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Chessboard​ ​Capture​ ​Program Users’​ ​Guide This​ ​documentation​ ​was​ ​updated​ ​10/14/2016​ ​for​ ​Version​ ​6.4a.

This​ ​program​ ​(CBC)​ ​ ​allows​ ​you​ ​to​ ​capture​ ​a​ ​chess​ ​diagram​ ​as​ ​FEN​ ​(Forsyth/Edwards​ ​notation)​ ​and​ ​as PGN​ ​(portable​ ​game​ ​notation).​ ​ ​The​ ​diagram​ ​is​ ​captured​ ​from​ ​your​ ​computer​ ​monitor​ ​(i.e.​ ​as​ ​an​ ​image) and​ ​can​ ​come​ ​from​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​sources,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​a​ ​website,​ ​video,​ ​chess​ ​program​ ​etc.​ ​ ​Once​ ​the chessboard​ ​has​ ​been​ ​captured​ ​you​ ​can​ ​enter​ ​the​ ​position​ ​into​ ​a​ ​database,​ ​chess​ ​playing​ ​program,​ ​etc.

There​ ​is​ ​a​ ​YouTube​ ​video​ ​for​ ​this​ ​program​ ​at​ ​http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUKfJkeCJmI​,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​is out​ ​of​ ​date.

Installation The​ ​program​ ​is​ ​found​ ​on​ ​https://sites.google.com/site/fredm/​​ ​.​ ​ ​Just​ ​download​ ​chessBoardCapture.zip unzip​ ​it​ ​to​ ​a​ ​folder​ ​of​ ​your​ ​choice.​ ​ ​Installation​ ​does​ ​not​ ​update​ ​the​ ​registry,​ ​nor​ ​any​ ​other​ ​files​ ​outside of​ ​the​ ​installation​ ​folder​ ​(except​ ​data​ ​files​ ​for​ ​which​ ​you​ ​specify​ ​the​ ​folder).​ ​ ​To​ ​uninstall​ ​the​ ​kit,​ ​just delete​ ​the​ ​folder​ ​you​ ​put​ ​it​ ​in.

This​ ​program​ ​only​ ​runs​ ​under​ ​Windows.​ ​ ​It​ ​has​ ​been​ ​tested​ ​in​ ​Windows​ ​7​ ​and​ ​10,​ ​but​ ​might​ ​run​ ​under some​ ​earlier​ ​versions​ ​of​ ​Windows.​ ​However,​ ​it​ ​requires​ ​.NET​ ​Framework​ ​4.5​ ​or​ ​later​ ​and​ ​so​ ​will​ ​not run​ ​under​ ​Windows​ ​XP.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​get​ ​a​ ​message​ ​saying​ ​that​ ​you​ ​need​ ​Microsoft's​ ​.NET​ ​Framework,​ ​you can​ ​download​ ​this​ ​ ​here​.​ ​ ​Usually​ ​your​ ​computer​ ​will​ ​already​ ​have​ ​this​ ​installed,​ ​but​ ​perhaps​ ​not​ ​the latest​ ​version. Note:​ ​the​ ​program​ ​could​ ​fail​ ​ ​unless​ ​the​ ​scaling​ ​ ​(control​ ​panel/display/make​ ​text​ ​larger​ ​or​ ​smaller)​ ​is set​ ​at​ ​100%​ ​(the​ ​default).​ ​ ​If​ ​you​ ​have​ ​used​ ​the​ ​display​ ​settings​ ​to​ ​increase​ ​the​ ​size​ ​of​ ​text​ ​and​ ​other items​ ​on​ ​your​ ​screen​ ​the​ ​capture​ ​might​ ​not​ ​work,​ ​depending​ ​on​ ​your​ ​configuration​ ​and​ ​version​ ​of Windows.​ ​Under​ ​Windows​ ​10,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​right-click​ ​on​ ​the​ ​desktop​ ​and​ ​follow​ ​this​ ​path:​ ​Display settings/Advanced​ ​display​ ​settings/Advanced​ ​sizing​ ​of​ ​text​ ​and​ ​other items/Scale​ ​to​ ​this​ ​percentage​:​ ​this​ ​should​ ​be​ ​“100%”.​ ​ ​It​ ​looks​ ​like:

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N.B.:​ ​there​ ​are​ ​a​ ​few​ ​other​ ​programs​ ​that​ ​might​ ​be​ ​more​ ​useful​ ​to​ ​you​ ​(I​ ​have​ ​not​ ​tried​ ​them​ ​myself): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kgroth.chessocr&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fimetech.chessfimee http://alain.blaisot.free.fr/DiagTransfer/English/home.htm http://www.chessgrabber.nicolaas.net/ http://androidfeens.com/chessocr-ocr-chess-diagrams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pckGbzKb7WQ

Running​ ​the​ ​Program

Click​ ​on​ ​CaptureChessBoard.exe​ ​and​ ​the​ ​program​ ​should​ ​run.​ ​ ​The​ ​default​ ​place​ ​to​ ​store​ ​data​ ​from​ ​the program​ ​is​ ​the​ ​folder​ ​that​ ​you​ ​unzipped​ ​the​ ​system​ ​into.​ ​ ​If​ ​that​ ​default​ ​is​ ​not​ ​valid,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​see​ ​this window:

You​ ​need​ ​to​ ​pick​ ​a​ ​folder​ ​in​ ​which​ ​to​ ​store​ ​the​ ​data​ ​generated​ ​by​ ​the​ ​program.​ ​ ​This​ ​window​ ​is​ ​also reached​ ​from​ ​the​ ​“parms”​ ​tab​ ​and​ ​is​ ​shown​ ​below.​ ​ ​Other​ ​fields​ ​are​ ​explained​ ​later.

