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How can I practice a specific opening?........................................................................................ 1 How do the levels work and how do they differ?.......................................................................... 1 When and why do new levels become available? ....................................................................... 2 When and why do new category levels become available?......................................................... 2 Why should I choose to play in a higher category level?.............................................................. 3 How do hints and takebacks work?.............................................................................................. 3 an I play !ucas hess with other chess engines?..................................................................... 3 How can I make best use of the tutor"s advice? .......................................................................... # How do I back up my preferences and data?............................................................................... $ What information is submitted when I post my scores?................................................................ % How can I use !ucas hess to work on tactics?.......................................................................... & How can I 'uickly toggle the engine on and off?........................................................................ 13 How can I use !ucas hess for more sophisticated analysis?................................................... 13 How can I learn from my own blunders in games?..................................................................... 1% How can I create my own training modules?.............................................................................. 2# I"m using a book of chess problems( but the engine won"t play the )right* moves( so I can"t understand the author"s solution. Is there anything I can do?.................................................... 2$ How do I resi+e the chessboard?............................................................................................... 2%
8aster4 2 hints 9randmaster andidate4 1 hint( and once you choose to accept the hint 1change your move2( no further hints will appear 9randmaster4 no hints :econd( regarding the numerals that appear after the level name 15eginner !evel 1( 2( 3( etc.2( these show the search depth of the engine. :o at 5eginner !evel 1( the chess engine looks ahead only one move 1two plys or half/moves4 one move for White( and the following response for 5lack2. 6t 5eginner !evel 2( the engine looks ahead two moves or four plys( and so on. 6s you improve your play( the engine automatically increases its strength by calculating longer se'uences of possible moves to find what it considers the best response. ,hird( there is a point system used by the program as you win games. ,he score for each game is calculated by multiplying the numerical playing level 1search depth2 by the number of points associated with each category. ,he number of points associated with each category is as follows4 5eginner4 7 6mateur4 1; 8aster andidate4 2; 8aster4 #; 9randmaster andidate4 %; 9randmaster4 1<;
,hese calculated scores appear in the titlebar of the !ucas hess program window and are used to submit your scores 1Information menu = >ost your score2.
?ntil you have played in a new category( however( you will still see only the first numerical level displayed in the menu. In other words( if you stick to the 5eginner levels @ regardless of how high the search depth is currently @ you will have to start playing the 6mateur category at !evel 1. ,he same rules apply for progressing through the numerical levels at each category 1winning one game as White and one as 5lack2.
<. In the Bngines area of the dialog bo-( click the ,pponent list bo- and select the ? I engine you installed. 6ny additional engines you install will have an asterisk 1C2 ne-t to the engine name. $. 8ake any other selections you want 1such as opening or tutor engine2 and click Accept to close the )9ame againstD* dialog bo-. %. ,he game board appears and you can begin playing against the new chess engine you installed.
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&. In the bottom right of the chessboard interface( the opponent and tutor engines 1if applicable2 are displayed. Aou should see the name of your new engine in the .pponent field. If another engine name is displayed( repeat the preceding steps carefully( and be sure to select the new engine as the opponent.
/ote1 Aou can also select any ? I engine you install in !ucas hess as the default tutor. In the main !ucas hess window( click ,ptions = )onfiguration. In the onfiguration dialog bo-( click the Tutor tab and then use the -ngine list bo- to select the engine you want to use as the default tutor. lick Accept to close the dialog bo-. ,he !ucas hess window will close and then launch again with the new preferences saved.
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If you want to accept the tutor"s suggested move instead of the move you made( click the Tutor2s suggestion check bo-. If you want to disregard the hint and stay with your move( click the 3our move check bo-. Aou return to your game and the move you selected is made.
,o make the best use of the tutor"s advice and to understand the reasons behind some of the suggested moves( you will need to use the G H/style toolbar beneath each of the mini/ chessboards in the tutor window. ,he buttons from left to right on the toolbar are named 3irst move( >revious move( 0e-t move( !ast move( 6nalysis of variation( and ,imed movement. Aou can use the first three buttons to move back and forth through the variation suggested by the tutor. ,he fourth button will Eump to the last move in the variation 1the final position2. ,he si-th button is the Timed movement button( and looks like an alarm clock. If you want to animate the whole se'uence of moves in the tutor"s proposed variation @ rather than click through each move individually @ click the Timed movement button. It functions like the play button on a video player. ,he fifth button is the Analysis of variation button. If you click this button( a Gariations window appears. ,he Gariations window allows you to try out different moves within a variation suggested by the tutor. B-perimenting with )candidate* moves this way can be helpful when you are trying to understand the moves the tutor is suggesting. If you can"t see the reason for a certain move( try replacing it with another move in the Gariations window.
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In the Gariations window( there are two chessboards. ,he first one is called >roposed change. ,his board will display the same position as on the ,utor"s suggestion board( at t!e "a#e $oint in t!e %ariation t!at you na%igated to 1in the tutor window2 using the G H/style buttons. ,he second board in the Gariations window is called 3orecast tutor( and initially it will be empty.
