Howcast

How to Use Zappa

Howcast — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 08:55:25 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Learn computer chess terms Learn computer chess terms. An engine is a part of a chess program responsible for game play. A chess user interface is a game’s graphic representation.
TIP: A chess user interface program is separate from, yet complementary to, the chess engine.
Step 2: Buy a commercial version of Zappa Buy a commercial version of Zappa or download an older version for free.
TIP: Zappa can only be used with Linux or operating systems running at least Windows 2000.
Step 3: Download Zappa Download Zappa. See an archive file containing four versions of the Zappa engine. Save the archive to your computer desktop.
Step 4: Open a designation folder on your computer Open a folder on your computer that will be the designated location for the engine. Drag one of the engines from the archive to the opened folder.
Step 5: Download a chess user interface program Download a chess user interface (CUI) program.
TIP: Shredder offers a free 30-day trial of their program. Arena is a free CUI program.
Step 6: Open the chess user interface program Open the chess user interface (CUI) program to install Zappa. Note that Zappa installation processes can vary between CUIs.
Step 7: Play a game of Zappa computer chess Play a game of Zappa computer chess and dream of becoming a chess master.
FACT: Zappa developer Anthony Cozzie named his chess engine after Moon Unit Zappa, Frank Zappa’s daughter.

You Will Need

Computer running Windows or Linux
Internet access
Zappa chess engine program

How to Use Rybka

Howcast — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:46:15 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Learn computer chess terms Learn computer chess terms. A “Chess Engine” recommends moves and provides evaluation scores for chess positions; “PGN” is a format that records game moves in ASCII; and “ELO Rating” is a player skill-level rating feature.
Step 2: Download a free GUI for Rybka Download a free GUI, or Graphical User Interface, made to work with Rybka. Tarrasch is a free downloadable GUI recommended by Rybka developers. Beginners should try a free version.
TIP: Free downloadable Rybka engines work with Rybka 2.2n2, not newer engine versions like Rybka 3.
Step 3: Download a free demo of a commercial GUI Download a free demo of a commercial GUI, such as Aquarium, made to run with the more advanced and powerful Rybka 3 engine. A commercial GUI can be bought as a download or DVD.
TIP: Rybka 3 can also be played online for free at RybkaChess.com without a software download.
Step 4: Learn about the Rybka 3 engine Learn about the Rybka 3 engine. While Rybka 2.2n2 serves as a basic computer chess program for beginners, Rybka 3 has an extensive database that can analyze opening game moves in near-infinite permutations.
Step 5: Download the official Rybka 3 book Download the official Rybka 3 book by Jeroen Noomen. This book is downloaded within a Rybka program in .CTG and .HSH formats. It’s particularly recommended for its analyses of opening moves.
FACT: Deep Blue, an IBM supercomputer, played chess against world chess champion Garry Kasparov and won in fewer than 20 moves.

You Will Need

Computer with Windows
Internet access
Rybka-compatible GUI software
Rybka engine software
Rybka 3 book

How to Win at Chess

Howcast — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 08:32:04 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Develop all your pieces Develop all of your pieces at the start of the chess game by moving them onto the best squares. Don’t just focus on one piece.
TIP: Consult a reference book or DVD, or the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, to learn more about opening moves in chess.
Step 2: Protect pieces Protect a piece from your opponent by waiting before you move pieces to the other side of the chess board. Don’t move pieces past the first 4 rows of squares on your side of the board until you have a clear idea of your plan of attack.
Step 3: Play broadly Cover all your bases and control the central squares by playing your pieces broadly across the whole board.
Step 4: Castle Protect your king. Castle early on in the game.
TIP: Castle on the king side, as the queen side is more vulnerable. Move the king two squares towards the rook, and the rook two squares the opposite way.
Step 5: Hold on to knights Hold on to your knights in the first rounds of the game.
TIP: Knights are more important than bishops at the beginning of a game.
Step 6: Attack when ready Attack your opponent only when you are ready to deal with their counterattack.
Step 7: Use pawns to block Use pawns to block your enemy, and to defend more important pieces when they are in danger.
Step 8: Wait to use the queen Wait until the right time to bring out the queen. The queen will tend to draw a lot of attention from most opponents, so don’t move the piece until you are confident that you know how you are going to use it.
Step 9: Have a plan Have a plan. Have a goal you want each piece to accomplish, and move each one according to that plan to win the game.
FACT: Chess is believed to have originated in India as far back as 600 BCE.