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After​ ​you​ ​pick​ ​the​ ​data​ ​folder,​ ​the​ ​next​ ​window​ ​you​ ​see​ ​is:

Normally​ ​there​ ​will​ ​be​ ​no​ ​“fonts”​ ​ ​in​ ​the​ ​list.​ ​ ​A​ ​font​ ​represents​ ​a​ ​style​ ​of​ ​chess​ ​pieces​ ​(along​ ​with​ ​the board).​ ​ ​You​ ​will​ ​normally​ ​establish​ ​a​ ​separate​ ​font​ ​for​ ​each​ ​source​ ​that​ ​provides​ ​images.​ ​ ​Typically this​ ​will​ ​be​ ​a​ ​website,​ ​but​ ​could​ ​be​ ​any​ ​program​ ​that​ ​generates​ ​chess​ ​diagrams.​ ​ ​To​ ​set​ ​up​ ​a​ ​new​ ​font, give​ ​it​ ​a​ ​name​ ​and​ ​click​ ​on​ ​the​ ​“new”​ ​button.​ ​ ​The​ ​font​ ​name​ ​should​ ​contain​ ​only​ ​letters,​ ​numbers,​ ​and ‘_’.​ ​It​ ​must​ ​not​ ​contain​ ​blanks​ ​either.​ ​So,​ ​the​ ​“font”​ ​determines​ ​the​ ​piece/board​ ​combination.

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We​ ​assume​ ​the​ ​image​ ​to​ ​capture​ ​is​ ​already​ ​on​ ​your​ ​computer​ ​monitor,​ ​so​ ​just​ ​click​ ​on​ ​the​ ​“capture chessboard”​ ​button.​ ​ ​The​ ​current​ ​window​ ​will​ ​disappear​ ​and​ ​a​ ​“reticle”​ ​will​ ​pop​ ​up.​ ​ ​It​ ​looks​ ​like:

There​ ​is​ ​a​ ​“hole”​ ​in​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​through​ ​which​ ​you​ ​can​ ​see​ ​the​ ​desktop​ ​(in​ ​this​ ​case​ ​“it’s​ ​full​ ​of​ ​stars!”). You​ ​position​ ​the​ ​reticle​ ​over​ ​the​ ​image​ ​of​ ​the​ ​chessboard​ ​you​ ​are​ ​capturing,​ ​expanding​ ​or​ ​shrinking​ ​it until​ ​the​ ​hole​ ​just​ ​covers​ ​the​ ​squares​ ​on​ ​the​ ​ ​board.​ ​ ​That​ ​looks​ ​like:

It​ ​is​ ​important​ ​that​ ​the​ ​outer​ ​edges​ ​of​ ​the​ ​squares​ ​on​ ​the​ ​border​ ​be​ ​covered​ ​by​ ​the​ ​reticle’s​ ​“hole”.​ ​ ​The

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upper​ ​left​ ​hand​ ​corner​ ​of​ ​the​ ​hole​ ​in​ ​the​ ​reticle​ ​should​ ​be​ ​close​ ​to​ ​that​ ​of​ ​the​ ​chessboard’s.​ ​ ​This​ ​is​ ​not too​ ​critical;​ ​however,​ ​a​ ​little​ ​of​ ​the​ ​chessboard's​ ​border​ ​should​ ​be​ ​captured​​ ​as​ ​well​ ​(on​ ​each​ ​side),​ ​as you​ ​see​ ​here.​ ​ ​Also,​ ​if​ ​you​ ​make​ ​this​ ​reticle​ ​too​ ​large​ ​CBC​ ​will​ ​not​ ​find​ ​the​ ​chessboard. There​ ​are​ ​two​ ​checkboxes:​ ​uncheck​ ​“black​ ​at​ ​top”​ ​if​ ​the​ ​board​ ​is​ ​showing​ ​white​ ​at​ ​the​ ​top.​ ​Uncheck “white​ ​to​ ​move”​ ​if​ ​it​ ​is​ ​black's​ ​move​ ​in​ ​the​ ​position.​ ​ ​Once​ ​the​ ​two​ ​boxes​ ​are​ ​checked​ ​correctly,​ ​click on​ ​the​ ​“capture”​ ​button​ ​and​ ​the​ ​following​ ​window​ ​will​ ​appear:

This​ ​is​ ​the​ ​window​ ​you​ ​use​ ​to​ ​identify​ ​the​ ​pieces​ ​(and​ ​empty​ ​squares)​ ​on​ ​the​ ​board.​ ​ ​It​ ​contains​ ​a grayscale​ ​version​ ​of​ ​the​ ​image​ ​you​ ​captured.​ ​ ​Click​ ​the​ ​button​ ​indicating​ ​the​ ​color/type​ ​of​ ​ ​a​ ​piece​ ​and then​ ​click​ ​on​ ​all​ ​pieces​ ​of​ ​that​ ​type​ ​and​ ​color.​ ​ ​You​ ​can​ ​use​ ​the​ ​mouse’s​ ​scroll​ ​wheel​ ​to​ ​select​ ​the​ ​next piece/color​ ​instead​ ​of​ ​clicking​ ​on​ ​the​ ​button.​ ​ ​This​ ​might​ ​be​ ​more​ ​convenient​ ​than​ ​moving​ ​the​ ​mouse​ ​to the​ ​buttons. I​ ​recommend​ ​you​ ​do​ ​the​ ​empty​ ​squares​ ​first.