In the e-ample above( you can see that the tutor is suggesting that White moves his king to f1 in this position 1notice the orange dashed line( which is very short in this e-ample because the destination s'uare is only one s'uare away2. If you wanted to know why the engine thinks this is a good move( you can use this Gariations window to try another move and see what the refutation might be.
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:o( in this e-ample( imagine you wanted to know why blocking the check with your g/pawn is not recommended. ?se the >roposed change chessboard to make that move 1g2/g32. .nce you do( the 3orecast tutor chessboard displays the new position( after &la'k(" re$ly to your new #o%e) 0ow( you can use the G H/style buttons under the 3orecast tutor board to play through the subse'uent variation.
,he graphic above shows our alternate move g3 and 5lack"s reply to it( which is f-g3( as shown on the 3orecast tutor board. Aou can play through the rest of the variation on the 3orecast tutor board to see what the outcome will be. ,hen( you can compare this variation with the one proposed by the tutor in the tutor window 1starting with If1( in our e-ample2. ,his way( you can e-periment with different candidate moves and the resulting variations without affecting your actual game.
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(ethod %
Aou can also use !ucas hess to practice tactics using a conventional( published book of tactical positions or chess )pu++les.* ,o set up the position4 1. lick Training = Utilities = )reate your own game.
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2. 0otice that the toolbar buttons have changed4 you"re now in the game window. Here( you can begin moving the pieces for both sides to arrive at the key position 1if working on opening tactics2. .r( you can set up a middlegame or endgame position( as described below. 3. lick )onfig = 0tart 4osition.
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#. In the >osition window( use the piece buttons and check bo-es to set up the position 1refer to the tips in the Help section at the bottom/left2. 7. When done( click Accept.
4osition Window Tips ,o flip the board( so that the black pieces are on the bottom during the setup( double/ click the white circle in the bottom/right corner of the chessboard. 1,his feature works in any !ucas hess game window.2 licking 0tart position will reset the chessmen to the standard start position. Jo not click this button once you"ve arranged the pieces or you"ll lose all your workM Aou can click )opy 5-/ position if you want to paste this position in another ! window or another chess application. If you have already copied a 3B0 position onto the clipboard from another window or program( you can click the 4aste 5-/ position button to instantly create that position here. licking )lear board will( as you might e-pect( remove all the chessmen so you can 'uickly create an endgame position. 4laying the 4osition 0ow that you have set up the position( you"re ready to start solving it and improving your tactical abilities. In the game window( you can make moves for both sides. .r( you can play the position against the computer. ,o do so( click )onfig = -nable engine. ,he engine is now turned on( and @ after your ne-t move @ will remain enabled and play against you. If the engine selects a move you don"t want to play against( simply click the Takeback button( click )onfig = 6isable engine( and then make the desired move for the opponent.
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6t this point( you can either turn the engine back on( or( if it"s a complicated position and you want to remain in control of the variation and the opponent"s move choices( use the handy engine toggle functionM :ee the ne-t topic to learn how this feature works.
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3. ,he 6nalysis window displays the move you made( its strength as determined by the default tutor engine 1shown in points2( as well as other possible moves. ,he strongest move is listed first( followed in descending order by weaker moves. In the e-ample shown below( the move that 5lack played in the actual game is the third in the list( evaluated at @173 points. In this particular position( the strongest move is evaluated at @<% points.
#.
lick any of the moves listed in this window to update the position on the chessboard with the alternative move.
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7. If you want to study any of these alternative moves and see what might have happened if you chose that move instead( click the move in the list and then click the /e.t move button in the G H/style toolbar and play through the variation. Aou can also see the moves for that particular variation listed in algebraic notation at the bottom of the window.
<. ,o save that variation to the notation pane in the game window( click the 0ave button. $. If instead you want to save all the variations listed( click the 0ave:: button.
%. ,o return to the game window( click the )lose button in the 6nalysis window. &. 5ack in the game window( right/click the notation pane to display the omment and Gariations fields. 6lternatively( you can click )onfig = ;iew = 4G/ information to showLhide these fields.
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1;. ,he variations you selected now appear in the Gariations field of the game window.
11. 0ow that the variations you saved are listed in the game window( you can double/click any of those variations to open another window with that particular variation displayed and play through the moves by clicking each move in the notation pane.
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12. 3inally( you can even analy+e the moves in this particular variation to generate more options. Jouble/click any of the moves in the notation pane of the Gariation window. 13. 6 new 6nalysis window appears( showing the move you selected as well as numerous alternative moves.
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#.
lick the .ther options tab and add file names for the training files. 5e sure not to skip the third field( )6dd the training )3ind best move*D Without a file name entered here( you will not be able to use the 3ind best move feature( which is the key to training in these positions where you made blunders.
7. ?se the last field in the window to indicate the blunder threshold4 the lower the value( the greater the number of sub/optimal moves that will be included in the training positions file and considered blunders. <. 6fter configuring the settings( click Accept.
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$. ,he moves in the notation pane now have scores attached to them. Aou can double/click any move to open the 6nalysis window and view alternative moves 1see previous topic in this 36N for more details on working with analy+ed moves2.
