetChessServerHost: foo.edu
2887 XBoard*internetChessServerPort:
2891 Then when you run XBoard in ICS mode, it will issue the
2892 command @samp{ptelnet foo.edu} to connect to your account at
2893 @samp{foo.edu}. Log in there, then type @samp{telnet chessclub.com 5000}.
2895 ICC timestamp and FICS timeseal do not work through some
2896 firewalls. You can use them only if your firewall gives a clean TCP
2897 connection with a full 8-bit wide path. If your firewall allows you
2898 to get out only by running a special telnet program, you can't use
2899 timestamp or timeseal across it. But if you have access to a
2900 computer just outside your firewall, and you have much lower netlag
2901 when talking to that computer than to the ICS, it might be worthwhile
2902 running timestamp there. Follow the instructions above for hopping
2903 through a host outside the firewall (foo.edu in the example),
2904 but run timestamp or timeseal on that host instead of telnet.
2906 Suppose that you have a SOCKS firewall that will give you a clean
2907 8-bit wide TCP connection to the chess server, but only after you
2908 authenticate yourself via the SOCKS protocol. In that case, you could
2909 make a socksified version of XBoard and run that. If you are using
2910 timestamp or timeseal, you will to socksify it, not XBoard; this may
2911 be difficult seeing that ICC and FICS do not provide source code for
2912 these programs. Socksification is beyond the scope of this document,
2913 but see the SOCKS Web site at http://www.socks.permeo.com/.
2914 If you are missing SOCKS, try http://www.funbureau.com/.
2917 @chapter Environment variables
2918 @cindex Environment variables
2920 Game and position files are found in a directory named by the
2921 @code{CHESSDIR} environment variable. If this variable is not set, the
2922 current working directory is used. If @code{CHESSDIR} is set,
2923 XBoard actually changes its working directory to
2924 @code{$CHESSDIR}, so any files written by the chess engine
2925 will be placed there too.
2928 @chapter Limitations and known bugs
2931 There is no way for two people running copies of XBoard to play
2932 each other without going through an Internet Chess Server.
2934 Under some circumstances, your ICS password may be echoed when you log on.
2936 If you are connecting to the ICS by running telnet on an Internet
2937 provider or firewall host, you may find that each line you type is
2938 echoed back an extra time after you hit @key{Enter}. If your Internet
2939 provider is a Unix system, you can probably turn its echo off by
2940 typing @kbd{stty -echo} after you log in, and/or typing
2941 @key{^E}@key{Enter} (Ctrl+E followed by the Enter key) to the telnet
2942 program after you have logged into ICS. It is a good idea to do this
2943 if you can, because the extra echo can occasionally confuse XBoard's
2946 The game parser recognizes only algebraic notation.
2948 Many of the following points used to be limitations in XBoard 4.2.7 and earlier,
2950 The internal move legality tester in XBoard 4.3.xx does look at the game history,
2951 and is fully aware of castling or en-passant-capture rights. It permits castling with
2952 the king on the d file because this is possible in some "wild 1" games on ICS.
2953 The piece-drop menu does not check piece drops in bughouse to see if you actually hold
2954 the piece you are trying to drop. But this way of dropping pieces should be considered
2955 an obsolete feature, now that pieces can be dropped by dragging them from the holdings
2956 to the board. Anyway, if you would attempt an illegal move when using a chess engine or the ICS,
2957 XBoard will accept the error message that comes back, undo the move, and let you try another.
2958 FEN positions saved by XBoard do include correct information about whether castling or
2959 en passant are legal, and also handle the 50-move counter.
2960 The mate detector does not understand that non-contact mate is not really mate in bughouse.
2961 The only problem this causes while playing is minor: a "#" (mate indicator) character will
2962 show up after a non-contact mating move in the move list. XBoard will not assume the game
2963 is over at that point, not even when the option Detect Mates is on.
