1. SubscriberRuss
    RHP Code Monkey
    RHP HQ
    Joined
    21 Feb '01
    Moves
    2396
    05 Feb '08 11:101 edit
    The issue last week (Thread 86184) has resulted in the game history being switched off for all affected games. It is now possible to fix any missing entries from a game history. The following comments are reposted from another thread.


    http://www.redhotpawn.com/gameanalysis/gamefix.php?gameid=xxxxxx

    Replace xxxxxx with the id for the corrupt game id.

    This tool is rather unsophisticated. Things to note before diving in :

    a) The missing moves must be restored from memory.
    b) Games with the first move missing cannot be fixed.
    c) Errors made when restoring moves cannot be fixed.
    Update :

    http://www.redhotpawn.com/gameanalysis/gamefixclean.php?gameid=nnnnn

    To remove an incorrect restored move.


    d) Either player in a game can attempt to restore missing moves.
    e) No restored moves are verified, so if you make a mistake, that
    mistake will be recorded.
    f) Move dates will be recorded as a time within the outage, and are not accurate.
    g) Each restored move will have a chat message saying [Restored move] against it. This cannot be edited.

    Within a few weeks, all games stored at RHP will be tested for completeness and correctness. Any failing this test will have their history removed altogether.

    So, if a game move is restored incorrectly or has not been restored at all, and the game history does not result in the current known correct game state, the history will be deleted for that game. (Note : the game itself will not be removed, just the history) This process must happen because storing any corrupt game history data will no doubt cause problems in the future if the accuracy cannot be depended on.

    So if you do intend to try and restore you games, please do it ASAP. It is not easy to do, so good luck to all those who attempt it!

    Q: Just to clarify, does the game in question have to be complete?
    A: No, the game can be in progress.

    Q: The tool is counting in half moves. So the second half of move 7 (i.e. 7....Bg7) is really move 14 as far as this tool is concerned. Correct?
    A: Yes, it is counting in half moves.

    Q: I need to enter that as "Bf8g7". Or can I just enter Bg7?
    A : You will need to fully qualify both the original position of the piece, and its destination. "f8g7". You will need the full 4 characters for every restored move.

    Q : There is only 1 Submit button. So I assume that a new one will appear for move 15 after I have submitted move move 14.
    A : Yes, just fill in the gaps, 1 move at a time. When all moves have been entered, you will be informed that the history is complete


    -Russ
  2. Standard memberJohn of Reading
    Scotch addict
    Joined
    13 Jun '05
    Moves
    15520
    05 Feb '08 13:12
    (Repeated from the end of the earlier thread)

    Thank you, Russ, that was quick work. I've been able to fix three of the four games affected by the mishap.

    Two problems:

    (1) Game 3638384

    My first try at using the "gamefix" URL for this game jumped me to the RHP home page instead, and my second and later tries say:

    "Game 3638384 cannot be fixed
    This game has a complete history, but it is corrupt and now cannot be fixed."

    The game history is not complete. The "game log" popup shows that the move 11 ... Nc6 x d4, is missing.

    (2) Game 3122675

    The "Game History" page says the game has no history, yet the "game log" popup has all the data. This game finished last February.

    Is it possible that valid game history is being misidentified as corrupt?
  3. Milton Keynes, UK
    Joined
    28 Jul '04
    Moves
    80156
    05 Feb '08 13:211 edit
    Ouch, made a mistake and corrupted one of my games. 😕

    EDIT: Make that 2 games. 🙁
  4. Standard memberIchibanov
    King of slow
    Joined
    12 Oct '06
    Moves
    14424
    05 Feb '08 15:531 edit
    I've been using the tool and it works great! Thanks for setting this up.

    If I could suggest something though...🙂

    It's be even better if there was a link to the fixing screen from the game itself. Maybe a hyperlink in either the red "This game is incomplete" note or down where the game history would be. Or is there such a handy link and I've missed it?

    If people need to cut-n-paste to fix each game, I'm thinking it's a lot less likely they'll use the tool. Which is a shame because it really does fix the problem nicely.

    [edit]

    Also, I'd suggest a slightly longer timeframe for testing and deleting games. Taking into account time for knowledge of this tool to percolate through the community, and then for people to get around to using it, it seems like at least a few months might be a better deadline. But I'm not familiar with the issues related to the corruption, so if there's an overriding reason to get rid of the corrupted game-scores ASAP then so be it.
  5. The sky
    Joined
    05 Apr '05
    Moves
    10385
    05 Feb '08 19:53
    Does this affect in-game messages? And does the complete removal of the game history if you don't use the tool affect in-game messages?
  6. Standard memberJohn of Reading
    Scotch addict
    Joined
    13 Jun '05
    Moves
    15520
    05 Feb '08 20:26
    Originally posted by lausey
    Ouch, made a mistake and corrupted one of my games.
    It wouldn't be too hard to allow people another go, maybe. The restored entries in the move history can be identified by their timestamp and the text "Restored move".
  7. Johannesburg
    Joined
    02 May '04
    Moves
    13066
    05 Feb '08 20:491 edit
    Originally posted by Russ
    The issue last week (Thread 86184) has resulted in the game history being switched off for all affected games. It is now possible to fix any missing entries from a game history. The following comments are reposted from another thread.

