Author: John Merlino
Date: 18:22:15 05/08/02
Go up one level in this thread
On May 08, 2002 at 21:14:41, Mike S. wrote: >On May 08, 2002 at 16:19:48, John Merlino wrote: > >>(...) > >>Sorry, I'm not familiar with the "flow text notation" term. >>Could you explain it further? > >Flow text notation is probably not the correct english translation (actually I'm >not even sure if the german word which I use for that, Fließnotation, is correct >:o). > >But what I mean are these two types to *display* a move list (of a game which >has variantions in it): > >Most chess programs show it like that (method A): > >1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Nf3 Nbc6 8.h4 0-0 >9.Bd3 c4 10.Bxh7+ Kxh7 11.Ng5+ Kg8 12.Qh5 Re8 13.Qxf7+ [13.Qh7+ Kf8 14.Qh8+ Ng8 >15.Nh7+ Ke7 16.Bg5+ Nf6 17.Qxg7] 13...Kh8 14.Qh5+ Kg8 15.Rh3 [15.a4!] 15...Nf5 >16.Rf3 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Qd7 18.Qh7+ [18.a4!] 18...Kf8 19.g4 Qc7 20.a4 Qxe5+ 21.Kf1 >Rd8 22.Ba3+ Ke8 23.gxf5 Kd7 24.Re1 Qh2 25.Qxg7+ Kc6 26.Qe7 Rd6 27.Qe8+ Kc7 >28.Nxe6+ Kb8 29.Rg3 Rxe6 30.Rxe6 Qxg3 31.fxg3 a5 32.Bd6+ Ka7 33.Qb5 b6 34.Re7+ >Bb7 35.Bc7 Rh8 36.Qxb6+ Ka8 37.Qxa5+ Ba6 38.Qxa6# 1-0 > >All moves visible, clickable, easy maneuvring to every position of the game >*and* it's variations (and sub-variations if there are any). > >Chessmaster has that display in the Database part, but not in the Game Room. >There, it is limited to the old-style 2 columns display. Variations are not >directly visible, but must be chosen from sort of drop down lists from all the >move which have variations (method B): > >1.e4 e6 >2.d4 d5 >3.Nc3 Bb4 >4.e5 c5 >5.a3 Bxc3+ >6.bxc3 Ne7 >7.Nf3 Nbc6 >8.h4 0-0 >9.Bd3 c4 >10.Bxh7+ Kxh7 >11.Ng5+ Kg8 >12.Qh5 Re8 >13.Qxf7+ (*) Kh8 >14.Qh5+ Kg8 >15.Rh3 (*)Nf5 >16.Rf3 Nxe5 >17.dxe5 Qd7 >18.Qh7+ (*)Kf8 >19.g4 Qc7 >20.a4 Qxe5+ >21.Kf1 Rd8 >22.Ba3+ Ke8 >23.gxf5 Kd7 >24.Re1 Qh2 >25.Qxg7+ Kc6 >26.Qe7 Rd6 >27.Qe8+ Kc7 >28.Nxe6+ Kb8 >29.Rg3 Rxe6 >30.Rxe6 Qxg3 >31.fxg3 a5 >32.Bd6+ Ka7 >33.Qb5 b6 >34.Re7+ Bb7 >35.Bc7 Rh8 >36.Qxb6+ Ka8 >37.Qxa5+ Ba6 >38.Qxa6# 1-0 > >(*) Variations (currently invisible :o) > >The second way may be useful for beginners, but the other method provides much >better usability IMO, i.e. in analysis mode. Switching from and to the Database >Room doesn't provide that, because a user wants to browse through the game >quickly, jump around in the notation, and have engine calculation output at the >same time, for whatever position he navigates to. > >(I hope that "a user" is not only me, IOW. one person :o) > >I'm sure all the other manufacturers have a reason while they chose method A to >display a game. Recommended for Chessmaster too. It's just better. For >beginners, method B could be kept as an option probably. Ok. I understand now. Actually, we have probably gotten (at most) a half-dozen requests to add this. And informal focus testing (since you have noticed that CM includes the "flow notation" in the Database room) has shown that typical Chessmaster users (i.e. beginners and non-club players) prefer the two column method. However, it is possible that your flow notation will be provided as an option in a patch. But there are no plans to have it in the initial release. >Another point was mentioned in the CSS forum: The Tasc Board support. Is there a >chance that this could be re-issued, including WinXP? Impossible. TASC is no longer a company, and they actually lost (or settled, perhaps?) a lawsuit over that very board. So support for it is not an option. >But I wouldn't care if Chessmaster was just a mediocre program. It's more about >being 95% perfect and demanding that it should be 98% perfect... Or, as one of our old programmers used to say "Never do users half a favor." :-) jm
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