New Windows, Mac and Linux Client for FICS - Pearl Chess - A Port of Lantern for Worlds Oldest Chess Server

[adams161]

I've ported my lantern chess client to FICS.
http://www.pearlchess.com/
This is also open source and link to source on above page. Hope to be in Microsoft Store by May. I'm sure now on windows download has message this is infrequently downloaded, but store download should fix that issue. Mac installer is signed and there wont be same warnings there.
Has Stockfish analysis in examine or observe mode, tons of boards and pieces, an opening explorer, logs games to PGN game files, opens PGN. and highly customizable including wallpaper.
I worked on pearl in two periods in 2022 kind of getting it going and decided to finish up this last month. This is still a beta but first beta bug free enough and feature complete enough for me to make installers. About only major feature missing now is game lists. Its porting lantern client to fics so work on game lists would be hooking up the data to existing lantern game list ui to put that in context.

FICS is an older chess server. In fact there is an argument is the worlds oldest if you believe its the true heir of the original ICS server which i've tended to conclude it is over the years. It's declined over the years i believe in part from lack of interface support. But they still got games. If anyone wants, open up seek graph and play some chess.

[pepechuy]

Hi.

I have Babaschess installed, but have barely used it. I just logged in into FICS two or three times several months ago, and that was it (I did not play). FICS felt somewhat abandoned.

Several years ago I used to play in FICS every now and then (perhaps some three games a week, in average). Rapid chess, against computers, mostly in the range from 1800 to 2100. Against the engines rated 1800 to 1900 it was about even. The ones rated 2100 were better than me, but I could snatch an occasional win (and some draws); but even the games I lost against the 2100s engines were competitive.
Of course, I also played against engines outside that range, but not often. What I liked was that the ratings gave me somewhat accurate information about the opponents' strength: I knew what to expect.

Currently, in Lichess, I feel that the ratings are quite unreliable. At least the engine ones. For example, I could face an engine about my rating, and it turns out to be very weak. Or I could face an engine with a very low rating, and it is extremely strong.

I think I will try Pearlchess once it appears in the Windows store.

Greetings.

[adams161]

I'd like to change that and make FICS a viable third fourth fifth place server wherever it can fit in after chess.com and lichess but a place that is again growing through new clients. I made my diamond chess in 2020/21 for iOS and Android. Another developer has been working on the web app which is the play online option now at http:/www.freechess.org which is open source and actually uses lichess board code and its gotten to be nice too. And now theres pearl for Window or at least the software is getting ready for the windows store release soon.

I started a bot to track the interfaces used on fics at the end of 2020 and been collecting data. One stark thing the data presented to me was from 2015-2020 i'd guess looking at my 2020 snapshot the main face of fics was BabasChess on windows ( released in 2007) and Mobialia on android, which has adds. They represented about 70% of all users. This just wasn't enough to keep up and not even having a main apple client is a killer because people expect full support like sure i may use android but i also got a mac book or an ipad. Now we are moving into a new decade and the clients with Diamond Pearl and Freechess.club for a web app are finally all catching up and all have engine analysis.

But there needs to be i guess a bit of noise to let some know there's these options now. All i want is to see fics slowly start growing again. You see many apps simply create their own servers these days for the app like chess online with my app. Fics can can be the client for these new apps and perhaps offer a third place choice for those getting tired at times of the coke and pepsi options. And nobody is saying anyone has to delete lichess just because they visit fics.

[Roland Chastain]

I will try it, thanks.

I don't have much experience of FICS. I tried it once, to test this program.

[adams161]

Interesting to browse your commits and see how the program was made. A FICS linux client with stockfish integration for those who didn't click through. Pearl's source, which is same as lantern, is at https://github.com/lanternbugs/lanternicc It was not in source its first year. For me the code is the code i'm least proud of being my oldest and what i refer to as 3 generations back code. I've sort of done 3 generations of apps, first this lantern pearl, then my ios apps and now my mars and more, and code has gotten cleaner and i've learned a lot. But the pearl java code is still fun code for me to work with and the design intelligent. I was drinking more the first 2 years i made lantern/pearl and there was a lot of after 11 pm code which can get sloppy. An awful lot of my exception handling ends with (Exception dui) { }

[adams161]

I will try it, thanks.

I don't have much experience of FICS. I tried it once, to test this program.

I should say browsing that program was interesting. Forgot you're experience is only tryin this program in my excitement to browse its code.

[adams161]

Hi.

I have Babaschess installed, but have barely used it. I just logged in into FICS two or three times several months ago, and that was it (I did not play). FICS felt somewhat abandoned.

Several years ago I used to play in FICS every now and then (perhaps some three games a week, in average). Rapid chess, against computers, mostly in the range from 1800 to 2100. Against the engines rated 1800 to 1900 it was about even. The ones rated 2100 were better than me, but I could snatch an occasional win (and some draws); but even the games I lost against the 2100s engines were competitive.
Of course, I also played against engines outside that range, but not often. What I liked was that the ratings gave me somewhat accurate information about the opponents' strength: I knew what to expect.

Currently, in Lichess, I feel that the ratings are quite unreliable. At least the engine ones. For example, I could face an engine about my rating, and it turns out to be very weak. Or I could face an engine with a very low rating, and it is extremely strong.

I think I will try Pearlchess once it appears in the Windows store.

Greetings.

Pearl Chess on FICS has been released at the Microsoft Store https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9PPQB3VPRNLL
There's also mac and linux downloads at http://www.pearlchess.com

[pepechuy]

Pearl Chess on FICS has been released at the Microsoft Store https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9PPQB3VPRNLL
There's also mac and linux downloads at http://www.pearlchess.com

Hi.

Thanks.
I will check it out.

Greetings.