Chess Client v1.41

Chess Client v1.41 is a graphical interface for playing chess on the internet chess servers, FICS (Free Internet Chess Server) and ICC (Internet Chess Club). It is distributed as Freeware, meaning that while there are no charges for using it, it is still under full copyright protection with all rights reserved.

If you don't know what internet chess servers, FICS, or ICC are, don't worry. Just download Chess Client and you can be playing chess on the internet for free in minutes. All you need is Windows 95 or NT and a standard internet connection.

If you have any artistic talents and are interested in helping with the graphical side of CClient, please email me.

• Games sought graph.
• Autosave games.
• Interactive move list.
• Custimizable wave file sound for many events.
• Fully sizeable, true 3D board and pieces with customizable perspective and colors.
• 2D board and click-and-drag or click-and-click move options.
• Real-time (i.e., self-updating), customizable lists for things like games played, players available, games sought, server commands, players in a certain channel, messages, etc.
• Click on handles, game numbers, etc., in the terminal and list areas for matching, tells, observing, assessing, etc.
• User-definable colors/fonts for Says, Tells, etc.
• Unparalleled Bughouse chess variant support, with display of pieces held for all players and click-and-drag to drop.
• Full FICS Suicide variant support including promotion to kings.
• Easy configuration of connections and match/seek options.
• Automation of many common commands.
• Observe up to 4 games simultaneously without having to manage multiple windows with 16 user-definable messages.
• Popup chat system activated by clicking on handles or receiving tells or says.
• Built in Time Stamp for ICC and Time Seal for FICS.
• Context-sensitive help system.
• Unlimited number of user-definable commands available from a drop-down list.
• Multiple profiles with password protection.

New in Version 1.41

• Games sought graph (on the Sought tab).
• Autosave games in CC and/or PGN format.
• Ability to define multiple profiles with passwords.
• Option to turn off "game over" messages (Settings\General\Terminal tab).
• Indication of piece being dragged in bughouse.
• Improved ICC compatibility.
• Auto-popup of chat window disabled when viewing the board tab.
• Minor bug fixes.

New in Version 1.4

• Revamped mouse actions: up to 30 customizable actions now accessed by right-clicking, with improved copy & paste support.
• Hyper-text for web pages and email address. Just click to browse or email.
• Show coordinates option for boards.
• Word-wrapping instead of horizontal scroll bar.
• Ignore "Thanks" after game option.
• Stay-on-top property of Chat Window and Boards in Separate Windows can be turned off by right-clicking.
• Ability to turn off sounds for all but the first board.
• Fix for PGN Export standardized headings (i.e., [Event "ICS Game"] instead of [EVENT: ICS Game].
• New default sounds for tells and moves.

New in Version 1.3

• Interactive move list.
• Save/Load games, export as PGN.
• Custimizable wave file sound for many events.
• Fix for occasion painting problem in chat and terminal windows.
• Kibitzes, whispers, etc., will now go to the selected board if multiples are displayed.

New in Version 1.23

• New Staunton 2d piece set.
• Option for seperate windows for boards.

New in Version 1.22

• Built-in Time Seal for FICS.
• Updates for changes in FICS server messages.

New in Version 1.2

• Pick up pieces on opponent's move--requested by lightning players.
• Minor bug fixes.

New in Version 1.1

• Add, remove, and edit an unlimited number of self-updating lists: defaults include sought games, who's available, games being played, server commands, messages, who's in the bug channel, bugwho, and who's in your notification list.
• User-definable fonts and colors for Tells, Says, Channel Tells, Shouts, PTells, etc.
• 16 alias buttons send user-defined messages instantly.
• Customizable and new mouse-actions: finger, tell, message, play, match, history, assess, pstat, partner, help, observe, variable, +notify, and -notify any user or thing with a single mouse click.
• Auto-promotion on/off option.
• A new 2D piece set.
• Chat window remembers playing/not playing sizes and positions.
• PTell and Message added to chat window.
• Unlimited number of user-definable commands available in drop-down list.
• Different board properties/positions remember for single/multiple games shown.

Required

• Windows 95 or Windows NT
• A 32-bit TCP/IP Internet connection--i.e, a WSock32.dll. Winsock.dll's are 16-bit and will not work. The Windows 95 'Dial-Up Networking' provides a 32-bit TCP/IP Stack. If you can use 32-bit Netscape or Internet Explorer, you have one.

Recommended

• At least 800x600x256 display resolution.

If you don't like the piece sets in CClient, or just think you could do better, I will consider user-drawn sets for inclusion in CClient. To draw a piece set for CClient, use any painting program, such as MS Paint included with Win 95. Set the image attributes to 60 pixels wide by 60 pixels high and 256 colors. This 60x60 area represents the size of the square the piece will be in, so draw the piece in the center with some room left around the edges. Draw one image for each piece and save them in BMP format with names like "King.bmp", etc. Then just email them to me--if I like them or think others might, I'll include them in the program and credit you for them.

Note these pieces will be scaled, so try not to include too much detail in the pieces, as this does not scale well. Also, black outlines help pieces show up better against the squares. If you want users to be able to change the colors of the pieces as they can with the default sets, limit your colors to 4 representing shading levels, plus black.

You must have rights to any pieces you submit, please. Don't just copy the piece sets from commercial chess programs, etc.

FICS (Free Internet Chess Server). One of the servers you can use with CClient.

ICC (Internet Chess Club). Another server you can use with CClient. Charges for full usage, but has a free trial period.

ECTool. A shareware play-by-mail chess program.

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