Software for handling chess problems

Software for chess problems is a category of software intended for handling chess problems, usually distinct from chess playing and analyzing programs. Chess problems are based on the rules of chess, but problemists may have little use for ordinary chess playing programs. Many chess playing programs also have an option for solving directmates, i.e. mates in two, three, four, and more moves, and some of them also has support for helpmates and selfmates.

Software for chess problems can be used for creating and solving problems, including checking the soundness of a concept and position, storing it in a database, printing and publishing, and saving and exporting the problem. They can solve direct mates, helpmates and selfmates and even problems with fairy pieces and other fairy chess problems. There have also been some attempts to have computers "compose" problems.

Alybadix

Alybadix is one of the oldest software (1980) programs for chess problems. Alybadix is written by Ilkka Blom. It is proprietary software, written for DOS with a free, independent Windows interface. Alybadix supports solving classical problems: direct mates, helpmates, selfmates, many fairy pieces, and fairy piece conditions. It comes with a large problem collection. It also supports quality printing.

Chloe and Winchloe

Chloe (DOS) and Winchloe (proprietary software) are solving programs written by Christian Poisson. Winchloe not only supports classical problems  — direct mates, helpmates and selfmates  — but also many fairy pieces and conditions with different sized chessboards (up to 250 by 250 squares). It comes with a collection of more than 250,000 problems that can be updated via the Internet. Christian Poisson also maintains the Web site Problemesis.

Explorer

Explorer (for DOS) and its Windows version, Chess Explorer, are shareware programs written by Jan Nowakowski. It solves mate, selfmate and helpmate problems. It has the interesting option of creating "mate in two moves" or "mate in three moves" problems. It can also solve the eight queens puzzle and similar problems.

MateMaster

MateMaster is free software written for Windows by Frank Schindler. MateMaster solves conventional mate problems. The board position can be copied and saved as a bitmap graphic.

MatPlus Librarian (MPL)

MatPlus Librarian is written by Yugoslav problem grandmaster Milan Velimirović. It is shareware, though it can be used unregistered without any restriction.

MatPlus Librarian is able to enter the chess position, solving with its own module or other programs (Alybadix, Popeye, Chloe), it has a powerful database module with dynamic creation of indexes of themes, authors or sources. It is possible to import and problems from chess problem bases such as Problemiste, export can the position to Windows Bitmap, or HTML format for Web page design. It can print out in various formats with selectable layout and size of diagram and font. MatPlus Librarian also include "books" with more than 5000 problems from articles published in Mat Plus chess magazine (1994-1999), Anthology of 2345 Problems (2345 problems) and many more problems.

Natch and iNatch

Natch and iNatch are freeware programs written by Pascal Wassong for DOS and Linux. Natch solves retrograde analysis problems by constructing a "proof game" - the shortest possible game leading to a certain position. Natch is a command line utility, but there is a Java based graphical interface. iNatch also provides moves with fairy conditions: monochrome chess, Einstein chess, vertical cylinder.

Problemist(e)

Problemist is a shareware program written by Matthieu Leschamelle for Windows and Windows Mobile. Problemist solves direct mates, helpmates, selfmates and reflexmates. It can rotate positions, print diagrams and much more. With Problemist come two TrueType chess fonts, and from its web page you can download more than 100,000 problems. Problemist is the first chess problems exchange format .

Popeye

Popeye is chess problem-solving software. Popeye runs from a command line interface, but it can be used with several operating systems and can be connected to several existing graphical interfaces since it comes with freely available source code in the C programming language. Popeye is one of the most exhaustive solving programs . It can solve problems with many fairy pieces and conditions, and can output to LaTeX . The original author of Popeye was Philippe Schnoebelen who wrote it in Pascal under MS-DOS around 1983-84 . The code was later donated in the spirit of the free software movement . Elmar Bartel, Norbert Geissler, Thomas Maeder, Torsten Linss, Stefan Hoening, Stefan Brunzen, Harald Denker, Thomas Bark and Stephen Emmerson, converted Popeye to C, and now maintain the program .

Problem Database

Chess Problem Database Server is an interactive database of chess problems with 140,000 problems maintained by Gerd Wilts . Problems are also represented graphically with solutions and commentary .

Retractor

Retractor is freeware software, written for Windows 95 and NT, by Chad Whipkey and Theodore Hwa . The program is proposed only for solving retractors and composing retrograde chess problems .

VKsach

VKsach is a freeware sofware, written by Václav Kotešovec, with only a Czech-language interface. It is suitable for solving and composing problems .

External links

• Chess Programs & Utilities
• Computer software and internet sites
• The project to develop a standard format for the representation of chess problems
• Alybadix offical website.
• WinChloe
• Problemesis
• ChessExplorer Program for Chess Problems
• MateMaster:...your mate for checkmate
• MatPlus Librarian
• Natch and iNatch
• Problemist(e)
• Problem Database
• VKsach