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http://egchesspro.t4.com
Documentation of
EGChessPro
v1.0

EndGame studies and Chess Problems

English English version English

(This is not my native language. Please, send me corrections)

Espa�ol Este documento está disponible también en Español
Valenci�/Catal� Este document està disponible també en Valencià/Català


Introduction


    EGChessPro is a freeware program (see the license) that helps to compose, to solve and to store endgame studies and chess problems (direct mate, helpmate, selfmate, ...).
    Its use is very simple. EGChessPro only waits that the user copies a chess problem into the clipboard and, when it detects this has happened, it calls to the most suitable program to solve the problem. When solved the problem, it will copie the solution into the clipboard and optionally it will show graphically this solution in the user browser.

    The idea is to create the graphic diagram that defines the problem with a chess Windows program like EPD2diag, WinBoard, SCID, etc. When the diagram has been created and stored in standard format (FEN, EPD or PGN), it can be copied into the clipboard, so that EGChessPro passes the problem to the suitable MS-DOS program (Crafty, Popeye or Chest) to be solved. Then, the solution is copied also into the clipboard with PGN standard format and can be pasted in any chess Windows program that manages PGN format. The problem solution can be graphically examined and modified with this Windows program.
    If Palview is installed, EGChessPro may pass it the solution to generate the HTML page with the diagram and then show this page in the browser.

   EGChessPro offers to the problemists the following benefits:

   EGChessPro is a MS-DOS program (32 bits), but it uses Windows resources like the clipboard and the Windows "start" mechanism.
 

NOTE:

Download EGChessPro


    From the download pages you will be able to download the latest version of EGChessPro, the Chess Problem Solvers, the FEPD/PGN Editors that you prefer and Palview. Also you will be able to download Chess Problems in EPD and PGN formats, and others documents.

There is also available a version in French of the program (not of the documentation). You could download this version from any of three prior pages.


 

Using EGChessPro


     The first thing that EGChessPro does when it starts is to launch the EPD/PGN Editors defined in the configuration file. This editors can to read, to create and to store chess diagrams.
     In these programs, chess problems can be defined by means of a graphic chessboard, and can to be copied in the clipboard with any of the available input formats.

    Once running, EGChessPro waits a chess problem have copied into the Clipboard from an editor and passes that to a chess program in order to be solved. The solution is stored into the Clipboard for be pasted to an editor that admits PGN format.
Optionally the solution may be viewed in HTML format.

    EGChessPro active keys:

<F1>  opens the help file with the user preferred browser. It doesn't wait the browser ends.

<F3>  stops/starts the chess problems detection into the Clipboard. Stop the detection allows to move problems between two editors without activating EGChessPro.

<F5>  opens the configuration file (egchesspro.ini) with the predetermined editor and waits that close this. After this, it changes the working according to the new configuration, clear the Clipboard and returns to the previous status (clipboard detection started or stopped).

<Esc> ends EGChessPro.

    The last line of the EGChessPro screen show the current program status. The last but one line, show notification and error messages.

The readme.txt file contains some details about the use of EGChessPro.
See also the EGChessPro Introduction.
 


 

Configuration

    The file "egchesspro.ini" contains the EGChessPro configuration. You can edit this file at any time with a text file editor or you can to do it while EGChessPro is running.
    While  EGChessPro is running, you can press the <F5> key. This opens the predetermined INI editor with the configuration file. EGChessPro waits the file edition finish and then it changes its working according the new configuration.

    The file contains different sections [within brackets], each contains different keys with its associated value (key=value).
    The values can be changed (but no the keys) for to modify the EGChessPro behaviour . The keys preceded by a semicolon (;) are inactive keys, and contains alternative values to the active keys with the same name. Activating ones and disactivating the others the configuration can be changed quickly.

   Sections, Keys and Default Values:

[General]
      EndGameSolver=CRAFTY
          Endgame solver program (for + and = stipulations).
    MateSolver=POPEYE
          Mate solver program (alternative: MateSolver=CHEST).
     Stipulation=+
          Default stipulation without the amount of moves (see stipulations). If the problem
          don't specify a (valid) stipulation, the default stipulation is used.
     DepthStipulation=5
          Default amount of complete moves for to arrive at the stipulation.  If the problem
          don't specifiy a depth stipulation, the default is used.
     TimeLimit=600
      Default time limit (in seconds) for to arrive at the stipulation.  If the problem don't
          specify a time limit, the default is used.
[Crafty]
      CraftyPath=c:\crafty\wcrafty-18_12.exe
          Path of the Crafty executable.
      ; CraftyCommands=display stats$display extstats
          Additional Crafty commands (disactivated by default). Separated by the $ character.
[Popeye]
      PopeyePath=c:\popeye\pywin32.exe
          Path of the Popeye executable.
      PopeyeMaxmem=40M
          Amount of RAM used by Popeye.
      PopeyeCommands=Variation
          Additional Popeye commands (Option ...). Separated by spaces.
          (a sample alternative: PopeyeCommands=Try Variation SetPlay).
[Chest]
      ChestPath=c:\chess\chest\chest319.exe
          Path of the Chest executable.
      ChestCommands=Lr
          Additional Chest commands (in command line). Without separation.
[PGN Editors]
      ; PgnEditorPath=start wordpad -t
      ; PgnEditorPath=start winboard -ncp
      ; PgnEditorPath=c:\epd2diag\epd2diag.exe
      ; PgnEditorPath=c:\scid\scid.exe
      ; PgnEditorPath=c:\cdb\cdb.exe
      ; PgnEditorPath=c:\chesspad\chesspad.exe
           EPD/PGN editors that will be launched at EGChessPro start. Several can be activated
           (maximum eight) and the same editor can be activated several time.
           By default no editors are launched.
[HTML]
      HtmlOutput=no
           Indicates if the HTML output must be generated (alternative: HtmlOutput=yes).
           Set this option to 'yes' only if Palview has been installed.
      PalviewPath=c:\palview3\palview3.exe
          Path of the Palview executable.
      PalviewIni=pv_normal.ini
           Configuration file for Palview (alternative: PalviewIni=pv_static.ini).
           The default INI file generates a controlpanel in the HTML page that allows to run over the solution.

