Contents

Add Comments

Analysis Mode

Board

Changing Notation Style

Disclaimer of Warranty

Enter Moves

File

File Exit

File Open

File Print

File Save

File Save As

Flip

Game

Game Information

MouseMovement

New

Options

Order Form

OverView

Promote Pawn

Registered Version

Shareware Version

Show Algebraic Notation

Technical Support

Update Game


Analysis Mode

     Choosing Game and Analysis brings up a dialog box that allows you to enter moves for the sake of analysis, without changing the actual score of the game.  You are presented with a dialog box similar to the Enter Moves Dialog Box.  You can enter as many moves as you like, with full takeback capabilities and the addition of a RESET option.  This button will bring the game back to the position the game was in when you entered analysis mode.  There are no time control fields in the analysis mode dialog box.  Once again, the move should be in the style of notation that you have chosen.  Mouse movement is also available for entering moves.  You can continue to enter moves, clicking on Add Move or pressing Enter to add the move to the list.  When you are finished entering moves, you should close the dialog box with the Cancel option or by closing the box  from its system menu.

      Analysis mode acts as a board for you to work out your next move, and lets you use one tool - ChessLog - for all you correspondence chess needs.


Changing Notation Style

Choosing Options and Notation brings up the Notation Dialog box.  You can then choose from algebraic notation, which specifies the starting and ending square only, or abbreviated  algebraic notation.  In abbreviated algebraic, the piece name and the ending square is given, with no piece name given for pawns.  Changing styles during a game will change all previous moves to that style.  You can change back and forth at will.  The default is abbreviated algebraic notation.

eg.

algebraic                    1.e2-e4    e7-e5

                                  2.g1-f3    b8-c6

              captures...    3.f3xe5

abbreviated algebraic  1.e4        e5

                                  2.Nf3      Nc6.

              captures       3.Nxe5


File

Choosing File brings up a popup menu that allows you to choose to Open or Save a file, Print the game to a file, or Exit the program.  You can also save a current file under a different name by using the Save As option.


File Open

Choosing File and Open will bring up the Standard File Dialog box which will prompt you for a filename to open.  If a game is currently open, you will be prompted to save it, if changes have been made, before you can open a new file..


File Save

Choosing File and Save will save the current game.  If the file already exists, choosing this option will update it.  Choosing this option with a new file that has not been named brings up the Standard File Dialog box which will prompt you for a filename.  The default extension is .chs, which you do not need to enter if you want to use it.  Therefore,  saving a game to "game1" will create a file called game1.chs.


File Exit

Choosing File and Exit will terminate the program.  If the current game has not been saved, you will be prompted as to whether you want to save it or not before exiting the program.  In the shareware version of the program, you may see a reminder screen.  Please pay strict attenton to the messages you will be seeing.  These messages are not included in the Registered Version of the program.


File Save As

Choosing File and Save As will bring up the Standard File Dialog box which will prompt you for a filename to save the current game.  If the file already exists, choosing this option will allow you to save the file under a different name, thereby saving the old version without updating it.


File Print

Choosing File and Print will bring up the Standard File Dialog box which will prompt you for a filename to print the score and game information to.  The file will be saved in ASCII format, making it easy to use in other applications


New

Choosing Game and New will start a new game.  If appropriate, you will be prompted to save a current game.  You then will be presented with the Game Information dialog box in which can be entered information about the players and tournament.  After closing this dialog box, you will be left with a chessboard in the opening position, with White on the bottom.  Options such as the changing perspective and notation style are available in the Options menu choice.


Board

Choosing Options and Board brings up a popup menu of Board options.  Available options toggle between showing the algebraic symbols (1-8 and a-h) on the board or not showing them, and flipping the board.  You can have either the White or Black pieces at the bottom of the screen with the Flip option.  We find it easier to follow the game when our pieces are at the bottom of the screen, as it seems more like an over the board perspective.


Game

Choosing Game will display a popup menu of choices in reference to the current game, or an option for a new game to be begun.  You can Enter Moves, Add Comments, View the game score, start a New Game, and Change information in a previously created game. You can access the Analysis Mode through this menu as well.


Game Information

When you create a new game you are prompted by a dialog box to enter game information.  This consists of the players names, rating, the tournament name and date and the opening.     The following limits on the length of input fields are in effect:

Player Name - 80

Rating           - 5

Tournament Name - 80

Tournament Date - 20

Opening - 80


Game View

When you choose Game and View you are presented with the complete score of the current game.  Scroll bars let you see any part of the score you wish.


Flip

Choosing Options and Board and Flip reverses the perspective view of the board, from the standard White on bottom to Black on bottom.  Choosing the option a second time returns White to the bottom.  This has been found to make it easier to follow ones play as Black, with the pieces aligned as they would be for an over the board game.


Show Algebraic Notation

Choosing Options and Board and Show Algebraic Notation toggles between a view of the board with the algebraic row and column symbols(1-8, a-h) displayed or hidden.


Shareware Version

The shareware version of Chess-Log is fully working and all options are functioning.  The only limit is a 30 move limit on game length.  This limit is removed in the Registered Version of the program.  Shareware works through trust and registrations<g>.