As​ ​you​ ​identify​ ​the​ ​pieces​ ​the​ ​red​ ​squares​ ​will​ ​turn​ ​to​ ​white​ ​or​ ​black​ ​(if​ ​the​ ​piece​ ​is​ ​white​ ​or​ ​black respectively),​ ​and​ ​the​ ​'?'​ ​will​ ​be​ ​replaced​ ​by​ ​the​ ​first​ ​letter​ ​of​ ​the​ ​piece​ ​type​ ​('N'​ ​for​ ​knight).​ ​ ​Uppercase letters​ ​are​ ​used​ ​for​ ​white​ ​pieces,​ ​lowercase​ ​for​ ​black.​ ​ ​If​ ​the​ ​pieces​ ​are​ ​on​ ​their​ ​home​ ​squares​ ​you​ ​can save​ ​time​ ​by​ ​checking​ ​the​ ​“board​ ​is​ ​at​ ​start​ ​game”​ ​box.​ ​Once​ ​all​ ​pieces​ ​have​ ​been​ ​identified,​ ​the window​ ​will​ ​look​ ​thus:

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Often​ ​the​ ​system​ ​will​ ​learn​ ​pieces​ ​as​ ​you​ ​click​ ​saving​ ​you​ ​some​ ​trouble.​ ​ ​Note​ ​that​ ​it​ ​is​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​miss​ ​a square​ ​that​ ​has​ ​a​ ​piece,​ ​but​ ​which​ ​has​ ​been​ ​misidentified​ ​as​ ​an​ ​empty​ ​square.​ ​ ​Be​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​check​ ​the upper​ ​left​ ​corner​ ​to​ ​verify​ ​that​ ​all​ ​pieces​ ​have​ ​been​ ​marked.

Some​ ​squares​ ​are​ ​marked​ ​with​ ​a​ ​gold​ ​square​ ​in​ ​the​ ​bottom​ ​right​ ​corner.​ ​This​ ​indicates​ ​that​ ​the​ ​program is​ ​not​ ​confident​ ​of​ ​the​ ​assignment.​ ​ ​If​ ​the​ ​assignment​ ​is​ ​correct​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​have​ ​to​ ​click​ ​on​ ​the​ ​square. If​ ​it​ ​is​ ​wrong,​ ​you​ ​must​ ​correct​ ​it.

The​ ​“finish”​ ​button​ ​appears​ ​after​ ​all​ ​the​ ​“?”s​ ​have​ ​been​ ​cleared.​ ​ ​At​ ​this​ ​point​ ​you​ ​can​ ​click​ ​on​ ​“cancel” or​ ​“finish”.​ ​ ​If​ ​the​ ​latter,​ ​ ​the​ ​FEN​ ​string​ ​will​ ​appear​ ​and​ ​the​ ​program​ ​will​ ​also​ ​copy​ ​this​ ​to​ ​the Windows​ ​clipboard. You​ ​can​ ​then​ ​paste​ ​it​ ​into​ ​a​ ​receiving​ ​program,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​a​ ​database​ ​program.​ ​ ​For​ ​example,​ ​the​ ​SCID database​ ​program​ ​has​ ​a​ ​menu​ ​item​ ​“Edit/Paste​ ​Start​ ​Board”.​ ​ ​Clicking​ ​on​ ​that​ ​will​ ​cause​ ​the​ ​FEN​ ​to​ ​be given​ ​to​ ​SCID​ ​and​ ​the​ ​SCID​ ​board​ ​will​ ​be​ ​updated​ ​with​ ​the​ ​captured​ ​position.​ ​ ​Then​ ​you​ ​can​ ​ask​ ​SCID to​ ​save​ ​the​ ​position​ ​in​ ​its​ ​database.​ ​Other​ ​programs​ ​may​ ​wish​ ​you​ ​to​ ​paste​ ​the​ ​FEN​ ​string,​ ​so​ ​you would​ ​use​ ​the​ ​keyboard​ ​CNTL-V​ ​(a​ ​Windows​ ​standard​ ​function)​ ​for​ ​this. Option​:​ ​the​ ​“parms”​ ​page​ ​has​ ​an​ ​option​ ​to​ ​automatically​ ​set​ ​up​ ​for​ ​a​ ​new​ ​capture​ ​when​ ​you​ ​click​ ​the finish​ ​button.​ ​See​ ​below.

Under​ ​normal​ ​conditions​ ​CBC​ ​will​ ​(in​ ​time)​ ​learn​ ​the​ ​style​ ​(font)​ ​of​ ​the​ ​pieces​ ​and​ ​automatically​ ​set the​ ​appropriate​ ​color/style​ ​so​ ​that​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​have​ ​to​ ​click​ ​on​ ​each​ ​piece.​ ​Once​ ​CBC​ ​has​ ​seen​ ​enough of​ ​each​ ​piece,​ ​for​ ​each​ ​color,​ ​the​ ​gold​ ​marks​ ​will​ ​disappear​ ​and​ ​the​ ​program​ ​is​ ​close​ ​to​ ​identifying​ ​all pieces​ ​correctly.​ ​ ​However,​ ​ ​you​ ​will​ ​still​ ​need​ ​to​​ ​verify​ ​the​ ​assignments​​ ​and​ ​click​ ​on​ ​“finish”​ ​only when​ ​all​ ​are​ ​correct.​ ​CBC​ ​is​ ​not​ ​perfect​ ​and​ ​will​ ​occasionally​ ​misidentify​ ​a​ ​piece.

