--- /dev/null
+.question.
+ Where should I start?
+.answer.
+ The "Variants" menu on top contains the list of all playable games.
+ If you know what you want, the "prefix" filter might be useful.
+ Then, read the rules, and optionally watch an example game or play a game
+ against the computer. Keep in mind that the "engine" is generally quite weak.
+ It's here for illustration and learning purpose only.
+
+.question.
+ The bot is too weak! Where should I continue?
+.answer
+ | I'm glad you ask. Since I believe that a place is more fun with nice people
+ | around, the next step is to play against humans.
+ | Go to main "Hall" (upper left menu), and first look if a live or
+ | correspondance challenge interests you. If yes just click on it. Challenges
+ | highlighted in orange are targeted: someone wants to play against you,
+ | specifically, optionally from a custom starting position.
+ | If there aren't any interesting challenge, then click on "New game" in the
+ | upper right corner. Select a variant, and
+ ul
+ li.
+ Adjust the cadence: format is
+ 'main time + increment' with default units minutes and seconds.
+ If the main time is given in days then the game is considered by
+ correspondance.
+ li.
+ Select the randomness level: 'deterministic' always show the same setup,
+ the one you are generally used to.
+ | You can also click on "Who's there" and select a player to
+ | challenge. The "memorize" checkbox allows to store the challenge settings
+ | to re-issue it in one click later.
+
+.question.
+ I'm bored of being anonymous, I want a name!
+.answer.
+ Very good idea: click on "Login" in the upper right corner, and then switch
+ to the registration view (using the link appearing in dark red).
+ Only a username and an email are required.
+ Once signed up, you should log in within the next 24 hours or your 'account'
+ will be deleted (you can re-do this process anytime later of course).
+ This will also allow you to play correspondance games.
+ Note: the authentication is passwordless, as most websites should be.
+
+.question.
+ How can I talk to my opponent? Ask rematch?
+.answer.
+ Just click on the Chat icon on top. It turns purple when new messages arrive.
+ After the game ends, the Swords icon next to it is the rematch button:
+ it turns green when you receive a rematch offer.
+
+.question.
+ I made a bad move, I want to take it back!
+.answer
+ | It's not possible for now. However, there is a way to continue the game:
+ ol
+ li Click on the Analyze button, and go back just before the bad move.
+ li Copy the FEN displayed below the board (the weird long string).
+ li.
+ Go to main Hall, open "New game" window, select your opponent,
+ and then paste the FEN in the appropriate field.
+
+.question.
+ I'm streaming a game, and would like to use arrows and circles.
+.answer.
+ A right click on a square draws a purple circle inside, and a second right
+ click erases it.
+ 'Drag and drop' with the right mouse button from a square to another to draw
+ a purple arrow. Click anywhere with the left mouse button to erase all
+ drawings.
+
+.question.
+ I want to start from a custom position!
+.answer.
+ If the desired position is on a board on the website, just click on the
+ Analyze button (microscope icon), and then copy the string appearing
+ below the board. If the position is in your mind or on a physical board,
+ then you can either try to understand the FEN format by trials and errors
+ from the Analysis mode, or ask me - using the Contact form or on Discord.
+ By the way, FEN are required to post in the "Problems" menu as well.
+
+.question.
+ I want a rating! I want tournaments! I want a new poney!
+.answer.
+ In my experience, caring about a rating only complicate your life,
+ so there won't be any around here. There probably won't be any tournaments
+ support on the website, but some may be organized anyway. Do the pairings
+ somewhere else and ask people to challenge each other.
+
+.question.
+ You said "Problems" menu? What's that?
+.answer.
+ An area where you can upload interesting positions, which could be studies,
+ (self-)mate in 3 and so on. For the moment there is no support for proof
+ games, but you could still provide the final diagram to let people search.
+ Start by looking at the existing problems, and try to solve them :-)
+
+.question.
+ I'm in Hall but cannot see my games!
+.answer.
+ Your games are gathered in "My games" menu on top.
+ If a game is highlighted in orange, then it's your turn: click on it and
+ play! You can have as many running games as you like in either live or
+ correspondance.
+
+.question.
+ Clocks in live games sometimes freeze.
+.answer
+ | The clocks in live games follow a non-standard logic - but sounded, I
+ | believe :-)
+ ul
+ li.
+ If you play a move and then quit the game, your clock will be
+ frozen at its current state until you come back in the game. After his move
+ your opponent will see your clock stopped; he could decide to abort or
+ resign, or
+ li.
+ If your opponent also quits the game after playing, then the time is
+ just frozen - and you can decide to continue it later.
+ | The rational behind this is that you don't know what the opponent played,
+ | so your clock shouldn't be running. Ans it also allows to take a break in
+ | long live games, like maybe 1h30 + 30s.
+
+.question.
+ I bookmarked a fascinating observed game, but the URL no longer works.
+.answer
+ | Live games are stored locally, on browsers only.
+ | If you are only an observer, your browser doesn't even store it, so later
+ | the game won't be reachable if the players and all observers leave the game.
+ | Consequently, the right way to go is
+ ol
+ li Download the game (see the icon on the right),
+ li Import it using the button in "Imported games" tab in "My Games" menu.
+
+.question.
+ I cleaned the website data, and all my live games are gone!
+.answer.
+ They are stored in your browser's database.
+ You just erased it, so the games are gone :-)
+ More flexible cleaning can be achieved: removing cookies is harmless (you'll
+ just need to re-login), as well as removing local storage data (your
+ preferences about board color and sounds will be reset). But touching
+ 'IndexedDB' will remove all local games.
+
+.question.
+ But I would like to remove this specific game, and this one too!
+.answer.
+ Click on the game result area from "My Games" listings, and confirm deletion.
+ If the game is running this will abort it first.
+ Note that correspondance games deleted by only one player are still
+ reachable: they are just hidden for you.
+
+.question.
+ I've a question not answered here!
+.answer.
+ If the answer isn't 42 (are you really sure?), then use the contact form,
+ or ask on Discord :-)
+ See the links in the website footer.
projects / vchess.git / blobdiff