Add Comments

Choosing Game and Add Comments brings up a dialog box that allows you to enter comments about the current game.  You can edit these comments in subsequent attempts.  There is a limit of 1200 characters allowed.  You will be warned if you exceed this limit and the comments will be truncated at 1200 characters.


Options

Choosing Options will display a popup menu with the choice of Board or Notation Choice.  Board gives you options for perspective and appearance of the board.  Notation Choice displays a dialog box that lets you choose between styles of chess notation to be used in the current game.


Update Game

Choosing Update Game will allow you to make changes to the game information usually  entered at the start of the game.  For example, a player's rating might change between the start and end of the game.  The opening is rarely known ahead of time.  This option will allow you to update these values.


Registered Version

The registered version of ChessLog removes the 30 move restriction.  Registration is also the morally right thing to do.  And it will remove those seldom seen but nevertheless existent reminder boxes that pop up from time to time.  Pricing can be found in the Order Form.  Registered users will be kept up to date on enhancements and will get special pricing on any further upgrades or add-ons.


Enter Moves

     Choosing Game and Enter Moves brings up a dialog box that allows you to enter the next move, which will then be used to update the board position.    Another option is entering the time factor of the move for correspondence chess.  The time unit is days.  The move should be in the style of notation that you have chosen.  You can continue to enter moves, clicking on Add Move or pressing Enter to add the move to the list.  When you are finished entering moves, you should close the dialog box with the Cancel option or by closing the box  from its system menu.

     When the Enter Moves dialog box is visible, Mouse Movement is available by clicking on the piece and ending square.  Moves requiring special characters must be entered through the keyboard.

     The special characters ?, ! , ob, ep, + and ++ may be used for commentary and emphasis.  + usually stands for check and ++ for checkmate. ob denotes that the game has moved "out of book", which we have found useful for correspondence games.  ep stands for an en passant capture and is only valid in legal situations.  All special characters should be appended to the move with  no spaces between move and extra characters.  The exception is En Passant, where a space is needed between the move and the ep symbol for the move to be correctly interpreted.

Examples:

  axb6 ep

  Qxd8+

  e5xd6 ep

  e3?!


Promote Pawn

The Promote Pawn dialog box is displayed when a white pawn reaches the 8th rank or a black pawn reaches the first rank.  The default is to promote to a queen, though you can also choose rook, bishop or knight.


Order Form

To obtain a Registered Version of Chess-Log send $25 U.S. dollars ($30 for outside of USA) to:

Robert Agar

P.O. Box 617

Reeders Pa.  18352-0617

This covers all taxes and shipping charges.  The program is shipped on 3.5 inch diskettes.  Provisions for different media can be made by request.  Enquiries are welcome at the above address or at e-mail address:  ragar@acm.org, or 74160,1073@compuserve.com.

Please include your name and address, and where you heard of or found the program.  Thanks for the support, and good chess to all.


Technical Support

Technical support is available in the following ways:

  E-mail      ragar@acm.org

                 74160,1073@compuserve.com

  snail-mail  Robert Agar

                  P.O. Box 617

                  Reeders, Pa.  18352-0617

Any questions and concerns will be addressed.  Comments at the above addresses are also welcome and encouraged.


DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

This software, including helpfiles and manuals, is sold "as is" and without warranties as to performance of merchantability or any other warranties whether expressed or implied.  Because of the various hardware and software environments into which this program may be put, no warranty of fitness for a particular purpose is offered.  Good data processing procedure dictates that any program be thoroughly tested with non-critical data before relying on it.  The user must assume the entire risk of using the program.  Any liability of the seller will be limited exclusively to product replacement or refund of purchase price.


Overview

   Thanks for using ChesLog, a correspondence chess record keeper.  This program will make keeping track of your correspondence chess games easy.  As you enter moves, the on-screen board is updated with the current position, so there is no problem of forgetting to move a piece.  You can save games to files, allowing for an unlimited nimber of games to be kept track of.  No running out of pages as in traditional forms of record keeping.  There is an Analysis board option which will let you use your current position as a starting point to calculate your next move.  You can enter moves through the keyboard or with the mouse.  You can write games to files in ASCII format to use with other programs.

    The Shareware Version limits you to 30 moves each in the game score.  You will be warned at about 20 moves so you don't forget.  I believe 30 moves is enough to evaluate the program.  This is the only limiting factor, and all other features are present in the Shareware Version.  This constraint is removed in the Registered Version.  Pricing information can be found in the Order Form.

Technical support is available in the following ways:

  E-mail      ragar@acm.org

                 74160,1073@compuserve.com

  snail-mail  Robert Agar

                  P.O. Box 617

                  Reeders, Pa.  18352-0617

Any questions and concerns will be addressed.  Comments at the above addresses are also welcome and encouraged.  Thanks for your support and good chess to all!

Chesslog  Copyright  1995, 1996  Robert J. Agar   All Rights Reserved.


Mouse Movement

     Choosing Game and Enter Moves brings up a dialog box that allows you to enter the next move, which will then be used to update the board position.    While this dialog box is open, you may also enter moves with the mouse.  Simply click on the piece you want to move, then click on the square to move it to.  The move will appear in the move list in the style of notation that you have chosen.  To add special characters you must use the keyboard to enter the move.  When you are finished entering moves, you should close the dialog box with the Cancel option or by closing the box  from its system menu.