What's new in MyChessApps!!?

Its been a while we posted a new blog, but new App updates kept rolling.
Recently we released new updates to Follow Chess & iChess apps on both iOS and Android.

1. Backup and Restore (Scorecard, Bird View)

We had many requests in the past to allow backing up puzzle details, or atleast the scorecard, so that you don't lose what you have achieved, in case you switch over to a new device.

Now, happy to say, that just login, and your Scorecard and the Bird View (puzzle progress) will be backed up everytime you solve. So when you get a new device, or reinstall the App, your last progress will be restored back!

Likewise, on Follow Chess, your favorite games are now synced across devices and Android/iOS, so you never have to lose track of games that you have carefully added to your favorite collection!

2. Sync your purchases

Similarly, because there were two different versions of iChess app on Android (Free and Pro), sometimes users would get confused and they would not be able to see their purchases from one app to another. Likewise, if you had purchased some puzzle from our Store on Android, you wouldn't be able to use it on iOS and would need to re-purchase it.

Worry not, we have got your covered! Now you buy once, and the puzzle can be re-downloaded for free on the other OS! So no worry if you need to switch between Android <-> iOS

Please note, you need to sign-in to the App for these features to work.

3. Accessibility improvements

One thing that makes chess unique is that anybody can play chess, even without a board (or in some unfortunate cases, without a sight). So over the past few months, we took up the challenge to make all our Apps blind-friendly.

Soundarya Pradhan, member of Indian chess team (blind) using Follow Chess app on his way to Europe.

The fruit of the work is that, ALL our important apps (Follow Chess, iChess, Analyze This  , Chess Moves   ) are now blind friendly (and on both Android as well as iOS!!! Yup that calls for a 👏👏). So EVERYBODY can now play chess, train and analyze with the engines, save games, solve puzzles, and follow live games!

4. Miscellaneous

As always, we take your feedback seriously. So with the last few versions, we have fixed some puzzles, made slight tweaks to how the scoring works and improved things under the hood! (Apologies to the iChess Pro users on Android who had to face constant crashes in our last app update. Just one line of code did that! :/)

More things to come! :-)

iChess v5.0 on Android - Its brand new and colorful!

Over the past several weeks, we have been partly busy with iChess release. We slowly rolled it out to few set of users, squashed a lot of bugs (and silly mistakes), but its finally here! The latest Android version is now available for all users!

What's New?

Background

Sometimes when you start an App project, you develop it with the knowledge and tools you have during that time. Over a period of time, your knowledge improves and you realize that the way you developed something in the past, was probably not quite the best way to do it. It can be made better.

So thats what we did. We changed the guts of the Android version and built-it almost from scratch!

This was done to make it better and improve the stability and fix bugs which creep in some weird scenarios.

Colorful & Curvaceous...

..with new Wooden Board Theme

..and colors!

Brand new Store design and experience!

 

Search any puzzle or publisher. View our Top Puzzles or your purchases, all in one screen! Find puzzles that you want based on various categories!

..and puzzles from 'New In Chess' publisher!

Puzzles based on your playing strength or from games of top players like Carlsen, Nakamura, Giri, Kasparov etc.

..and...

• A single place to view and download all your purchases
• Choose a different 'Side to play', in case your PGN has puzzles where the 1st move is for the losing side.
• Its not only the App design that has changed, the underlying stuff and architecture
• Stability improvements and bug fixes and more!

These are significant changes and might cause some bug here and there. It will be great if you could just email me (Can do that via the App too. Menu - About - Feedback)

If you don't like something, just email me! Looking forward to your feedback!

PS. Some of these changes will be rolling out to the iChess iOS version too

Fixed - InApp purchase issue in My Chess Apps

Today we learnt about a critical issue with In-App purchases.

