Chess for Android and Electronic ChessBoards

[mclane]

The step to go is planning chess. So far they do moves. They find moves but do not plan. They solve positions with big , enormous hardware and effort.
But playing chess is something completely different then solving positions. You need a plan to play chess.

[Ras]

You need a plan to play chess.

Making plans is just the human workaround for lack of computing capacity. In chess, the one who wins is right.

[mclane]

Chess without plan is like running around blind.

[peter]

Hi Thorsten!

Chess without plan is like running around blind.

Chess with plans and without ability to check them move by move and position for position, is like driving around blindly, which is even worse then running around blindly, cause you'll fail even faster.
Being blind in chess for the moves and plans of the opponent and for your own moves and positions, I'd prefer going step by step and position by position more or less blindly (of which even good plans are built of only yet too anyhow) much more than running or driving blindly with or without plans.
Being not quite as blind for single positions and moves anymore after some learning and practicing, you can start trying to build plans, the worse blind you are as for positions and moves, the less good will be your plans.

Or easier and well known in German:

Ja, mach nur einen Plan, und sei ein großes Licht, und mach noch einen zweiten, geh'n tun sie beide nicht.

[AdminX]

I had to order a type C USB cable and powered usb hub, which arrived today. Played my 1st game using my LG6 phone using Chess for Android level 7. I had it on the ropes when my son walked in because he need help putting his mothers Christmas gift together. I ended up letting it off the ropes with a draw. Kids ..., can't live with and can't live without them.

[pgn][Event "Chess for Android Game"] [Site "United States"] [Date "2018.12.20"] [Round "?"] [White "Ted Summers Jr."] [Black "Chess for Android"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [PlyCount "102"] [EventDate "2018.??.??"] [TimeControl "1/30:0"] 1. e4 c5 {opening reply} 2. Nf3 d6 {opening reply} 3. d4 cxd4 {opening reply} 4. Nxd4 Nf6 {opening reply} 5. Nc3 Bd7 {[7/12]-1} 6. Be2 e5 {[8/13]-30} 7. Nb3 a5 {[8/13]-12} 8. g4 h6 {[8/14]-7} 9. Rg1 a4 {[8/13]2} 10. Nd2 Be7 {[8/13]-2} 11. Nc4 Be6 {[8/13]-2} 12. Ne3 Qd7 {[8/14]-94} 13. h4 O-O {[8/14]-81} 14. g5 hxg5 {[9/14]25} 15. hxg5 Nh7 {[9/14]14} 16. Ned5 Ra5 {[8/13]-91} 17. Be3 Bxd5 { [8/14]-16} 18. Nxd5 Bd8 {[8/14]-21} 19. Qd2 Ra8 {[8/14]-25} 20. O-O-O Ba5 { [8/14]-12} 21. c3 Bd8 {[8/14]-31} 22. Rh1 a3 {[8/14]-24} 23. b3 Qc6 {[8/14]-85} 24. Kb1 Re8 {[8/13]-54} 25. Rh2 Nd7 {[8/12]-94} 26. Rdh1 Ndf8 {[8/14]-25} 27. Bb6 Bxb6 {[9/14]230} 28. Nf6+ gxf6 {[9/14]437} 29. gxf6 Bd8 {[8/14]131} 30. Qg5+ Ng6 {[10/14]-260} 31. Rxh7 Qxe4+ {[9/14]-258} 32. Ka1 Qxh1+ {[9/14]-260} 33. Rxh1 Bxf6 {[9/14]-264} 34. Qxf6 Re6 {[9/14]-274} 35. Qg5 d5 {[8/12]-374} 36. c4 Rd6 {[9/14]-288} 37. c5 Rc6 {[8/14]-356} 38. Rc1 Kf8 {[8/12]-373} 39. Bb5 Rc7 {[9/14]-278} 40. b4 Re7 {[8/13]-382} 41. Rh1 Kg7 {[8/14]-389} 42. Kb1 Re6 {[8/14]-391} 43. Rh6 Kg8 {[9/14]-289} 44. Bd7 Rea6 {[9/14]-302} 45. Kc2 Kg7 {[8/14]-381} 46. Kb3 d4 {[9/14]-357} 47. b5 Ra5 {[9/14]-363} 48. Kc4 Ra4+ { [10/14]-381} 49. Kb3 R4a5 {[12/14]0} 50. Kc4 Ra4+ {[12/14]0} 51. Kb3 R4a5 1/2-1/2[/pgn]

PS: It worked like a charm Aart!

[abik]

PS: It worked like a charm Aart!

Thanks for letting me know, and thanks for sharing the game!

[abik]

Although the Certabo electronic boards are mainly intended for chess, the flexibility of the identifying chips makes them suitable for 8x8 checkers as well (draughts, or American checkers, with slightly different rules from e.g. 10x10 international checkers). Therefore, I am planning to add support for Certabo boards in Checkers for Android as well. The 34 identifying chips can be used for the 24 regular pieces and 10 kings for promotion (using special purpose pieces avoids stacking the regular pieces). A 3D printed set can be used for this purpose (a continued hat-tip to my brother-in-law Gerard Harbers for making all the chess and checkers sets for me!).

The general idea is illustrated with this picture. Although not chess, please let me know if you like this upcoming support!

[abik]

I have been away for a while, deeply focusing on work. But during the holidays, I got a chance to focus on hobbies again.
Over Thanksgiving, I finalized the electronic board support in Checkers for Android, and released that to Google Play.

I also posted a short instructional video, just like I did for the chess boards:

[abik]

One last new feature before the break is over for me: I added timer support for the DGT3000 chess clock. Until recently, I only used the clock to prompt the last played move, but now there is the option to sync the GUI timings with the external chess clock, so that users can stay fully immersed in the game!

[MikeB]

One last new feature before the break is over for me: I added timer support for the DGT3000 chess clock. Until recently, I only used the clock to prompt the last played move, but now there is the option to sync the GUI timings with the external chess clock, so that users can stay fully immersed in the game!

I have to try this out — pretty cool Aart!