2964 Edit Game mode always uses the rules of the selected variant,
2965 which can be a variant that uses piece drops.
2966 You can load and edit games that contain piece drops.
2967 The (obsolete) piece menus are not active,
2968 but you can perform piece drops by dragging pieces from the holdings.
2969 Fischer Random castling is fully understood.
2970 You can enter castlings by dragging the King on top of your Rook.
2971 You can probably also play Fischer Random successfully on ICS by typing
2972 castling moves into the ICS Interaction window.
2974 The menus may not work if your keyboard is in Caps Lock or Num Lock mode.
2975 This seems to be a problem with the Athena menu widget,
2978 Also see the ToDo file included with the distribution for many other
2979 possible bugs, limitations, and ideas for improvement that have been
2982 @chapter Reporting problems
2985 @cindex Reporting bugs
2987 @cindex Reporting problems
2989 You can report bugs and problems with XBoard using
2990 the bug tracker at @code{https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/xboard/}
2991 or by sending mail to @code{<bug-xboard@@gnu.org>}. It can also
2992 be useful to report or discuss bugs in the WinBoard Forum at
2993 @code{http://www.open-aurec.com/wbforum/},
2994 WinBoard development section.
2996 Please use the @file{script} program to start a typescript, run
2997 XBoard with the @samp{-debug} option, and include the typescript
2998 output in your message.
2999 Also tell us what kind of machine and what operating system version
3000 you are using. The command @samp{uname -a} will often tell you this.
3002 If you improve XBoard, please send a message about your changes,
3003 and we will get in touch with you about merging them in
3004 to the main line of development.
3007 @chapter Authors and contributors
3009 @cindex Contributors
3011 Chris Sears and Dan Sears wrote the original XBoard. They were
3012 responsible for versions 1.0 through 1.2. The color scheme was taken
3013 from Wayne Christopher's @code{XChess} program.
3015 Tim Mann was primarily responsible for XBoard versions 1.3 through
3016 4.2.7, and for WinBoard (a port of XBoard to Microsoft Win32) from its
3017 inception through version 4.2.7.
3019 John Chanak contributed the initial implementation of ICS mode. Evan
3020 Welsh wrote @code{CMail}, and Patrick Surry helped in designing,
3021 testing, and documenting it. Elmar Bartel contributed the new piece
3022 bitmaps introduced in version 3.2. Jochen Wiedmann converted the
3023 documentation to texinfo. Frank McIngvale added click/click moving,
3024 the Analysis modes, piece flashing, ZIICS import, and ICS text
3025 colorization to XBoard. Hugh Fisher added animated piece movement to
3026 XBoard, and Henrik Gram added it to WinBoard. Mark Williams
3027 contributed the initial (WinBoard-only) implementation of many new
3028 features added to both XBoard and WinBoard in version 4.1.0, including
3029 copy/paste, premove, icsAlarm, autoFlipView, training mode, auto
3030 raise, and blindfold. Ben Nye contributed X copy/paste code for
3033 In a fork from version 4.2.7, Alessandro Scotti added many elements to
3034 the user interface of WinBoard, including the board textures and
3035 font-based rendering, the evaluation-graph, move-history and
3036 engine-output window. He was also responsible for adding the UCI
3039 H. G. Muller continued this fork of the project, producing version
3040 4.3. He made WinBoard castling- and e.p.-aware, added variant support
3041 with adjustable board sizes, the crazyhouse holdings, and the fairy
3042 pieces. In addition he added most of the adjudication options, made
3043 WinBoard more robust in dealing with buggy and crashing engines, and
3044 extended time control with a time-odds and node-count-based modes.
3045 Most of the options that initially were WinBoard only have now been
3046 back-ported to XBoard.
