Daily iPhone chess programs releases

[bretti]

Lokasoft Chesspartner looks like Stockfish. Is it the same engine with small improvements of the GUI?

In Chessimo I cannot enter the Settings-Menu - the GUI crashes on iPad1.

[JuLieN]

Lokasoft Chesspartner looks like Stockfish. Is it the same engine with small improvements of the GUI?

In Chessimo I cannot enter the Settings-Menu - the GUI crashes on iPad1.

You're right, Chess Partner and Stockfish DO have a suspiciously similar layout... What does the Stockfish team think about that ?

Regarding Chessimo, it works like a charm here (on an iPad 2) ...

[Ralph Stoesser]

Stockfish is like naked beauty walking thru the apple store with a sign around her neck saying "Look at me! But don't touch me! Or I will cry!!".

Happy iTouching.

[Tord Romstad]

You're right, Chess Partner and Stockfish DO have a suspiciously similar layout... What does the Stockfish team think about that ?

The layout in Stockfish is not copyrighted, and not even particularly original: It's shamelessly stolen from Chess Genius, the most beautifully designed iOS chess program. Chess Partner also appears to use at least one of the piece sets from Stockfish (or at least something very similar), but since they're not original either (they're based on a public domain TrueType or PostScript font; I don't remember exactly where I found it), it's also not a problem.

I haven't downloaded the program, but based on the screenshots, I see nothing suspicious. LokaSoft is a well-known and respected company. If you are curious about the background of their engine and GUI, I suggest that you just drop them an e-mail.

[JuLieN]

You're right, Chess Partner and Stockfish DO have a suspiciously similar layout... What does the Stockfish team think about that ?

The layout in Stockfish is not copyrighted, and not even particularly original: It's shamelessly stolen from Chess Genius, the most beautifully designed iOS chess program. Chess Partner also appears to use at least one of the piece sets from Stockfish (or at least something very similar), but since they're not original either (they're based on a public domain TrueType or PostScript font; I don't remember exactly where I found it), it's also not a problem.

I haven't downloaded the program, but based on the screenshots, I see nothing suspicious. LokaSoft is a well-known and respected company. If you are curious about the background of their engine and GUI, I suggest that you just drop them an e-mail.

Thanks for your input, Tord.

No, I certainly don't want to start any new witch hunt as, like you said, Locasoft is a well established company that certainly doesn't need to resort to such bad moves. I wondered, anyhow, if they had borrowed something from Stockfish (asking you the permission for it). And your answer shows that they probably didn't.

[bretti]

Thanks for your command, Tord. For me it is more a question about the engine. I would not buy the App with an engine I already use because there is no reason to change my favorite App for analysing. For me the original Stockfish-App is very usual, the GUI is fast and clear, espacially the gestures are great and even on iPad1 the analysis refreshes very fast using forward or backward gestures!

[Cubeman]

I just discovered this new app on itunes,
http://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... fhVKgrVCsw
Solitaire Chess is a real logic type game where you have to make captures with the normal chess pieces on a 4x4 board.The app has a free version which is quite challenging on the hard and expert levels.I find it helps to train my visualisation skills.

[JuLieN]

Warlord Chess ($2.99) (iPad):

This game was released a few days ago and I must say it's an interesting twist around our good old favorite game: this is a four players game! As you can play against the IA, I decided to buy it and have mitigated feelings: it sure is very interesting, but it tends to become very messy very soon. It's a total brawl of a game: everyone against everybody. If you feel patient and adventurous, you must definitely give it a try. And the realization is very well done, too.

Their description:

Warlord Chess is a stunning chess variant for 2 to 4 players. The pieces and their moves will be familiar to anyone that has played standard chess, which makes this an ideal game for players of all skill levels. Certain spaces on the board allow pieces to make special moves, some of which are simply mind-blowing. Special visual effects and sounds enhance play. You can play locally with friends, join a game online, or challenge yourself against 3 levels of artificial intelligence. You can play alone or in teams of 2 vs. 2.

If you like chess or chess variants, you can hardly afford to miss out on Warlord Chess.

But I don’t know 4 good chess players...
Don’t worry! Using the unique tabletop interface, you can select games with 2, 3, or 4 players in them. If you play locally you can add computer/AI players as needed. You can also join and create games using the Game Center features, and track your progress in the Leaderboards.

