I volunteered to download and test out the boards that we could use to play chess here at CCSP. Below are the ones I tested, and what my personal opinions are, or what I found out about them.

PHP Chess. This is my personal favorite. It is easy to setup, and there are admin tools as well as the playing side, which makes the whole thing worth it. This will work well for those of us that cannot stay online long enough to complete a game, and don't like to work thru e-mail, or the way you are currently doing it. This can be set to e-mail you when the opposing player has made a move. The particulars can be found here, http://www.phpchess.net. I have also set the free version of this one up so that you may peruse it and play a game or two. Please don't let this out, as its on my personal server. I have it set so that when you sign up, that's it, I don't have to approve it. If to many people start playing, I will have to change that. This one also allows realtime chess via a java board, but its in the paid for version, not the free one. http://www.donhoover.net/phpchess/index.php If you want this one, we should try and pay for the full version.

Rival Chess from redhotpawn. I rejected this one without even trying it, as it requires a separate sever program to run so that the game may be played by more than 1 person. The server program they recommended seems to no longer be available. http://www.redhotpawn.com/rival/download/download.php

Online Chess Club, this is an open source chess server, and while it plays just as well as PHPChess, the admin part of it is all manual. A file has to be opened and all the uname and passwords have to be manually entered. http://lgames.sourceforge.net/index.php?project=OCC This will work, but could be a headache to administer. It is a basic playing area. I can set this one up on the server if you want, but only after you are done checking out the first one. I don't want to overload the server.


RedLionWebDesign, can only be played one game at a time. Not one game per user, but one game period. I don't like this one. http://www.redlionwebdesign.com/phpchess.htm And their site seems to be down right now.

http://www.phpclasses.org/browse/package/2096.html is the last package that was suggested I check out. Their server seems to be perpetually offline, and unavailable. I never was able to get this one.

If you let me know what you decide, I will get ahold of Paul and see about getting it installed. If we go with the pay version of the first one, financing will have to be arranged.

Greetings Hoov,

Well done and many thanks!

I had the feeling that phpChess would come out on top and your comments seem to confirm that. My suggestion would be for Dragan Glas and me to test out the free version of phpChess which it seems we could do on your server. It should not take long. Assuming all goes well, we can then prepare a proposal to Paul for implementing it here, and pursue questions regarding the cost of the complete application which I suspect would be the best choice. If I recall correctly it is not prohibitively expensive.

Thanks again!

Best regards,
RL

Greetings,

Hoov
Thank you so much!

You'll remember that I also said PHPChess was on the top of our list - it's clearly the best for anyone wishing to run a chess website or include the facility for members/visitors to play chess.

Also, with regard to privacy for RuyLopez and I to explore it's capabilities, I had also posted a query in a topic http://castlecops.com/postlite156238-.html relating to adding another layer to the site (forums within forums).

Since this appears to be impractical, in the last post I posited the possibility of creating hidden topics within forums - one to allow that forum's Admins/Mods/Hosts to discuss forum-related ideas/issues in private and another for all staff to enable them to contribute ideas themselves.

These hidden topics would act as a "backroom" for relevant staff to discuss/prepare any additions to their forum.

Would such be possible do you think?

That way, the PHPChess software could be set up in a hidden topic ("backroom") within the Chess Board forum for RuyLopez and I to explore it's possibilities before putting it into effect forum-wide.

Kindest regards,

Dragan Glas

Greetings Dragan Glas,

An excellent idea indeed!

Best regards,
RL

I can look into the hidden posts idea. That way Paul can stay with the other chestnuts he has in the fire. I have the latest PHPbb installed so it will be a matter of finding out how to do it.

As for where to try it out, go ahead and run it where its at, I can always set it up so I have to approve members if there get to be to many. But right now as you are just setting up the chess site, I imagine not many know its in place yet.

So go ahead and play. I am available for a game, but its been a very long time since I played. Most folks in this area don't play, and I haven't had a real game since High school. To many years ago.

So far only James and I have signed up. If there get to be to many trying to play I can always kill it and let everyone know that it will be moving.

Greetings Hoov,

I just signed up as well.

Best regards,
RL

Hi all, sounds like a great idea going. I am well versed in the forums and the hidden forum idea is very easy to implement. You can allow only certain members access depending on the requirements.

I can walk someone through the process or set it up for you.

I signed up at your server too, Hoov

How do you do it? Is it hidden forums or threads in side a public forum. That is what we want. I can see how to do a whole forum, but not threads.

the easiest way is to have two forums under the same category and make one hidden, allowing the exulted few, access.

So take the Innovative Minds as the Category here on CC
/c33-Innovative_Minds.html

This forum is Chess Board and there are several others in the same category

By adding Chess Board Admin (for example) and making it hidden to all but a certain usergroup) then all threads can be private and the actual games go on in the Chess Board forum

Greetings Hoov,

I tried the link (phpchess) and it did not work.

Filled up already? I also did not see the link on your site so I'm guessing something has changed.

Perhaps the hidden forum idea has spilled into the chess program .

Ardakhan

Greetings all,

I wish to clarify what is happening here. Hoov kindly ran a preliminary evaluation of a number of chess platforms for us. He has also most graciously allowed Dragan Glas and me, as Hosts of the Chess Board, to conducted a more in depth evaluation of one particular chess application.

We anticipate concluding that evaluation in the next few days. At that time, we will either reject that one piece of software and begin a refined search for other options, or agree that it would be a suitable application for being put into place here at CastleCops. Assuming the latter, we will then draft our formal recommendations to the CastleCops Administration for their ultimate decision and action.

Please be patient and bear with us as we move forward on this. I realize that all of us would love to have a real chess platform in place, and Dragan Glas and I are proceeding logically to achieve that objective.

Best regards,
RL

Greetings,

Thanks for clarifying. I just wanted to fiddle around with it a bit because I thought you wanted more input, but you all are most qualified to put the best system in place.

Perhaps Dragan Glas will be so consumed with this project, a mistake is on the horizon in our game. (other than mine).

Ardakhan

Actually, as long as the group stays small, go ahead and play. Poke around, play a game, shake it out.

The link should be working now, there was a tag problem in the post.

Howdy,

If you want it I can set up a private place for you guys at CCde to discuss this until such time as Paul can get something set up here. If you do then please register with your cccom unames so I know who to put where.

Greetings mrrockford,

Dragan Glas and I will soon be taking a look at the software as mounted on Hoov's server to make sure it is what we want, and to verify what we consider to be the right functionality. I expect that process to go smoothly, but I have all too often been surprised before.

We shall let you know how things progress after that evaluation is completed. Thanks very much indeed for the support!

Best regards,
RL