Chess Correspondent Description / Users' Guide
Version 1.10 1/11/2003
This version fixes a bug which prevented a game from being reloaded when it contained an en passant move by Black. It also fixes a bug in which the last move of a game was not saved if the move resulted in checkmate or stalemate.
Version 1.09 11/29/2001
This version fixes a bug in which the wrong piece would be moved when reloading a game which contained a move with a rank number in the "from" square (for instance N7f6 or R3e4) and another piece of the same color was on the same rank, on a lesser file. Such games will now load correctly with version 1.09.
Version 1.08 3/12/2001
This version allows you to drag and drop a .pgn file onto it, or associate all .pgn files with the Correspondent and then automatically open any .pgn file by double-clicking on it (within Window's Explorer or File Manager). Files will now open at the beginning of the game (rather than at the last move of the game). New buttons have been added to quickly jump to the beginning or end of the game.
The Chess Correspondent is designed to simplify the keeping track of multiple chess games played via correspondence. It can also be used to store OTB games after the fact. The screen is shown below:
You enter your moves by clicking on a piece, holding down the left mouse-button, and dragging the piece to the destination square. When you release the mouse button the move is completed. The program will not permit an illegal move, and will tell you what is wrong with the move.
The "Move List" window will display each move in standard short algebraic notation. The currently displayed move will be highlighted. You can move back and forth between moves in the list by clicking on a move in the list, or using the left-arrow (or up-arrow) to move back one move, or the right-arrow (or down-arrow) to move forward a move in the list. If you go back to a previous move, and make a different move, all succeeding moves will be deleted automatically (after issuing a warning).
By clicking on the "Copy" button, the previous three moves and the current move are copied to the clipboard in long algebraic notation along with the date each move was recorded (the current move is dated with the date at the time the Copy Move to ClipBd button is clicked). This allows you to very easily and accurately paste your move into your e-mail correspondence. Including the previous moves has the advantage of showing your partner exactly what you entered for his or her last moves (which provides a nice double-check that you received and entered your partner's moves correctly).
The "Rpt" button copies all of the moves to the clipboard in a format suitable for sending (at the completion of your game) to the Correspondence Tournament Director.
You may annotate moves, if you wish, by entering text in the "Move-by-move annotation" window.
Games may be saved and loaded via the File/Save and File/Open menu options. Files are saved in standard pgn format.
You can enter overall information about the game by selecting Edit/Edit Hdr Info from the menu. This brings up a dialog in which you can enter the event, site, date, round, players' names, and result. This information will then be displayed in the "Game Header Information" window on the main screen.
You can have more than one game going at a time by opening multiple files, or by starting new games (select File/New from the menu, or click on the "New" toolbar button).
When you are playing Black, you can flip the board to see it with Black at the bottom of the screen (do this by selecting Options/Flip Board from the menu). When you Save the game, the flipped state is remembered and next time you open it the board will be flipped.
You can setup a position by selecting "Options/Setup Position" from the menu. When this option is checkmarked you can drag and drop the pieces anywhere on the board. You can also add or remove pieces by clicking on a square on the board with the RIGHT-mouse-button. This brings up a window which prompts you for the piece and color you would like to add to the board. You may also clear the entire board via an option on this window. Be sure to uncheck the Options/Setup Position when you are through, or your moves will not be recorded, and your position will not be saved properly.
Download the Chess Correspondent now!
This is a zip file called CHSDRILLZIP.zip which will extract to chsdrill.exe (the executable name of the Chess Correspondent)..
Download sample games ("Dave009.pgn") for the Correspondent to open.