    ...

    Within a few weeks, all games stored at RHP will be tested for completeness and correctness. Any fa ...[text shortened]... o doubt cause problems in the future if the accuracy cannot be depended on.

    ...

    -Russ
    Hi Russ,

    I'm curious, how are the affected games identified?

    Pardon me for mistrusting the process, but I have one game in particular Game 4448112 that seems to be correct, but is flagged as having a corrupt game history.

    I do recall seeing one error when game history was still available; but when I went to fix the game, I received the following error.


    Game 4448112 cannot be fixed
    This game has a complete history, but it is corrupt and now cannot be fixed.


    When I look at the game log, everything appears to be correct; in terms of both legal moves, and my memory of the game!
    Also there are no messages indicating any attempts to fix the game.

    It's as if the game log has always been correct, but the history is not?!

    Here's the PGN of the game as it stands at the moment:

    1. e4 c5 2. Ng1f3 Nb8c6 3. d4 e5 4. dxe5 d6 5. Bf1b5 Qd8a5 6. Nb1c3 Qa5c7
    7. Bc1f4 dxe5 8. Bf4xe5 Qc7d7 9. Nc3d5 Bf8d6 10. Be5xg7 a6 11. Bb5xc6 bxc6
    12. Nd5b6 Qd7g4 13. Bg7xh8 Ra8b8 14. Nb6xc8 Rb8xc8 15. Qd1xd6 Qg4xg2
    16. Rh1g1 1-0


    Please look into this, I don't want my game to be deleted unnecessarily 😕
  8. hirsute rooster
    Joined
    13 Apr '05
    Moves
    20376
    05 Feb '08 21:33
    Originally posted by John of Reading
    It wouldn't be too hard to allow people another go, maybe. The restored entries in the move history can be identified by their timestamp and the text "Restored move".
    You're making assumptions on how the data is stored - it might not be possible to easily 'undo'.

    However, I agree - if it is possible to re-set the game, it'd help with people like me who used their thumbs to type and put in 'a6a5' instead of 'c6c5' when restoring a move 😞

    Shame to lose the entire history of a game because of poor typing of one half move.
  9. Milton Keynes, UK
    Joined
    28 Jul '04
    Moves
    80156
    05 Feb '08 22:03
    I have successfully restored one of my games. 🙂

    If you cannot recall what moves have been played from the starting position, I find the easiest way is to work backwards. Set up a separate board in the final position and try and trace back to the position just before the set of moves which have been lost (noting down the pieces that have moved, the starting position and ending position for each move). You would have to take into account pieces that have been taken, which is the tricky bit, but if you cross reference previous spaces where your opponent has moved to, you usually can work out what piece was there previously.

    Once you are in the in the position just after the lost moves, you then compare the first position and your position and you try and "fill in the blanks". Work out what pieces differ.
  10. Johannesburg
    Joined
    02 May '04
    Moves
    13066
    05 Feb '08 23:06
    Question:
    I have a game where O-O is the missing move. Do I just enter the King's move? (I wouldn't want to make a mistake while there's no Ctrl-Z.)
  11. Standard memberRagnorak
    For RHP addons...
    tinyurl.com/yssp6g
    Joined
    16 Mar '04
    Moves
    15013
    05 Feb '08 23:14
    Originally posted by craigy
    Question:
    I have a game where O-O is the missing move. Do I just enter the King's move? (I wouldn't want to make a mistake while there's no Ctrl-Z.)
    Just a hunch here, but why not try O-O?

    D
  12. Standard memberArrakis
    D_U_N_E
    Account suspended
    Joined
    01 May '04
    Moves
    64653
    05 Feb '08 23:40
    Originally posted by Ragnorak
    Just a hunch here, but why not try O-O?

    D
    That might just work. I was trying to restore my game with Korch even though it's a lost game, but was having trouble because both my rooks could move to c1 and when I entered "rac1" I got the message "invalid move".

    It took me a couple of minutes to realize that RHP only supports the long, old fashioned algebraic notation. "a1c1" worked.
  13. Johannesburg
    Joined
    02 May '04
    Moves
    13066
    05 Feb '08 23:45
    Originally posted by Ragnorak
    Just a hunch here, but why not try O-O?

    D
    Because if it toasts the history, then there's no recovery. (yet - hint hint to Russ)
  14. Johannesburg
    Joined
    02 May '04
    Moves
    13066
    05 Feb '08 23:52
    All games fixed bar 4.

    Two, the missing move is castling.

    And two claim to be corrupt, but I cannot see anything wrong in the game log. 😕

    Game 4448112
    Game 4451993
  15. Standard memberIchibanov
    King of slow
    Joined
    12 Oct '06
    Moves
    14424
    06 Feb '08 03:25
    For castling, move the king from it's home square to the destination square. So e1g1 for white to castle kingside. I've done this and it works. It even makes sense as that's the way you castle via the graphical interface.
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