Connected Multiplayer Chess Game

[Andy Sjostrom]

<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/resources/casestudies/CaseStudy.asp?CaseStudyID=13778">http://www.microsoft.com/resources/casestudies/CaseStudy.asp?CaseStudyID=13778</a><br /><br />Microsoft recently commissioned a developer to design and develop a chess game using Visual C# and the .NET Compact Framework. According to its specifications, the game works on all Pocket PC platforms, and also on the Windows desktop, "integrates with a third-party chess Web service, and allows both live and disconnected 2-player games". This is a great example of how Pocket PC games can combine all its built-in strength. I hope to see more games with these characterstics!<br /><br />"Valentin Iliescu, an independent developer, built a highly graphical chess game for the Pocket PC platform in C# using the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework. Beyond the usual man-against-computer play, this game also facilitates remote play over the Internet against other players and against a server. The game runs on all Pocket PC platforms, and also on the Windows-based desktop. The Compact Framework's support for XML Web services allowed Valentin to make the game interact with a third-party chess Web service without knowing any of the details of the service's implementation. The strong graphics support in the Compact Framework enabled him to build an attractive user interface, easily. Valentin used the Compact Framework's sockets classes to implement two-player games over the Internet."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/netcfchess_01.jpg" />

[D-Man]

From where do I download it?

[Andy Sjostrom]

From where do I download it?

Just sent the guy an email. Hope to hear from him soon, and when I do -- I will update this post!

[GadgetDave]

That's awesome! Can you ask him if the Source is public, too?

How about a PPCT Chess Tournament? 8)

[jakeforce]

Looks like you can download it from his website @ http://www.valil.com/chess/downloads.html

[DerekTheGeek]

The Microsoft article says that this game was developed with Visual Studio 2002. Do the mean the initial release of Visual Studio .NET? Does this mean the v1.0 of the .NET CF runtime (release 3/19/03) will also work with Visual Studio 2002? I guess I was thinking Microsoft was going to require people to purchase Visual Studio 2003 if the wanted to develop with the .NET Compact Framework.

[humor]

Can't wait to try this out on my upcoming Samsung sph-i700...when it is finally released at Verizon :lol:

[snowlion]

The Microsoft article says that this game was developed with Visual Studio 2002. Do the mean the initial release of Visual Studio .NET? Does this mean the v1.0 of the .NET CF runtime (release 3/19/03) will also work with Visual Studio 2002? I guess I was thinking Microsoft was going to require people to purchase Visual Studio 2003 if the wanted to develop with the .NET Compact Framework.

i've read that the upgrade to 2002 to 2003 should be nominal (&lt;50 USD)...but i haven't seen such offers anywhere.

[pocketpcdude1024]

Wouldn't this violate the '045 patent? :lol:

[Will T Smith]

The Microsoft article says that this game was developed with Visual Studio 2002. Do the mean the initial release of Visual Studio .NET? Does this mean the v1.0 of the .NET CF runtime (release 3/19/03) will also work with Visual Studio 2002? I guess I was thinking Microsoft was going to require people to purchase Visual Studio 2003 if the wanted to develop with the .NET Compact Framework.


This is likely a typo. The compact .net dev stuff is only available with the Studio 2003 beta (available through MSDN subscription).

As far as the runtime working WITH Studio 2002, it's really a mute point. You need the development kit to write apps with studio. The run-time doesn't do you any good.

Hopefully Microsoft will release a bare dev kit WITHOUT Studio or IDE for hobbyist developers. Even nicer would be releasing a "language bound" version with the $99 "learner" versions that are available. I really cannot see Microsoft capitalizing on .net cf without providing free/low cost dev kits.

[Kevin Daly]

I downloaded it just now and installed it on my Jornada - very nice (it beat me easily and quickly, but then I'm a lousy chess player).
It only works with the RTM version of the Compact Framework - I tried it on an iPAQ with the earlier beta and it installed but popped up a "missing method exception" error. Which was only to be a expected, really.
But I Try These Things So You Don't Have To. 0X

I found the speed very impressive.

Now I must remember to upgrade the CF version on that iPAQ (it's the one I have from work...I'm still running the old version of the framework on it because it has a demo web service client I wrote for work purposes and haven't got around to upgrading yet...I was going to wait until the VS.NET 2003 release but I think I'll take the code home and do it with the final beta I have here. But now I'm rambling....)

[Kevin Daly]

Hopefully Microsoft will release a bare dev kit WITHOUT Studio or IDE for hobbyist developers. Even nicer would be releasing a "language bound" version with the $99 "learner" versions that are available. I really cannot see Microsoft capitalizing on .net cf without providing free/low cost dev kits.

I've bored everybody enough already with my views on this subject, but suffice it to say I agree.
My hope is that with enough "rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb - murmur 'They must be crazy' murmur murmur" word will eventually make its way to MS and it will occur to them that doing something like that would be a good idea. I know they do listen to customers, so we need to find a way for enough customers to make themselves heard on the subject.
Damn, now I've gone and had another rant on the subject and I really didn't mean to. Oops 8O

[wjsteele]

The Microsoft article says that this game was developed with Visual Studio 2002. Do the mean the initial release of Visual Studio .NET? Does this mean the v1.0 of the .NET CF runtime (release 3/19/03) will also work with Visual Studio 2002? I guess I was thinking Microsoft was going to require people to purchase Visual Studio 2003 if the wanted to develop with the .NET Compact Framework.


This is likely a typo. The compact .net dev stuff is only available with the Studio 2003 beta (available through MSDN subscription).

As far as the runtime working WITH Studio 2002, it's really a mute point. You need the development kit to write apps with studio. The run-time doesn't do you any good.

Hopefully Microsoft will release a bare dev kit WITHOUT Studio or IDE for hobbyist developers. Even nicer would be releasing a "language bound" version with the $99 "learner" versions that are available. I really cannot see Microsoft capitalizing on .net cf without providing free/low cost dev kits.

Actually, no, it's not a typo 8O , the early beta's ran under VS.NET 2002.

Bill 0X

[Martin I Pettinger]

Hi

I used to be Master Strength at Chess - so I installed on my iPAQ. Chess performance is weak even on highest setting. Board is nice - and I would have kept on my iPAQ if you could use the program in 2 player mode - I.e. to play through games in the newspaper. The program is free though and I commend the programmer on what he has achieved. The playing over the net thing intrigues me - how does this work?!

Martin

[rhmorrison]

I purchased ChessGenius for my Jornada 568 and I can't beat it unless I go down to the ridiculously easy levels. Even at 1 sec / move (with permanant brain ON of course) I can't beat this guy...

Have you tried ChessGenius?

I play at the 'Bezirksliga' level which is only two levels under 'Landesliga'.

Pocket Fritz 2 is also supposed to play a very strong game.