English Chess Forum

Hello,

Carl just installed a new test version of the chessboard display software for the forum, that SUPPORTS BROWSING VARIATIONS.

Have a look below to a couple of example.

Please try the new software posting PGN games with variations; if you find any PGN game that fails parsing correctly, please let me know by replying to this post. You can also reply here with any feedback.

First example, a good old classic game:
[Event "Wch1"] [Site "U.S.A."] [Date "1886.??.??"] [Round "9"] [White "Zukertort, Johannes"] [Black "Steinitz, Wilhelm"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D26h"] [Annotator "JvR"] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.e3 c5 6.Bxc4 cxd4 7.exd4 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.Qe2 Nbd7 {This knight wants to blockades on d5.} 10.Bb3 Nb6 11.Bf4 ( 11.Re1 {keeps the initiative.} ) 11...Nbd5 12.Bg3 Qa5 13.Rac1 Bd7 14.Ne5 Rfd8 15.Qf3 Be8 16.Rfe1 Rac8 17. Bh4 {Intends 18.Nxd5 exd5.} 17...Nxc3 18.bxc3 Qc7 {Black pressures on the hanging pawns.} 19.Qd3 ( 19.Bg3 {!} 19...Bd6 20.c4 {(Lasker).} ) 19...Nd5 20.Bxe7 Qxe7 21.Bxd5 {?!} ( 21.c4 Qg5 22.Rcd1 Nf4 23.Qg3 {steers towards a slight advantage in the endgame.} ) 21...Rxd5 22.c4 Rdd8 23.Re3 {The attack will fail.} ( 23.Rcd1 {is solid.} ) 23...Qd6 24.Rd1 f6 25.Rh3 {!?} 25...h6 {!} ( 25...fxe5 26.Qxh7+ Kf8 27.Rg3 {!} 27...Rd7 ( 27...Rc7 28.Qh8+ Ke7 29.Rxg7+ Bf7 30.Qh4+ {(Euwe)} ) 28.Qh8+ Ke7 29.Qh4+ Kf7 30.Qh7 {} ) 26.Ng4 Qf4 {!} 27.Ne3 Ba4 {!} 28.Rf3 Qd6 29.Rd2 ( 29.Rxf6 {?} 29...Bxd1 {!} ) 29...Bc6 {?} ( 29...b5 {!} 30.Qg6 {!?} ( 30.cxb5 Rc1+ 31.Nd1 Qxd4 32.Qxd4 Rxd4 33.Rxd4 Bxd1 $19 { (Vukovic).} ) 30...Qf8 31.Ng4 Rxc4 {!} 32.Nxh6+ Kh8 33.h3 gxh6 34.Rxf6 Qg7 {is good for Black).} ) 30.Rg3 {?} ( 30.d5 {!} 30...Qe5 {!} ( 30...exd5 {(Steinitz)} 31.Nf5 {(Euwe)} ) 31.Qb1 {Forestalls ..b5 and protects the first rank.} 31...exd5 32. cxd5 {} 32...Bxd5 {??} 33.Rf5 ) 30...f5 {Threatens ..f4.} 31.Rg6 {!?} ( 31.Nd1 f4 32.Rh3 e5 {!} 33.d5 Bd7 $19 ) 31...Be4 32.Qb3 Kh7 ( 32...Kf7 {(protects e6)} 33.c5 Qe7 {!} 34.Rg3 f4 ) 33.c5 Rxc5 34.Rxe6 ( 34.Qxe6 Rc1+ $19 ) 34...Rc1+ 35.Nd1 ( 35.Nf1 Qc7 $19 {!} ) 35...Qf4 36.Qb2 Rb1 37.Qc3 Rc8 {Utilises the unprotected first rank.} 38. Rxe4 Qxe4 {Many authors praise the high level of this positional game. The score had become 4-4. The match continued in New Orleans.} 0-1

