View source for XBoard

{{short description|Graphical user interface for chess games}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox software
|name = XBoard
|logo =
|screenshot = [[File:Xboard 4.2.7 on KDE 4.2.2 and Fedora 10.png|250px|GNU Chess 5.0.7 on Xboard 4.2.7]]
|caption = ''[[GNU Chess]]'' 5.0.7 on ''XBoard'' 4.2.7
|developer = [[GNU project]]
|latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q2104585|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
|latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q2104585|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
|latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q2104585|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
|latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q2104585|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
|genre = [[Computer chess]]
|license = [[GNU General Public License|GPL]]
|website = [https://www.gnu.org/software/xboard XBoard]
|operating_system = [[Linux]], [[FreeBSD]], [[NetBSD]], [[OpenBSD]], [[Microsoft Windows]], [[macOS]]
}}
'''XBoard''' is a [[graphical user interface]] [[chessboard]] for [[chess engine]]s under the [[X Window System]]. It is developed and maintained as [[free software]] by the [[GNU project]]. WinBoard is a port of XBoard to run natively on [[Microsoft Windows]].

==Overview==
Originally developed by Tim Mann as a [[front and back end|front end]] for the [[GNU Chess]] [[chess engine|engine]], XBoard eventually came to be described as a [[graphical user interface]] for XBoard engines.<ref name="Hagen2010">{{cite book|last=Hagen|first=William von|title=Ubuntu Linux Bible: Featuring Ubuntu 10.04 LTS|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rsSlrQLB8-gC&pg=SA15-PA93|access-date=11 November 2011|date=13 May 2010|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|isbn=978-0-470-88180-4|pages=15–16}}</ref> It also acts as a client for [[Internet Chess Server]]s,<ref name="Negus2003">{{cite book|last=Negus|first=Chris|title=Red Hat Linux 9 bible|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NliYH-zrQXQC|year=2003|publisher=Wiley Pub.|isbn=978-0-7645-3938-1|page=242}}</ref> and [[Play-by-mail game|e-mail chess]],<ref name="MuiQuercia1994">{{cite book|last1=Mui|first1=Linda|last2=Quercia|first2=Valérie|title=X user tools|url=https://archive.org/details/xusertools00lind|url-access=registration|access-date=11 November 2011|year=1994|publisher=O'Reilly & Associates|isbn=978-1-56592-019-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/xusertools00lind/page/186 186]}}</ref> and can allow the user to play through saved games.<ref name="Johnson2005">{{cite book|last=Johnson|first=Chris F. A.|title=Shell scripting recipes: a problem-solution approach|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PDqsRgXg1WIC&pg=PA294|year=2005|publisher=Apress|isbn=978-1-59059-471-1|page=294}}</ref>

XBoard/WinBoard remain updated, and the Chess Engine Communication Protocol has been extended to meet the needs of modern engines (which have features such as hash tables, multi-processing and end-game tables, which could not be controlled through the old protocol).

XBoard/WinBoard also fully support engines that play [[List of chess variants|chess variants]], such as [[Fairy-Max]]. This means the GUI is able to display a wide range of variants such as [[xiangqi]] (Chinese chess), [[shogi]] (Japanese chess), [[makruk]] (Thai chess), [[Crazyhouse]], [[Capablanca Chess]] and many other Western variants on boards of various sizes. It offers a Westernized representation for these games, but the almost limitless configurability of XBoard/WinBoard also allows a high-quality representation of non-Western style games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gnu.org/software/xboard/|publisher=gnu.org|title=XBoard|access-date=11 November 2011}}</ref>
[[File:Xboard shogi.png|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Screenshot of XBoard showing a game of [[shogi]]]]
Another computer chess protocol is the [[Universal Chess Interface]] (UCI). XBoard/WinBoard supports this protocol (and its dialects USI and UCCI, which are in common use for shogi and Chinese chess) through adapter programs such as Polyglot and UCI2WB.

Since 2014 there exists a special version of XBoard that better integrates with Apple's [[OS X]]. It is distributed from WinBoard forum as an OS X App, including several engines (for [[chess]] and many chess variants), and adapters for running engines in non-natively supported protocols. It also contains supporting software for connecting with the popular Internet Chess Servers FICS and ICC for on-line play. XBoard OS X Apps that specifically configure XBoard for oriental-style shogi or xiangqi are also available.

WinBoard is a version of XBoard adapted to MS Windows, and is available in a similar package.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://home.hccnet.nl/h.g.muller/CVfairy.html|website=home.hccnet|title=Fairy-Max: an AI for playing user-defined Chess variants}}</ref>
{{clear}}