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Unusual​ ​Situations

Rarely,​ ​CBC​ ​will​ ​not​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​locate​ ​the​ ​chessboard​ ​within​ ​the​ ​image.​ ​ ​This​ ​can​ ​happen​ ​if​ ​you​ ​make the​ ​reticle​ ​extend​ ​to​ ​far​ ​beyond​ ​the​ ​chessboard​ ​(just​ ​recapture​ ​with​ ​a​ ​smaller​ ​reticle).​ ​Other​ ​cases​ ​occur if​ ​the​ ​squares​ ​are​ ​indistinct​ ​or​ ​if​ ​the​ ​contrast​ ​between​ ​dark​ ​and​ ​light​ ​squares​ ​is​ ​small,​ ​or​ ​if​ ​the​ ​board squares​ ​are​ ​textured​ ​in​ ​an​ ​ornate​ ​fashion.​ ​ ​However,​ ​the​ ​capture​ ​should​ ​work​ ​on​ ​most​ ​diagrams, including​ ​ones​ ​whose​ ​dark​ ​squares​ ​are​ ​“hatched”,​ ​like​ ​the​ ​following:

If​ ​the​ ​capture​ ​is​ ​unsuccessful​ ​you​ ​will​ ​see​ ​a​ ​message.​ ​ ​Dismiss​ ​this​ ​and​ ​you​ ​should​ ​still​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to identify​ ​the​ ​pieces​ ​and​ ​capture​ ​the​ ​FEN.​ ​The​ ​captured​ ​image​ ​will​ ​look​ ​something​ ​like:

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The​ ​mouse​ ​should​ ​be​ ​inside​ ​a​ ​gold​ ​square​ ​when​ ​you​ ​click​ ​to​ ​identify​ ​the​ ​piece.​ ​ ​If​ ​the​ ​gold​ ​squares​ ​are too​ ​far​ ​off​ ​from​ ​the​ ​actual​ ​ones​ ​(as​ ​in​ ​the​ ​above​ ​example),​ ​recapture​ ​the​ ​chessboard​ ​fitting​ ​the​ ​capture reticle​ ​more​ ​closely​ ​to​ ​the​ ​image.​ ​ ​CBC​ ​cannot​ ​tell​ ​which​ ​squares​ ​are​ ​occupied​ ​nor​ ​when​ ​you​ ​are finished. Be​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​check​ ​“cancel​ ​learning”​ ​before​ ​you​ ​click​ ​on​ ​“finish”.

You​ ​must​ ​click​ ​on​ ​the​ ​“finish”​ ​button​ ​when​ ​you​ ​are​ ​done.​ ​The​ ​program​ ​cannot​ ​“learn”​ ​the​ ​piece​ ​style and​ ​hence​ ​all​ ​usage​ ​of​ ​this​ ​font​ ​will​ ​be​ ​“manual”.​ ​ ​You​ ​should​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​capture​ ​any​ ​diagram​ ​using this​ ​procedure.

Sometimes​ ​a​ ​chessboard​ ​will​ ​contain​ ​extraneous​ ​information,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​arrows,​ ​crosses,​ ​circles​ ​and​ ​other notation.​ ​ ​Here​ ​is​ ​an​ ​example​ ​of​ ​such​ ​a​ ​capture:

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You​ ​can​ ​see​ ​that​ ​CBC​ ​thinks​ ​the​ ​squares​ ​covered​ ​by​ ​the​ ​arrows​ ​are​ ​occupied​ ​by​ ​pieces​ ​(hence​ ​the​ ​red squares​ ​in​ ​their​ ​upper​ ​left​ ​corners).​ ​ ​You​ ​should​ ​click​ ​the​ ​“empty”​ ​button​ ​and​ ​then​ ​click​ ​on​ ​all​ ​the squares​ ​that​ ​the​ ​program​ ​has​ ​incorrectly​ ​marked​ ​as​ ​occupied.​ ​ ​Similarly,​ ​for​ ​the​ ​squares​ ​that​ ​have​ ​the tail​ ​or​ ​head​ ​of​ ​the​ ​arrow,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​a​ ​piece,​ ​you​ ​must​ ​identify​ ​the​ ​piece​ ​to​ ​the​ ​program​ ​in​ ​the​ ​usual way. Because​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​want​ ​the​ ​program​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​a​ ​piece​ ​whose​ ​square​ ​includes​ ​the​ ​arrow,​ ​check​ ​“cancel learning”​ ​before​ ​you​ ​click​ ​on​ ​“finish”.​ ​ ​This​ ​insures​ ​that​ ​CBC​ ​does​ ​not​ ​learn​ ​any​ ​of​ ​the​ ​pieces.

