Android Game Manuals

Chess for Android

• New Game: Starts a new game from the initial board position with white to move. Because this will discard any game in progress, the user is prompted YES/NO to confirm first.
• Undo: Takes back the last played half-move, which is a move by either black or white. This also changes the side-to-move. Taking back another half-move or switching side will let the computer play the original side again. Equivalent to the on-screen "←" button.
• Switch Side: Switches the side played by the computer. For example, if the computer was playing white and the user was playing black, switching side will let the computer play black and the user white. This option does not rotate the board. To make sure the user plays from the bottom, also set the "View From White" option accordingly.
• Options: Opens a new menu structure with the following options.
  • Move Coach: Enables the move coach, which shows all valid moves for the user during input and highlights each last played computer move. Also enables an in-check/mate warning.
  • View From White: Rotates the board such that white plays from the bottom (when enabled) or from the top (otherwise).
  • Auto Rotate Pieces: Automatically rotates the chess pieces towards the side to move. Useful for over the board games between two human player games in free play.
  • Full Screen: Enables full screen mode (without status bar).
  • Start Screen: Enables start screen shown when application is started.
  • Board Color: Selects various board colors.
  • Piece Set: Selects various piece sets.
• Level: Changes the playing strength of the computer.
  • Auto Play: Lets the computer play both sides for demonstration games. Don't forget to pick another level again when done, because otherwise the computer will keep playing both sides when it gets the chance again!
  • Free Play: Disables computer play. In this level, the game can be used as a "magnetic board" to study games or play against another human on the same device. If an engine is imported (see below), this level also activates infinite analysis.
  • Random: Lets the computer pick a completely arbitrary, but valid move. In this level, it is extremely easy to win.
  • Level1-8: Sets the computer playing strength (higher means stronger at the expense of longer thinking time, denoted in seconds between parentheses).
• Website: Opens the browser at Aart's Android Page.

• Game Storage: Opens a new menu structure with options related to game storage.
  • Save Game to SD: Saves game in PGN (Portable Game Notation) format in the file /sdcard/games.pgn on the SD card (game is appended if the file already exists).
  • Load Game from SD: Loads game in PGN format from a file on the SD card. Navigation windows are used to find the required file as well as the individual game within that file.
  • Filter Game from SD: Similar to loading a game from SD card, but enables the user to define a filter (white, black, event, ECO, ELO rating ranges, result) prior to loading the file. Only games that match the filter are displayed.
  • Save Game to Memory: Saves game in one of eight available slots in internal memory.
  • Load Game from Memory: Loads game from one of eight available slots in internal memory.
• Setup Position: Opens a dialog that enables the user to setup a position.
• Clipboard: Opens a new menu structure with options related to the clipboard.
  • Copy Game as PGN: Copies game in PGN format to the clipboard. Useful to copy a game somewhere else, for example in an email or another chess application.
  • Copy Position as FEN: Copies position in FEN (Forsyth-Edwards Notation) format to the clipboard. Useful to copy a position somewhere else, for example in an email or another chess application.
  • Paste Game from PGN: Pastes game in PGN format from the clipboard. Useful to paste a game from another chess application.
  • Paste Position from FEN: Pastes position in FEN format from the clipboard. Useful to paste a position from a chess puzzle or another chess application.

• UCI and XBoard: Opens a new menu structure related to the Universal Chess Interface (UCI) and Chess Engine Communication Protocol (often simply called the XBoard or WinBoard protocol). This is an advanced option for chess hobbyists that want to replace the built-in Java chess engine with more powerful third party engines. Details are given at UCI and XBoard Protocols for Android. Engines that can be imported are listed at UCI and XBoard Engines for Android. Instructions for connecting Chess for Android as client to a remote chess server can be found in this blog posting.
  • Install Engine from SD: Opens a navigation window for the SD card. Selecting an engine copies the binary to internal memory. This only has to be done once for each new engine.
  • Uninstall Engines: Opens a selection window with all installed engines. Checking one or more engines will remove the selected binaries from internal memory when the window is closed again. Note that "clearing data" of Chess for Android in the regular Android application manager uninstalls all engines.
  • Clear Options: Opens a selection window with all installed engines. Checking one or more engines will clear any previously saved options for the selected engines.
  • Import Engine: Opens a selection window with installed engines that can replace the built-in Java chess engine. During a first-time import, an options window allows the user to set hash table size, number of threads, limit ELO, and endgame tablebases (Nalimov, Gaviota, Scorpio, or Robbobases). The selected options are saved and used during the next import (use clear options to reset the selection and force opening the options window again). Importing the Chess for Android engine unloads any previously imported engine.
  • Engine Tournament: Starts a full tournament between multiple engines, selected in an invite engines window. First, the user chooses between pair-wise matches of either 10 games with random opening lines from the built-in book, 100 games from both sides of 50 pre-selected opening lines from the built-in book, or all games from both sides of an external book in PGN format, such as the famous "Nunn Positions" or "Silver Opening Suite". A previously interrupted tournament can be resumed as well. Each engine plays with previously saved options (the option windows will pop up once for each engine without saved options). After the tournament, engines are unloaded and all games of the tournament annotated with engine analysis are saved in the file /sdcard/tour.pgn on the SD card. Results of a recent tournament can be found at this tournament page.
  • Pondering: Enables pondering (thinking during opponent's time). This feature is also referred to as permanent brain. A related, but slightly different feature, called infinite analysis, is enabled by selecting free play (see above).
  • Hide Engine PV: Hides the engine's principal variation (expected moves with replies) from the user. This mode is useful during regular play when the user does not want to know what the opponent is thinking.