==Fairy-Max==
{{Infobox software
| name = Fairy-Max
| screenshot = Fairy_Max_logo.png
| caption = '''Fairy-Max logo'''
| developer = H.G. Muller
| released = 4.8 / {{Start date and age|2007|10|18}}<ref name="cp"/>
| latest release version = 5.0b
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2016|2|19}}<ref>Muller, H. G. (February 19, 2016). [http://www.talkchess.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?t=59309 Fairy-Max 5.0b released]. ''TalkChess.com''.</ref>
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]]
| operating_system = [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Linux]], [[MacOS]]<ref>Muller, H. G. (October 7, 2011). [http://www.talkchess.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?t=40667 Fairy-Max 4.8R released]. ''TalkChess.com''.</ref>
| genre = [[Computer chess]]
| license = [[Public Domain]]
| website = {{URL|http://home.hccnet.nl/h.g.muller/CVfairy.html}}
}}
'''Fairy-Max''' is a [[Free software|free]] and open source [[chess engine]] which can play orthodox [[chess]] as well as [[chess variant]]s.<ref name="cp">{{cite web|url=https://chessprogramming.wikispaces.com/Fairy-Max|title=chessprogramming - Fairy-Max|website=ChessProgramming.Wikispaces.com|access-date=3 September 2017|archive-date=4 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504050041/http://chessprogramming.wikispaces.com/Fairy-Max|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="fm1">{{cite web|url=http://home.hccnet.nl/h.g.muller/CVfairy.html|title=Fairy-Max|last=H.G.Muller|website=home.HCCNet.nl|access-date=3 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessvariants.com/index/msdisplay.php?itemid=MSfairy-max-an-ai-for-playing-user-defined-chess-variants|title=Fairy-Max: an AI for playing user-defined Chess variants|first=H. G.|last=Muller|website=www.ChessVariants.com|access-date=3 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.open-aurec.com/wbforum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=52775|title=Winboard Forum • View topic - Anatomy of a simple engine: Fairy-Max|website=www.Open-Aurec.com|access-date=3 September 2017|archive-date=4 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904012348/http://www.open-aurec.com/wbforum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=52775|url-status=dead}}</ref> Among its features is the ability of users to define and use their own custom [[Fairy chess piece|variant chess pieces]] for use in games.<ref name="fm1"/>

Fairy-Max was derived from [[micro-Max]] (also developed by H.G. Muller), one of the smallest programs to play complete FIDE chess.<ref name="fm1"/> Therefore, Fairy-Max [[Software versioning|versioning]] started with version number 4.8, the version of micro-Max used.
{{clear left}}
{{Chess programming series}}

=== Description ===
The Fairy-Max module is a chess engine only, but is packaged with XBoard, which serves as the graphical user interface. Users can play against the Fairy-Max engine, or play the engine against other engines. It can also be set up to play two armies against each other, both using the Fairy-Max engine, for the purpose of analyzing chess moves, chess variants, or variant chess pieces.
[[File:Fairy_Max_output.png|thumb|upright=1.75|left|Game depiction showing output from the Fairy-Max chess engine]]
{{clear}}

=== Capabilities ===
Besides classical FIDE [[chess]], Fairy-Max is provided with a large selection of pre-defined games using [[fairy chess piece]]s, including  [[shatranj]] (ancient Iranian chess), [[xiangqi]] (Chinese chess), [[shogi]] (Japanese chess), [[makruk]] (Thai chess), [[King of the Hill (chess)|King of the Hill]], [[Capablanca Chess]], [[Courier chess]], [[Berolina chess]], [[Seirawan chess]] and other chess variants. Users are also able to specify their own board sizes, and define custom chess pieces, so that user-defined chess variants can also be played. Chessboards can be defined with a maximum size of 14 files in width, and 16 ranks in depth.<ref name="fm1"/><ref>[https://manpages.debian.org/unstable/fairymax/fairymax.6.en.html fairymax - xboard-compatible chess and chess-variant engine 'Fairy-Max'] — Debian Manpages.</ref>

=== Playing strength ===
The engine's [[Elo rating system|Elo]] rating fluctuates at around 1900 when playing orthodox chess in [[CCRL 40/40]] chess engine tournament, which roughly corresponds to [[chess rating system|class A human player]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ccrl.chessdom.com/ccrl/4040/cgi/compare_engines.cgi?family=Micro-Max&print=Rating+list&print=Results+table&print=LOS+table&print=Ponder+hit+table&print=Eval+difference+table&print=Comopp+gamenum+table&print=Overlap+table&print=Score+with+common+opponents|title=CCRL 40/15|access-date=20 July 2024|archive-date=28 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928031447/http://ccrl.chessdom.com/ccrl/4040/cgi/compare_engines.cgi?family=Micro-Max&print=Rating+list&print=Results+table&print=LOS+table&print=Ponder+hit+table&print=Eval+difference+table&print=Comopp+gamenum+table&print=Overlap+table&print=Score+with+common+opponents|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The author of the program has said "the goal of Fairy-Max is to make an entertaining but beatable opponent to play against in all kind of chess variants."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.open-aurec.com/wbforum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=53716|title=Winboard Forum • View topic - ELO rating of Fairy max?|website=www.Open-Aurec.com|access-date=3 September 2017|archive-date=4 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904062036/http://www.open-aurec.com/wbforum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=53716|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rybkaforum.net/cgi-bin/rybkaforum/topic_show.pl?tid=22612|title=Strange goings on|website=RybkaForum.net|access-date=3 September 2017|archive-date=4 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904014107/http://rybkaforum.net/cgi-bin/rybkaforum/topic_show.pl?tid=22612|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* [[GNOME Chess]]
* [[Chess engine]]
* [[Computer chess]]
* [[ChessV]] (also plays chess variants)
* [[Fairy chess piece|Variant chess piece]]
* [[List of chess variants|Chess variants]]
* [[List of chess software]]


==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.gnu.org/software/xboard}}
*[https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/xboard/ XBoard] on [[GNU Savannah]]
*[http://horizonchess.com/FAQ/Winboard/ FAQ] for the use of Xboard and Winboard chess engines
*[http://wbec-ridderkerk.nl Listing] of Xboard and Winboard chess engines

{{GNU}}
{{Chess variants}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Xboard}}
[[Category:Free chess software]]
[[Category:Free educational software]]
[[Category:Free software programmed in C]]
[[Category:GNU Project software]]
[[Category:Linux games]]
[[Category:Shogi software]]