From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 17 jun 2003 Subject: SPEAR help file This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------020106070404030708030505 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi all, I had another look at the SPEAR help file and despite what I thought earlier, it needed some additions and rewrites. The new help file is now in the zip file on my website, but for those who have already downloaded the program and don't want to download again, I have added it to this mail. Reijer -- Reijer Grimbergen Department of Information Science Saga University 1 Honjo-machi, Saga-shi, 840-8502 Japan E-mail: grimbergen fu is saga-u ac jp URL: http://www.fu.is.saga-u.ac.jp/~grimberg/ Tel: +81-(0)952-28-8821 Fax: +81-(0)952-28-8650 --------------020106070404030708030505 Content-Type: text/plain; name="help.txt" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline; filename="help.txt" The Spear Shogi Program ======================= Menu explanation ================ (A '#' means that a toolbar button is also available) A) Game Menu ************ A1) Play a game (#) The Spear program has five different playing levels: Level 1: Plays immediately, no mating search, takes a maximum of 5 minutes. Level 2: Plays almost immediately, has very limited mating search, takes a maximum of 10 minutes. Level 3: Full program with a maximum time limit of 15 minutes. Level 4: Full program with a maximum time limit of 20 minutes Level 5: The version that played in the CSA World Computer Shogi Championships 2003. Maximum time limit of 25 minutes. Other options: by setting the autosave on, the game will be saved after every move. In the "Play a game" dialog there is also the option to play over the serial port against another program. I guess this option is only useful for programmers who want to test their program against mine. Note: I have not implemented dragging of pieces yet, so a move is mate by clicking on the piece to move and then clicking on the square you want to move the piece to. It is possible to take back moves by double clicking on the move after which you want to restart. A2) Enter game (#) This is to enter games for future reference. It is possible to add the time taken for each move. If this option is on, after each move a dialog box will pop up in which you can enter the time used for that move. Here, also the autosave option is available. Here it is also possible to take back moves by double clicking on the move from which you want to delete the rest of the game. A3) Load Game (#) Load a previously saved game. A4) Save Game (csa style) (#) To save a game to a file. Starting from version 6.1, the standard for games and positions is the style defined by the CSA (Computer Shogi Association). This is the style that most other shogi programs also use or at least can read. As far as I know there is no English explanation of the CSA style yet. If you want to have a look at the Japanese, it can be founnd here: http://www.computer-shogi.org/wcsc13/record.html A5) Save Game (psn style) To save a game to a file in Western notation. This is the same style as used in the Kifu window on the right. The header is in the PSN style that has been used elswhere (for example on Shogi Nexus) and resembles the PGN style of chess. There is no standard for this PSN style, so this might will probably change in later versions. A6) Print Kifu (#) To print the game in Western notation to the standard printer. Not much sophistication here yet. A7) Exit To exit the program. B) Position Menu **************** B1) Build position (#) To make a position by putting pieces on the board. The pieces can put on the board by clicking on the piece and then clicking on the destination square. Clicking on a piece and then clicking on the area's on the left or right of the board will move the pieces into black or white's hand. Right clicking the mouse changes the orientation of the piece (black/white, unpromoted/promoted). To make tsume shogi or hisshi positions, the black king can be removed by double-clicking. After the position is finished, the dialog box "Finish" can be clicked, which gives a chance to enter the type of position and makes it possible to save the position to a file. Note: I have not added an option to edit positions yet. Editing in the position file is not too difficult. Here is an example of a position file: V2 '=== Shukan Shogi 750-1 N+ N- $EVENT: $SITE: $START_TIME: $END_TIME: $TIME_LIMIT: $OPENING: P1-KY-KE * * * * -KI * * P2 * * * -KI * * * +KA-KY P3 * * * * -FU * +GI-OU * P4 * -FU-FU-FU * * -FU * * P5-FU * * * * -FU * +FU-FU P6 * * +FU+FU * -GI * * * P7+FU+FU+GI+GI-NK * * * * P8+OU * +KI * * * -RY * * P9+KY+KE * * * * * * +KY P+00KA P-00FU00FU00FU00FU00FU P-00KE P-00KI P-00HI + The pieces are encoded as follows: King = OU, +Rook = RY, Rook = HI, +Bishop = UM, Bishop = KA, Gold = KI, +Silver = NG, Silver = GI, +Knight = NK, Knight = KE, +Lance = NY, Lance = KY, +Pawn = TO, Pawn = FU Black pieces are preceeded by a "+", white pieces by a "-". Pieces in hand are encoded as a "P" followed by "+" or "-" (if the piece in hand is black or white), followed by "00" and the piece name. Pieces of each type are written on a seperate line, with only one line for each piece. B2) Load position (#) To load a previously saved position from a file. B3) Save position (#) To save a position to a file. C) Options Menu *************** C1) Resign (#) To resign the game. C2) Add moves to game To add moves to a saved game. C3) Restart game To restart an earlier unfinished game. Note that the program doesn't automatically start the game after a game is loaded from a file. "Restart game" followed by selection of the players is necessary to restart an earlier saved game. C4) Auto save on To automatically save the game that is in progress. C5) Beep after spear move Spear will give a signal after it has decided its move. This option can be turned on and off here. Finally, the forward and backward buttons in the toolbar give you the opportunity to step through the game. It is also possible to do this by clicking on the move in the "Kifu" window. Bug reports, comments and suggestions can be send to Reijer Grimbergen (grimbergen fu is saga-u ac jp) You can use this program freely, but of course it comes without any warranty. --------------020106070404030708030505--