Software for handling chess problems: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Software to solve or assist people in creating or solving chess problems}}

{{Copyedit|date=January 2007}}

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{{Use American English|date = February 2019}}

{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2019}}

This article covers [[computer software]] designed to solve, or assist people in creating or solving, [[chess problem]]s – [[puzzle]]s in which pieces are laid out as in a game of [[chess]], and may at times be based upon real games of chess that have been played and recorded, but whose aim is to challenge the [[Chess composer|problemist]] to find a solution to the posed situation, within the [[rules of chess]], rather than to play games of chess from the beginning against an opponent.

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ChessSoftware problemfor softwarechess problems can be used for creating and solving problems, -including checking the soundness of a concept and position, storing it in a [[database]], printing and publishing, and saving and exporting the problem. As Itsuch they can not only solve [[direct mate]]smates, [[helpmate]]shelpmates and [[selfmate]]sselfmates, andbut at times even problems with [[fairyFairy chess piece|fairy pieces]]s and other [[fairy chess]] problems. There have also been some attempts to have computers "compose" problems, largely autonomously.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Iqbal|first1=Azlan|title=Computer Generated Chess Problems for Everyone|date=February 6, 2015|url=http://en.chessbase.com/post/computer-generated-chess-problems-for-everyone|publisher=ChessBase News|accessdate=3 March 2015}}</ref>

== Alybadix Software==

===Alybadix===

Alybadix is one of the oldest software programs for chess problems. It is one of the fastest chess programs, written by [[Ilkka Blom]]. It is [[proprietary software]], written for [[DOS]] with a free, independent [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] interface. Alybadix supports solving classical problems: direct mates, helpmates, selfmates, many fairy pieces, and fairy piece conditions. It comes with a large problem collection. It also supports quality [[printing]].

First developed in 1980 by Ilkka Blom, ''Alybadix'' is a suite of chess problem-solving programs for [[DOS]] and [[Commodore 64]].<ref name=british>{{cite journal|journal=The British Chess Magazine|volume=106|publisher=Trubner & co.|year=1986}}</ref> Alybadix supports solving classical problems: selfmates, reflex mates, series mates, Circe, maximummers,<ref name=oxford>{{Cite book|title=The Oxford Companion to Chess|author=David Hooper|author2=Kenneth Whyld|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1996}}</ref> and many Fairy types.<ref name=british/> It comes with a large problem collection and supports quality [[printing]].<ref name="ALY">[http://alybadix.wippiespace.com/ Alybadix official website] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20070526215733/http://alybadix.wippiespace.com/ |date=2007-05-26 }}</ref> In 1993, Schach und Spiele magazine considered Alybadix to be six times faster than other playing machines including the RISC 2500.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Chess Life|volume=48|publisher=United States Chess Federation|year=1993}}</ref><!--This cites one of Alybadix's sellers so may not qualify as independent sourcing-->

* It can be found at this [http://alybadix.wippiespace.com/ Alybadix chess solving programs] page.

===Popeye===

== Chloe and Winchloe ==

Popeye is a chess problem-solving software accommodating many fairy chess rules and able to investigate set play and tries. It can be used with several operating systems and can be connected to several existing graphical interfaces since it comes with freely available source code, cf. {{GitHub|https://github.com/thomas-maeder/popeye}}. Since its origin, Popeye was designed as a general-purpose, extensible tool for checking fairy and heterodox chess problems.<ref>{{cite web|title=A short history of Popeye|year=2012|website=Julia’sFairies|access-date=16 November 2018|first=Thomas|last=Brand|url=http://juliasfairies.com/software/popeye/history-of-popeye/}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|first=Thomas|last=Brand|magazine=Die Schwalbe|issue=104 |date=April 1987|pages=215–216|title=Popeye, eine eierlegende Wollmilchsau?}}</ref> The original author of Popeye was Philippe Schnoebelen who wrote it in [[Pascal (programming language)|Pascal]] under [[MS-DOS]] around 1983-84. In 1986 the code was donated in the spirit of the [[free software]] movement. Elmar Bartel, Norbert Geissler, Thomas Maeder, Torsten Linss, Stefan Hoening, Stefan Brunzen, Harald Denker, Thomas Bark and Stephen Emmerson, converted Popeye to the [[C (programming language)|C programming language]], and now maintain the program.

Chloe (DOS) and Winchloe (proprietary software) are excellent and extremely fast solving programs written by [[Christian Poisson]]. Winchloe not only supports classical problems: direct mates, helpmates and selfmates but also many fairy pieces and conditions with different size chessboards (up to 250x250). It comes with a large problem collection (more than 230,000). Christian Poisson also maintains the Web site Problemesis.

