CHESSREC -------- Overview -------- If you haven't installed Chessrec onto your Psion yet, please refer to the README.TXT file for more details of how to do this. Chessrec works like most other Psion applications, both from the system screen and while it's running. However, the program does have limitations in the shareware version, such as limited number of moves and an annoying nag dialog, which are removed once you have entered the registration code. For details of how to register for free, refer to the README.TXT file. The Chessrec screen ------------------- If no game is open, the title screen is shown. If you have entered your registration code, the name you provided is displayed, at the top of the screen, to prove you are a registered user. Otherwise, it shows a message saying 'Unregistered version'. When a game is open, the screen is split up into a graphical display of the board, on the left side, and up to six of the latest lines of moves, together with an analysis, on the right side. As you make moves, or view back and forth through the game, these areas will be updated. When the MENU key is pressed, a menu will appear at the top of the screen. Details of the menu choices are detailed below. The status screen on the right hand side is shown at all times and can't be removed. MENUS ----- Chessrec has the following four menus when no game is open: FILE New Starts a new game Open Opens an existing game SPECIAL Exit Exits Chessrec REGISTER (appears if you haven't registered) Enter code Enter your registration code HELP About Information about Chessrec This extends to the following six menus when a game is open: FILE New Starts a new game Open Opens an existing game Save Save the currently open game Close Closes the currently open game Print to file Prints the game to a file MOVE Make move Add a new move to the end of game Castle Add a castle move to end of game End End or restart the game POSITION Top Go to the first move Backwards Go back one move Forwards Go forward one move Goto Go to any move in the game Bottom Go to the last move SPECIAL Rotate Rotate the board Titles Edit the title and player names Exit Exits Chessrec and save game Exit, lose changes Exit Chessrec but don't save game REGISTER (appears if you haven't registered) Enter code Enter your registration code HELP About Information about Chessrec Other Keyboard commands ----------------------- As well as using menus, you can also use the usual Psion key combinations in place of the above menus. The shortcuts are displayed next to the menu items, in the menu itself. In addition to that, there are three other keys, used without the Psion key, which can also be used when a game is open: 1. The up arrow key allows you to go back one move. 2. The down arrow lets you go foreward one move. 3. If you are viewing the last move, the backspace key lets you delete the last move. Entering moves -------------- Moves are entered by specifying the start and end position of a piece using letters to represent columns and numbers to represent rows, which is a fairly common method at present. Looking from the white players side of the board, letters go from left to right and numbers go from bottom to top, therefore A1 is at the bottom left and H8 is at the top right. *** Remember that if you rotate the board to look from the black players view, A1 is shown at the top right of the board, because it is always at the bottom left from the white players side. *** To castle you must use the castle option in the menu. The En Passent rule ------------------- En passent moves are entered as any other move. No checking is done to ensure that the move is legal. Ending and restarting games --------------------------- When you select the end game option you will be given the opportunity to specify how the game ended, i.e. checkmate, resignation, etc. If the game has already ended, choosing this option will instead give you the opportunity to restart the game. Printing to files ----------------- If you select this option from the file menu, a text file is created in the word directory, in the internal (m:) drive. It will have a .WRD extension, so that it will appear in the list below your word icon. However, it isn't a word file, it is a simple text file. In practice, this should make no difference to its use, so you can treat it like any other word file. This means you can also edit it and print it to a printer, including via PsiPrint on your PC. Depending on your word setup, you may have to alter the tab spacings and/or styles, in order to get all the text lined up properly. Keeping Chessrec games on SSDs ------------------------------ Chessrec writes a whole new file every time a game is saved. For this reason, although the files are really quite small, it is advisable to use the internal (m:) drive, or a RAM SSD, for storing games you are currently playing. Finished games which you want to keep for reference can then be moved to a flash SSD, if you wish, by using the directory option from the system screen (or the file manager on a series 3C). This will prevent you wasting free space on a flash SSD. Chessrec only saves a file if it has been changed since it was last opened, i.e. such as by entering a move. If you don't want a game to be saved, either use 'Exit, lose changes' in the menu, or reply 'no' when closing the game. Checking of illegal moves ------------------------- Chessrec was written only to store records of chess games. Therefore it does not have sophisticated error checking built in. It is really up to the user to check that moves are legal before entering them and check that the move entered is really the one you intended to input. However, some basic checking is done, just to make sure pieces are moved in order of colour and ensure you are moving a piece and not taking one of your own pieces. Chessrec also doesn't make any check on whether any pieces are in the way during castling, or see whether a move or castle puts you in check. Bug reports and support ----------------------- If you have any bug reports, please e-mail me at: amthomas@lineone.net If you wish, you may also visit my home page: http://website.lineone.net/~amthomas I hope you enjoy Chessrec :-)