DanskWelcome to my chess project, where you can play correspondence chess against others! You can now play both from a browser or from a special client application. To play from a browser simply requires a browser that supports frames and dynamic html having java script and cookies enabled. To use the client requires you to download and "install" the application on your machine, in return it offers more functionality than the browser.
If you would like to take the site for a "test drive", there are two users, Test1 og Test2, both with blank passwords, and everybody can log on as these users, both from the client program and through the browser interfase at chess.mdjnet.dk and challenge to new games or move in existing games, but only against each other. However, it gives the opportunity to test the site, for instance together with a fellow player, before you decide if you want to join. Note that everybody is allowed to move in all games for these users, so don't be afraid to "ruin" anything and be prepared that you don't get to finish the game all by yourself.
The system is still being beta tested, but if you would like to be a part of that, read on.
Please send questions and comments to: skak05 (@) mdjnet (.) dk
To be in, you have to do three things:
1) Write an e-mail to me telling me what login name and password, you wish to
use (max 27 letters, no national characters, password must be at least 3 and
no more than 15 characters).
NOTE: Your password will be sent in clear text over the internet, and it will
be visible to me in the database, so don't use an important password that you
also use for something else!
2a) If you wish to use the client program, download it from
ftp.mdjnet.dk/pub/chesscli.zip /
www.mdjnet.dk/skak/chesscli.zip
or
ftp.mdjnet.dk/pub/chesscli.exe /
www.mdjnet.dk/skak/chesscli.exe.
If you want it to be in danish, you should also download
ftp.mdjnet.dk/pub/chessdk.dll /
www.mdjnet.dk/skak/chessdk.dll
or you can download both modules from
ftp.mdjnet.dk/pub/chessclidk.zip /
www.mdjnet.dk/skak/chessclidk.zip
So far, the client is for Windows only. If you need another language, let me know.
2b) If you wish to use a browser, go to chess.mdjnet.dk.
3) Check this page once in a while, I rarely send out newsletters, so you have
to follow things a bit on this page. The browser interface also offers a news
page, and there is a discussion forum on
forum.mdjnet.dk.
The first question to pop up is of course: Is it for free? The answer is yes, it is free - so far. Sometime in the future, should I get a zillion customers, it might change so that it costs something to play, but that is still just a dream.
Now for the technical part:
The browser interface should be mostly self-explanatory.
In short, the client works like this: You put the client program and any language module in for instance c:\mdjchess. Start the program and log on with the user name and password you have requested. To change language, you have to enter the Setup/Language menu, and here you can choose language both for the program and for the notation as well ("Officers' Language"). I prefer myself to have the program in english but the notation in danish. Now choose File/Connect (F5). This will download a list of ongoing games (initially empty), and a list of existing players. You can now choose a player and using Game/Challenge Player, you can challenge this player for a match (two games, one with white, one with black).
The list of games is designed like this:
The first number is the game number given by the server. Challenges simply has
an '*'.
This is followed by the opponents login name, and his rating.
Then comes a status code:
(space) I have challenged a player, and I am now awaiting answer.
? I have been challenged, and I can now accept or reject (see the Game menu).
+ I have accepted the challenge, which is now waiting to be sent to the server
(or I have myself issued the challenge).
- I have rejected the challenge, and it is now waiting to be sent to the server.
! It is my move.
> I have already moved, and the move is now waiting to be sent to the server.
. It is the opponent's move.
# The game is over, and I can discard the game at any time (see the Game menu).
So, you have to look out for '?' and '!' primarily.
At the end comes the next deadline for this game.
Remember, when you have made your move, you have to press "Accept Move" (Enter) to make the move ready to be sent to the server. A move not yet accepted is red in the move list, and so are all "variants" that you have tried out. The field below the move list shows all the attempted variants from the present position. It is possible to change the accepted move, until it has been sent to the server. You also have to remember to choose File/Connect, to send your moves to the server. Of course, a working internet connection must be open at that time.
In the two boxes bottom right, you can chat with the opponent. Please note, that what you say is "in public"! There is no way to read other people's chats, but all that is written is logged on the server, and read by me, should I judge there is need to read it.