3048 Michel van den Bergh provided the code for reading Polyglot opening books.
3050 Meanwhile, some work continued on the GNU XBoard project maintained at
3051 savannah.gnu.org, but version 4.2.8 was never released. Daniel
3052 Mehrmann was responsible for much of this work.
3054 Most recently, Arun Persaud worked with H. G. Muller to merge all
3055 the features of the never-released XBoard/WinBoard 4.2.8 of the GNU
3056 XBoard project and the never-released 4.3.16 from H. G.'s fork into a
3057 unified XBoard/WinBoard 4.4, which is now available both from the
3058 savannah.gnu.org web site and the WinBoard forum.
3063 The @file{cmail} program can help you play chess by email with opponents of
3064 your choice using XBoard as an interface.
3066 You will usually run @file{cmail} without giving any options.
3069 * CMail options:: Invoking CMail.
3070 * CMail game:: Starting a CMail game.
3071 * CMail answer:: Answering a move.
3072 * CMail multi:: Multiple games in one message.
3073 * CMail completion:: Completing a game.
3074 * CMail trouble:: Known CMail problems.
3078 @section CMail options
3081 Displays @file{cmail} usage information.
3083 Shows the conditions of the GNU General Public License.
3086 Shows the warranty notice of the GNU General Public License.
3090 Provides or inhibits verbose output from @file{cmail} and XBoard,
3091 useful for debugging. The
3093 form also inhibits the cmail introduction message.
3096 Invokes or inhibits the sending of a mail message containing the move.
3099 Invokes or inhibits the running of XBoard on the game file.
3102 Invokes or inhibits the reuse of an existing XBoard to display the
3105 Resends the last mail message for that game. This inhibits running
3108 The name of the game to be processed.
3109 @item -wgames <number>
3110 @itemx -bgames <number>
3111 @itemx -games <number>
3112 Number of games to start as White, as Black or in total. Default is 1 as
3113 white and none as black. If only one color is specified then none of the
3114 other color is assumed. If no color is specified then equal numbers of
3115 White and Black games are started, with the extra game being as White if an
3116 odd number of total games is specified.
3117 @item -me <short name>
3118 @itemx -opp <short name>
3119 A one-word alias for yourself or your opponent.
3120 @item -wname <full name>
3121 @itemx -bname <full name>
3122 @itemx -name <full name>
3123 @itemx -oppname <full name>
3124 The full name of White, Black, yourself or your opponent.
3125 @item -wna <net address>
3126 @itemx -bna <net address>
3127 @itemx -na <net address>
3128 @itemx -oppna <net address>
3129 The email address of White, Black, yourself or your opponent.
3130 @item -dir <directory>
3131 The directory in which @file{cmail} keeps its files. This defaults to the
3132 environment variable @code{$CMAIL_DIR} or failing that, @code{$CHESSDIR},
3133 @file{$HOME/Chess} or @file{~/Chess}. It will be created if it does not exist.
3134 @item -arcdir <directory>
3135 The directory in which @file{cmail} archives completed games. Defaults to
3136 the environment variable @code{$CMAIL_ARCDIR} or, in its absence, the same
3137 directory as cmail keeps its working files (above).
3138 @item -mailprog <mail program>
3139 The program used by cmail to send email messages. This defaults to the
3140 environment variable @code{$CMAIL_MAILPROG} or failing that
3141 @file{/usr/ucb/Mail}, @file{/usr/ucb/mail} or @file{Mail}. You will need
3142 to set this variable if none of the above paths fit your system.
