[pythonvis] Re: Workbench?

  • From: "Jeffrey Turner" <jturner522@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <pythonvis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2015 10:00:11 -0400

Gabriele,

Thank you very much for your valuable feedback. I especially like the time
comparison feature.

JDog


-----Original Message-----
From: pythonvis-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:pythonvis-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Gabriele Battaglia (Redacted sender "iz4apu@xxxxxxxxx" for
DMARC)
Sent: Monday, June 22, 2015 4:33 AM
To: pythonvis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [pythonvis] Re: Workbench?



Reply to the Jeffrey Turner's message, wrote on 19/06/2015 at 17:28:

Hi Gabriele,
Hello Jefrey.


Randy told me you worked on a Python chess clock, which is very
exciting news to me. I have written these specs up, and would like to
try to code it up. I'd appreciate any feedback you might have to offer.
Yes, I did.
Here's my feedback.

Chess Clock with Game Record Specifications

Basic Overview
A chess clock is actually two clocks, used to track the time of two
players in one game. Usually, both clocks are set for the same period
of time, although sometimes one player will give his opponent more
time as a handicap. The Black player starts the White Player's clock
to start the game. Physical clocks have two buttons, one for each
player. When Black presses the button down on his side of the clock.
White's clock begins counting down the allotted time. As soon as he
makes his move, he presses his button, his clock stops at whatever
time he has left, and Black's clock starts counting down. If either
player's clock runs down to 0, he loses the game, no matter what the
status of the board is. For our purposes, both clocks will be run by a
timekeper who will also record the game by entering chess notation for
each move played.
Correct.
Often, by the way, are players themselves that drive the clock and insert
the moves. Time Keeper or referee should be call just in case of some
complains.

Sample Chess Notation
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 e6
3.d4 cxd4
Knowledge of chess notation is assumed.
Usually you don't go new line each move but each 4 or 6 moves. A move is
made by a progressive number, plus the white's half-move, plus the black's
half-move.

Sample Notation with times for each player
1.e4 c5 59:57 59:54
According to the PGN specification, times should be in square brakets.
E.G.: 1.e4 c5 [59:57 59:54]

Inputs
the computer will provide the number of each move. The operator will
provide some initial information, the names of the players, the event,
the date, the timekeeper's name, any pause points, the time to be set
on each clock, and replenishment values.

Automatic Pause Points and Clock Replenishment It is common for a
timekeeper to alert the players when certain times have been reached.
Often, both players will have one hour to start the game, and must
complete 30 moves within that hour. After the player with the least
amount of time left has played 20 minutes, when his next move is
entered, both clocks are paused, and the timekeeper reports how many
moves have been played and how much time is remaining on each clock.
Automatic Pause Reports will look like this:
Move [move number],White Time: 59:44, Black Time: 59:32, [White or
Black] to move.
Automatic pause points are often 20, 40, 50, and 55 minutes, and the
pause actually happens whenever the player with the least time left
has made a move after crossing these time limits. Once 30 moves have
been completed by both players, they receive an additional amount of
time which will be entered at the start as replenishment time.
Various considerations here:
1. Sometimes it would be better to say players how much time left to 0,
instead of how much time is passed.
2. Automatic pauses is not always wanted by players but they can ask the TK
about their time, so the clock must be queried it must be provide the clocks
status whenever is needed. In my clock, I made in Python, I have a prompt
waiting for commands during the time counting, the most wanted and used
feature my friends love is the clock comparison: the clock answers something
like "Paul is ahead by 3 minutes and 28 seconds over John.
3. The amount of time to add to the clocks and the number of move in which
it is added changes all the time and depends from the tournament.
It must be completely customizable by the TK at the beginning of the match.
4. Sometimes there is some complains about the running game, so the TK (or
players themselves) must have the possibility to turn off and on the clocks
all the time. Furthermore, it must be possible add and subtract an arbitrary
amount of time to one or both clocks, dipending on what is happaning.
5. You showed a clock with hours and minutes, it's correct but remember
that, in certain games, usually among sighted people, they play very very
fast and with small amount of time left, especially when the use the Fisher
Clock, so the internal counting, I mean in terms of code, must be done with
quite high precision.
6. Beside the initial parameters we considered, the clock should work also
as a fisher clock: so, no extra time after a specified numbers of move, but
a fixed, and customizable amount of time, in general some seconds, to add
every half-move to the active player.

Resuming Play
After time reports have been given, the timekeeper will resume play,
starting the clock of the appropriate player, by pressing enter.
Confirmation of which clock is starting will be given:
Starting clock for [black or white, depending]
Ok.


Move [move number],White Time: 59:44, Black Time: 59:32, [White or
Black] to move.
Play will resume and the player's clock that was stopped will resume
running when enter is pressed. Confirmation of the restart will be given:
Starting clock for [black or white, depending]
Ok. Remember that TK must have the possibility to change the move counter
due to possible failed check in chessboard position.


Time Check
Entering 't' will display the same message as for pauses, but the
running clock will not be stopped.
Move [move number],White Time: 59:44, Black Time: 59:32, [White or
Black] to move.
Here I would insert the comparison clock feature I told before. And, instead
of elapsed time, I would give the remaining time.


Corrections
The timekeeper can correct the last move entered by entering 'c'. This
will pause the running clock, display the pause message (see above),
and undo the last move. The stopped clock will restart when another
move is entered and the restart confirmation message (see above) will be
displayed.
Oh sorry, I didn't read.
Ok.


Game completion
The timekeeper will indicate a checkmate by entering '#', a draw by
entering '=', and a resignation by entering 'r'. the running clock
will be stopped and the game record written.
Appended to the game record, I would add also some statistics, for the match
in general and for players:
1. amount of time used up to initial time available, divided in percentage
for each players.
2. Average time per move.
3. longest and shortest move
and so forth.


Exclusions
This program will nott check for valid chess moves. It will not indicate
checks, or e.p. notifications, (a type of pawn capture. it will not record
board positions to aid in determining draws by repetition.
ok.
In My clock I've decided that, the first 8 characters entered not
beginning with a (.) dot, are considered a move notation. All the
command instead must begin with a dot and cause an answer from the clock.


Possible Enhancements
Future versions of the program could provide alternative notation outputs,
perhaps one with times, and one without. Game records could be
automagically
emailed to the players and tournament directors upon completion of the
game.
The automailing is quite simply to implement. I already have the
function written, if you like.

Happy coding and, if you need some beta testing, I'm here.
Gabriel.
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