Web pages:

* [http://christian.poisson.free.fr/winchloe WinChloe]

* [http://christian.poisson.free.fr/problemesis/ Problemesis]

A good graphic interface "AP WIN" a freeware, for using with [[Windows XP]] or [[Windows 7]] has since been developed by Paul H. Wiereyn.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://alybadix.viuhka.fi/apwin/apwin.htm |title=Apwin |accessdate=2012-08-08 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725065341/http://alybadix.viuhka.fi/apwin/apwin.htm |archivedate=2012-07-25 }}</ref> Using this one can create diagrams and use Popeye for solving problems directly from the diagram.

== Explorer ==

Explorer (for DOS) or the Windows version called Chess Explorer is a shareware program written by Jan Nowakowski. It solves mate, selfmate or helpmate problems. It has the interesting option of creating mate in 2 or mate in 3 problems. <!-- comment: this should be made clearer: what is a #2 and #3 problem? --> It can also solve the [[Eight queens puzzle|8 queen]] and similar problems.

* Web page: [http://www.geocities.com/explorer127pl ChessExplorer Program for Chess Problems]

===Chloe and Winchloe===

== MateMaster ==

Chloe (DOS) and Winchloe (proprietary software) are solving programs written by Christian Poisson.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.strategems.org/beginners/software/WinChloe/WinChloe.htm |title=WinChloe |accessdate=2011-03-12 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719121238/http://www.strategems.org/beginners/software/WinChloe/WinChloe.htm |archivedate=2011-07-19 }}</ref> Winchloe not only supports classical problems&nbsp;&nbsp;— direct mates, helpmates and selfmates&nbsp;&nbsp;— but also many fairy pieces and conditions with different sized chessboards (up to 250 by 250 squares). It comes with a collection of more than 300,000 problems that can be updated via the Internet.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}} Christian Poisson also maintains the Web site Problemesis.

MateMaster is Windows free software ware written by Frank Schindler. MateMaster solves conventional mate problems. The board position can be copied and saved as a bitmap graphic.

*Web page: [http://www.matemaster.de/ MateMaster:...your mate for checkmate]

===Natch and iNatch===

== MatPlus Librarian (MPL) ==

Natch and iNatch are freeware programs written by Pascal Wassong for DOS and Linux.<ref name="enpassant.dk">{{Cite web|url=http://www.enpassant.dk/chess/softeng.htm|title = Chess programs and utilities}}</ref> Natch solves [[retrograde analysis]] problems by constructing a "[[proof game]]" - the shortest possible game leading to a certain position. Natch is a command line utility, but there is a [[Java (programming language)|Java]] based graphical interface. iNatch also provides moves with fairy conditions: [[Monochromatic chess|monochrome chess]], Einstein chess, vertical cylinder.

MatPlus Librarian is written by Yugoslav problem [[International Grandmaster|grandmaster]] [[Milan Velimirović]]. It is a kind of shareware (not a freeware program, though it can be used unregistered without any restriction).

MatPlus Librarian is able to enter the chess position, solving with its own module or other programs (Alybadix, Popeye, Chloe), it has a powerful database module with dynamic creation of indexes of themes, authors or sources etc.

It is possible to import and problems from chess problem bases such as Problemiste, export position to Windows Bitmap, export to HTML format for Web pages design; print out in various formats with selectable layout and size of diagram and font.

MatPlus Librarian also include "books" with more than 5000 problems from articles published in [[Mat Plus]] chess magazine (1994-1999), ''Anthology of 2345 Problems'' (2345 problems) and many more problems.

===Problemist(e)===

Web page: http://www.matplus.org.yu/mpl/Mplib.htm

[http://www.Problemist.com Problemist] is a shareware program written by Matthieu Leschamelle for Windows and Windows Mobile.<ref name="enpassant.dk"/> Problemist solves direct mates, helpmates, selfmates and [[reflexmate]]s. It can rotate positions, print diagrams and much more. With Problemist come two TrueType chess fonts, and from its web page one can download more than 100,000 problems. Problemist is the first chess problems exchange format.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

===Jacobi===

== Natch and iNatch ==

Jacobi is a program to solve fairy chess proof game problems by François Labelle. It is written in JavaScript and run from browser [http://wismuth.com/jacobi/]. In 2003, Labelle already developed chess-related programs and published computer-generated chess problems [http://wismuth.com/chess/chess.html].

Both are freeware written by [[Pascal Wassong]] for DOS/Linux. Natch solves [[retrograde analysis]] problems by constructing "[[proof games]]" - the shortest possible game leading to a certain position. Natch is a command line utility, but there is a [[Java (programming language)|Java]] based graphical interface iNatch which also provide playing moves with fairy conditions: [[monochrome chess]], [[Einstein chess]], vertical cylinder.

===Chest===

Web page: http://natch.free.fr/

Chest was created by Heiner Marxen in 1999. It is written in C, and distributed as source code

.<ref>[http://turbotm.de/~heiner/Chess/chest.html/ Chest home page]</ref> It solves direct mates, self mates, and help

mates (as well as stalemates for self- and help mates). A UCI adapter (written by Franz Huber) is also available,

allowing Chest to be used as solving engine in any UCI-capable chess GUI.

