Nocheto Help (3.X.X)

The <level> is a number (0-20) which sets the engine
strength you will play against.

See `help! level` to get more info about engine level.
See `help! sheets` to get more info about sheets.

Chess960, also known as Fisher chess or freestyle chess, has the
same rules as the standard chess, but it starts with a random
position of the pieces on the first rank.
(Not completely random, one rook must be on the left side from the king,
the second one on the right side)

When castling, the king and the rook will end on the same positions as
after castling in the standard chess (also the King can't go through a
field which is 'in check').

If you use new960 with the <id> (<id> is a number between 0 and 959),
you will get the position assigned to the <id>.

See `help! level` to get more info about engine level.

FEN (Forsyth-Edwards Notation) is a way how to describe the board position.

This is how fen can look like:
rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0

First, the pieces are shown row by row from top to the bottom.
The small letters represents the black pieces.
The capital leters represents the white pieces.
The numbers represents amount of empty spaces.

Then the w or b shows the player on move color.

Then pieces representing which castlings are possible
K = king side, white
Q = queen side, white
k = king side, black
q = queen side, black

Then the field where it is possible take by en passant.
- = no en passant move is possible

Finally, the FEND ends with a move number.

Every good chess program can show the fen position of the current position.
In Nocheto you can use the `viewfen` command.

See `help! level` to get info about engine level.

This command works like the fen command, but for a Chess960 FEN.
The format is almost the same as the standard chess FEN, only the
castling is described differently.

FEN960 example:
rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w AHah - 0 1

See `new960` command for more info about Chess960.
See `help! level` to get info about engine level.

The easiest way to open a game is to start nocheto with a PGN file(s)
as an argument or by `open` command.

But by using `pgn` command, you can write/copy game in a PGN format in the
console. Nocheto reads the input until it finds two empty lines (use ENTER
3 times).

Every PGN game must be ended by * or a result (1-0, 0-1 or 1/2-1/2).
Shortest PGN can look like this:

1.e4 *

`pgn` command creates a new sheet for the added game(s).
`pgn+` adds the games into the current sheet.

Open the given file(s).

You can use ~ as a subtitute for your home directory in the file name.

Every file is opened in it's own sheet.

See `help! sheets` to get more info about sheets.

See `help! sheets` to get more info about sheets.

All merged games must have the same position somewhere. The merge command
tries to find the first common position and merge the games at that point.

This command is great while you are studying openings and you have your
lines divided into several PGN files. With this command you can see them
all at once.

The merged game is created as a new sheet.

The difference between `printpgn` and `file` commands with a <file> argument
is that while `printpgn` saves only the current game, the `file` saves current
sheet with all games in it.

The difference between `printpgn` and `file` commands with a <file> argument
is that while `printpgn` saves only the current game, the `file` saves current
sheet with all games in it.

The file name is associated with the saved sheet.
See `sheets` command to list the sheets with theirs associated files.

Close Nocheto program. (But why would you do that?)

You can also close nocheto by closing it's input stream (CTRL+D).

Sheet represent a set of one or more games. A sheet might refer to
a PGN file.

There are many ways how to create a sheet. For example, sheet can be
created by the `open`, `new` or `fen` command.

In other chess softwares the sheet is often named as (game) database.
But in Nocheto 'database' is a word used for (sqlite) database, where the
games and move evaluations are stored.

You can save sheet as a PGN file by using the `save` command.

Use `list` command to get list of all games of the current sheet.

Usage: list [<sheetId>] [limit <num>] [offset <num>]

The limit tells the maximum count of the games that should be listed.
If no limit is given, nocheto will try to show as many games as it can
fit in the console window.

If the offset argument is used, the given number of games are skiped
from the beginning.

To open a game from the list, use the `game` command.

Usage: game [<gameId>] [sheet <sheetId>]

Open game <gameId> from the current sheet or the sheet given by
the <sheetId>.

Use `list` command to see games and theirs IDs
use `sheets` command to see sheets and theirs IDs

The <id> is the ID of the moved sheet (see `sheets` command).
If not set, the current sheet will be moved.

The <id> after pos is ID of a sheet the moved sheet will be
positioned before. If not set, it will be positioned at
the end of the sheets list (see `sheets` command).

Note: The moved sheet is NOT set as the current one. Use
`sheet` command to do that.

The <id> is the ID of the copied sheet (see `sheets` command).
If not set, the current sheet will be copied.

