From: John Harbour and Andrew Wallis
To: All
As some of you will be aware, I started to write a chess app a couple of years ago. I soon realised I’d bitten off more than I could chew, but was lucky enough to come across Andy, an app developer who liked the idea and was willing to take on the hard part of actually writing the code. The app is now close to launch, and we are looking for chess players, at all levels, to help test both the app and our server setup before release.
The Endgame Course starts with simple mate in one problems, moves on to key skills such as K+R vs K and K+Q vs K+P, and culminates in the classics such as K+B+N vs K and K+Q vs K+R.
Checkmate Challenge contains 5,000 “find the mate” positions, divided into 20 levels. You go up a level when you solve a position, down two when you fail. The challenge is to reach a higher level than you have before, and to beat your longest winning streak. It’s great fun, and very addictive.
The Game Browser contains over 15,000 positions reached in master level games. The aim is to give mate from the starting position in as few moves as possible.
The app is available for Android and Apple phones and tablets. A Windows phone version is planned. When released there will be a free of charge Lite version, containing the first half of the Endgame Course and “tasters” of Checkmate Challenge and the Game Browser, and the full version which will cost around £1.80. The beta test is of the full version. Neither version contains any advertisements.
If you would like to participate, please send an email to Andy at andrewmarkwallis at gmail dot com, saying whether you want it for Android, Apple, or both. Andy will reply with a link that will allow you to download the app. For Android users your email must be from the address used in your Google account, for Apple it can be any email address.
If you have friends or family that are interested in chess, or simply enjoy puzzle apps, feel free to invite them to participate. The part of the endgame course in the Lite version is mainly aimed at children who are playing chess at school, so we are particularly interested in receiving comments on how well the app works for young children.
Many thanks.
John