With the new version, you get for free also the support of chess informant symbols; this is a game from chess informant, posted here with permission from the chsess informant publishing company:
[Event ""] [Site "Belfort"] [Date "1988"] [Round ""] [White "Huebner, R."] [Black "Timman, J."] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2595"] [BlackElo "2675"] [ECO "B63"] [Opening "Sicilian"] [Variation "Richter-Rauzer, Rauzer attack, 7...Be7"] [Annotator "Huebner, R."] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O Nxd4 9. Qxd4 O-O 10. e5 dxe5 11. Qxe5 Qe8 12. h4 a6 $2 $146 13. Ne4 (13. Bd3 Bd7 (13... b5 $2 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. Qe4 $18) 14. Ne4 (14. Rh3 Bc6 15. Rg3 Kh8 16. Ne4 Qb8 $13) 14... Nd5 15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. Ng5 Nf6 $14) 13... Nd5 (13... Nxe4 14. Qxe4 f6 (14... Bd7 15. Qxb7 $16) (14... f5 15. Qe5 { $140 Bc4 $16 }) 15. Bd3 Qg6 16. Qxg6 hxg6 17. Be3 Kf7 18. Be4) 14. Bxe7 Nxe7 (14... Qxe7 $2 15. Rxd5 f6 16. Qd6 $18) 15. h5 (15. Nd6 Qa4 16. Rh3 Nc6 { $140 e5 }) 15... Nc6 (15... f6 16. Qc5 Nc6 17. h6 g6 18. Bc4 $16) (15... h6 $5 16. Rh3 (16. g4 Qa4 $13 (16... f6 17. Qc5 Qc6 18. Qxe7 Qxe4 19. Bd3 Qf4+ (19... Qxg4 20. Bh7+ $18) 20. Kb1 { $140 Bh7 $18 }) (16... Nc6 17. Qc5 (17. Qg3 f6 18. f4 e5 $13) 17... f6 18. f4 e5 (18... Qe7 19. Bc4) 19. Bc4+ Kh8 (19... Be6 20. Nd6 Qe7 21. Nxb7) 20. g5 $40)) 16... Nc6 (16... f6 17. Qc5 e5 18. Bc4+ Kh8 19. Rhh1 $16) 17. Qc5 (17. Nf6+ Kh8 18. Qc3 Qe7) 17... e5 $13) 16. Qg3 Qe7 17. h6 g6 18. f4 $2 (18. Bc4 $142 b5 (18... e5 19. Bd5 $16) 19. Qc3 f5 (19... f6 20. Bb3 $18) 20. Bb3 fxe4 21. Qxc6 $16) 18... e5 19. fxe5 (19. Bc4 Be6 20. Bxe6 Qxe6 $13) 19... Qxe5 $6 (19... Nxe5 $5 20. Be2 f6 (20... Bf5 21. Nd6) 21. Rhe1 Bf5 22. Nxf6+ Qxf6 (22... Rxf6 23. Bc4+ $18) 23. Qxe5 Rac8 24. Bd3 Qxe5 (24... Qg5+ 25. Kb1 Qxh6 26. Bc4+ Rxc4 27. Qd5+ $18) 25. Rxe5 Bxd3 26. Rxd3 Rf2 27. c3 Rxg2 28. Re7 Rh2 ( 28... Rf8 29. Rg7+ Kh8 30. Rf7) 29. Rg7+ Kh8 30. Rxb7 Rxh6 31. Rd6 $16) 20. Qxe5 Nxe5 21. Nf6+ Kh8 22. Rh4 Bf5 23. Rd5 $2 (23. Rhd4 $142 Rac8 24. c3 Nc6 25. Rd6 Ne7 26. g4 Be6 27. a3 g5 (27... Ng8 28. g5) 28. Bd3 $16) 23... Nc6 24. g4 Bxc2 $1 (24... Be6 25. Rd2 { $140 g5 $18 }) 25. Kxc2 Nb4+ 26. Kb3 (26. Kc3 Nxd5+ 27. Nxd5 Rac8+ 28. Kb3 (28. Kd4 Rc2 29. Bc4 Rxb2 $13)) 26... Nxd5 27. Nxd5 Rfe8 $6 (27... Rad8 $142 28. Nf6 (28. Bg2 Rfe8 29. Rh3 (29. Nf6 Re3+ { $140 Re2 }) (29. Nc3 Rd4) (29. g5 Re5) 29... Re2 30. Bf3 ( 30. Bh1 Re1) 30... Rf2) 28... Rd4 29. Rh1 g5 30. Be2 Rf4 31. Nd5 (31. Rf1 Rd8 32. Nh5 Rxf1 33. Bxf1 Rd6) 31... Rd4 $13 32. Nf6 Rf4 $11) 28. Rh3 Rad8 $2 (28... Re4 $142 29. Rf3 (29. Rg3 g5) 29... Rxg4 30. Rxf7 Rh4 $13) 29. Nf6 $18 Re6 30. Rf3 (30. g5 Re5 31. Rg3 b5) 30... Rdd6 (30... g5 31. Bc4 Rb6+ 32. Ka3 Rdd6 33. Nh5) 31. g5 Rb6+ (31... Re5 $142 32. Rc3 Rd8 33. Rc7 Rf8 34. Nd7 (34. Rxb7 Rxg5 35. Bxa6 Rg3+ 36. Ka4 Rh3 37. b4 Rxh6 { $140 g5 $13 }) (34. Bc4 Rxg5 35. Bxf7 Rg3+ 36. Ka4 Rh3 $13) 34... Re7 35. Rxb7 Rd8 36. Nc5 (36. Bh3 $2 Re3+) 36... Rxb7+ (36... Re5 37. Nxa6) 37. Nxb7 Rd5 38. Bxa6 Rxg5 39. a4) 32. Ka4 (32. Ka3 $2 Re5) 32... Rbd6 33. Bh3 Rd4+ (33... Re5 34. Rc3 Rd8 35. Rc7 Rf8 36. Nd7 Re7 37. Rxb7 $18) 34. b4 Rb6 35. a3 Rb5 36. Re3 Rd8 37. Re7 Rf8 38. Nd7 1-0