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Some​ ​chessboards​ ​present​ ​other​ ​challenges​ ​to​ ​CBC:

In​ ​this​ ​chessboard,​ ​not​ ​all​ ​empty​ ​white​ ​squares​ ​are​ ​the​ ​same,​ ​nor​ ​are​ ​all​ ​empty​ ​dark​ ​squares​ ​the​ ​same. The​ ​“textures”​ ​differ.​ ​This​ ​slows​ ​down​ ​the​ ​learning​ ​considerably​ ​for​ ​each​ ​piece,​ ​since​ ​both​ ​the​ ​piece pixels​ ​and​ ​background​ ​pixels​ ​are​ ​used​ ​to​ ​characterize​ ​a​ ​piece/square-color​ ​combination.​ ​(This​ ​diagram was​ ​taken​ ​from​ ​from​ ​this​ ​site​.

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Additional​ ​Features

The​ ​“parms”​ ​window​ ​lets​ ​you​ ​specify​ ​parameters.​ ​ ​It​ ​looks​ ​like:

The​ ​data​ ​folder​ ​“pick”​ ​button​ ​lets​ ​you​ ​choose​ ​the​ ​directory​ ​for​ ​the​ ​data​ ​created​ ​by​ ​the​ ​program.​ ​ ​This includes​ ​font​ ​data​ ​and​ ​a​ ​file​ ​for​ ​the​ ​pgn​ ​(that​ ​file​ ​name​ ​is​ ​specified​ ​in​ ​the​ ​“file​ ​name”​ ​box).

In​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​the​ ​FEN​ ​string,​ ​CBC​ ​outputs​ ​positions​ ​in​ ​“pgn”​ ​(portable​ ​game​ ​notation)​ ​format.​ ​ ​Some programs​ ​prefer​ ​to​ ​accept​ ​data​ ​in​ ​this​ ​format​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​FEN.

You​ ​can​ ​set​ ​any​ ​pgn​ ​fields​ ​in​ ​the​ ​appropriate​ ​box.​ ​ ​These​ ​values​ ​can​ ​be​ ​suited​ ​to​ ​your​ ​purpose.​ ​ ​E.G. you​ ​could​ ​use​ ​the​ ​“white”​ ​field​ ​to​ ​store​ ​the​ ​category​ ​of​ ​the​ ​position/puzzle​ ​(e.g.​ ​pin,​ ​fork,​ ​back​ ​rank mate,​ ​etc).​ ​ ​CBC​ ​uses​ ​the​ ​“siteSeq#”​ ​parameter​ ​to​ ​construct​ ​a​ ​unique​ ​id​ ​for​ ​the​ ​position.​ ​ ​It​ ​prepends “site”​ ​to​ ​this​ ​number​ ​(e.g.​ ​“site0001”).​ ​This​ ​can​ ​be​ ​used​ ​to​ ​search​ ​a​ ​database​ ​on​ ​this​ ​field​ ​and​ ​thus​ ​find the​ ​single​ ​position​ ​you​ ​captured​ ​with​ ​that​ ​“site”.​ ​ ​One​ ​use​ ​for​ ​this​ ​is​ ​as​ ​part​ ​of​ ​a​ ​“flash​ ​card”​ ​deck​ ​for reviewing​ ​puzzles​ ​you​ ​are​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​learn. During​ ​one​ ​run​ ​of​ ​the​ ​program​ ​(i.e.​ ​between​ ​the​ ​times​ ​it​ ​is​ ​started​ ​and​ ​then​ ​closed​ ​down),​ ​all​ ​the positions​ ​will​ ​be​ ​stored​ ​in​ ​a​ ​single​ ​file​ ​(this​ ​file​ ​is​ ​emptied​ ​upon​ ​program​ ​startup).​ ​ ​Thus​ ​you​ ​can capture​ ​a​ ​number​ ​of​ ​positions​ ​and​ ​then​ ​submit​ ​them​ ​all​ ​at​ ​once​ ​to​ ​a​ ​database​ ​program.​ ​ ​E.G.​ ​the database​ ​program​ ​SCID​ ​has​ ​a​ ​menu​ ​item:​ ​“tools/import​ ​a​ ​file​ ​of​ ​pgn​ ​games”​ ​which​ ​you​ ​would​ ​use​ ​to load​ ​all​ ​positions​ ​you​ ​have​ ​captured. Note:​ ​Yatt​ ​is​ ​a​ ​good​ ​place​ ​to​ ​store​ ​chess​ ​puzzles.

The​ ​option​ ​“new​ ​capture​ ​on​ ​finish”​ ​lets​ ​you​ ​set​ ​up​ ​for​ ​a​ ​new​ ​capture​ ​by​ ​clicking​ ​the​ ​“finish”​ ​button​ ​(on the​ ​previous​ ​puzzle).​ ​Then,​ ​the​ ​main​ ​window​ ​will​ ​disappear​ ​and​ ​the​ ​reticle​ ​is​ ​shown.​ ​ ​This​ ​option