== Problemist(e) =Stelvio===

[https://www.thbrand.de/stelvio-seite/ Stelvio] is a freeware program written by [[Reto Aschwanden]] devoted to solving orthodox shortest proof games. It is written in Java and can therefore run on various platforms.

Problemist is shareware by [[Matthieu Leschamelle]], run on Windows and Windows Mobile. Problemist solves direct mates, helpmates, selfmates and [[reflexmate]]s. You can rotate positions, print diagrams and much more. With Problemist come two true type chess fonts, from web page you can download more than 100.000 problems. Problemist is actually the first chess problems exchange format.

==Databases==

Web page:

===Chess Problem Database Server===

* http://www.problemist.com

[https://pdb.dieschwalbe.de/ Chess Problem Database Server] is online [[database]] of all types of [[chess problem]]s, maintained by [[Gerd Wilts]], hosted by [[Die Schwalbe]]. Database incorporated [[John Niemann]] collection and the work of a lot of contributors. Database has 428,703 problems (as of November 2019). Problems are represented graphically with solutions and commentary.

== Popeye Other==

===LaTeX Diagram Style===

[[Popeye (chess)|Popeye]] is probably the most widely chess problem solving software. By itself, Popeye has no graphical interface, but it can be used in DOS, Windows, [[Linux]], [[MacOS]] and other operating systems since it comes with source code in [[C programming language]] which can be compiled. Popeye is one of the best solving programs. It can solve problems with many fairy pieces and conditions, and can output to [[LATEX]].

Diagram is a style file for [[LaTeX]] for typesetting chess diagrams.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}} The style was originally created by Thomas Brand and further developed by Stefan Hoening, both based on ideas of a [[TeX]] package from Elmar Bartel. The style is used to produce the German problem chess magazine [[Die Schwalbe]].

The original author of Popeye was Philippe Schnoebelen; the first version was written in [[COMAL]] (around 1989). Later a group of people converted and rewrote the code to C and now are in charge of maintaining new versions; the main contributors were [[Elmar Bartel]], [[Norbert Geissler]], [[Thomas Maeder]], [[Torsten Linss]], [[Stefan Hoening]], [[Stefan Brunzen]], [[Harald Denker]], [[Thomas Bark]] and [[Stephen Emmerson]].

==See also==

Web page:

* [[Chess aesthetics]]

* http://homepage.ntlworld.com/stephen.emmerson/popeye

* [[List of chess software]]

==References==

There are many Windows interfaces for Popeye.

{{reflist|30em}}

=== EGChessPro ===

EGChessPro is freeware by Salvador Bosch Pérez (DOS/Windows). EGChessPro works as an interface for Crafty, Popeye or Chest using the right syntax. It does not work with Windows NT or Windows 2000.

Web page: http://egchesspro.sourceforge.net/

=== Fancy ===

Fancy is shareware written by Marek Kwiatkowski. It is basically a Windows interface for Popeye, it can read his own file format but also Problemiste (PBM) format. It comes with FancyPub for publication problem, uses 1echess. ttf TTF made by Christian Poisson.

Web page: http://www.free.of.pl/c/ccintorun/g/fancy.htm

=== Popeye Windows Shell ===

Popeye Windows Shell is basically a freeware Windows interface for Popeye written by Thomas Bark, it has only a German interface.

Web page: http://www.blanco-y-negro.de/

=== Windows Popeye Shell ===

Popeye Windows Shell is a freeware Windows interface for Popeye written by Christian Mathes, it has only a German interface.

Web page: http://www.christian-mathes.de

== Problem Data Base ==

[[Chess Problem Database Server]] is an interactive [[database]] of chess problems with 140.000 problems maintained by [[Gerd Wilts]]. Problems are represented also graphically with solutions and commentary.

Web page: http://www.softdecc.com/pdb/index.pdb?langt=EN&langn=EN

== Retractor ==

Retractor is freeware (Win 95/NT) by Chad Whipkey and Theodore Hwa. The program is proposed only for solving [[retractor (chess)|retractor]]s and composing [[retrograde chess problems]].

Web page: http://xenon.stanford.edu/~hwatheod/Retractor/

== VKsach ==

VKsach is freeware written by [[Václav Koteševec]], it has only a Czech interface. It is suitable for solving and composing problems.

Web page: http://web.telecom.cz/vaclav.kotesovec/index0.htm

== External links ==

* [httphttps://wwwpdb.enpassantdieschwalbe.dkde/chess/softeng.htm Chess ProgramsProblem &Database UtilitiesServer]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Software For Handling Chess Problems}}

[[Category:Chess problems]]

[[Category:ComputerChess chesssoftware]]