Most importantly, because of the nature of the game, people of mixed skill levels can enjoy playing together. You don’t need to be a chess star to have fun with Warlord Chess. In a 4-player free-for-all, the best player does not necessarily win!

That is a crazy looking board...
That’s true! It needed to be to fit 4 full armies. Plus, it allowed us to add special spaces that make for some incredible moves.

The Chaos Symbol: the symbol in the center of the board gives a special move to Pawns, Kings, and Knights. If one of those pieces begins its move from one of the spaces touched by the symbol – then they can begin their move *from* any one of those spaces. This helps the Pawn and King a bit…but it works wonders for the Knight. Don’t believe us? Just look at the screenshots below!

The Castle: each player begins with their army surrounding their castle. A castle is made up of three spaces known as The Throne, the Great Hall, and the Courtyard. These spaces enhance the way the Bishop, Rook, and Queen move. Beware the Queen in the Courtyard!

But I’m Just Learning/No Good at Chess/Easily Confused...
Then we have the *perfect* chess game for you. The interface was designed for everyone. Just touch a piece to see all the moves it can possibly make. Then tap the space you want it to move to. If you don’t like it you can Cancel that move and try another. When you are sure of your move, you can press a button to Confirm it.

If you need practice, play a local game against a single opponent and set the AI to Easy. Increase the difficulty and number of players as you get better. You can even play team games and learn from your partner. There are so many options!

What Have You Got For Us Experienced Players?
We’ve got a lot. If you are *very* familiar with chess, then Warlord Chess will provide you with a brand new challenge. It is nearly impossible to control a board this big, especially against 3 players who are out to get you. So good luck with that. You can set the AI to “Hard” in order to play against opponents that can see multiple moves ahead.

We’ve also provided you with tools for analyzing your Warlord Chess games. You can save and load up to five games. With our Rewind, Forward, Start, and End buttons you can move through those games step-by-step so you can figure out why you lost, brainstorm some killer new moves, or relive past glories.

What Else Have You Got?
We’ve got a board that hovers and rotates over a roaring field of flame. We’ve got special attacks for each of the four colors in the game. We’ve got Secret Passages and a cool scoring system. And we’ve got more on the way. Enjoy!

http://warlordchess.com
http://hammerdog.com
http://bddig.com

The Title screen:


Yes, the game is in 3D, and still very playable:


Red is dead:


iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/warlord- ... 65783?mt=8

/Julien, still waiting for the promised new version of Battle Chess for PC and iOS... Last july they said "in 2011"... There's not many days left in 2011, Interplay...

[JuLieN]

iMAME (Free) iPhone/iPad:

It's not chess related, but... GRAB IT BEFORE APPLE PULLS IT!!!! (Because they will, when they'll read the fora and understand that this arcade emulator cad be fed any commercial ROM...):



The author (shallow) description:

iMAME is an application designed to recreate the hardware of arcade game systems in software on modern personal computers and other platforms. The intention is to preserve gaming history by preventing vintage games from being lost or forgotten.

Includes;

• Circus
• Crash
• Fire One
• Hard Hat
• Robot Bowl
• Side Track
• Spectar
• Star Fire
• Targ

Note: iMAME is not officially endorsed by Nicola Salmoria or the MAME Team.

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/app/imame/id485 ... fId=982861

EDIT: actually, its is (accidentally) chess related, are there exists some chess programs supported by MAME For instance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UrzSK_Irp0

[cambrose]

Julien,

Thank you for posting this! I am the lead programmer for Warlord Chess. I very much appreciate you taking a look at the game and value your comments.

As this is a v1 release, we are planning to do much more with the game and will be adding additional features and functionality improvements in future updates. The AI is complicated on a board of this size with the number of pieces and sheer number of moves but we have many ideas for improvements. Stay tuned.

Thanks again!

Cameron

Warlord Chess ($2.99) (iPad):

This game was released a few days ago and I must say it's an interesting twist around our good old favorite game: this is a four players game! As you can play against the IA, I decided to buy it and have mitigated feelings: it sure is very interesting, but it tends to become very messy very soon. It's a total brawl of a game: everyone against everybody. If you feel patient and adventurous, you must definitely give it a try. And the realization is very well done, too.