picochess now using a new version system. I don’t know if I’ll keep it, but i don’t like these monster updates anymore. The new system is main version (=0), subversion (=9) and a letter showing the status of the version. This way i can release more versions with – i hope – fewer changes each. This release is first with v0.9a on the way to a version 1. Also this system allows to update/downgrade with the new “update” system in place (its not fully activated – but already inside)
The new (important) features of picochess v0.9
- as you can see from the title picture, the webserver board display now using “ChessGround” (therefore the name). You might recognized that chessground is also used in lichess.org Especially i want to have arrows and this design is alot clearer as the old used system. Judge yourself.
- Speaking about “design”: Al and me had some sessions to update the DGT-XL clock display (its same for a Revelation II chess computer). Also you can now activate capital letters for all of you who thinks that some chars are hard to differ from each other. This doesn’t work on XL clocks cause they can only display a limited charset.
- I’m a fan of the uci960 system. But former picochess versions had a problem with castling on game record display. With stockfish engine as only engine which supports the uci960 mode it worked for long, but internally we using a library called “chess.js”, which doesn’t support chess960 at all. I now updated this lib to my version – removed alot of obstactles and finally managed to get a working picochess uci960 mode. Here is an example of usage:
Now, black can castle. To do this on the new board, you need to click on the king square (d8) and the rook square (b8). On the XL clock you will see D8B8 for the O-O-O and on DGT-3000 or DGT Pi clocks the “O-O-O”. This rook select is needed to differ the move from a “Kc8” move in these uci960 mode. This is similar to the lichess display – where you capture your own rook 🙂
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