You can jump to the position within a variation just by clicking on it.
There's also some keyboard support with the arrow keys:

- arrow up/down: go to game start/end (as before)
- arrow left/right: one move backward/forward (as before)

- shift-arrow up: go to variation start
- shift-arrow down: go to variation end
- shift-arrow left: go to the move before the start of the current variation
- shift-arrow rigth: cycle through alternative moves to the last played move

Last two items require explaination...

assume you have this game: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 (2. f4 d5) (2. Nc3 Nf6) Nc6

assume you just clicked on the variation move d5, if you now hit shift-arrow left you jump to e5 (the move preceding the start of the variation, so preceding f4)

assume you just clicked on Nf3, if you now hit repeadetly shift-arrow right you cycle through f4, Nc3 and then back to Nf3 (f4, Nc3 and Nf3 are the alternative moves to the last one played Nf3)

Again, please try posting games with variations and post here your feedback!
Thanks for helping improving the upcoming new release of the chessboard software.

Bravo!

A nice job yet again Paolo

Is anybody else having problems with this in Chrome? I can't replay the variations. Everything's fine in Firefox and Safari.

Ian Kingston wrote:Is anybody else having problems with this in Chrome? I can't replay the variations. Everything's fine in Firefox and Safari.

Whoops yes you are right not working here in 17.0.963.78

Carl Hibbard wrote:

Ian Kingston wrote:Is anybody else having problems with this in Chrome? I can't replay the variations. Everything's fine in Firefox and Safari.

Whoops yes you are right not working here in 17.0.963.78

It seems to be a strange intermittent failure but I am trying to nail down the combinations

Carl Hibbard wrote:

Carl Hibbard wrote:

Ian Kingston wrote:Is anybody else having problems with this in Chrome? I can't replay the variations. Everything's fine in Firefox and Safari.