Issue: Users attempting to purchase an In-App item (ex in iChess) or Subscription (ex in Follow Chess) saw a failure message, even though the actual transaction was successful.
Due to this the In-App item may not have been immediately available. (it works if the App/Screen is closed and re-opened, and in some cases can be downloaded again)

Do I need to do anything? No
This issue has since been fixed and all purchases should proceed normally. The Apps don't need to be updated since this issue was on the Server.

We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused and are putting measures to ensure this does not happen again.

* If the In-App purchase was for App Upgrade, and the App still hasnt been upgraded -> Please restart your device once.

* If the In-App purchase was for a puzzle or extra item, please visit the App's Store and the App should allow you to download at no additional cost.

Please write to us if you face any issue.

New version of iChess - Chess puzzles released to Google Play Store!

iChess 4.0.2 has been publicly released (Google Play Store)! Thanks to all who helped with the Testing. Please let me know if you spot anything odd.
I hope you all like it the way I enjoyed adding these new features!
Ofcourse, there is still lot of work to be done and I plan to add new features (Sync, etc!)

In due course of time, I hope to get these changes on Amazon (sooner) and on iOS (couple of months)

iChess 4.0 BETA ready for testing!

iChess 4.0 BETA is ready for Testing!
Its a big release and some things may have been inadvertently broken on some devices. Please help me test the App and report bugs/crashes!

//How to Test:
1. Either join the
MyChessApps G+ community https://plus.google.com/communities/108010145398500180406
or
Google Group https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/my-chess-apps
2. Visit the below link depending on the Free or Pro version of the App you have
Free:-  https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.pereira.ichess
Pro:-  https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.pereira.ichess.paid
3. Click 'BECOME A TESTER'. It should say "You are now a tester"
4. Click 'Download iChess from the Play Store' at the bottom of the page.
5. Test and let me know if you see any bugs/problems!

//What's new
* New material design!
* Mark puzzle as Favorite
* Improved Random puzzle function
* Option to hide Hint button (to remove temptation!)
* Sort puzzle icons by Title or Last Opened
* Auto open last puzzle file
* and more...

[Android] iChess v3.6.1 released!

iChess v3.6.1 was released today with the following changes:

* You can now reset the Bird view and start solving afresh! (See Bird View screen - Menu - Reset). This will not affect your score

* If your puzzles PGN has a comment, then iChess will show it underneath the board.

* Better Fritz color
* Better support for foreign language PGNs
* Fixed some puzzles
* Other enhancements under the hood!

Chess - How to improve your Tactical defense?

Chess is 99% tactics. Many games are won when you spot a tactical shot or simply miss one from your opponent.
Hence, apart from sharpening your own tactical skills, it is also important to improve your defensive skills, so that you don't easily fall prey to your opponent's Tactical shots.

The key here is to be aware of THREATS in any given position. When you are aware of the Threats in the position, you would naturally take precaution to not leave a piece enprise or safe guard your King from the impending mate.

So, improving your ability to spot Threats in the position is a sure shot way to bump up your tactical defense.

Take a moment to study the following position (It is White to move and imagine YOU are playing Black). It is a very simple position, but ask yourself.
"What is White threatening?"
"Are any of my pieces undefended?"

Once you notice that your Rook on a6 has no support and it can be attacked by Qc8 (with check!), you would know what to do! So if instead of White, it was your turn (Black's move), you would naturally safe guard the Rook or exchange off the enemy Queen.

Another simple example (White to move and you are Black).
"What is White threatening?"

Qf8+ immediately finishes the game. So if you were playing Black and it was your move instead, you would protect against the mate with say ...Kg7

A more difficult puzzle with Black to move. Ask yourself the same question.
"What is Black threatening?"

Oh, thats infact simple. Black would play Bxg2 mate! You now know the Threat.

What if the position was actually like this with Black to move:

You can immediately spot the tactical motif for your opponent. Remember you are playing White and the idea is to ask "What is Black threatening?"
The threat is: Black will play Qxf4 sacrificing his queen to "deflect" the White queen away from the protection of the g2 pawn. Then after you reply with Qxf4, your opponent (Black) will play the deadly Bxg2 and hold his head high up while the onlookers admire his skill.
Instead, if it was your turn to move (White), you would see the "Threat" and protect yourself against the embarrassing mate!