The <id> after pos is ID of a sheet the copy will be positioned
before. If not set, the copy will be positioned at
the end of the sheets list (see `sheets` command).

Note: The copied sheet is NOT set as the current one. Use
`sheet` command to do that.

Use `sheets` command to see opened sheet(s) with theirs ID(s).

Note: closeall closes all sheets but imediatally craetes a new one
with a new game. The same is true for `close` closing the last
sheet. (There must by always at least one sheet with one game in Nocheto.)

copygame [<id>] [from <sheetId>] [to <sheetId>] [pos <id>]

If the <id> is not set, copy the current game.
If the from <sheetId> is not set, copy game from the current sheet.
If the to <sheetId> is not set, copy game to the current sheet.
Copy before the position <id> or at the end of the sheet.

movegame [<id>] [from <sheetId>] [to <sheetId>] [pos <id>]

If the <id> is not set, move the current game.
If the from <sheetId> is not set, move game from the current sheet.
If the to <sheetId> is not set, move game to the current sheet.
Move before the position <id> or at the end of the sheet.

Sheet can't be empty. Therefore if you move the last game from a sheet,
new game will be created in that sheet.

If the <id> is not set, delete current game.
If the sheet <id> is not set, delete game from the current sheet.

Sheet can't be empty. Therefore if you delete the last game of a sheet,
new game will be created in that sheet.

Move can be written as Long Algebraic Notation, which indicates
the starting and the ending squere by theirs coordinates.
You can also use Standard Algebraic Notation.

For example, to move white pawn from its start position two
squares forward, you can use e2e4 or just e4.

To move the white knight from its start position on g1 to f3 square,
you can use aither g1f3 or Nf3. (N is used fof Knight, K for King).

If two pieces can get to the same square, you need to add the column of the
piece which is moved: Nbd2 (knight from b column to square d2).
If the pieces are on the same column, you use the row number: N1d2 (knight
from first row to d2 square).

To promote the 'a' pawn, you can use a7a8q (use q for queen, r for
rook, n for knight and b for bishop) or a8Q (note here you have to
use capital letter).

To take by a pawn, you can use the column where the pawn is and
the destination square. For example axb3, or jyou can use just the
column letters: ab.

The <moves> must be in the same format as a PGN file.

For example:
`moves 1.e4 (1.c4 c5) e5 2. Nf3 *`

If the moves are written as an argument of the command,
the `*` mark at the end is not required.

If the moves are not added as argument, they are readed from the console
input and they have to be finished by the * (that is how
Nocheto will known to stop reading from the console input).

The `cut` commands delete all moves before the current move.

It will NOT create a new sheet, so the deleted moves are lost forever!
Use with caution.

The `delete` commands delete the current move and all moves after
(the rest of the branch).

It will NOT create a new sheet, so the deleted moves are lost forever!
Use with caution.

This is how you can reorder the moves order.

This command was named `branchup` in older versions of Nocheto.

Use `listnags` command to list all groups of supported nags.

You can add one annotation from each group to a move separated by a comma.
For example: nag !,$10,N

If no comment argument is given, current comment is removed.

If no comment argument is given, current comment is removed.

Tag <name> is case sensitive and can consists of english letters,
numbers and _ only.

Some tags are required by PGN format (like Result, White, Black etc.) or
automatically added by Nocheto (like CreatedBy). These tags cannot be removed.

Halfmove is a move played by one player only.

In another words, go before the first move.

Example 1:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 ( 2...d6 3.d4 ) ( 2...Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 ( 4.Bxc6 )
4...Nf6 5.O-O >>d6<< 6.Re1 ) 3.Nc3 *

`up` command takes you to 3...a6, because it is before the first
branching of your current branch.

`up<` command takes you to 2.Nf3, before the beginning of your
current branch.

Example 2:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 ( 2...d6 3.d4 ) ( 2...Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 ( >>4.Bxc6<< )
4...Nf6 5.O-O d6 6.Re1 ) 3.Nc3

`up` command takes you to 3...a6, because there is no branching
in your current branch (before your current move).

`up<` command takes you to 3...a6, before the beginning of your
current branch.

`up<<` command takes you to 2.Nf3, to the main branch before
branching of a branch which contains your current branch.

Halfmove is a move played by one player only.

If there is more moves before you, `redo` command moves you to the branch
you were in the last time. If you were not in any of the branches yet,
it will takes you to the first branch.

The the `r<` command will you always take to the first branch.

If you like this behaviour more than that of `redo`, put alias "redo = r<"
in your configuration file. When you press ENTER, then `r<` command will be
called instead of the `redo` command.

