Concepts
Chess game databases Collections of chess games are stored in files called PGN databases . PGN stands for Portable Game Notation , it is a standard way to store chess games independent of the hardware and software program / application which produced it . HIARCS Chess Explorer reads and writes chess databases in PGN format . It does not support any non standard format of database .
Chess Explorer paradigm In the context of a chess game HIARCS Chess Explorer uses a different approach to most other chess software . Most chess software focuses just on the current game and the database is a secondary concern mainly used as a repository to store and retrieve games . We believe this approach is not as powerful as the database centric paradigm that HIARCS Chess Explorer uses . We will explore this in more detail below .
HIARCS Chess Explorer uses a database first approach , this means you open the database you are interested in first and then you can view , modify , delete or add games to it .
Secondly HIARCS Chess Explorer is a multi-database program , that means you can open , view , manipulate and analyse games from multiple databases simultaneously .
These two facets of database first and multi-database capabilities enable much more powerful solutions than a single game , single database approach more normally used .
Using a database first and multi-database approach gives some genuine advantages over the traditional approach :
· Choosing a database first sets the context for the game and leverages other related information in a database to make the entry , analysis or viewing of a game more informative .
· The game can draw on information from the other games already in the database in a number of ways : o Compare in real-time the current game to other games played in the database o Show what other players have played before in the same position and how they faired statistically o Enable real-time access to other games which have encountered the same position to see how those games progressed .
· Manage your games better by using databases not just as a repository to store games but as a way of organising your games and analysis , for example you can store your games in multiple databases for different purposes : o maintain a database of your own games to get an automatic opening repertoire tree generated for you . o prepare for an opponent by generating a database of their games and having their opening repertoire tree presented automatically o Analyse games of your favourite player and get additional information about the player , their moves , openings and performances
· Manage multiple databases at the same time to perform distinct operations simultaneously : o Have an analysis database open where an engine can be analysing your game o Simultaneously you can be examining other databases of games and working independently of the analysis being done for you in another database o Manage game collections more effectively by having access to multiple sources o Transfer games between databases more quickly and smoothly .
Don ' t panic if that sounds complex , it really is not and we have example usage in the Getting started section to show how different tasks can be achieved simply within HIARCS Chess Explorer .
If you are a novice user do not worry as HIARCS Chess Explorer can be used to manipulate just a single game and database at a time if you prefer to keep things very simple .
One of the key aims of HIARCS Chess Explorer is to simplify the user experience and provide a set of
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