Summary

1. Always ask yourself, "What is my opponent threatening?" or "What will be my opponent's next move"
2. Watch your opponent's last move (99% of the times, your opponent's last move has all the "Threats")
3. Always look out for the "checks", "captures" and "threats" in the position.
4. After a good amount of practice/training, points 1, 2 and 3 above would actually be obsolete and you would no longer have to do that, since your brain and intuition will automatically make you aware of the impending Threats. You would naturally get a feel for the position. However, never let down your guard!
5. Practice, Practice, Practice, no short cuts!

How to practice?

1. Pick up your favorite puzzle book (even if you have already solved all the puzzles). Now solve the puzzles all over again from the losing side's perspective, every time asking yourself the simple question, "What is my opponent threatening?" (you play as the losing side). However it is better if the winning side is actually on Top (for a change!)
2. iChess for Android has a very interesting feature which can be very useful for defensive training. iChess can rotate the board, such that the losing side (remember YOU are playing the losing side for now), is at the bottom. For every puzzle you solve, ask yourself the above question and go ahead and make moves for the winning side. This kind of training is bound to help you improve your Tactical defenses and overall "Threat" perception. (To turn ON this option, open iChess > Menu > Settings > Board Rotation > Select "Winning side on top". Now for every puzzle, iChess will show the winning side on top and you have to make moves for the other side as if you are guessing what moves your opponent is going to make)

May Caissa be with you!

PS. All the above images are from iChess, with the board rotation feature turned ON as mentioned above.

300 tactical puzzles from the games of Anand and Carlsen

The biggest Chess match of the decade is just around the corner. What better way to celebrate this historic moment, than by solving puzzles derived from the games of these two brilliant players?

300 puzzles from the games of Anand (166 puzzles) and Carlsen (134 puzzles) are now available for purchase inside iChess. Now, get into the Championship mood!

(Note: First 166 puzzles are from Anand's games followed by that of Carlsen. As usual, all puzzles are arranged in increasing order of difficulty starting with basic one-movers and going on to several moves)

Sample Puzzle

How did Anand (White) destroy Black's King side?

White to play and win

Apart from the default free 1000 puzzles arranged into Normal, Advanced and Master levels, iChess also has lots of other puzzles that you can purchase.

Some of the puzzles available inside iChess for purchase

 Solution

App Download

iChess for Android (Play Store)

iChess for Android (Amazon)

iChess for iPhone/iPad

iChess - Chess puzzles app now on iPhone and iPad!

Hurray, iChess is now available on the iPhone/iPad!

Check out on iTunes

Disclaimer: It does not have the usual flair of the Android version, but it will get there!

You can open your own tactics PGN file (by placing the PGN file in the iChess Documents folder via PC/Mac). However this option is available only for Paid users (iChess upgrade). You can grab one of the Promo codes below to upgrade iChess!

PROMO CODES (Hurry before somebody else uses them!)
4RW4NFXYHJX7
YLT37W47HKLW
WJ96A79NWM7T
K6K446FAFH6E
JFTLPXRWTE3A
Edit: It turns out that Promo codes cannot be used for In-App purchases, but only for Paid apps! (sigh)

New Chess puzzles from June 2013 and Mate in 1 move!

Today I have released new puzzles which can be purchased via iChess app!

Mate in 1 (400 puzzles!)
Check mate in only one move. Nothing more, nothing less!
This is great for beginners and kids but can also be good fun for more serious players!

June 2013 (300 puzzles)
300 puzzles from recent games played in June 2013. Featuring games from Tal Memorial, FIDE World Blitz, Russian Championship etc and games played by Anand, Mamedyarov, Andreikin.

iChess v3.5 released - New dimension to solving chess puzzles

I am absolutely thrilled to release a new version of iChess with lots of interesting features and changes. This is iChess' 21st release in 2 years!

