Difference between revisions of "WinBoard"

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'''[[Main Page|Home]] * [[User Interface]] * [[GUI]] * WinBoard'''
 
'''[[Main Page|Home]] * [[User Interface]] * [[GUI]] * WinBoard'''
  
'''WinBoard''' is a [[GUI|graphical user interface]] for the [[Chess Engine Communication Protocol]] under the [[Windows]] operating system, also called the WinBoard protocol, initially designed by [[Tim Mann]]. In 2009, [[Harm Geert Muller]] proposed a protocol definition <ref>[http://home.hccnet.nl/h.g.muller/engine-intf.html Chess Engine Communication Protocol] by [[Tim Mann]] & [[Harm Geert Muller|H.G. Muller]]</ref>, also covering [[Games|Chess Variants]] with different board sizes.  
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'''WinBoard''' is a [[GUI|graphical user interface]] for the [[Chess Engine Communication Protocol]] under the [[Windows]] operating system, also called the WinBoard protocol, initially designed and developed by [[Tim Mann]] based on [[XBoard]]. In 2009, [[Harm Geert Muller]] became the main developer and proposed a protocol definition <ref>[http://home.hccnet.nl/h.g.muller/engine-intf.html Chess Engine Communication Protocol] by [[Tim Mann]] & [[Harm Geert Muller|H.G. Muller]]</ref>, also covering [[Games|Chess Variants]] with different board sizes.
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=Screenshot=
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[[FILE:Xboard-4.4.0-petite.png|none|border]]
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WinBoard 4.4.0 running [[GNU Chess]]]
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=Quotes=
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Tim Mann's quote from an Interview by [[Frank Quisinsky]], April 2000 <ref>[http://tim-mann.org/history.html XBoard Project History]</ref>:
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Originally, xboard and WinBoard were simply graphical user interfaces for [[GNU Chess]], then for GNU Chess and [[Chess Server|Internet chess servers]]. Because the [[GUI]] and the chess engine are separate programs, several people thought of the idea of connecting their own chess programs in place of GNU Chess, and they began to email me asking how to do it. I think the first person to ask was [[Shay Bushinsky]], in November 1994. Over the years I received so many requests for this information that I was more or less forced into documenting and extending the ad-hoc engine protocol to support them. The document that exists now (chess-engines.html) evolved directly from the original email reply I sent to Shay. Unfortunately, because the protocol was never really designed, but just grew out of documenting the existing communication with GNU Chess, there are still several bugs and deficiencies in it today. It would be nice to make some major revisions, but then of course it would (at best) take a long time for the existing engines to convert over to the new protocol, so both would have to be supported, probably forever.
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=Chess protocols=
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Winboard supports only [[Chess Engine Communication Protocol]]. However, UCI's chess engines can run with Winboard via some adapters such as [[PolyGlot]], [[UCI2WB]] ones.
 +
 
 +
=Pros and Cons=
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Winboard was the first-ever and unique for a while chess [[GUI|graphical user interface]] with good and very fast graphics, various functions, almost enough for general users. However, some users criticize it since it does not support directly UCI's chess engines as well as it has old-style, complicated and hard to use interface. Not supporting directly UCI engines is a huge disadvantage since almost all new and/or strong chess engines nowadays are UCI ones. It is also the main reason why recently there are so few computer chess tournaments using Winboard as a [[Tournament Manager]] even it has enough functions to do that task.
  