• ←: Takes back the last played half-move, as described above for "Undo". During regular play this is either the last played user move when the engine is thinking or vice versa. If not at end-of-game, this action discards all following moves as well.
• «: Navigates to the beginning of the game. Ignored while the engine is thinking.
• ‹: Navigates one half-move back in the game. Ignored while the engine is thinking.
• ›: Navigates one half-move forward in the game. If the engine is thinking, this button forces the engine to move immediately. If at end-of-game, switches side as described above.
• »: Navigates to the end of the game. Ignored while the engine is thinking.

Checkers for Android

• New Game: Starts a new game from the initial board position with black to move. Because this will discard any game in progress, the user is prompted YES/NO to confirm first.
• Undo: Takes back the last played half-move, which is a move by either black or white. This also changes the side-to-move. Taking back another half-move or switching side will let the computer play the original side again.
• Switch Side: Switches the side played by the computer. For example, if the computer was playing white and the user was playing black, switching side will let the computer play black and the user white. This option does not rotate the board. To make sure the user plays from the bottom, also set the "View From White" option accordingly.
• Options: Opens a new menu structure with the following options.
  • Move Coach: Enables the move coach, which shows all valid moves for the user and highlights each last played move.
  • Optional Jumps: Makes jumps optional. Mandatory jumps are the official checkers rules which add to the beauty of the game. Nevertheless, by popular demand, the option to turn of forced captures was added.
  • View From White: Rotates the board (independent of what side the computer is playing).
  • Full Screen: Enables full screen mode (without the status bar).
  • Start Screen: Enables the start screen shown when the application is started.
  • Board Color: Selects various board colors.
• Level: Changes the playing strength of the computer.
  • Free Play: Disables computer play. In this level, the game can be used as a "magnetic board" to study games or play against another human on the same device.
  • Random: Lets the computer pick a completely arbitrary, but valid move. In this level, it is extremely easy to win.
  • Level1-5: Sets the computer playing strength (higher means stronger at the expense of longer thinking time, denoted in seconds between parentheses).
• Website: Opens the browser at Aart's Android Page.

Reversi for Android

• New Game: Starts a new game from the initial board position with black to move. Because this will discard any game in progress, the user is prompted YES/NO to confirm first.
• Undo: Takes back the last played half-move, which is a move by either black or white. This also changes the side-to-move. Taking back another half-move or switching side will let the computer play the original side again.
• Switch Side: Switches the side played by the computer. For example, if the computer was playing white and the user was playing black, switching side will let the computer play black and the user white.
• Options: Opens a new menu structure with the following options.
  • Move Coach: Enables the move coach, which shows all valid moves for the user as ghost stones and highlights each last played computer move.
  • Key Labels: Labels ghost stones with keys (useful for keyboard input).
  • Board Gradient: Enables a gradient effect on the board.
  • Full Screen: Enables full screen mode (without the status bar).
  • Start Screen: Enables the start screen shown when the application is started.
  • Board Color: Selects various board colors.
• Level: Changes the playing strength of the computer.
  • Free Play: Disables computer play. In this level, the game can be used as a "magnetic board" to study games or play against another human on the same device.
  • Random: Lets the computer pick a completely arbitrary, but valid move. In this level, it is extremely easy to win.
  • Level1-5: Sets the computer playing strength (higher means stronger at the expense of longer thinking time, denoted in seconds between parentheses).
• Website: Opens the browser at Aart's Android Page.