Whoops yes you are right not working here in 17.0.963.78

It seems to be a strange intermittent failure but I am trying to nail down the combinations

Thanks - haven't managed to make it work at all here. I've tried disabling various extensions, but with no effect.

John McKenna wrote:1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.O-O b6 8.cxd5 exd5 9.dxc5 bxc5 10.Ne2 Nbd7 (10... Bg4 11.b3 Nc6 12.Bb2 d4 13.exd4 Bxf3 14.gxf3 Nxd4 15.Nxd4 cxd4 16.Qd6 $14 {Levitt-Goszpeter 1988 Copenhagen} (16... Nh5 $14 {Gligoric-Keres 1959 Bled})) 11.b3 Bb7 12.Bb2 Qe7 13.Ng3 Rfd8 14.Nf5 Qf8 15.Ne5 g6 $2 (15... Nxe5 16.Be5 $14) 16.Nxd7 Nxd7 17.a3 Ba5 $2 18.Bg7 Qg7 (18... Qe8 19.Nd6 Qe7 20.Nxb7 Kxg7 21.Nxa5) 19.Nxg7 Kxg7 20.Qe2 Nf6 21.Rac1 Bb6 22.h3 d4 23.exd4 cxd4 24.Rfe1 Re8 25.Qd2

Erm, what game is it actually??

Carl Hibbard wrote:

Ian Kingston wrote:Is anybody else having problems with this in Chrome? I can't replay the variations. Everything's fine in Firefox and Safari.

Whoops yes you are right not working here in 17.0.963.78

That's unexpecetd, I'm doing all development/debugging on chrome.

Try first to EMPY THE BROWSER CACHE, this sometimes helps

Failing that, if you have a chessboard that does not display correctly, right-click on that chessboard and select "inspect element"; on the frame that opens select "console" and look if there's any error message there. In case post here and I'll have a look.

Ian Kingston wrote:Thanks - haven't managed to make it work at all here. I've tried disabling various extensions, but with no effect.

When you say " haven't managed to make it work at all here", could you be a bit more specific?

Does the chessboard show up or not?
If the chessboard shows up, can you click successfully on the main variation?
What actially does not work?

You cant go to the doctor and just say "I dont feel good"

Paolo Casaschi wrote:

Carl Hibbard wrote:

Ian Kingston wrote:Is anybody else having problems with this in Chrome? I can't replay the variations. Everything's fine in Firefox and Safari.

Whoops yes you are right not working here in 17.0.963.78

That's unexpecetd, I'm doing all development/debugging on chrome.

Try first to EMPY THE BROWSER CACHE, this sometimes helps

Failing that, if you have a chessboard that does not display correctly, right-click on that chessboard and select "inspect element"; on the frame that opens select "console" and look if there's any error message there. In case post here and I'll have a look.

Emptying the cache worked for me, before that I could see the board and play through the game, but not the variations (in Chrome)

Same for me, wasn't working in Chrome but empty the cache and it works. Chrome sometimes undesirably caches scripts, or it could be something to do with the HTTP 'Expires' header sent from the web server.

BTW good job Paolo, I've thought about writing something similar before but doesn't seem much point as your code is excellent!

Simon Ansell wrote:BTW good job Paolo, I've thought about writing something similar before but doesn't seem much point as your code is excellent!

It looks like I just gave you back several coding nights for the next three years

Paolo Casaschi wrote:

Ian Kingston wrote:Thanks - haven't managed to make it work at all here. I've tried disabling various extensions, but with no effect.

When you say " haven't managed to make it work at all here", could you be a bit more specific?

Does the chessboard show up or not?
If the chessboard shows up, can you click successfully on the main variation?
What actially does not work?

You cant go to the doctor and just say "I dont feel good"

I know, but the doctor wasn't in at the time.

But now you're here: clearing the cache has solved the problem. For the record, the specific problem was that the updated version worked exactly the same as the old one: the game displayed and could be replayed, but the variations remained simply text. Clicking on them had no effect and the cursor did not change when hovering over them.

Thanks for supplying the cure. And thanks for the added functionality - much appreciated!