Chess for Android 3.1.1

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I just released version 3.1.1 of Chess for Android at the Android market and as direct download with the new Setup Position feature.

Update: There was a minor bug in defining the halfmove clock of a position, something that is relevant only for positions affected by the fifty move rule. I have posted a fix in version 3.1.2 on my website (or you can wait for the next release through the market).

Comments

Al Nicholls said…
Hi Aart

went looking for your email address but you probably don't want is accessible to public. Anyhow this will have to do.

First of all I congratulate you on your chess for android product. I'm a huge chess enthusiast and just recently bought an android smartphone - one of the first things I did was look for a chess app and your one is the best on the market by far! Chess on the go has never being so easy and accessible before - warning though it is very very addictive!!

A feature I'd like which doesn't seem available is when you've imported a separate UCI chess engine in as soon as you exit the app you have to reimport it again which is quite a pain. Problem is the default engine Chess for Android isn't strong enough for me and need something like stockfish or crafty.

Is there a new version coming out soon where if you import a new engine then this is set as the default?

Also I notice that the latest version on the android market is 3.1.1 however you have a link to 3.1.2 on your web site - what is the difference in these versions? Is it worth updating to 3.1.2? When will be the next release of your product?

Thanks a lot
Al Nicholls
al@nicholls.co.nz
February 12, 2012 at 4:05 PM
Aart Bik said…
Hi Al,

Thanks for your nice comment. You can actually find my email as a picture at the top of my website but I admit it is hard to find.

Version 3.1.2 fixes a few bugs in the setup board feature, but I have not posted this on the market yet to avoid posting updates too frequently. All fixes will appear in the next release, which will also keep the loaded UCI or XBoard engine around when restarting the application.

Sincerely,
Aart
February 13, 2012 at 10:02 AM
Al Nicholls said…
finding your email is even harder than you think - the link you attached doesn't exist anymore. :-)

sorry just to confirm does 3.1.2 contain the fix for keeping the UCI engine set after exiting the app, or will this fix be in the next release after that, 3.1.3?? If so when will this version be out, just a guestimate is fine.

Cheers
Al
February 13, 2012 at 12:08 PM
Aart Bik said…
Ah, I somehow messed up the link. It should be www.aartbik.com.

Version 3.1.2 fixed an issue with setup position. It does not yet reload the engine in memory on restart. The next version will be out in a few weeks. It depends a bit on when I can find spare time.
February 13, 2012 at 12:21 PM
Al Nicholls said…
fantastic, can't wait - thanks a lot!!
February 13, 2012 at 12:27 PM
Al Nicholls said…
Hi Aart, hope I'm not being a pain here but wondering if you could also include another tiny feature with the next release - while it is still in development...

When using an external UCI engine a recommended move for you is displayed in green text under the board. I find it very hard not to play this move; and if I don't I always doubt what I've done - especially when I'm unsure of the position or getting nailed - which is most of the time with these top engines!

Is there any chance you could have an option to turn engine thinking/hints off(can't see anyway currently). In winboard they have a "Show Thinking" option which is basically the same thing. I believe this would be hugely beneficial to all players(that can't resist the temptation!) as otherwise it takes creativity away from the game, and will probably lead most games into a draw. It has with mine.

Be assured I'm not going to keep coming up with new ideas like this - pretty sure this is everything to make it just right. :-)

Thanks
Al
February 13, 2012 at 3:38 PM
Aart Bik said…
Others have requested this feature as well, so you may very well see it too in the next release!
February 14, 2012 at 12:15 PM
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