Chess for Android v4.5

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It has been a while since the last update, since I have been a bit busy at work, but I finally had some time for two new features in Chess for Android, version 4.5 now available through the playstore or as direct download:
  • Spoken chess text (option to announce all moves)
  • Retrieve position function (direct link with Gerhard Roth's OCR app)
To enable the new chess speech feature, simply press the menu button, select "Options", and then enable the "Spoken Moves" option (see check-mark below). After that, Chess for Android announces the chess moves made on the board, as well as the final outcome of the game. For now, only the english language is supported.

A follow-up posting will go into more detail on the OCR feature.


Comments

Unknown said…
I'm using this app on galaxy s2. It's a great app but how can I bring up the position editor?
December 14, 2013 at 9:42 PM
Aart Bik said…
Long press the notation window (the black area), then choose "Position Setup".
December 15, 2013 at 12:04 AM
Unknown said…
Hello Aart,
Congrats for CfA. It seems to be the best UCI platform on Android so far. But i wonder if it's possible to add the option to define an external opening book (*.bin). This will improve the quality of engine tournaments.
Droidfish has this but it doesn't have engine-to-engine mode.
December 24, 2013 at 3:31 PM
Aart Bik said…
Thanks for your kind words Gurcan. I may indeed add such an option for improved tournament play.
December 26, 2013 at 10:06 PM
Anonymous said…
Hello Art....nice program....how do you view engine tour results? How to load book suites? How to change tourney games to less than 10? AAR
January 8, 2014 at 9:13 AM
Aart Bik said…

Hi,
The tournaments games are saved in PGN files for later download and viewing, and you can change the pathnames if needed. During and after the tournament, progress can be seen in a progress window. Tournaments also allow you to play from both sides of all positions in an opening book.

You may find this manual useful:

http://www.aartbik.com/MISC/amenu.html#chess
January 8, 2014 at 12:58 PM
Anonymous said…
Thanks Aart.....program is the best one for the chess engine enthusiasts out there....I figured out the book suites tournament function...Tourney progress window? Where is that....tourney details are not fully covered in the manual which I read and reread quite a few times...Do you know why the Cuckoo chess engine cannot be used in your GUI? What is the deal with Cuckoo chess (java) and Shredder 1.12? Do they actually contain the engine or just the gui? I see you have not been able to use them in your engine tourneys? Thanks and best wishes...AAR (USA)
January 9, 2014 at 2:39 PM
Anonymous said…
A follow up to my last question Aart..I saw you on chessbase and the open aurec and some other sites...any follow up on Loop for andriod (Fritz Reul) fruit for android or Chessmaster or Fritz or Junior for android? You heard anything? A fantastic need for the engine tourneys in chess for android would be Swiss system tourneys.....and knockout tourneys..with the ability to add a human player therein....once you do that...the sky is the limit my friend.....Best Wishes..AAR (USA)
January 9, 2014 at 3:13 PM
Aart Bik said…
Thanks for your very kind words. Appreciated!

Pressing ">>" during on ongoing tournament pops up a window with the results so far (same results window that is shown at end). It is indeed not documented, and I will add it to the manual.

Some other chess programs on Android are available as GUI only. Only standalone UCI or XBoard engine binaries can be imported in Chess for Android. Can you please send me the Chessbase links? I am not aware yet of those engines becoming available on Android.
January 9, 2014 at 3:57 PM
Anonymous said…
Hello Aart application is working pretty well....do you have a link for the Amundsen android engine? I could not find that one anywhere...dirty engine works but plays terrible, stockfish 4 has some issues loading...APIL Hydra beta crashes Stockfish DD not working at present....Do you have a link for Cinnamon chess engine? Authors site shows nothing.... Thx AAR
January 26, 2014 at 2:19 PM
Aart Bik said…
Always best to task the engine authors directly. When I was pioneering UCI and XBoard engines on Android back in 2010, I would compile as many engines for ARM-based Android as I could find to spark interest for Android. Nowadays, I am of course still willing to help out, but only if engines authors ask me. It is nice if they show at least some interest too :-)

BTW, cinnamon download can be found at http://cinnamonchess.altervista.org/index.php
January 27, 2014 at 7:39 PM
Anonymous said…
good evening Mr. aart bik ... I have a question for chess
app for android, how to install the book opening in
chess app for android, I wait the answer? thanks


ariesdkamso31@gmail.com
March 22, 2014 at 8:12 AM
Aart Bik said…
Engines can use their own book (using the right setup) or rely on the (very small) built-in book. I may at one point extend the engine setup to provide an explicit path.
March 24, 2014 at 10:45 AM
Anonymous said…
Hello Aart, CFA is the best gui available. Great work from you. But please include an option to add an external opening book(ctg or bin formats). This would increase the quality of play more than previous. Simce a good opening book can increase an engines elo to ~30. Hope you'll soon add this last feature of including an external book. Thanks in advance and regards.
June 14, 2014 at 9:02 PM
Unknown said…
I made a solitaire chess. When you wanna try you can download from google play.
Web: android.archer.hu - direct link to game.
have fun
June 23, 2014 at 12:28 AM
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