NEW IN v3.5

• iChess automatically tracks the puzzles you find difficult. Then you can go to the Bird view of that puzzle set and choose "SOLVE FAILED PUZZZLES" option to start solving them. This will start loading all the amber and red colored puzzles in sequential order so you can keep your bird view clean. Go green!

• Now you can choose to rotate the board so that you can practice solving puzzles for the other side. By default, iChess always places the board so that the winning side is at the bottom. But solving puzzles with the winning side on top can give a new dimension to your Chess and improve your defensive ability as well as ability to spot tactics for your opponents! See Settings

• Lots of UI improvements

• Added Sound

• New Open PGN screen to quickly load your pgn file without having to wait to auto-scan

• Hint button changes color per the side to move so its easy for you to know which side wins in that puzzle

• Dark Theme to cool your eyes if you don't like staring at a completely white screen

• Cool blue color

• Prices in the puzzle store are in local currency plus other minor changes.

• Remove Ads right from within the Free version. Now you don't have to worry about losing your PGN files or score. See Settings to remove all Ads from the Free version and make it identical to the Paid.

• Lots of bug fixes and battery improvements.

• Support different languages. Some of the language translations may be incomplete. More coming soon.

Special thanks to Dejan, Dorian, Felipe, Fermin, Gergely, Michael, Raymond, Rudy and others who helped with the app.

iChess - Chess puzzles Tips & Tricks

• Swipe to move back and forth through the puzzles

          Review previous puzzle - Swipe left to right
          Load next puzzle - Swipe right to left

• Jump to a puzzle number

          Load Bird view and tap on any number to load that puzzle

iChess FAQs

How does the Scoring work?

For each puzzle solved = 10 points

Failed =  minus 5 points

Hint = minus 5 points

Total score = Total Solved - Total Failed - Total Hints taken

What do the Bird view colors mean?

Green = Solved

Red = Failed

Amber = Puzzles that you find difficult.

I do not want the app to automatically load the next puzzle. I want to review the current puzzle after I solve it. How do I do that?

Its in the Settings! Open iChess Settings > deselect "Solve and Load Next". Now iChess will stay on the same puzzle once you solve it so that you can analyze it further.

Why does the Hint button change color?

The Hint button changes color according to the side to move. This should make it is easier to recognize the side-to-move than reading the "White/Black to move" text on top of the board.

If I choose to "Remove Ads", do I have to pay again for other devices or if I re-install or reset?

No! Once Paid, your purchase remains with you forever, just like the Paid app! So even if you buy a new device or reset the existing device or uninstall-reinstall iChess Free again, you should no longer see Ads.
(IMPORTANT: You should be using the same primary email account on your device with which you made the purchase, else it wont work.)

Minor updates to iChess and Analyze This, simultaneously!

Probably my first release where I pressed the 'Submit' button and published 4 (both iChess and Analyze This versions) apps at the same time!

iChess v3.1.6
* Illegal moves are not allowed
* Review mode has been enhanced. Now you can easily add moves, jump to any position and move back and forth.
* Bug fixes in alternate moves.
* Minor enhancements

Analyze This v2.0.3
* Improved stability when loading PGN
* Stockfish engine crash
* Minor engine output changes
* Other enhancements

Special thanks to Tadek, Che, Gilberto for their kind feedback (without adding a bad review)! ;-)

How to practice Chess Openings with iChess

iChess v3.1.3 was released today with several bug fixes and stability improvements.

As you know, iChess is great for solving the pre-shipped puzzles as well as any PGN-puzzle file that you may have.
One minor unplanned feature, which was released in v3.1.3 is the support for studying Chess openings.
You make moves for the winning side while iChess plays the other side.

Here is how you can do it:
1. Prepare a PGN file with your favorite opening lines. This will be your opening repertoire.
It is better to have each variation as a separate game in the PGN. For your preferred side, mark the game as won, in the PGN. Say you like to play the Kings Indian with Black. Then save the full or partial game and mark it as 0-1 (in the game header). 
(This is the most important step for any serious Chess player and once you have your repertoire PGN ready, it can be used for many other functions within Chessbase PC software.)