Input formats

  EGChessPro recognizes the output to the Clipboard of many programs. It has been tested with EPD2diag, WinBoard, SCID, CDB and ChessPad. Also it's possible to capture the output to the Clipboard of any text editor (WordPad, NotePad, MS_DOS Edit, etc).

   EGChessPro can recognize chess problems copied into the Clipboard in any of the next formats:

NOTES:

PGN Output format

    EGChessPro converts to PGN the chess solvers output and put it into the Clipboard (see PGN input).
    The generated PGN header contains the next Tags:
 

PGN
Tag
EGChessPro
Concept
Default
Value
White
 Authors of the problem (separated by : )
"?"
Black
Solver (program and version)
 (Crafty, Popeye or Chest)
Event
Stipulation (+, =, #, H#, S#, R#, H=, S=, ...)
"+"
Round
Problem identification
"?"
Site
Origin (name of the media where the problem have been published)
"?"
Date
Date of the problem publication
"????.??.??"
Annotator
Annotator (program name and version)
"EGChessPro vX.Y"
PlyCount
Amount of complete moves for to arrive at the objective
"5"
Section
Thematic Classification
In endgames: "Study"
TimeControl
Time limit to obtain the solution (in seconds)
"600"
awards
Awards
  
dedications
Dedications
  
FEN
The first four elements of the FEN format
  
The "awards" and "dedications" Tags are not part of the PGN standard.

    The representation of the moves complies with the PGN Standard specifications, using the SAN abbreviated notation, with the exception of the Popeye output that uses the LAN notation.
    Pieces are represented by its english initials: : K = King; Q = Queen; R = Rook; B = Bishop;
N = kNight; P = Pawn. In the fact, pawn is not represented.
    Variations and subvariations are recursively generated (Popeye and Chest) and enclosed within parenthesis (RAV).
    Popeye generates abbreviated commentaries ( ! and ? ) and long commentaries enclosed within braces, such as {zugzwang}. No annotations in NAG codification are generated by the moment.
    Moves appear separated by a space character in 80 characters lines, as the PGN Standard specifies for the PGN Export Format.
    Tries and refutations (Popeye and Chest) are represented without transformation, as a comment enclosed within braces before the problem solution.

    The EGChessPro PGN output is successfully read by many programs, such as  WinBoard, SCID, CDB and ChessPad. Also it's possible to paste this PGN output on any text editor (WordPad, NotePad, MS_DOS Edit, etc).

        The PGN Standard document contains the complete description of the PGN format.
 

ABBREVIATIONS:

Chess problem Solvers

    EGChessPro call different programs to solve different problems, according to each problem stipulation and to the default solvers defined in the configuration file.
     If the stipulation is + or =, the problem is treated like a endgame study, otherwise the problem is treated like a chess problem.
     Actually EGChessPro have interfaces for the next programas:

 

EPD/PGN Editors

    EGChessPro can work with any software that it can copy FEN, EPD or PGN text into the Clipboard, or that it can paste PGN text from the Clipboard.
     Windows chess programs, like the reported below, can be used, but also it's possible to use any text editor such as WordPad, NotePad or MS-DOS Edit. Evidently it's more confortable and agreeable to use first.

      EGChessPro has been tested with the next Windows programs (all freeware):



 

HTML Output

Since the 1.1 EGChessPro version, you can examine graphically the problems solutions with your default navigator.
It's possible by the Palview program. Very important: to store the HTLM pages, you can use the "Save as..." option of your navigator, but if you save them into other folder, you must copy (not move) the Palview jpc directory to the same folder. This directory contains all necessary graphics to see the HTML pages OK.


 
 

Limitations



 

Contact with us

You can send corrections, comments and suggestions about the program and the English and Spanish documentation to Salvador Bosch Pérez.

You can send corrections and comments of the Valencian/Catalan translation to Amparo Folgado Broseta.


 

Page updated at: 12/05/2002