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}}

'''Software for chess problems''' is a category of [[Computer software|software]] intended for handling [[chess problem]]s, usually distinct from ''[[Computer chess|chess playing and analyzing programs]]''. Chess problems are based on the rules of chess, but [[Chess composer|problemists]] may have little use for ordinary chess playing programs. Many chess playing programs also have an option for solving [[Chess problem#Types of problem|directmates]], i.e. mates in two, three, four, and more moves, and some of them also have support for [[helpmate]]s and [[selfmate]]s.

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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.

This is usually distinct from actually [[Computer chess|playing and analyzing games of chess]]. Many chess playing programs also have provision for solving some kinds of problem such as [[checkmate]] in a certain number of moves ([[Chess problem#Types of problem|directmates]]), and some also have support for [[helpmate]]s and [[selfmate]]s.

Software for chess 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. They can solve direct mates, helpmates and selfmates and even problems with [[Fairy chess piece|fairy pieces]] and other [[fairy chess]] problems. There have also been some attempts to have computers "compose" problems.

Software for chess 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. TheyAs such they can not only solve direct mates, helpmates and selfmates, andbut at times even problems with [[Fairy chess piece|fairy pieces]] 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==

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|book=The Oxford Companion to Chess|authors=David Hooper, 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]</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-->

==Software==

==LaTeX Diagram Style==

===Alybadix===

Diagram is a style file for [[LaTeX]] for typesetting chess diagrams. 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]].

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>{{citeCite book|booktitle=The Oxford Companion to Chess|authorsauthor=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-->

===Popeye===

Popeye is a chess problem-solving software. Popeyeaccommodating runsmany fromfairy achess [[command-linerules interface]],and butable itto 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, incf. the{{GitHub|https://github.com/thomas-maeder/popeye}}. [[CSince (programmingits language)|Corigin, programmingPopeye language]].was Popeyedesigned isas onea ofgeneral-purpose, theextensible mosttool exhaustivefor solvingchecking programs.fairy Itand canheterodox solvechess problems.<ref>{{cite withweb|title=A manyshort fairyhistory piecesof andPopeye|year=2012|website=Julia’sFairies|access-date=16 conditions,November and2018|first=Thomas|last=Brand|url=http://juliasfairies.com/software/popeye/history-of-popeye/}}</ref><ref>{{cite canmagazine|first=Thomas|last=Brand|magazine=Die outputSchwalbe|issue=104 to|date=April [[LaTeX]].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. TheIn 1986 the code was later 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.

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.

===Chloe and Winchloe===

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.

===Natch and iNatch===

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.

===Problemist(e)===

[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 youone can download more than 100,000 problems. Problemist is the first chess problems exchange format.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

===Jacobi===

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].

===Chest===

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.

===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.

==Databases==

===Chess Problem Database Server===

[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.

==Other==

===LaTeX Diagram Style===

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]].

==See also==

* [[Chess aesthetics]]

* [[List of chess software]]

==References==

{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==

* [https://pdb.dieschwalbe.de/ Chess Problem Database Server]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Software For Handling Chess Problems}}

[[Category:Chess problems]]

[[Category:Chess software]]

[[Category:Lists of software|Chess problems]]