2. Open the puzzle file in iChess.
3. Now just like regular puzzles, iChess will ask you to make the best move. One additional feature is that, if the game result it 0-1 (Black wins), then iChess will automatically make the first move for White. You make the best move for Black.

Ofcourse, you can use a Hint and all other iChess goodies!

This can be a good opening workout and imprint your favorite variations in memory. (Note: Even the top players need to "memorize" their opening lines")

This nice little feature can also be used for Solitaire or Guess the Move kind of Chess. Load a PGN with master games and try to guess the moves for the winning side!

Note: Currently, iChess does not give points for every move you make, but only for the complete game.

iChess v3 released!

iChess v3 has been released!
This is a major release with lots of new features and design.


☆ Buy new Puzzles from within the app. Currently KID Saemisch & Tactics from July 2012 are on offer. More coming soon.
☆ Good alternate moves are no longer marked as failure. Uses Analyze This app in the background.
☆ Redesigned UI plus fritz style board theme.
☆ 3 move limitation removed. Now make all moves OR only the first.
☆ Some existing puzzles did not make sense and have met their end. They have been replaced.
☆ Reset scorecard option added. Now nobody can see how much you suck in Tactics.
☆ Other bug fixes and enhancements.

Note: The new permission READ_PHONE_STATE is required to secure the In-App purchases using the unique device id. NO phone data is accessed!

iChess v1.7 released!!

Finally, I am happy to release v1.7 of iChess for Android.

Whats new in this release?
☆ Open puzzles file in PGN format from SDcard! (thanks to user Brandon)
Note that your PGN file should have a move for every puzzle so that iChess can provide you hints or assess your move.
Bird view is also supported!
☆ Added nearly 150 positions from recent GM tournaments played in the last 2 months featuring top GMs like Carlsen, Anand, Kramnik, Aronian, Ivanchuk, Morozevich, Polgar, Svidler, Nakamura etc
☆ Shows game information like White/Black/Event and Date.
☆ Corrected moves for some positions (thanks to user Ulrike)
☆ Added extra moves to positions which previously had only one move

Note: If you are upgrading from v1.6 to v1.7, your Master level (ONLY) Bird view will be reset. Sorry!
This is because of a bug in v1.6 which is now fixed.
Bird view from Normal and Advanced level will be maintained

Why the name iChess?

Some users think "iChess" is too Appleish.
True it is, and for that matter any English word that starts with an 'i'!

I chose this name for several reasons:
1. 'i' is the reverse of '!' which as a chess player knows stands for a good move.
2. Many app publishing websites do not allow special characters like '!'.
3. 'i'  also sounds similar to 'eye'; and training your tactical eye is the main focus of this app!

iChess for Android v1.5 released!!

Proud to announce the release of v1.5.
I consider it to be a major release and hence the version bump from 1.1 to 1.5!!

New Features:

1. Share puzzle via email/twitter/facebook etc!!
2. No more boring board color!. You can now choose from Aqua, Blue, Brown, Gray or Green!
3. Setting to automatically move to next puzzle OR stay on current position and review it
4. Tablet optimization

Go grab it from the market! http://goo.gl/vK88o

iChess for Android v1.1 released!

v1.1 was released to the Android market today.
It is a minor upgrade and has the following improvements:

• Arrow in 'Analyze Previous' mode helps notice piece movement
• Updated Title - Shows the Total # of games in each level
• Automatically move to next level if last puzzle in previous level is solved or skipped
• More than 50 puzzles added from recent tournaments:

• 39th GM Dortmund, Germany
• 98th British Chp
• 8th World Teams, China
• AAI GM, New Delhi
• 39th World Open, USA
• Commonwealth, South Africa
• 1st China Rapid Prelim
• Biel ACCENTUS GM