From 345d6e4bcd897899b8d2a65df5b9960cb07865f8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: H.G. Muller Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 08:55:17 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] updated documentation and FAQ --- FAQ.html | 68 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------------------- xboard.texi | 10 ++++++++ 2 files changed, 54 insertions(+), 24 deletions(-) diff --git a/FAQ.html b/FAQ.html index eef95e9..978807f 100644 --- a/FAQ.html +++ b/FAQ.html @@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ project pages at If you have other questions about XBoard/WinBoard that aren't answered in this FAQ, you can try Aaron Tay's WinBoard and Chess Engines FAQ, at http://www.aarontay.per.sg/Winboard/. +>defunct URL.

For general news and information about chess, try the newsgroup hierarchy rec.games.chess.*, especially the groups rec.games.chess.misc and @@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ rec.games.chess.computer. Both of the latter groups have very informative FAQs maintained by Steve Pribut; look for them on the newsgroups or at http://www.clark.net/pub/pribut/chess.html. +>defunct URL.

Like other GNU software, you can get XBoard, and WinBoard by anonymous FTP from @@ -285,7 +285,10 @@ bug-xboard@gnu.org.

Beginner questions and discussion about the program may get faster answers on the WinBoard Forum at http://f11.parsimony.net/forum16635/. +>http://www.open-aurec.com/wbforum/. +This forum also constains a section dedicated to propose and discuss +new features for WinBoard / XBoard or WinBoard protocol, +and reposrt bugs.

If you are developing a chess engine that works with XBoard or WinBoard (or an alternative @@ -293,6 +296,9 @@ GUI that works with such engines), see the Chess Engines mailing list, hosted at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chess-engines. +For better response, join the above-mentioned WinBoard forum, +or the CCC forum. +

Any time you want to report a possible bug in XBoard or WinBoard, we need to know exactly what you did, and exactly what error (or @@ -344,10 +350,12 @@ work.

  • Protocol version 3. The members of the chess engine authors' mailing list discussed a set of proposed features for the next version of the XBoard/WinBoard chess engine communication protocol. -Unfortunately, this project has gotten only as far as that discussion -took it; no revisions of the protocol spec or coding have been done -yet. A few simple features are very clearly needed, though, and will -probably appear in time.

    +The WinBoard 4.3 fork has taken the protocol in a different direction, +though, extending version 2 with new features as they were needed, +rather than upgrading to a new protocol in a single sweep. +It does not seem likely that there will be a v3 protocol in the +foreseeable future. +

  • Contributed features. Several people have mailed me code to add various features. Most of this code is available on the @@ -360,10 +368,15 @@ Software Foundation so that we can include it in official releases in the future.

  • Internationalization. Several people have expressed interest in -internationalizing XBoard/WinBoard, and so hopefully this project will -go forward. Once the internationalization support is in, we will need -more translators. Watch for news on the xboard-devel mailing list on -our Savannah pages. +internationalizing XBoard/WinBoard. Version 4.4 implements +internationalization in its XBoard branch, +and includes (partial) Turkish and German translations. +For WinBoard a suitable way o internationalization still has to be found, +as all menu strings there are not in the C code, but in a Windows resource +file. In any case, we will need more translators, to update the existing +translations (for version 4.3.7) to the current version, and to provide +translaions for oter languages. Watch for news on the xboard-devel mailing +list on our Savannah pages. @@ -409,10 +422,7 @@ as Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, ME, and XP. It uses the same back end chess code as XBoard, but the front end graphics code is a complete rewrite. WinBoard is free software. -

    The WinBoard distribution includes a port of GNU Chess to Win32. -The GNU Chess port is distributed in executable form, with instructions for -rebuilding it from the standard GNU Chess sources (available separately). You -should have at least 16 to 24 MB of memory to run GNU Chess with WinBoard. +

    The WinBoard distribution includes a sample Chess engine.

    The WinBoard distribution also includes the ICC timestamp and FICS timeseal programs (topic [B.12]). @@ -707,10 +717,12 @@ files on ICC and FICS.

    [B.14] How do I play bughouse with XBoard or WinBoard?

    -XBoard and WinBoard have simple but effective bughouse support. -Offboard piece holdings are shown in the board window's banner, and -you drop offboard pieces using the right mouse button. Press it over -the destination square to pop up a menu of pieces. +XBoard and WinBoard have full bughouse support. +Offboard piece holdings are shown next to the board, and +you drop offboard pieces by dragging them with the mouse +(holding the left button down) to their drop square, +or left-click the piece and the drop square, just like when you enter +any ordinary move.

    XBoard and WinBoard can display only one board at a time, but you can observe your partner's game by running a second copy of the @@ -1070,11 +1082,19 @@ pid=$$ The chess engines are too strong and always beat me. How can I adjust the difficulty level to make them weaker? -

    The simplest way to get that effect is to make sure the -XBoard/WinBoard Auto Flag option is off, set a very fast time control -so that the chess engine can't think for long, but take as much time -over your own moves as you want. Also feel free to use Retract Move if -you make a blunder. +

    The best way is to get a weaker chess engine. +On the ChessWar website +you will find a rating list of virtually all engines that are able to +play under XBoard/WinBoard, from super-humanly strong to ridculously weak. +Most of them can be downloaded for free from the internet.

    + +

    A way to get that effect is to limit the time the engine can use for +deciding on its move. The time-odds options or menu items in the +time-control dialog) can be used to this end. This is only of limited +help, as engines do not weeken that much at faster time-control, +and there is a practical limit to how fast you can order the engine +to go. Also feel free to use Retract Move if +you make a blunder.

    Many chess coaches will let you switch sides after they get a stronger position so that you can get experience playing diff --git a/xboard.texi b/xboard.texi index c5f1034..7b24228 100644 --- a/xboard.texi +++ b/xboard.texi @@ -640,6 +640,16 @@ after the chess engine has replied to your move; if the chess engine is still thinking, use @samp{Move Now} first. In ICS mode, @samp{Retract Move} issues the command @samp{takeback 1} or @samp{takeback 2} depending on whether it is your opponent's move or yours. +@item Adjudicate to White +@itemx Adjudicate to Black +@itemx Adjudicate Draw +@cindex Adjudicate to White, Menu Item +@cindex Adjudicate to Black, Menu Item +@cindex Adjudicate Draw, Menu Item +Terminate an ongoing game in Two-Machines mode (including match mode), +with as result a win for white, for black, or a draw, repsectively. +The PGN file of the game will accompany the result string +by the comment "{user adjudication}". @end table @node Options Menu -- 1.7.0.4