For the `r>` commands there are defined aliases in the default configuration
file, like:

alias 1 = r>
alias 2 = r>>
...
alias 9 = r>>>>>>>>>

So you can use number 3 instead of the long r>>> etc.

Works like redo command, but doesn't rewrite the board after every move.

See `help! redo`

`replay` command will refresh the board even if the `autoboard` is disabled.

It will start replay game from the current move. Use `uu` command before
if you want to replay the whole game.

The goto command goes to the first move (white if exists) with the
given number.

If you use it again with the same number, it will go to the next move with
that number (probably black). Then it will search for moves in other
branches etc.

The bigger number, the stronger engine.

The level is used for play against the main engine.

Other engines can have set its own level.

This level is not used for analyzing or hinting moves. In that case the
engine is always operating on the highest level.

See `engines` command and `setoption` command.

<engine> can be one of:
1) engine name (see `engines` command),
2) * for all but main engine
3) - for main engine

Example: set 2 seconds (to think) on main engine:
(Note: This does the same as `seconds 2` command)

setoption - seconds 2

You can use `engines` command to check this command effect.

You can set any option supported by the engine UCI protocol.

You can use as an argument a timecontrol string or a name of a
configured timecontrol.

Run `timecontrols` command to see all configured timecontrols.

If no <timecontrol> is set, the default timecontrol is used.

Use `clock` command to see the current timecontrol set.

See Timecontrols

If autoplay is enabled, after you do a move
nocheto calls engine to do a move too.

Whith enabled autoplay, `replay` and `undo` commands
replay and undo two halfmoves.

Disable autoboard if you want to play "blindfold".

Note: abo is used as abbreviation instead of ab, because
ab means "a pawn from a column 'a' takes piece on a column 'b'".

Sounds can be installed in ~/.nocheto/sounds/default/ directory.

Supported sound files are:
capture.wav
castling.wav
error.wav
check.wav
mate.wav
move.wav

If any of the files is missing, the move.wav is used instead.

Use `engines` command to see engines you can use as <eng>.
Use `setoption` command to set engines' properties (like
how long to think, the strength level etc.).

`new` and `new960` commands reset engine back to the main one.
(Main engine is configured under [engine] section in the
configuration file.)

Results (or moves' evaluations) are saved into database by
`analyze!` or `analyze+` command or by nochetodbeval program.

Results are loaded from the database configured under
[database] section in the configuration file.

Use main engine to hint the best possible move in the current position.

The engine always works on the highest strength level (despite the
value set by `level` command).

You can affect the time the engine have to think and other options by
`seconds` and `setoption` command.

`analyze` always use the main engine at its strongest level.

`analyze+` always use the main engine at its strongest level.

Use this command (without the argument) to redraw the board.

Note: kitty board type works only in kitty console.

See Board types

You might want to disable drawing board to play blindfold.
You can also use it in nocheto client to show moves tree only etc.

Use w argument to show the white side bottom and black top or
use b argument to show the black side bottom and white top.

When the console is cleared before every board drawing, the board will
effectively stays on the top of the console.

The moves tree is usually drawn above the board.
See also `expandtree` command.

Table moves tree is usually drawn next to the board.
(Moves are written in two columns.)
See also `expandtabletree` command.

If the expandtabletree is disabled, only moves of the current
branch are shown. (All alternative lines are hidden).

Note: you can see alternative moves in the variants shown
by the `viewvariants` command.

cpmeter show the evaluation of the current position.

If the white player start position is at bottom, the higher the
cpmeter goes the better for white. But if you flip the board
(see `flipboard` command), the cpmeter flips also...

To see the cpmeter, the current move have to be evaluated.
See `analyze` and `analyze+` commands.

To see anything on the graph, any moves have to be evaluated first.
See `analyze` and `analyze+` commands.

If you use this command without any argument, drawing comments is be disabled.

The opening name is shown only for the positions which have an opening
name. Before you get to the position and after you leave the position,
opening name is not shown.

Tablebase works for 7 and less pieces on the board - including kings.

The tablebase shows possible moves and the best posible result for the
moves for the player on move. (Sometimes also the minimum required move
to get the win or loss.)

The moves are download from tablebase.lichess.ovh (require interent
access) and then saved into local cache.

See Studying chess endgames

FEN (Forsyth-Edwards Notation) is used to describe the position of the
game (without the moves) in a single line.

Every good chess program can give you the FEN of the current position
or start a game based on its FEN.