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assumes​ ​you​ ​are​ ​collecting​ ​puzzles​ ​all​ ​with​ ​the​ ​same​ ​font.​ ​Normally,​ ​the​ ​previous​ ​puzzle’s​ ​webpage would​ ​let​ ​you​ ​click​ ​“return”​ ​on​ ​the​ ​browser​ ​which​ ​shows​ ​you​ ​links​ ​to​ ​other​ ​puzzles.​ ​ ​You​ ​click​ ​on​ ​a link​ ​for​ ​a​ ​new​ ​puzzle​ ​(in​ ​the​ ​same​ ​font).​ ​(You​ ​can​ ​click​ ​“through”​ ​the​ ​reticle​ ​window​ ​if​ ​necessary​ ​to put​ ​the​ ​mouse​ ​on​ ​the​ ​puzzle​ ​link).​ ​The​ ​reticle​ ​will​ ​be​ ​positioned​ ​in​ ​the​ ​same​ ​spot​ ​as​ ​before,​ ​ready​ ​for you​ ​to​ ​click​ ​“capture”​ ​on​ ​the​ ​new​ ​puzzle. CBC​ ​contains​ ​two​ ​other​ ​tabs:​ ​“board​ ​limits”​ ​and​ ​“stats”.​ ​ ​These​ ​are​ ​helpful​ ​in​ ​understanding​ ​how​ ​the program​ ​recognized​ ​the​ ​chessboard​ ​and​ ​the​ ​individual​ ​pieces.​ ​ ​The​ ​former​ ​has​ ​gold​ ​lines​ ​indicating​ ​the boundary​ ​of​ ​the​ ​board​ ​and​ ​the​ ​interior​ ​of​ ​each​ ​square.​ ​ ​These​ ​lines​ ​should​ ​correctly​ ​delineate​ ​the squares.​ ​ ​If​ ​they​ ​do​ ​not,​ ​try​ ​recapturing​ ​the​ ​diagram​ ​with​ ​a​ ​better​ ​fit​ ​of​ ​the​ ​reticle​ ​over​ ​the​ ​diagram. Note​ ​that​ ​the​ ​corners​ ​of​ ​the​ ​squares​ ​are​ ​marked​ ​too:​ ​these​ ​are​ ​excluded​ ​when​ ​capturing​ ​piece​ ​data (some​ ​diagrams​ ​use​ ​the​ ​corners​ ​to​ ​show​ ​square​ ​coordinates). The​ ​“stats”​ ​tab​ ​contains​ ​information​ ​that​ ​is​ ​useful​ ​for​ ​understanding​ ​the​ ​learning​ ​algorithm.​ ​ ​Here​ ​is​ ​an example:

The​ ​first​ ​section​ ​is​ ​the​ ​status​ ​before​ ​the​ ​capture,​ ​the​ ​second​ ​after​ ​you​ ​have​ ​clicked​ ​the​ ​finish​ ​button.​ ​The missing​ ​pieces/FINISH​ ​section​ ​in​ ​this​ ​example​ ​says​ ​that​ ​we​ ​need​ ​to​ ​see,​ ​on​ ​light​ ​squares,​ ​white​ ​pieces for​ ​bishop,​ ​queen,​ ​and​ ​king​ ​and​ ​for​ ​black​ ​pieces,​ ​a​ ​knight,​ ​bishop,​ ​queen,​ ​and​ ​king.​ ​ ​On​ ​dark​ ​squares, we​ ​need​ ​to​ ​see​ ​a​ ​white​ ​knight​ ​and​ ​queen,​ ​ ​and​ ​a​ ​black​ ​queen.​ ​Then​ ​we​ ​will​ ​have​ ​seen​ ​all piece/square-color​ ​combinations​ ​and​ ​the​ ​learning​ ​will​ ​become​ ​more​ ​accurate​ ​for​ ​all​ ​piece/square combinations.

Frequently​ ​Asked​ ​Questions

Q:​ ​Where​ ​can​ ​I​ ​get​ ​chess​ ​puzzle​ ​diagrams? A:​ ​Enter​ ​“chess​ ​puzzles”​ ​into​ ​Google.