3143 @item -logFile <file>
3144 A file in which to dump verbose debugging messages that are invoked with
3147 @item -event <event>
3148 The PGN Event tag (default @samp{Email correspondence game}).
3150 The PGN Site tag (default @samp{NET}).
3151 @item -round <round>
3152 The PGN Round tag (default @samp{-}, not applicable).
3154 The PGN Mode tag (default @samp{EM}, Electronic Mail).
3156 Any option flags not listed above are passed through to XBoard.
3157 Invoking XBoard through CMail changes the default values of two XBoard
3158 options: The default value for @samp{-noChessProgram} is changed to
3159 true; that is, by default no chess engine is started. The default
3160 value for @samp{-timeDelay} is changed to 0; that is, by default
3161 XBoard immediately goes to the end of the game as played so far,
3162 rather than stepping through the moves one by one. You can still set
3163 these options to whatever values you prefer by supplying them on
3164 CMail's command line. @xref{Options}.
3168 @section Starting a CMail Game
3169 Type @file{cmail} from a shell to start a game as white. After an opening
3170 message, you will be prompted for a game name, which is optional---if you
3171 simply press @key{Enter}, the game name will take the form
3172 @samp{you-VS-opponent}. You will next be prompted for the short name
3173 of your opponent. If you haven't played this person before, you will also
3174 be prompted for his/her email address. @file{cmail} will then invoke
3175 XBoard in the background. Make your first move and select
3176 @samp{Mail Move} from the @samp{File} menu. @xref{File Menu}. If all is well,
3177 @file{cmail} will mail a copy of the move to your opponent. If you select
3178 @samp{Exit} without having selected @samp{Mail Move} then no move will be
3182 @section Answering a Move
3183 When you receive a message from an opponent containing a move in one of
3184 your games, simply pipe the message through @file{cmail}. In some mailers
3185 this is as simple as typing @kbd{| cmail} when viewing the message, while in
3186 others you may have to save the message to a file and do @kbd{cmail < file}
3187 at the command line. In either case @file{cmail} will display the game using
3188 XBoard. If you didn't exit XBoard when you made your first move
3189 then @file{cmail} will do its best to use the existing XBoard instead
3190 of starting a new one. As before, simply make a move and select
3191 @samp{Mail Move} from the @samp{File} menu. @xref{File Menu}. @file{cmail}
3193 XBoard that was most recently used to display the current game. This
3194 means that many games can be in progress simultaneously, each with its own
3197 If you want to look at the history or explore a variation, go ahead, but
3198 you must return to the current position before XBoard will allow you
3199 to mail a move. If you edit the game's history you must select
3200 @samp{Reload Same Game} from the @samp{File} menu to get back to the original
3201 position, then make the move you want and select @samp{Mail Move}.
3202 As before, if you decide you aren't ready to make a move just yet you can
3203 either select @samp{Exit} without sending a move or just leave
3204 XBoard running until you are ready.
3207 @section Multi-Game Messages
3209 It is possible to have a @file{cmail} message carry more than one game.
3210 This feature was implemented to handle IECG (International Email Chess
3211 Group) matches, where a match consists of one game as white and one as black,
3212 with moves transmitted simultaneously. In case there are more general uses,
3213 @file{cmail} itself places no limit on the number of black/white games
3214 contained in a message; however, XBoard does.
3216 @node CMail completion
3217 @section Completing a Game
3218 Because XBoard can detect checkmate and stalemate, @file{cmail}
3219 handles game termination sensibly. As well as resignation, the
3220 @samp{Action} menu allows draws to be offered and accepted for
3223 For multi-game messages, only unfinished and just-finished games will be
3224 included in email messages. When all the games are finished, they are
3225 archived in the user's archive directory, and similarly in the opponent's
3226 when he or she pipes the final message through @file{cmail}. The archive
3227 file name includes the date the game was started.
3230 @section Known CMail Problems
3231 It's possible that a strange conjunction of conditions may occasionally
3232 mean that @file{cmail} has trouble reactivating an existing
3233 XBoard. If this should happen, simply trying it again should work.
3234 If not, remove the file that stores the XBoard's PID
3235 (@file{game.pid}) or use the @samp{-xreuse} option to force
3236 @file{cmail} to start a new XBoard.
3238 Versions of @file{cmail} after 2.16 no longer understand the old file format
3239 that XBoard used to use and so cannot be used to correspond with
3240 anyone using an older version.