See also `fen` and `fen960` commands.

To see any evaluation, the moves have to be evaluated.
See `analyze`, `analyze+` and `loadresults` commands.

If both vweval and vbeval are disabled, no evaluation
colors are shown even if viewevaluation is enabled.

Default used colors:

green - for the best move
white - for an almost best move
purple - for an inaccurancy
yellow - for a mistake
red - for a blunder
blue - for an evaluation by engine NOT set to its top level
(this evaluation might be very inaccurate or
completely wrong)

This command affects all board types which show the hourglass during
engine thinking only.
It doesn't affect other events showing hourglass, like the `checkforupdate`
command, creating of a new database etc.

The default value for the viewhourglass state is defined in a configuration
file under the [board] section by the viewhourglass property.

Explorer is a database configured under [explorer] section in the
configuration file. If this section doesn't exists, the database
configured under [database] section is used.

You can load games into this database using 'nochetodbload' program.

See Config property

vgedimension <cols> <rows> sets the numer of colums and rows of the
games explorer.
<cols> can be 1 or 2
<rows> can be 0 for responsive siziing or any positive integer number

See Config

You can limit the list by the 'board' or 'piece' argument to show themes
which affect the board graphics and/or pieces graphics.

Use the theme name with the `boardtheme` and `piecestheme` commands.

Themes can be installed in the themes/ directory.

See Install Themes

Graphics board themes take effect when guicolors are not set.
(Otherwise the guicolors are used. See `help! guicolors`.)

Graphics board (`board kitty`) works only in the kitty console
(it is usually part of a linux distribution, but not installed by default).

See https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/ Kitty console

See `help! listthemes` and `help! clearboardcolors`

Every color component is a number between 0 and 255.

Both boardwhitecolor and boardblackcolor must be set to take effect.

Example:

boardwhitecolor 255,255,255
boardblackcolor 0,0,0

In the setup board mode you can change the position on the board.

See Setup mode

The search command is searching for up to 1000 games matching given criteria(s):

A) [b|w]p="PlayerName" will search games played by the given player.

Note the name MUST BE between double quotas.

Examples:
`wp="Euwe"` will search games played by Euwe with white pieces.
`bplayer="Euwe"` will search games played by Euwe with black pieces.

Instead ow wp="..." or bp="..." you can also use white="..." or black="..."

B) vs="PlayerName" will search games where player's opponent was "PlayerName"

Examples:
`black="Euwe" vs="Capablanca"` search games where black player was Euwe and
his opponent (white player) was Capablanca.

`p="Euwe" vs="Capablanca"` search games where black or white player
was Euwe and his opponent was Capablanca.

C) {>|<|=}50 will search games of a given count of halfmoves.

Examples:
`>50` search games with more than 50 halfmoves
`<50` search games with less than 50 halfmoves
`50` search games with exactly 50 halfmoves


D) 1922(-1938) will search games played in the given year(s)

Examples:
`1922` search games played in 1922
`1922-1938` search games played between 1922 nad 1938

E) 1-0|0-1|1/2 will search games with the given result

Examples:
`1-0` search games won by white
`0-1` search games won by black
`1/2` search draw games

F) win|lose|draw will search won, lost or drawn games by the given player

Examples:
`p="Euwe" win` search games played and won by Euwe
`wp="Euwe" lose` search games played and lost by Euwe as white

<address> is IPv4 address, like 127.0.0.1
This is the address where client(s) are going to connect.

If you use 127.0.0.1 as <address>, only clients running on the same computer
as nocheto will be able to connect.

If you use 0.0.0.0 as <address>, clients can connect through any of your
computer's network card (if the used <port> is not blocked by any firewall).

You can also use an IP address for a specific card to allow connection only
through that card. On Linux, you can get IP adresses of your computer's
network cards by `ip -4 address` command.

<port> is a number between 1023 and 65535. It is used by the client to connect
to nocheto. It must be unique on your computer (two applications can not use
the same port at the same time). But more then one nochetoclient can connect
to the same port.

If you want to connect to a given port from a different computer than the one
on nocheto is running, that port must not be blocked by any firewall.

WARNING: If you use any othrer than 127.0.0.1 IP address and <port> is not
blocked by a firewall, anyone from the internet who runs nochetoclient with
your IP address and correct <port> before you can connect to your nocheto
server and see your open game(s)!
(But that is not really very likely to happen.)

This command show the address:port on which clients are connected.
The clients address:port is listed under this line indent to the left.