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Q:​ ​After​ ​I​ ​click​ ​on​ ​the​ ​“capture​ ​chess​ ​board”​ ​button,​ ​I​ ​change​ ​my​ ​mind​ ​and​ ​want​ ​to​ ​cancel,​ ​but​ ​the main​ ​window​ ​has​ ​disappeared.​ ​ ​How​ ​do​ ​I​ ​cancel? A:​ ​Just​ ​move​ ​the​ ​reticle​ ​anywhere​ ​and​ ​click​ ​on​ ​its​ ​“capture”​ ​button.​ ​ ​Then​ ​the​ ​main​ ​window​ ​will appear​ ​and​ ​you​ ​can​ ​cancel​ ​from​ ​there. Q:​ ​When​ ​I​ ​click​ ​on​ ​a​ ​pawn​ ​the​ ​program​ ​recognizes​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​other​ ​pawns.​ ​ ​Then​ ​when​ ​I​ ​click​ ​on​ ​an unrecognized​ ​pawn​ ​it​ ​“forgets”​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​ones​ ​it​ ​recognized​ ​and​ ​I​ ​have​ ​to​ ​click​ ​on​ ​them​ ​too;​ ​why? A:​ ​CBC​ ​is​ ​still​ ​learning​ ​the​ ​pieces.​ ​ ​As​ ​you​ ​click​ ​on​ ​them,​ ​the​ ​criteria​ ​becomes​ ​more​ ​and​ ​more stringent​ ​so​ ​that​ ​some​ ​pieces​ ​no​ ​longer​ ​pass​ ​the​ ​test​ ​(and​ ​become​ ​unrecognized).​ ​ ​Eventually​ ​the program​ ​will​ ​learn​ ​all​ ​the​ ​pieces​ ​and​ ​subsequent​ ​positions​ ​(from​ ​the​ ​same​ ​source,​ ​using​ ​the​ ​same​ ​font) will​ ​be​ ​recognized​ ​more​ ​quickly. Q:​ ​Sometimes​ ​I​ ​see​ ​a​ ​gold​ ​square​ ​in​ ​the​ ​lower​ ​right​ ​corner​ ​of​ ​a​ ​square.​ ​ ​What​ ​does​ ​this​ ​mean? A:​ ​CBC​ ​is​ ​still​ ​learning​ ​that​ ​piece.​ ​ ​It​ ​“guessed”​ ​at​ ​the​ ​piece​ ​because​ ​it​ ​was​ ​close​ ​to​ ​one​ ​it​ ​had​ ​seen previously.​ ​If​ ​the​ ​“guess”​ ​is​ ​correct,​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​need​ ​to​ ​reinforce​ ​it​ ​by​ ​clicking​ ​on​ ​the​ ​square​ ​with​ ​the correct​ ​piece.​ ​Not​ ​all​ ​incorrectly​ ​assigned​ ​pieces​ ​will​ ​be​ ​so​ ​marked,​ ​so​ ​you​ ​must​ ​still​ ​look​ ​at​ ​each square​ ​to​ ​be​ ​sure​ ​identification​ ​is​ ​correct. Q:​ ​CBC​ ​made​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​mistakes:​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​see​ ​any​ ​gold​ ​marks​ ​in​ ​the​ ​image,​ ​but​ ​many​ ​of​ ​the​ ​pieces​ ​are miss-identified.​ ​ ​What​ ​is​ ​wrong? A:​ ​Even​ ​in​ ​the​ ​best​ ​of​ ​circumstances,​ ​take​ ​the​ ​gold​ ​mark​ ​(or​ ​its​ ​absence)​ ​with​ ​a​ ​grain​ ​of​ ​salt.​ ​CBC​ ​can be​ ​in​ ​error,​ ​even​ ​if​ ​it​ ​thinks​ ​no​ ​gold​ ​mark​ ​is​ ​warranted.​ ​ ​Be​ ​careful​ ​to​ ​check​ ​the​ ​assignments​​ ​every​ ​time before​ ​you​ ​click​ ​the​ ​finish​ ​button. This​ ​could​ ​also​ ​mean​ ​that​ ​you​ ​have​ ​used​ ​the​ ​incorrect​ ​font​ ​as​ ​the​ ​source​ ​of​ ​the​ ​diagram​ ​or​ ​miss-tagged the​ ​piece​ ​yourself​ ​(either​ ​on​ ​the​ ​current​ ​capture​ ​or​ ​a​ ​prior​ ​one).​ ​If​ ​CBC​ ​seems​ ​hopelessly​ ​confused, delete​ ​the​ ​font​ ​and​ ​start​ ​over. Q:​ ​If​ ​I​ ​make​ ​a​ ​mistake​ ​(and​ ​have​ ​clicked​ ​on​ ​“finish”)​ ​will​ ​CBC​ ​eventually​ ​correct​ ​itself? A:​ ​It​ ​will,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​might​ ​require​ ​many​ ​different​ ​captures​ ​of​ ​new​ ​positions.​ ​ ​If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​impatient,​ ​just delete​ ​the​ ​font​ ​and​ ​start​ ​over. Q:​ ​How​ ​long​ ​does​ ​it​ ​take​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​a​ ​font? A:​ ​CBC​ ​must​ ​see​ ​each​ ​piece​ ​type​ ​(queen,​ ​pawn,​ ​etc)​ ​of​ ​each​ ​color​ ​(black,​ ​white)​ ​on​ ​each​ ​square​ ​(black white)​ ​before​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be​ ​reasonably​ ​accurate.​ ​ ​The​ ​“stats”​ ​tab​ ​tells​ ​you​ ​which​ ​piece/color/square combinations​ ​it​ ​has​ ​not​ ​yet​ ​seen.​ ​Even​ ​after​ ​CBC​ ​has​ ​seen​ ​all​ ​combinations,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​still​ ​learning.​ ​Some fonts/boards​ ​are​ ​a​ ​challenge,​ ​however,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​may​ ​never​ ​be​ ​perfect​ ​on​ ​these​ ​diagrams. Q:​ ​Why​ ​does​ ​the​ ​program​ ​indicate​ ​a​ ​piece​ ​where​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​piece​ ​and​ ​how​ ​do​ ​I​ ​fix​ ​it? A:​ ​This​ ​happens​ ​when​ ​the​ ​square’s​ ​background​ ​is​ ​so​ ​murky​ ​and​ ​has​ ​such​ ​variance​ ​that​ ​CBC​ ​thinks​ ​it must​ ​be​ ​occupied.​ ​ ​Use​ ​the​ ​“empty”​ ​button​ ​to​ ​mark​ ​the​ ​square​ ​as​ ​empty.​ ​The​ ​program​ ​must​ ​learn empty​ ​squares​ ​the​ ​same​ ​way​ ​it​ ​learns​ ​pieces. Q:​ ​Why​ ​doesn’t​ ​CBC​ ​indicate​ ​a​ ​piece​ ​where​ ​there​ ​really​ ​is​ ​a​ ​piece​ ​and​ ​how​ ​do​ ​I​ ​fix​ ​it? A;​ ​This​ ​is​ ​the​ ​opposite​ ​problem​ ​to​ ​the​ ​one​ ​above.​ ​ ​The​ ​contrast​ ​between​ ​the​ ​piece​ ​and​ ​the​ ​background of​ ​the​ ​square​ ​is​ ​too​ ​small​ ​for​ ​CBC​ ​to​ ​detect​ ​the​ ​piece.​ ​ ​Just​ ​click​ ​the​ ​appropriate​ ​color/piece​ ​button​ ​and then​ ​click​ ​on​ ​the​ ​square.

