Regular use of the app shows up some further disappointing glitches with the overall production quality, none of which should be too difficult to resolve. It may also explain why the app can only be used in landscape mode which is a frustrating restriction when playing on a phone. The existing design choice means that the options are harder to select. The layout could be improved and the board size enlarged by, for example, using menu headings instead of having the options to the side of the playing area. More than once I had to use the ‘undo’ option to correct a move to the wrong square, as a result of the ‘fat finger’ problem. In particular the board occupies only a relatively small portion of the screen, which means making moves is more difficult than it should be. The app’s design and layout is less good the current choice makes for uncomfortable regular use on a phone. This is good as the app includes no options to change the appearance some variability even if limited, is always welcome from a user perspective as it helps to keep an app fresh and also maintain long term interest. Let’s start with the positives. The style and colour of the board and piece combination are generally well selected. The app’s practical useability could be best described as a bit of a ‘curates egg’ – a mixture of good and bad points. All positions must be played as white – there are no defensive ‘backs to the wall’ type of positions to practice as black.How strong is it? Can it be relied upon to play the best defensive moves? In short, can you learn from using it? (In practice, testing shows the engine does appear to play most endings pretty well though it doesn’t always play them perfectly – ie it doesn’t utilise revelant endgame tablebases) There is no detail about the engine the user is playing against.For example, the number of moves would indeed be important, if each position had a target maximum number of moves to achieve checkmate without it, it doesn’t really matter. The information that is available – a cumulative record of wins / draws and losses and the number of moves and half moves taken per position – don’t really mean anything in isolation. There is only very rudimentary information displayed to tell the user how they are doing.The lack of explanation is a real potential barrier for less experienced users and also seems at odds with the inclusion of a large number of very simple positions (including the ridiculously simple Q+Q+K v K). As an illustration, should the user be playing for a win or a draw in the Philidor position? – the app doesn’t make it clear. In most cases this be should be obvious to the average user, certainly for the simpler positions, for example R+K v K, though this is not always the case. There is no guidance or explanation about any of the positions in terms of what the goal or objective is.Whilst undeniably useful to play through endgame positions, the app is disappointing as a practical learning tool and herein lies its biggest weakness.
#Chessking endgame tablebase full
Be warned though, that the app’s engine isn’t capable of playing a proper full game as it doesn’t understand the concept of castling. Strangely, for an app focused on endgames the custom mode includes an option to reset pieces to the start position and play a game of chess.
įor further variation, there is a custom build mode which allows the user to set up positions of their own choosing. Interestingly, there are also a selection of well known endgame studies, to test yourself with these include for example, the Lucena and Philidor positions (the app mispells the latter!).
Practising endgames is often said to be one of the best ways to improve your chess strength. There appears to be no ‘paid for’ version, so no way to use the app without viewing the adverts.
#Chessking endgame tablebase android
Not currently a ‘keep me’.Ĭhess Endgames is a free android app developed by Complete Think. A potentially useful way to practice your endgames but let down by a poor user experience.
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