Revolutionizing handheld chess: Glaurung 2 for the iPhone

[Tord Romstad]

Hi all,

Glaurung 2.0 is now available from the App Store, for all units running iOS 4.0.

The really big new feature in this version is that it allows you to run the chess engine remotely, on your home computer. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can enjoy the strength and power of a chess program running on a powerful desktop computer, while watching its moves and analysis on your phone. The protocol used to communicate with the remote engine is designed with the goal of minimizing the amount of data sent and received. Playing a full game takes less data transfer than reading an average e-mail, so you don't have to worry about big phone bills when using the remote engine feature.

In order to use the remote engine feature, you'll first have to download a program called "GlaurungServer" from the Glaurung web site. Currently, it's only available for Mac OS X and 32-bit Windows. Binaries for the other major platforms will follow shortly. Please note that the 32-bit Windows binary does not work in 64-bit Windows.

I plan to document the remote engine server protocol later, in case other programmers want to use it in their programs. I hope it will eventually become a standard feature in all handheld chess programs.

There are also a number of other improvements, including better graphics, support for the high-resolution display of the new iPhone 4, and an upgraded chess engine (Stockfish 1.7.1).

Have fun!

[swami]

Fantastic!

Thanks for your effort, Tord!

[Tord Romstad]

There are also a number of other improvements, including better graphics, support for the high-resolution display of the new iPhone 4, and an upgraded chess engine (Stockfish 1.7.1).

I forgot one of the most important new features: Support for import and export of PGN files.

[Robert Weck]

There are also a number of other improvements, including better graphics, support for the high-resolution display of the new iPhone 4, and an upgraded chess engine (Stockfish 1.7.1).

I forgot one of the most important new features: Support for import and export of PGN files.

Great news, thank you!

Too bad, that it requires iOS4, because i wanted to wait a little with the iOS-upgrade, at least until the first corrected version comes along.

Any plans for an Android version? i would love to see one! Until now, there is not even one good chess program in the Android market, that i know of! You would be absolutely unrivaled there...


best regards,
Robert

[mcostalba]

Hi all,

Glaurung 2.0 is now available from the App Store, for all units running iOS 4.0.

The really big new feature in this version is that it allows you to run the chess engine remotely, on your home computer. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can enjoy the strength and power of a chess program running on a powerful desktop computer, while watching its moves and analysis on your phone. The protocol used to communicate with the remote engine is designed with the goal of minimizing the amount of data sent and received. Playing a full game takes less data transfer than reading an average e-mail, so you don't have to worry about big phone bills when using the remote engine feature.

In order to use the remote engine feature, you'll first have to download a program called "GlaurungServer" from the Glaurung web site. Currently, it's only available for Mac OS X and 32-bit Windows. Binaries for the other major platforms will follow shortly. Please note that the 32-bit Windows binary does not work in 64-bit Windows.

I plan to document the remote engine server protocol later, in case other programmers want to use it in their programs. I hope it will eventually become a standard feature in all handheld chess programs.

There are also a number of other improvements, including better graphics, support for the high-resolution display of the new iPhone 4, and an upgraded chess engine (Stockfish 1.7.1).

Have fun!

Congratulations for your effort, Tord.

I think this is a really new groundbreaking release for playing chess on a mobile, much more then some xx increase of ELO

Now you can play chess without void your batteries in 20 minutes, and this is really something new and effective. Many will follow...commercials included.

[Rubinus]

And Windows Mobile? I have HTC Diamond ...
Best Regards Pavel Háse

[Tord Romstad]

Too bad, that it requires iOS4, because i wanted to wait a little with the iOS-upgrade, at least until the first corrected version comes along.

Sorry about that. Some of the new features -- most notably import/export of PGN files -- require features added in iOS4. With some extra effort, it would have been possible to use the new iOS4 features while still maintaining compatibility with earlier versions (although not all features would work there, of course), perhaps I should consider doing that in future versions.

Any plans for an Android version?

No, not at the moment. Supporting multiple GUI platforms is hard work, and as an amateur with no financial motivation, it is most fun to develop for devices I own myself.

Of course, since Stockfish is free software, anyone who wants is free to develop an Android program based on it.

i would love to see one! Until now, there is not even one good chess program in the Android market, that i know of! You would be absolutely unrivaled there...

One of the luxuries of being a free software developer is that I am completely unrivaled on all platforms. I have no rivals, just some company.

[Max]

Thanks Tord,

this are great news for all apple users. The perfect reason for an upgrade to iOS 4 ... even on my old iPod touch 2nd generation (without the multitasking feature).

All went well, but in analyse mode of this position



Glaurung 2.0 terminates every time after about 15 seconds (shortly after the screenshot was done).

Is this an issue only on my iPod?

All the best,
Max

[Tord Romstad]

And Windows Mobile? I have HTC Diamond ...

Even less likely than an Android version, I'm afraid. As far as I know, you need a Windows machine to develop Windows Mobile programs. I don't do Windows, and I don't understand Windows.

I am not talking to you or anyone else in particular, but in general I sometimes feel a little disappointed that so many complain that I don't port to all available platforms, and that so few are willing to do the job themselves.

[Tord Romstad]

Hi Max!

All went well, but in analyse mode of this position



Glaurung 2.0 terminates every time after about 15 seconds (shortly after the screenshot was done).

Is this an issue only on my iPod?

No, it isn't. I can reproduce it on my iPhone 3G. Thanks for the bug report!