chessbase = cheating

Ok,so I use chessbase (the database software) when I have various longish variations to consider.Why?Because the analysis board here is crap.Simple.

But some time ago it dawned on me that at times it's actually a form of cheating.
Why?Two reasons:
1) you can't make an illegal move!
2) when you click on a piece a square will be higlighted de facto suggesting a move.This will often be rubbish but it can also be a great move which you hadn't considered!

Think about it.

toet.

I don't consider the first point to be cheating, really.

The second point, yeah.

yeah...its cheating..

Turn off heumas in your options and that gets rid of the move suggestions. I use chessbase not only for my analysis board but also for cataloging all the games I have played, openings book etc.

But yes, if you have heumas turned on then you are doing a low grade form of cheating.

Interesting point.
I think a lot of us have been 'cheating.' (albeit completely without malice).

First of all.

You should be able to turn off that square highlighter.

It can be classed as dodgy but it only shows you the move
for that piece. If there was a good move in the position involving
another piece it would not show it.

(Unless of course you started clicking every piece on the board).

Agree site analyse board is naff but running chessbase sounds like a bore.

Winboard (4.3.2) fires up instantly and is superb at flicking the bits about
and for copying and pasting on here.
You can run 2 WB's at the same time. One stores game the other is for
flicking the bits about looking at ideas.

And now the interesting bit:

However this too can be a form of cheating because it does state
checkmate by showing a # symbol.

Now I think I'm good enough to spot a checkmate when I see one
and cannot recall any game where I have made a move that accidently
checkmated someone. ('cept in Blitz).

But you could argue that anyone who uses any software to look at
a game and that software shows a checkmate has just been played is cheating. 😲

(there must be 100's of guys who have admitted they use CB or another
form of software to look at their games without an engine...we are all doomed).

I have turned off the illegal move check and you can move after checkmate
but have not figured out how to stop it displaying the # symbol.

Because I don't run an engine with WB I have a few options 'greyed out'
don't know if one of them could stop it. (need boffins help again).

I use an empty version (no engine) when you download it you will
be offered an engine. 'say no' but when it fires up it will always ask
you which engine you want to use. (a pain in the ass).

One of the boffins on here fixed this for me.

You add '/ncp' to the first line of the winoard.ini file.
(you may have to change the settings from 'read only'.)

The first line on my Winboard.ini looks like this.

/ncp
/whitePieceColor=#ffffcc
/blackPieceColor=#202020
etc...

It now just opens up without asking for an engine.

But that is today's question.

Me (and others) are using a chess program that does not suggest moves
or give a position evaluation or anything like that but it will say when
a postion is in checkmate.
Is that cheating?

(remember there was no intent on foul play. I never even thought
about it until this thread appeared.)

I've been using Winboard since 2008. 😳

(Fat Lady recommend it to me...blame him/her).

EinZweiDrei
An example: I set up a position from a game here on my wooden set & board and work out a variation leading to mate in 7.
somewhere in the line,let's say 5 moves in,I overlook I'm in check.This check refutes my entire variation because my 6th move was illegal.
Chessbase would point out my error and allow me to find a different course of play.With my set & board I'd probably have lost the game right there.
You think this is completely fair?

nimzo
I have tried to turn it off,annoyed by the fact that releasing the piece lands it on the highlighted square,but didn't see how 🙁
Edit: I just found it.Much better now.Thanks! 🙂.

greenpawn
Didn't think about the checkmate symbol.Good call!
3 reasons now 🙂

toet.

I don't think CB lets you play illegal moves even after checkmate.
It won't let you move if you are still in check (so that's five).

WB does but you will alwsy get a # symbol.

I'm sure RHP does as well but do have any GIPS to see if
it goes past or announces checkmate.
My main gripe with the RHP thing was it was so slow and clumsy.

Does winboard have a standard way of creating an engine? I wrote a simple chess engine about 6 months back in an XNA game. I never quite finished it-would be nice to see what their engine api is to see how close I got; esp the datastructure which describes the board.

And on that note, since I think the original question has been answered-engines aren't allowed, and I'd never use one, but what if it was the engine I wrote from scratch? I had considered if the engine I was writing could ever beat a monkey or Paris Hilton asking permission to make an account just for the engine.

I have no idea what it can do.
You are talking to the wrong guy about the techno stuff.

I just know it's a plain shell of a thing that let you make moves for both sides
and is easy and painless to use.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
I have turned off the illegal move check and you can move after checkmate
but have not figured out how to stop it displaying the # symbol.

Because I don't run an engine with WB I have a few options 'greyed out'
don't know if one of them could stop it. (need boffins help again).

I can't figure out how to stop it from showing the # symbol. :'(

Originally posted by Darax The Good
Does winboard have a standard way of creating an engine? I wrote a simple chess engine about 6 months back in an XNA game. I never quite finished it-would be nice to see what their engine api is to see how close I got; esp the datastructure which describes the board.

And on that note, since I think the original question has been answered-engines d ever beat a monkey or Paris Hilton asking permission to make an account just for the engine.

There are standard Winboard and UCI communication protocols. Don't ask me any questions, because I'm completely ignorant on the subject. 🙂

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_Engine_Communication_Protocol


Edit: To be clear, I don't think Winboard cares how an engine is built or how it works. It only cares if the engine communicates to the Winboard GUI according to the communication protocol.

I am having senior moment....
Post all over the place.

(Hi Mad Rook).

But I have no engine - just a plain piece mover and Winboard
as I have noticed is butting in telling me it's mate.
Even though - see below it comes from an illegal move.

These computers are a load of crap.

Ignore me...

It's lets me play Bf8 to h4 mate! But still tells me it's a mate.

It even lets me copy the game but I cannot pgn it.

1. f3 e6 2. g4 Qh4# {Black mates} 0-1

It even lets me copy the game but I cannot pgn it.

1. f3 e6 2. g4 Qh4# {Black mates} 0-1[/b]

Had two RHP windows open and triple posted
trying to correct the first one.

I gave a brief look at the Winboard place but it's all niffy naff.

So even when you have the legality check off it is still doing something
in the background.

Originally posted by toeternitoe
Ok,so I use chessbase (the database software) when I have various longish variations to consider.Why?Because the analysis board here is crap.Simple.

But some time ago it dawned on me that at times it's actually a form of cheating.
Why?Two reasons:
1) you can't make an illegal move!
2) when you click on a piece a square will be higlighted de facto s ...[text shortened]... bish but it can also be a great move which you hadn't considered!

Think about it.

toet.

I'm not sure if you're talking about the stand-alone software (which I'm not familiar with) or the free online opening database at chesslive.de (the latter did not have a square highlighting function, at least with the browser I use, the last time I checked -- I haven't used opening databases with any of my games here, as a matter of personal policy). I just went to the site to see if it was an updated function, but don't see any square highlighting. The most you get are win/loss percentages for any given move, not a suggestion for any specific move. You have to make a move before receiving any statistical information about it.