3242 Versions of @file{cmail} older than 2.11 do not handle multi-game messages,
3243 so multi-game correspondence is not possible with opponents using an older
3246 @node Other programs
3247 @chapter Other programs you can use with XBoard
3248 @cindex Other programs
3250 Here are some other programs you can use with XBoard
3253 * GNU Chess:: The GNU Chess engine.
3254 * Fairy-Max:: The Fairy-Max chess engine.
3255 * HoiChess:: The HoiChess chess engine.
3256 * Crafty:: The Crafty chess engine.
3257 * zic2xpm:: The program used to import chess sets from ZIICS.
3263 The GNU Chess engine is available from:
3265 ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gnuchess/
3267 You can use XBoard to play a game against GNU Chess, or to
3268 interface GNU Chess to an ICS.
3273 Fairy-Max is a derivative from the once World's smallest Chess program micro-Max,
3274 which measures only about 100 lines of source code.
3275 The main difference with micro-Max is that Fairy-Max loads its move-generator
3276 tables from a file, so that the rules for piece movement can be easily configured
3277 to implement unorthodox pieces.
3278 Fairy-Max can therefore play a large number of variants, normal Chess being one of those.
3279 In addition it plays Knightmate, Capablanca and Gothic Chess, Shatranj, Courier Chess,
3280 Cylinder chess, Berolina Chess, while the user can easily define new variants.
3281 It can be obtained from:
3283 http://home.hccnet.nl/h.g.muller/dwnldpage.html
3288 HoiChess is a not-so-very-strong Chess engine, which comes with a derivative HoiXiangqi,
3289 able to play Chinese Chess. It can be obtained from the standard Linux repositories
3292 sudo apt-get install hoichess
3297 Crafty is a chess engine written by Bob Hyatt.
3298 You can use XBoard to play a game against Crafty, hook Crafty up
3299 to an ICS, or use Crafty to interactively analyze games and positions
3302 Crafty is a strong, rapidly evolving chess program. This rapid
3303 pace of development is good, because it means Crafty is always
3304 getting better. This can sometimes cause problems with
3305 backwards compatibility, but usually the latest version of Crafty
3306 will work well with the latest version of XBoard.
3307 Crafty can be obtained from its author's FTP site:
3308 ftp://ftp.cis.uab.edu/hyatt/.
3310 To use Crafty with XBoard, give the -fcp and -fd options as follows, where
3311 <crafty's directory> is the directory in which you installed Crafty
3312 and placed its book and other support files.
3317 The ``zic2xpm'' program is used to import chess sets from the ZIICS(*)
3318 program into XBoard. ``zic2xpm'' is part of the XBoard distribution.
3319 ZIICS is available from:
3321 ftp://ftp.freechess.org/pub/chess/DOS/ziics131.exe
3323 To import ZIICS pieces, do this:
3325 @item 1. Unzip ziics131.exe into a directory:
3328 unzip -L ziics131.exe -d ~/ziics
3330 @item 2. Use zic2xpm to convert a set of pieces to XBoard format.
3332 For example, let's say you want to use the
3333 FRITZ4 set. These files are named ``fritz4.*'' in the ZIICS distribution.
3338 zic2xpm ~/ziics/fritz4.*
3340 @item 3. Give XBoard the ``-pixmap'' option when starting up, e.g.:
3343 xboard -pixmap ~/fritz4
3346 Alternatively, you can add this line to your @file{.Xresources} file:
3349 xboard*pixmapDirectory: ~/fritz4
3353 (*) ZIICS is a separate copyrighted work of Andy McFarland.
3354 The ``ZIICS pieces'' are copyrighted works of their respective
3355 creators. Files produced by ``zic2xpm'' are for PERSONAL USE ONLY
3356 and may NOT be redistributed without explicit permission from
3357 the original creator(s) of the pieces.
3361 @unnumbered Copyright
3362 @include copyright.texi
3366 @unnumbered GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
3367 @include gpl.texinfo