Software for handling chess problems: Difference between revisions

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'''Software for chess problems''' is a category of [[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 [[directmate]]s, i.e. mates in two, three, four, and more moves, and some of them also has 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 piece]]s and other [[fairy chess]] problems. There have also been some attempts to have computers "compose" problems.

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== Chloe and Winchloe ==

Chloe (DOS) and Winchloe (proprietary software) are excellent and extremely fast solving programs written by [[Christian Poisson]]. Winchloe not only supports classical problems &nbsp;— direct mates, helpmates and selfmates &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 250,000 problems that can be updated via the Internet. Christian Poisson also maintains the Web site Problemesis.<ref>Web pages: [http://christian.poisson.free.fr/winchloe WinChloe] [http://christian.poisson.free.fr/problemesis/ Problemesis]</ref>

== Explorer ==

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== Natch and iNatch ==

Freeware programs written by [[Pascal Wassong]] for DOS/Linux. 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 which also provide playing moves with fairy conditions: [[monochrome chess]], [[Einstein chess]], vertical cylinder.<ref>Web page: http://natch.free.fr/</ref>

== Problemist(e) ==

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{{Main|Popeye (chess)}}

[[Popeye (chess)|Popeye]] is probably the most widely-used chess problem-solving software. Popeye runs from a [[command line interface]], but 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 in [[C programming language| C]]. Popeye is one of the most exhaustive solving programs. It can solve problems with many fairy pieces and conditions, and can output to [[LaTeX]]. The original author of Popeye was [[Philippe Schnoebelen]] who wrote it in [[Pascal (programming language)|Pascal]] under [[MS-DOS]] around 1983-84. The code was later donated in the spirit of the [[free software]] movement.

The group of people who converted Popeye's code to C and now maintain the program includes [[Elmar Bartel]], [[Norbert Geissler]], [[Thomas Maeder]], [[Torsten Linss]], [[Stefan Hoening]], [[Stefan Brunzen]], [[Harald Denker]], [[Thomas Bark]] and [[Stephen Emmerson]].

== Problem Database ==

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VKsach is freeware written by [[Václav Kotešovec]], with only a Czech-language interface. It is suitable for solving and composing problems.<ref>Web page: http://web.telecom.cz/vaclav.kotesovec/index0.htm</ref>

== Notes ==

<references/>