You Will Need

Chess set
Reference book or DVD on opening moves (optional)

How to Play Chess960

Howcast — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:45:48 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Learn Chess960 terms Learn Chess960 terms. “Array” is the initial arrangement of pieces on a board. A “starting piece” is a chess piece that’s part of the initial array.
TIP: The “960” in Chess960 refers to the 960 possible starting moves in a game.
Step 2: Study a numbered chess board diagram Study a numbered chess board diagram in order to notate chess piece positions. A board is 64 squares arranged in eight rows and eight columns.
TIP: Rows are numbered from one to eight. Columns are lettered from left to right, A through H.
Step 3: Place the pawns in traditional board positions Place the pawns in their traditional board positions, rows two and eight respectively.
Step 4: Use online Chess960 randomizers Use online position generators to set up each player’s back row. For example, a randomizer might display the black Knight in the traditional black Queen position.
TIP: A Chess960 board array can be manually randomized by rolling a six-sided die.
Step 5: Know the exceptions to Chess960’s setup rules Know the exceptions to Chess960’s random back row setup rules. The King is always placed between the Rooks. Bishops are on opposite colored squares.
Step 6: Learn how to “castle” in Chess960 Learn that players can only “castle” once per game, allowing you to move your King to safety by jumping over the Rook, or move the King and Rook together.
FACT: In 1972 Bobby Fischer became world champion over Boris Spassky. After a 20-year retirement, he beat Spassky again in 1992.

You Will Need

Chess set
Numbered chess board diagram
Internet access
Six-sided die (optional)

How to Use Chess Notation

Howcast — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:45:46 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Learn the signs Learn the symbol for each piece. Each major piece is indicated by a capital letter. There is no symbol for pawns.
Step 2: Learn the symbols for squares Learn the symbol for each square. The rows are numbered one to eight from white’s perspective. The columns are indicated by lowercase letters, a through h.
Step 3: Learn the symbols for moves Learn the symbols for moves, which are the symbol for the piece followed by the symbol for the square it moves to.
TIP: Pawn moves are indicated by the square they move to.
Step 4: Record pieces that can move to the same square If two pieces in different columns can move to the same square, use the column letter of the starting square after the piece symbol. If they’re in the same column, use the row number instead.
Step 5: Signal a capture Use a lowercase x to signal a capture. First record the piece making the capture, then add the x and the square the piece moves to.
TIP: Indicate a good move by adding an exclamation point and a bad move by adding a question mark.
Step 6: Record castling Record castling. Kingside is indicated by O-O. For queenside, add another -O.
Step 7: Show promotions Show promotions by adding an equals sign and the symbol for the new piece.
Step 8: List turns together Record each turn on a single line, with white’s move first, then a space, followed by black’s move. Indicate check with a plus sign and checkmate with a hash sign.
FACT: “Deep Blue,” an IBM supercomputer, was the first computer to beat a human chess master when it defeated Garry Kasparov in 1997.

You Will Need

A chess set
Paper and pencil or pen

How to Play Chess

Howcast — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:32:42 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Set up the queens and kings Place the board so the right corner square, nearer to you, is white. Put the queens on their corresponding colors in the back row: white, four squares from the left, and black, four squares from the right.
Step 2: Set up the rest of the board Add the bishops to either side of the royal couple, and the knights next to the bishops. Place the castles, or rooks, at either end. The pawns fill the second row.
Step 3: Learn the object of the game The object of the game is to corner your opponent’s king so that it can’t move anywhere without you capturing it.
Step 4: Learn the moves The queen can move in any direction, over any number of empty spaces. The king can move only one space at a time, in any direction. You cannot move the king to a space where it could be captured during your opponent’s next move. Pawns move forward one space at a time. On their first move, they may move forward either one or two squares.
TIP: If one of your pawns makes it to the other side of the board, you can exchange it for any other piece.
Step 5: Learn the moves, part 2 Rooks move in straight lines, forward, back, or sideways on the board, over any number of empty squares. Bishops move diagonally in any direction, also over empty squares. Knights move in an L shape, two squares in any direction, and then one square to either side. Knights can jump over other pieces.
Step 6: Play a game Now you’re ready to play! White always moves first, which gives that player the advantage of always being one step ahead. On the first move, white can only move a pawn or a knight (since only knights can jump other pieces).
TIP: The player who controls the center of the board has a strong advantage.
Step 7: Capture pieces Capture pieces by landing on a square occupied by an opponent’s piece and removing the piece from play. Pawns can only capture by moving one square, forward and diagonally.
TIP: Try to capture your opponent’s most valuable pieces: the queen, castles, knights, and bishops.
Step 8: Capture en passant Use your pawns to capture your opponent’s pawns en passant. If your opponent moves a pawn two spaces on its first move and you have a pawn in a position where you could have captured it if it had moved only one space, you can capture their pawn as if it had moved only one space.
Step 9: Learn to castle Either rook can make a special move to protect its king. If you haven’t moved the king or the rook yet, and there are no pieces between them, you can move the king two squares toward the rook, and transfer that rook toward the middle of the board, in the space right next to the king. You cannot castle if your king is in check, or would pass through check in making the move.
Step 10: Win When you move a piece so that it is in position to capture your opponent’s king on your next turn, the move is called “check.” If they move their king out of check, or move another piece to block your attack, the game continues. If they can’t move out of check, you have put them in “checkmate” and won the game.
FACT: The number of possible variations in a chess game has been calculated at 10 to the power of 120 – more than the number of electrons in the universe.

You Will Need

Chess board
Chess pieces
Opponent