HIARCS Chess Forums

Alain

Board is beautiful and pieces are self-moving quite decently. However, the (Android) application is really a piece of crap.
I hope that they will improve it, or provide the API Smile

-Alain

Chessmaster Ireland · Full Member Joined: 18 Feb 2009 Posts: 604

Great news Alain, at long last!

Why is the Android app poor?

Phantom regards
Bryan

blaubaer · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 9:14 am Post subject:

Hi Alain,

which is your order #?

Mine is #67 and the board didn't arrive yet.

How loud is it moving the pieces?

Regards, Michael
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High Performer Chess Computer Tournament 2018

Scally · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 10:11 am Post subject:

Hi,

Mine is order #745 and has been showing as ‘in production’ for the past 3 weeks. I have a sneaky feeling that most ordered units are in this state ...

Cheers,

Al.
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My Chess Computers

Chessmaster Ireland · Full Member Joined: 18 Feb 2009 Posts: 604

Hi Al

I read that they where sending their first batch to America before Europe. I think yours is coming via Ireland.

Regards
Bryan

Alain · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 3:26 pm Post subject:

How do you get the order # ? I don't see it in any email... and I did not know it was possible to track the order...

Scally · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 3:35 pm Post subject:

TracySMiller · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 3:55 pm Post subject:

What a beautiful board. How strong is it? What kinds of levels does it have?

Shaun · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 7:23 pm Post subject:

542 here - 30% and 'in production'.

'All good things come to those who wait', I guess!

ferribaci · Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 7:54 pm Post subject:

# 135 - also in production...

blaubaer · Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 2:02 am Post subject:

Hi,

#67: 30% - in production

Regards, Michael
_________________
High Performer Chess Computer Tournament 2018

Alain · Posted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 2:12 am Post subject:

Shaun · Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 6:19 am Post subject:

Hi Tracy

I gather that its running Stockfish 7 with 20 levels of difficulty.

Wardy · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 11:42 am Post subject:

Mine is a very early order number and still in production, checking just now it says to expect a status update around the 15th Feb, though with the caveat that there maybe a delay due to Chinese New Year.

Have to agree with Alain the android app is shocking, can only hope that they release the api.

Alain · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 4:06 pm Post subject:

I exchanged a couple of mails with Square Off team: obviously, they do not understand how poor their application is and how it is definitely a show stopper for their product. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the missing features in my opinion:
- Pause / resume game
- Take back move
- Switch level during game (no possibility to switch side either)
- Setup position
- See the move list
- Export as PGN

Not counting that there is no information about the 20+ levels: the first ones are definitely really weak and seem to be playing randomly, i.e. they do not even grab free pieces, their only strength is that they go for the king, which make Square Off win games against computers such as CC7 which do not see threads on the king.

Here is a game played against CC7:

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Fidelity Chess Challenger 7, lvl 2"]
[Black "Square Off, lvl 4"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[PlyCount "93"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Bf5 4. Bf4 Nbd7 5. e3 Bg6 6. Bb5 e6 7. O-O Bh5 8.
Qd3 c6 9. Ba4 Bg6 10. Qe2 Nh5 11. Bb3 Nxf4 12. exf4 b5 13. a4 a6 14. Rfe1 b4
15. Na2 Bd6 16. Ne5 c5 17. Nxg6 hxg6 18. Bxd5 Ra7 19. dxc5 Nxc5 20. Nxb4 Bxf4
21. g3 Qb6 22. Bc6+ Kf8 23. gxf4 a5 24. c3 Nb3 25. Qb5 Qd8 26. Rad1 Nd2 27. Nd3
Rh5 28. Re5 Rxe5 29. fxe5 Kg8 30. Re1 g5 31. b4 Kh7 32. Re2 Nb1 33. Qc4 Qe7 34.
Re1 Na3 35. Qb3 Rd7 36. Bxd7 Qxd7 37. Nc5 Qd2 38. Rd1 Qf4 39. Nd3 Qh4 40. bxa5
Nc4 41. a6 Na5 42. Qb4 Nc4 43. Re1 Qg4+ 44. Kh1 Qf3+ 45. Kg1 Qg4+ 46. Kh1 Qf3+
47. Kg1 1/2-1/2

Square Off guy told me that they would eventually release the API / protocol... I definitely think that it's mandatory given the current app, and I would advise against buying the board before.

-Alain