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Q:​ ​How​ ​can​ ​I​ ​help​ ​the​ ​program​ ​to​ ​be​ ​more​ ​accurate? A:​ ​The​ ​larger​ ​the​ ​image​ ​the​ ​more​ ​the​ ​differences​ ​between​ ​piece​ ​types​ ​will​ ​become​ ​apparent​ ​to​ ​the program.​ ​Be​ ​very​ ​careful​ ​about​ ​making​ ​a​ ​mistake​ ​on​ ​a​ ​piece​ ​assignment​ ​and​ ​then​ ​clicking​ ​“finish”. Q:​ ​How​ ​does​ ​CBC​ ​work? A:​ ​It​ ​converts​ ​the​ ​image​ ​to​ ​grayscale​ ​(pixel​ ​values​ ​from​ ​0-255).​ ​Then​ ​it​ ​uses​ ​line​ ​detection​ ​to​ ​find​ ​the board​ ​and​ ​the​ ​squares​ ​within​ ​the​ ​board.​ ​ ​It​ ​divides​ ​each​ ​square​ ​into​ ​6​ ​subsquares​ ​and​ ​finds​ ​the​ ​average pixel​ ​value​ ​of​ ​each.​ ​ ​Thus​ ​each​ ​board​ ​square​ ​has​ ​6​ ​parameters​ ​for​ ​CBC​ ​to​ ​determine​ ​which​ ​(if​ ​any) piece​ ​is​ ​on​ ​the​ ​square.​ ​It​ ​uses​ ​a​ ​distant​ ​variant​ ​of​ ​condensed​ ​nearest​ ​neighbor​​ ​to​ ​identify​ ​pieces.​ ​Each font​ ​has​ ​two​ ​classifiers:​ ​one​ ​for​ ​pieces​ ​on​ ​dark​ ​squares,​ ​the​ ​other​ ​for​ ​pieces​ ​on​ ​white​ ​squares.

Example 1.​ ​ ​Go​ ​to​ ​a​ ​website​ ​with​ ​a​ ​chess​ ​diagram.​ ​ ​For​ ​example, http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-puzzle-of-the-day.php 2.​ ​ ​Use​ ​CBC​ ​to​ ​capture​ ​it​ ​and​ ​thus​ ​put​ ​the​ ​FEN​ ​on​ ​the​ ​clipboard. 3.​ ​ ​Go​ ​here​ ​and​ ​paste​ ​the​ ​FEN 4.​ ​ ​Use​ ​that​ ​website​ ​and​ ​its​ ​engine​ ​to​ ​solve​ ​the​ ​problem. I​ ​use​ ​CBC​ ​to​ ​capture​ ​a​ ​puzzle​ ​from​ ​a​ ​website​ ​and​ ​then​ ​I​ ​paste​ ​the​ ​FEN​ ​into​ ​SCID​ ​(a​ ​free​ ​chess database​ ​program).​ ​ ​That​ ​lets​ ​me​ ​save​ ​the​ ​puzzle​ ​and/or​ ​use​ ​an​ ​engine​ ​to​ ​solve​ ​it.​ ​If​ ​the​ ​puzzle​ ​is​ ​a​ ​good one,​ ​I​ ​store​ ​it​ ​in​ ​Yatt​.

Acknowledgment This​ ​program​ ​was​ ​inspired​ ​by​ ​the​ ​diagram​ ​transfer​ ​tool​ ​found​ ​at http://alain.blaisot.free.fr/DiagTransfer/English/home.htm​.​ ​ ​You​ ​might​ ​wish​ ​to​ ​look​ ​at​ ​this​ ​program​ ​as an​ ​alternative​ ​for​ ​capturing​ ​chess​ ​diagrams.

Bugs​ ​and​ ​Suggestions Please​ ​contact​ ​the​ ​author,​ ​ Fred​ ​Mellender,​ ​at​ ​[email protected],​​ ​to​ ​report​ ​bugs​ ​or​ ​suggestions.​ ​If you​ ​can​ ​include​ ​a​ ​screenshot​ ​of​ ​the​ ​board​ ​(or​ ​better,​ ​the​ ​website)​​ ​you​ ​are​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​capture​ ​that​ ​would help.​ ​ ​I​ ​would​ ​appreciate​ ​knowing​ ​who​ ​is​ ​using​ ​this​ ​software.​ ​I​ ​am​ ​still​ ​twiddling​ ​with​ ​the​ ​software,​ ​so look​ ​for​ ​new​ ​versions​ ​once​ ​and​ ​awhile. This​ ​software​ ​is​ ​free,​ ​but​ ​no​ ​guarantee​ ​as​ ​to​ ​its​ ​suitability​ ​or​ ​correctness​ ​is​ ​given.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​make​ ​copies of​ ​the​ ​program​ ​and​ ​distribute​ ​it​ ​freely,​ ​but​ ​please​ ​include​ ​this​ ​document. This​ ​software​ ​and​ ​documentation​ ​is​ ​copyright​ ​2016​ ​by​ ​Fred​ ​Mellender​ ​and​ ​is​ ​not​ ​to​ ​be​ ​sold.

Chessboard Capture Program Users' Guide

Under Windows 10, you can right-click on the desktop and follow this path: ​ ... https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kgroth.chessocr&hl=en.

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