The nochetoclient can be connected through several protocols:

boardview = transfer information about the current game
tablebase = transfer the tablebase for a current position

One client can ask for one or more protocols (nochetoclient in analyze
mode ask for boardview only, nochetoclient in board mode ask for
both boardview and tablebase).

Sometimes the nochetoclient (or http client) can go out of sync with
the current board position in nocheto (due internet connection problems
etc.). If that happens, nochetoclient is not able to track the changes
in nocheto any more.

If that happens, `sync` command will synchronize nocheto with all
its connected clients.

<addr> is IP address, like 127.0.0.1 and <port> is a port number.
You can use * instead of <addr> and/or <port> to tareget all
addresses/ports.

Use listipv4 and listhttp commands to see clients addresses and ports.

Stoppable commands are marked with [s] in the help.

For example, you can stop the analyze+ command or the
replay command etc.

Analyzing is a very processor demanding task. If you need your computer
power, you can temporarily stop clients to analyze.

Note: when you run analyze command, nocheto pause clients automatically
before analyzing and unpause them after.

Nocheto uses 'espeak' program to convert text to speech.

Make sure this program is installed and working if you want to
enable speech.

See also `help! silence`

See also `help! speech`

The text is also read if the speach is enabled.

This command is ment to be used by scripts.

Obsolete.

Name can consist of english lowercase letters and numbers only.

Description should be a short string describing the purpose of the namespace.

Games saved in a database can be divided into namespaces.
Namespace is used by nochetodbload program to store game in a given
namespace and also by explorer to show games from a given namespace(s).

Default namespace is called 'primary'. This is used when no
namespace is given to nochetodbload.

You can drop namespace only if there is no game in it.

See `namespaces` command.

You can use * for 'all namespaces' or the namespace(s)
divided by empty space.

If no namespace is given, the command shows which namespace(s) are set.

See `viewexplorer` command.

`script <script> [args]` runs executable file with given (optional) arguments

The <script> is name of a subdirectory in ~/.nocheto/scripts/ directory.
This name can contain only english letters, numbers, _ and -.
After the <script> name `script` command adds main.sh if the user do not add
anything else.

For example:

`script lll` runs "~/.nocheto/lll/main.sh"
`script lll/somethingelse a --b=c` runs "~/.nocheto/lll/somethingelse a --b=c"

The script is expected to produce text output which is then interpreted as
user commands (as if the user wrote them by himself).

Use `help script` command to see all available scripts.
Use `help script <scriptname>` to see detailed help for a given script.

See How to write scripts

`help`
Lists help groups of commands.
The (help <group-key>) in the parenthesis after every group name
can be used to get short help (see below).

`help <group-key>`
Shows short help for all commands in the given group.
For example, `help help` shows short help for commands in the
'Help' group.

`help!`
Shows short help for all commands at once.

`help! <key>`
Shows detailed help for the commands under the given <key>
(if exists).
<key> can be a command name or a key shown by `help!!`.

`help!! [<group-key>]`
List commands and theirs keys that can use with the
`help! <key>` command.
It lists only commands which have the detailed help.

`help <group-key> <command>`
Works as the `help! <command>` (as long as the <command>
is in the group <group-key>). Example: help help help

`help script <script>`
Shows detailed help for the given <script>.

List help for commands which are stoppable.

Stoppable commands are marked by [s] in the help.

Stoppable commands can be stoped by `stop` command.

See `setclock` and `timecontrols` commands.

Configured timecontrols are timecontrols defined in a configuration file
under the [timecontrols] section.

See Timecontrols

Aliases are defined in a configuration file under the [aliases] section.

See also `help! version` help.

version command shows information about the version of this program.

It also shows information about the last available version,
which was searched by the `checkforupdate` command.
It takes this iformation from its cache only. If the cache is expired,
last available version is not shown.

The main engine is defined in a configuration file under the [engine] section.

The main engine is always used by analyze or hint commands and also
by nochetodbeval program.

Other engines are configured in the configs/engines.ini file and are used
by `play` command.

Use `nag` command to add annotations to a move.

See Table of supported annotations

Checks if your version of nocheto is the newest.

It search for a newver version of your major version
(for example if your version is 2.8 it looks for 2.9 or
newer 2.x version).

If not found, it looks for the newest version available
(for example if your 2.8 version is the newest, it looks
for 3.0 or newer 3.x/4.x etc. version).

If offset is used, it skips 'offset' count of the newest news.

See Nocheto personal use licence