The client will create a directory, c:\mdjchess\<login>, where various files and games are kept. In registry there will also be a key (HKCU\Software\MDJNet\Chess) with various information about your login. Note, that it is never harmful to delete the contents of the directory and/or registry. All information is present on the server and will be reconstructed during connect (except for variants you have studied during the games, these are only kept locally).
Communication with the server is done using a TCP connection to 5.103.139.30:64, if you have a personal firewall, it has to be configured accordingly. If you are behind a proxy, there is so far nothing else to do than to use the browser interface. (Tell me! I will then make the ip address configurable in the client.)
You will get an e-mail, when you are challenged or to move. Your e-mail address is in good hands with me, it will NOT be revealed to anybody else, not even other members! Nor will it be displayed in the statistics field, you will have to exchange e-mail addresses through "chat". Note, that you only get one e-mail, even if you are to move in several games.
The client program is more or less finish in its present form, but if you find any errors, send me a mail.
I hope you can figure out how to use the program, this manual is not complete, so just ask!
Enjoy.
2009:
September 12: Robot 3 changed to use ExSel Chess, which is however playing on a very low level.
2008:
October 23: Option to delay the opponents' moves, so you cannot play more than one move per hour in each game.
2007:
August 6: Robot 2 has been changed to "Robot Gnu", which uses Gnu Chess 5.07, and it now plays a lot better.
February 18: Improved selection of languages. It is now possible to select the languages you can understand, and the language that is your native language. Mails sent from the server will be in your native language. Later it will also be possible to see languages understood by other players so that can challenge players that you can actually chat with.
2006:
May 28: Users Test1 and Test2 having blank passwords can now be used by anybody who wants to test the site before joining.
May 2: Deadline changed to 15 days, improved "Help on moves" in the client.
March 31: Web-interface released in beta, english and danish.
2005:
April 19: The game and player lists can now be sorted.
February 10: Title on the game shown, and more buttons directly in the window. It is now also possible to challenge an opponent in a game shown while the game list is active.
January 2: Personal statistics: You can now in the bottom left window see the statistics against your opponent. In the first line is the total statistics, number of games: number of wins / number of draws / number of losses (of these lost on time), followed by the average score with 4 decimals. In the second line you will find the statistics for games where you play white, then the statistics with black.
2004:
December 25: New window size available that will fit 800x600. The program will now warn you, if you try to exit without sending your moves or other information to the server.
December 21: New option: "Help on moves". When you have chosen a piece to move, all possible destination fields for that piece will be marked with purple. A little help for those not entirely familiar with the movements of each piece.
July 11: All settings in registry, mdjchs.ini i the windows directory can be deleted. Possibility to choose not to view players inactive during the last 3 months (default).
May 25: It is now possible to unaccept an accepted move, so that it will not get sent to the server.
April 9: Personal settings: Password and e-mail address can be changed now, mail options can be set and reset, and you can go on vacation and have your deadlines postponed (not deadlines within the next 24 hours though).
March 22: 3 "robot players" introduced. They don't have to play within a deadline (because they have no idea of knowing how many games they have to play at once). Robot1 is the weakest, Robot3 is the strongest - but don't expect any miracles.
2003:
December 8: It is now possible to choose window size in Setup/Options. Of course, the large windows size will give you a larger board.
November 20: Better formatting of player list, which is now sorted by average rating. Arrows up and down to change game or player in focus (unless when one of the chat controls are in focus). It is now possible to correct a wrong password without logging off first.
October 4: Chat functionality included.
July 29: Improved support for Windows 98.
July 7: Player statistics.
June 9: Danish version. A few shortcuts: F5=Connect, Enter=Accept move.
April 29: The game list is sorted.
April 25: Deadlines are activated!
April 19: E-mail notification is working! Better validation of the user directory.
March 23: Remis offer works. Deadlines are included, but not active. Better formatting of the game list.
March 1: Login and Logout is now more "visible", menus are disabled correctly, and the current login name is now visible in the title bar, "-", if no one is logged in.
February 22: Rating works! The first number is the latest rating number, which is expected to "jump" some, so the second number in parentheses is a more real and stable number, calculated as the average over the last 10 rating numbers.
Last revised: 2011-03-29
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