0ow that you have analy+ed the game( and generated a training file of positions( you can close this game window and return to the main window 1click the >uit button on the toolbar2. Aou are ready to enter the ne-t stage and begin training yourself in these positions and learning to avoid making blunders.
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2. If this is your first time using this feature( there will be only one file displayed. .therwise( be sure to select the correct blunder file and then click 4lay. 6 blank chessboard appears with the file name you created in :tage 1 displayed in the titlebar.
3.
lick the 0tart button. ,he 3ind best move training mode begins.
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#. Aou are presented with the first training position 1blunder2 from your analy+ed game. ,ry to make the strongest move in this position.
If the move you make is the strongest or )best* move 1as determined by the engine during the analysis24 ,he move is entered on the chessboardF ,he position is considered solvedF ,he move is displayed in the bottom of the window in the number 1 positionF and Aou can click the /e.t button on the toolbar to attempt to solve the second position in the training file.
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If you make a move that is lower in the list 1and therefore not the best move2( a button appears in the lower right of the window( indicating the sort order of the move and its numerical evaluation. 6t the same time( the piece snaps back into place( so you can continue to try other moves. In the e-ample below( you can see that both pawn to a< 1the fourth/strongest move2 and pawn to a7 1the eighth strongest move2 were attempted. :ince neither of these moves are the strongest( we have to continue trying other moves.
If the move you make is not in the list of analy+ed moves at all( there is no feedback and the piece you moved simply snaps back into place.
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If you cannot find the strongest move and want to see the answer( click the Help button. Aou have resigned this position and are then shown the analy+ed moves. In the e-ample below( you can see that the best move in this position is 0d7. Aou can also see the move that you played in the actual game( which is notated in the list with an asterisk. In this e-ample( it turns out that the move we played in the actual game was the last move analy+ed 1number 1#2 @ which in this case( is the worst move in the list of analy+ed variations.
0ow that you have seen the correct answer and compared it with the move you played in the actual game( you can click the /e.t button on the toolbar to try again with the second position from the analy+ed game.
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.nce you have a >90 database of positions( you Eust need to open it and convert it to a list of 3B0 positions in !ucas hess4 1. In the main !ucas hess window( click Training = Utilities = 4G/ ;iewer. 2. .n the new menu bar that appears( click 9ead 4G/. 3. 0avigate to the folder containing your >90 database( select the file and then click ,pen. #. In the list of positions 1 hoose a game to view2( click the !ooks button( point to "ist of 5-/s and then click )reate a new book.
7. 6t this point( !ucas hess creates a new subfolder called >ersonal ,raining inside the ?srJata folder 1which is inside the main program folder2. In the )3ile to save* dialog bo-( create a name for your file and save the file 1.fns2 in the new subfolder.
<.
$. 0ow that you have converted your >90 file and saved it( close the ) hoose a game to view* window and then click >uit to close the >90 Giewer.
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%. 5ack in the main window of !ucas hess( you will now find your new collection of training positions in the Training = Training positions = 4ersonal Training menu.
&. 6fter opening the new training module( you can play the position against the default chess engine. ,o navigate among the different positionsLproblems in the collection( click the /e.t 1or 4revious2 button.
(ethod %
6nother way to create training positions is to save them directly from within !ucas hess. With a position on the !ucas hess board that you want to save and practice4 1. lick the :,ptions button on the menu bar. 2. >oint to 0ave( point to 5-/ 5ormat and then click 0ave to a file. 3. :ave the 3B0 position in the >ersonal ,raining folder.
If you have a number of related positions( you may want to save them in an appropriately named subfolder within the >ersonal ,raining folder( such as >ins( 3orks( etc.
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I2m using a book of chess problems$ but the engine won2t play the ?right@ moves$ so I can2t understand the author2s solution* Is there anything I can do?
hess authors and chess engines often have a different view of tactical positions and their solutions. ,he engine will usually choose moves that e-tend the game( whenever possible( even if the position is still technically lost. 6nd occasionally the engine will find a superior defence( one that the author may have overlooked( possibly leading to a different outcome. :o unless the solution to the pu++le you"re working on is 1;;O forced 1no other moves are possible2( the published solution and the moves the engine picks will often differ. 3ortunately( !ucas hess includes a number of features you can use to practise solving the pu++le the way you want 1i.e.( force the opponent to play certain moves2. !et"s say you"re working on the following tactical problem. ,he author says the tactic being demonstrated is a discovery and gives the following solution4 1. Nh<P 5-h< 2. 0g7P Ih% 3. Hh$Q 1/;. WonderfulM If 5lack cooperates and captures your 'ueen with his bishop( then on your second move you launch a devastating double/check4 the knight checks the king from g7 and reveals a discovered check from the rook on c$. 5ut when you try to solve this problem using !ucas hess( the engine won"t cooperate and instead plays 1DIg%. 0ow the nice discovery of 2. 0g7P doesn"t work. Bven if you can figure out another way of winning for White( you want to learn the lesson the author intended. What to do?
,o solve this problem and control the opponent"s moves( refer to p. 12( under the heading Playing t!e Po"ition( as well as the ne-t topic on p. 13( ,ow 'an - .ui'kly toggle t!e engine on and off.
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