Chess

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Features:


Contents

Frontends

summary of features
Network backend protocol PGN last release Windows MacOS Linux Technos
pychess FICS UCI/CECP yes often (<1month last checked) X python/gtk
scid FICS UCI/CECP yes(very good) 4.3 on february 2011 X X X tcl/tk
glchess(gnome-games) ggz planned CECP  ? regular (with gnome games) X gtk
Xboard FICS CECP yes 4.5.2a on may 2011 X(port) X  ?? (gtk planned)
eboard FICS CECP yes(read/write) 1.1.1 on february 2008 (last one ever) X gtk
dreamchess no(planned) CECP save 0.2.0 on november 2007 X X X  ??
pouetchess no no no 0.2.0 on 2006-05-28 X X glu/gl


Old ones
Network backend protocol PGN
slibo no CECP  ?


eboard (wikipedia)

In gentoo, works well, pretty. Not heavily maintained it seems. Based on gtk2.

Scid (wikipedia)

In gentoo, maintained. ugly (tcl), but fonctional. Especially geared toward PGN analysis, handling database, but can talk to UCI/fics too. Gentoo package includes most addons (photo, ending, few databases). Chessdb is a fork (also in gentoo).

xboard (wikipedia)

The original one, not very beautiful. can also do 'email chess'. Winboard is the name of the windows port and is a reference overthere. This is now an official gnu software.

pouetchess

Nice 3D gui with animation, bad wiki. It is self contained (has its own internal engine and can't connect to other engine or to servers) No release since 2001(faile, the engine) and 2006(pouetchess).

wont compile on gentoo/ppc

There are 3d files using some weird file format

dreamchess

Include its own engine (dreamer). Great 3D graphics with animation

Not in gento though it has been asked for long.

As of 2008-12-01, it's still quite hard to install it (in gentoo) from the ebuilds found on this page, but it's possible, and then the games works, and is pretty cool.

glchess

technos : python/gtk+/cairo Now a member of gnome-games.


pychess

It has far too much dependencies (dozens of new packages on my gentoo box, which has almost everything already installed) but nice graphics. Maintained. Has also its own engine ("pychess").

Available in gentoo but not for ppc.


knights

Was promising, then dead, then came back.. weird. Probably not something you can rely on. The page on sf is dead. Check either the kde-apps page or the redmine project page

It is in gentoo, but seems like a new software using the name of the old one (with permission). Doesn't do Pgn reading, doesn't know about UCI, it says they do network support or 'fics'.

I've tried it but it doesn't seem like the opponent is doing anything (pstree confirms there is a crafty process started by knights though). 2011-01-10 : tested games-board/knights-2.2.0, i'm not able to play against gnuchess. After the option dialog i have an empty white page. I have the same thing if i try a "human vs human" play. 2011-06-15 : tested 2.3.2, segfaults after clicking 'ok' on the opening dialog asking to choose players (human, engine, fics).

Kastling qt application, support fics/pgn, but i think it can't use local engines. its web presence is really small.

Old frontend

Slibo

Last release 0.4.4 in 2003. Nice 3d graphics, based on KDE(3). doesn't seem maintained. There is no ebuild in gentoo (anymore). Features : engines, pgn viewer, themes, 3D view.

brutal chess

Inspired by some well known previous chess software. the main web page is dead, sourceforge svn untouched since january 2007

gnome-chess

Untouched since 2001

tagua (previously kboard)

Ambitious project for kde, can do more than chess, not in gentoo. (Git checkout in ~orzel/git)

The team seems to have hard time keeping on working on it. Uses lua.

As of november 1st, 2008, the git repository has not been touched for very long, and the domain name was dropped. So i guess it's dead. Googling for 'tagua chess' gives nothing.


chess engines

summary of features
CECP UCI in Gentoo? Notes
Stockfish  ?? X No(yet?) The stronger one, heavily maintained. Probably far too strong for most people. Interesting interview
crafty X X Tough one. It only speaks the Chess Engine Communication Protocol. Maintained.
gnuchess X X The original one, gave birth to the Chess Engine Communication Protocol. Probably quite outdated now, though it is still maintained. This is the 'standard' one.
fruit X X Only for UCI. Unmaintained since 2007. Was renown by the time.
phalanx  ?? X Great one for beginners, but is unmaintained.

Others:

faile

Strong engine, used by pouet internally. Pouet is in Gentoo. Unmaintained (last release 1.44 in 2001).

Sjeng

Is not free anymore. Speaks UCI.

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