 
=See also=  
 
=See also=  
 
* [[Chess Engine Communication Protocol]]  
 
* [[Chess Engine Communication Protocol]]  
 
* [[CPW-Engine_com]]
 
* [[CPW-Engine_com]]
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* [[PolyGlot]]
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* [[Tournament Manager]]
 
* [[UCI]]
 
* [[UCI]]
* [[Tournament Manager]]
 
 
* [[:Category:WinBoard|WinBoard Engines]]
 
* [[:Category:WinBoard|WinBoard Engines]]
 
* [[XBoard]]
 
* [[XBoard]]
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* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45325 Winboard protocol and fractional increments] by [[Jon Dart]], [[CCC]], September 25, 2012 » [[Time Management]]
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45325 Winboard protocol and fractional increments] by [[Jon Dart]], [[CCC]], September 25, 2012 » [[Time Management]]
 
'''2013'''
 
'''2013'''
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46721 Tool to recreate PGN from winboard.debug?] by [[Sven Schüle]], [[CCC]], January 01, 2013 » [[Portable Game Notation]] <ref>[http://www.reocities.com/lyapko/winboard.htm Lyapko George's WinBoard related page] (outdated) by [[George Lyapko]]</ref>
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* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46721 Tool to recreate PGN from winboard.debug?] by [[Sven Schüle]], [[CCC]], January 01, 2013 » [[Portable Game Notation]] <ref>[http://www.oocities.org/siliconvalley/lab/6606/winboard.htm Lyapko George's WinBoard related page] (outdated) by [[George Lyapko]]</ref>
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47292 WinBoard 4.7.0 released (with CCT support!)] by [[Harm Geert Muller]], [[CCC]], February 21, 2013 » [[CCT15]]
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47292 WinBoard 4.7.0 released (with CCT support!)] by [[Harm Geert Muller]], [[CCC]], February 21, 2013 » [[CCT15]]
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=49164 WinBoard 4.7.2 released] by [[Harm Geert Muller]], [[CCC]], August 29, 2013
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=49164 WinBoard 4.7.2 released] by [[Harm Geert Muller]], [[CCC]], August 29, 2013
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* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=66686 about using winboard] by [[Uri Blass]], [[CCC]], February 25, 2018
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=66686 about using winboard] by [[Uri Blass]], [[CCC]], February 25, 2018
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=66745 UCI vs Winboard question] by [[Michael Sherwin]], [[CCC]], March 05, 2018 » [[UCI]]
 
* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=66745 UCI vs Winboard question] by [[Michael Sherwin]], [[CCC]], March 05, 2018 » [[UCI]]
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'''2020...'''
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* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=80192 Re: What GUI you use and why?] by [[Harm Geert Muller]], [[CCC]], July 1, 2020
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* [http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=80342 How to pass UCI parameters to Xboard?] by [[Gautam Buddha]], [[CCC]], July 21, 2020
  
 
=External Links=  
 
=External Links=  
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** <span id="TournamentManager"></span>[https://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/whats_new/4.6.0/index.html What is new in WinBoard / XBoard 4.6.0?]
 
** <span id="TournamentManager"></span>[https://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/whats_new/4.6.0/index.html What is new in WinBoard / XBoard 4.6.0?]
 
*** [https://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/whats_new/4.6.0/TM.html XBoard tourney-manager function] » [[Tournament Manager]]
 
*** [https://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/whats_new/4.6.0/TM.html XBoard tourney-manager function] » [[Tournament Manager]]
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** [https://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/whats_new/4.7.0/index.html What is new in WinBoard / XBoard 4.7.0?]
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** [https://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/whats_new/4.8.0/index.html What is new in WinBoard / XBoard 4.8.0?]
 
** [https://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/whats_new/4.9.0/index.html What is new in WinBoard / XBoard 4.9.0?]
 
** [https://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/whats_new/4.9.0/index.html What is new in WinBoard / XBoard 4.9.0?]
 
==[[Tim Mann]] & [[Harm Geert Muller|H.G. Muller]]==
 
==[[Tim Mann]] & [[Harm Geert Muller|H.G. Muller]]==
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* [http://walkofmind.com/programming/chess/winboard_x.htm Tinkering with Winboard...] by [[Alessandro Scotti]]
 
* [http://walkofmind.com/programming/chess/winboard_x.htm Tinkering with Winboard...] by [[Alessandro Scotti]]
 
** [http://walkofmind.com/programming/chess/xboard.htm Winboard/XBoard UML state diagram] by [[Alessandro Scotti]]
 
** [http://walkofmind.com/programming/chess/xboard.htm Winboard/XBoard UML state diagram] by [[Alessandro Scotti]]
* [http://www.reocities.com/lyapko/winboard.htm Lyapko George's WinBoard related page] (outdated) by [[George Lyapko]] <ref>[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46721 Tool to recreate PGN from winboard.debug?] by [[Sven Schüle]], [[CCC]], January 01, 2013 » [[Portable Game Notation]]</ref>  
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* [http://www.oocities.org/siliconvalley/lab/6606/winboard.htm Lyapko George's WinBoard related page] (outdated) by [[George Lyapko]] <ref>[http://www.talkchess.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=46721 Tool to recreate PGN from winboard.debug?] by [[Sven Schüle]], [[CCC]], January 01, 2013 » [[Portable Game Notation]]</ref>  
 
* [http://www.horizonchess.com/FAQ/Winboard/index.html FAQ on Winboard and Chess Engines] by [[Aaron Tay]], hosted by [[Ron Murawski]]
 
* [http://www.horizonchess.com/FAQ/Winboard/index.html FAQ on Winboard and Chess Engines] by [[Aaron Tay]], hosted by [[Ron Murawski]]
 
* [http://horizonchess.com/FAQ/Winboard/confusion.html What can Winboard do?] by [[Aaron Tay]], March 01, 2002, hosted by [[Ron Murawski]]
 
* [http://horizonchess.com/FAQ/Winboard/confusion.html What can Winboard do?] by [[Aaron Tay]], March 01, 2002, hosted by [[Ron Murawski]]

Latest revision as of 04:13, 23 July 2022

Home * User Interface * GUI * WinBoard

WinBoard is a graphical user interface for the Chess Engine Communication Protocol under the Windows operating system, also called the WinBoard protocol, initially designed and developed by Tim Mann based on XBoard. In 2009, Harm Geert Muller became the main developer and proposed a protocol definition [1], also covering Chess Variants with different board sizes.

Screenshot

Xboard-4.4.0-petite.png

WinBoard 4.4.0 running GNU Chess]


Quotes

Tim Mann's quote from an Interview by Frank Quisinsky, April 2000 [2]:

Originally, xboard and WinBoard were simply graphical user interfaces for GNU Chess, then for GNU Chess and Internet chess servers. Because the GUI and the chess engine are separate programs, several people thought of the idea of connecting their own chess programs in place of GNU Chess, and they began to email me asking how to do it. I think the first person to ask was Shay Bushinsky, in November 1994. Over the years I received so many requests for this information that I was more or less forced into documenting and extending the ad-hoc engine protocol to support them. The document that exists now (chess-engines.html) evolved directly from the original email reply I sent to Shay. Unfortunately, because the protocol was never really designed, but just grew out of documenting the existing communication with GNU Chess, there are still several bugs and deficiencies in it today. It would be nice to make some major revisions, but then of course it would (at best) take a long time for the existing engines to convert over to the new protocol, so both would have to be supported, probably forever. 

Chess protocols

Winboard supports only Chess Engine Communication Protocol. However, UCI's chess engines can run with Winboard via some adapters such as PolyGlot, UCI2WB ones.

Pros and Cons

Winboard was the first-ever and unique for a while chess graphical user interface with good and very fast graphics, various functions, almost enough for general users. However, some users criticize it since it does not support directly UCI's chess engines as well as it has old-style, complicated and hard to use interface. Not supporting directly UCI engines is a huge disadvantage since almost all new and/or strong chess engines nowadays are UCI ones. It is also the main reason why recently there are so few computer chess tournaments using Winboard as a Tournament Manager even it has enough functions to do that task.

See also

Forum Posts

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2012

2013

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2016

2017

2018

2020...

External Links

References